Tube strike: London commuters face travel misery as walkout shuts entire underground network

Commuter Robbie Reddy, 34, a creative director from Finsbury Park, said: “I just wish they would get back round the table. I can’t believe there is not a solution to this if both sides don’t give a little. The unions are notoriously strong on London transport, so this is what they do. Perhaps TfL could make them an improved offer.”

But there were few signs of any progress in the row with relations deteriorating further today after management issued new rosters to staff for running the night Tube.

Aslef, which represents the majority of drivers in the dispute, said the rosters had not been agreed or negotiated and the union “does not recognise them.”

Mick Whelan, Aslef general secretary, said: “We support Night Tube. London needs it. We remain prepared to talk at any time to try to find a common ground but by forcing these new rosters on train drivers and acting outside of our agreed way of working senior management are making it even harder to resolve this dispute.”

Leaders of the Tube’s three biggest unions – the RMT, Aslef and TSSA – will hold separate crisis meetings next week before agreeing a joint strategy for future action.

This includes longer or a series of walkouts with a 48 hour strike high among the list of options.

Boris Johnson told Londoners he was “sorry” for the inconvenience they were suffering as they struggled into work.

“I congratulate everybody who is managing to get into work and hope everyobody is being as sensible and indulgent as possible for anybody who is struggling to get in,” he said.

Steve Griffiths, London Underground’s chief negotiating officer, said: “We have made every effort to reach agreement with the unions and avoid this unnecessary strike action. On the table is an extremely fair offer. We have employed 137 new drivers and 345 new station staff for the Night Tube service.”

Frustrated commuters caught in the middle of the row told of their stressful journeys to work. At Stratford hotel worker Madalina Bituleanu, 20, said: “We’re trying to get to South Kensington, which is normally an easy journey on the Central and District lines.

“Today, it’s the Overground and buses and we’re preparing for another three-hour journey home tonight. We’re from Romania and I can’t imagine this being allowed to happen in Bucharest, but I support the workers’ right to strike.”

At Victoria, digital marketing worker Rhiannon Leon, 29, attempting to get from Sydenham to Euston thought today’s strike action would add about up to 45 minutes to her commute.

She said: “I support tube workers right to strike but it doesn’t make it any less annoying for me trying to get to work. It’s going to take much longer and be busy and difficult and stressful. I’m here quite early but there are still long queues. God knows what it will be like later.”

Buses were reported to be packed from as early as 6am and at 8.45am there were 428 separate traffic jams causing 197 miles of tailbacks, according to traffic experts at TomTom. The most congested roads were around Parliament Square with delays of 48 minutes) and on the A40 from Wood Lane to Marylebone Road, with 30 minute tailbacks.

There are expected to be an extra half million bus journeys and more than 70,000 “Boris bike” hires today.