The London Underground is experiencing a complete shutdown due to union members taking part in a series of walkouts. The action began on January 5th and will have a lasting impact on passengers from Sunday evening. Transport for London has advised passengers to complete their journeys before 17:30 GMT. Little or no service is expected on the Tube until Friday. While there will be very few Tube services, the London Overground, Elizabeth line, DLR, bus, and trams will continue running throughout the week.
UK Hospitality has warned that the strike may cost the sector up to £50m. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the trade body UK Hospitality stated, “January is already one of the quieter trading months of the year for hospitality, where every sale counts, and this disruption will make the start to the year even more challenging.” The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) members voted to take industrial action over a below-inflation pay increase of 5%. Transport bosses have labeled the increase “the most we can afford.”
Severe disruption is expected for most of the week, with few services running. The Tube should return to its normal service by midday on Friday. The RMT walkouts will occur on different days, with engineering and maintenance workers holding a 24-hour strike from 18:00 on Friday, the 5th of January. Control centre and power/control members will take action for 24 hours from midnight on Sunday. Later in the week, signallers and service controller members will hold a 24-hour strike on Tuesday and Thursday. Other fleet, station, and train workers will walk out for 24 hours on Monday and Wednesday.
Despite the closure of the Tube, Elizabeth line trains will not call at Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street (Low Level), and Whitechapel before 06:30 and after 22:30 on Monday and Wednesday and before 07:30 on Tuesday and Thursday. Chiltern Railways has also announced that its services will be disrupted, as they use London Underground tracks and signaling systems, meaning trains cannot serve some stations at certain times. TfL has advised passengers to consider walking or cycling part of their journey or use electric scooter rental trials continuing in ten London boroughs while commuting in central London
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