Tube strike causes second day of misery

Police officers help commuters to board buses during London Underground strikes at Kings Cross underground station in London. Picture: Olivia Harris

Police officers help commuters to board buses during London Underground strikes at Kings Cross underground station in London. Picture: Olivia Harris

Published Feb 6, 2014

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London -

A 48-hour strike by London Underground workers caused a second day of chaos for millions of commuters on Thursday, despite unions agreeing to fresh talks with management.

Tube workers went on strike at 9pm (21.00 GMT) on Tuesday over hundreds of planned job cuts and ticket office closures.

Union leaders have agreed to hold talks with London Underground on Friday, but insisted the strike would only end as planned at 9 pm on Thursday.

They also refused to call off another 48-hour strike scheduled for next week.

As on Wednesday, hundreds of people crowded outside tube stations as they waited for them to open, and there was pushing and shoving as commuters tried to pile into already packed trains.

Huge queues formed by bus stops, taxi ranks and boat services as people tried to make use of other forms of transport, and roads became blocked with the extra traffic, as others drove in to work.

The tube network usually carries about 4.5 million passengers every day, more than half of the British capital's 8 million-strong population. - Sapa-dpa

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