More disruption is set for Thursday, as Londoners continue to feel the impact of Tuesday's action.

Harry Low
BBC London News

Image source, PA Media

Thanks for joining our coverage of the first Tube strike since all government Covid restrictions were lifted.

People across the capital are being impacted by 10,000 members of the RMT union walking out for 24 hours from midnight to 23:59 GMT.

Barely any services have operated throughout the day, with further disruption predicted into the evening and tomorrow morning - there will be no services until at least 07:30 GMT on Wednesday followed by a "severely disrupted service".

Oh, and there's another 24-hour Tube strike taking place on Thursday.

We'll be taking the bus but we'll be back with more then.

Image source, PA Media

• London transport chiefs have advised passengers to complete their Tube journeys by 18:30 GMT, and that disruption will continue into this evening
• There will be no Tube service until at least 07:30 GMT on Wednesday, the transport chiefs say, and there will be a "severely disrupted service until later in the morning"
• They say "where possible, customers should avoid travelling in the early morning and aim to make their journeys later in the day"
• Passengers are also being advised by the transport chiefs to work from home on Thursday, when another 24-hour strike is set to take place
• And people are also being advised to avoid early morning journeys on Friday, when further disruption is expected

Harry Low
BBC London News

The RMT union should "think again" before enacting their second "really selfish" strike action on Thursday, according to Caroline Pidgeon, chair of the London Assembly transport committee.

She says: "So many Londoners will have been struggling to get in to work.

"Lots of people on zero hours contracts will have lost wages today because they haven't been able to get in to work.

"They've caused enough trouble for one day, they should simply move to one side."

What's her idea of a solution?

"Get round the table, talk to TfL about where these savings are going to come from and try to work talking to people rather than going out on strike.

"I don't think Londoners will understand [another strike]."

Harry Low
BBC London News

Image source, PA

More from Caroline Pidgeon, chair of the London Assembly transport committee, who has described the decision to take industrial action as a "poor judgement" by the RMT union.

She told BBC Radio London's Jumoke Fashola's Afternoon Show: "If at some point there is a change in staffing and they're looking at cutting jobs, I would understand the union going out and looking at striking because they want to fight for their jobs but there is none of that at the moment.

"Quite frankly, this is a gift to the government in their whole agenda, which is to move as fast as possible to driver-less trains on the Underground," the Lib Dem said.

"Instead, they have done an amazing job throughout the pandemic. They should stay with that at the moment rather than giving this gift to government who will use anything they can to stop the unions holding Londoners hostage, which is what they do with strikes."

Londoners faced widespread disruption as thousands of rail workers walked out.

Image source, PA Media

At 18:00 GMT, here are the latest rush-hour details as nearly all Tube services are suspended because of 24-hour strike action by the RMT union:

• Customers should complete Tube journeys by 18:30 GMT, Transport for London (TfL) says
• Some sections of District, Central and Piccadilly lines are operating reduced services, but are closed elsewhere

• TfL Rail and Tram services continue to operate normally
• The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) has no service between Shadwell and Bank
• London Overground is running a reduced service
• There are no Tube services running on the following lines: Bakerloo, Circle, Hammersmith and City, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Northern, Victoria, Waterloo & City
• Customers have been told by TfL chiefs on email there will be no Tube service on Wednesday until at least 07:30 GMT, followed by "a severely disrupted service until later in the morning"

• A second 24-hour strike is still set to go ahead on Thursday, 3 March

Helen Hoddinott
Journalist

Image source, PA Media

I'm now standing by the staircase that goes down from Paddington's railway station concourse into the Tube station.

It is usually absolutely rammed with people zooming up and down trying to get onto Tubes or trains - but it is completely deserted.

What everyone is having to do is to go out into the street to get buses - but many of them are coming by rammed, and people have been waiting for hours.

There are big problems with taxis, passengers simply cannot get them to get where they are going.

Some are in favour of the strike, but one man described it as "absolutely mad".

One woman arrived at Heathrow from Ireland, trying to get to an event in Canary Wharf.

She told me her initial Heathrow Express train was delayed and now she had a taxi at "double, triple, potential quadruple the costs".

"It is pretty annoying," she told me.

Tim Donovan
BBC London, Political Editor

Image source, PA Media

Transport minister Baroness Vere has criticised today's strike on the London Underground.

Answering a question in the House of Lords, Lady Vere described the industrial action as "unnecessary".

She said: "I think that actually it is self-defeating and it is going to damage the job prospects of those people who currently are working in, what is in general terms, an excellent transport system."

Lady Vere said the most recent deal with Transport for London (TfL) asked it to look for £400m worth of savings.

She told the House of Lords: "That's a lot of money, how is it that Transport for London was allowed to build up such fat?"

Harry Low
BBC London News

There are no Transport for London (TfL) Tube services running from Abbey Wood station today - but the strike is not to blame.

Had Crossrail opened when it was supposed to in 2018, it's possible today's industrial action would have closed this part of the station anyway.

But the new Elizabeth Tube line is yet to open to passengers in this part of south-east London - although testing of the trains is under way.

Southeastern and Thameslink services have been operating here today, with the new Tube service between here and Paddington due to open to the general public at some point during the first half of this year.

However, a full timetable allowing passengers to travel from one end of the line to the other without changing is not expected to be in place until May 2023.

Caroline Pidgeon, chair of the London Assembly transport committee, has branded the timing of the strike action as "completely premature".

The Liberal Democrat told BBC Radio London: "Obviously, people have the right to protect their working conditions and if there's something on the table they don't agree with and they ballot, they have the right to withdraw their labour but there are no concrete changes currently on the table.

"It's hitting London's economy hard at a time when businesses are trying to recover and many people are trying to get back into the office and to earn a living."

Harry Low
BBC London News

It's Shrove Tuesday - also known as Pancake Day - which means many people, not just Christians, eat pancakes.

At what is traditionally a time of fasting and sacrifice, many Londoners are not impressed with the way things have 'pan-ned' out.

As we fully enter London's evening rush-hour, the Tube strike means nearly all services are suspended. Here are the latest details:

• Some sections of District, Central and Piccadilly lines are operating reduced services, but are closed elsewhere

• TfL Rail and Tram services continue to operate normally
• The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) has no service between Shadwell and Bank
• London Overground is running a reduced service
• There are no Tube services running on the following lines: Bakerloo, Circle, Hammersmith and City, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Northern, Victoria, Waterloo & City
• Customers have been told by TfL chiefs on email there will be no Tube service on Wednesday until 07:30 GMT
• A second 24-hour strike is still set to go ahead on Thursday, 3 March

Harry Low
BBC London News

Transport for London has contacted customers urging them to complete their journeys on the small sections of line that are operating by 18:30 GMT.

"Please try to avoid the network completely, but if you are travelling by Tube today, please complete your journeys by 18:30," the operator said in an email within the past hour.

Harry Low
BBC London News

Transport for London (TfL) chiefs have told customers there will be no Tube service tomorrow morning until at least 07:30 GMT - and are warning customers of a severely disrupted service after this.

"Customers are advised to avoid travelling in the early morning and aim to make journeys from mid-morning", it said in an email sent to potential passengers within the last half hour.

Helen Hoddinott
Journalist

Image source, Reuters

So, this is what London looks like when it has no Tube.

As we know the strike is being led by the RMT union in dispute over pensions, jobs and conditions.

Transport for London (TfL) says there are no jobs being cut, the posts just won't be filled when people leave or retire.

This strike action continues until midnight, but we are being warned that peak Tube trains tomorrow morning will be affected too.

Then another 24-hour strike is scheduled for Thursday unless a deal can be reached.

But as we heard earlier, no negotiations have happened today.

BBC London

For a full round-up of today's Tube strike tune into BBC One tonight to watch BBC London analyse what has happened and what is coming up in the next few days.

The bulletin, anchored by Riz Lateef, will be on at a slightly later time of 19:00 GMT.

This is because the national news, presented by Clive Myrie in Kyiv and Sophie Raworth in London, is being extended to an hour to cover the latest developments in Ukraine.

Thomas Mackintosh
BBC London News

Image source, PA Media

The RMT union's John Leach has claimed his members are caught in a "political rambling match between the mayor and the government".

The government has agreed to continue the bailout for Transport for London (TfL) while they work out a deal to secure long-term funding.

TfL's income, mainly from fares, has plummeted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said the latest deal was worth about £200m, taking the total support given by the government close to £5bn.

As part of that deal, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said one condition of the agreement is to review pensions.

This is one of the factors behind today's strike and Mr Leach told BBC London there could well be more.

He said: "There is another strike on Thursday and there may well be more going forward – although I hope not.

"If they want to inflict pain on the staff, they will stick together and push back and we will not tolerate it.

"That means yes, there could be more strikes."

Image source, PA Media

Thomas Mackintosh
BBC London News

Image source, PA Media

The Northern Line now has no service because of the strike, when earlier it was running a reduced service on some sections. It's officially the London rush-hour, so let's take a look at the all the latest travel updates in London:

• Central Line: Service operating between White City and Ealing Broadway / West Ruislip, Liverpool Street and Loughton and between Newbury Park and Leytonstone via Woodford at a reduced frequency
• District Line: Service operating between Upminster and West Ham and between High Street Kensington / Wimbledon / Ealing Broadway
• Piccadilly Line: Service operating between Acton Town and Hounslow Central at a reduced frequency
• Docklands Light Railway: No service between Shadwell and Bank. Lewisham services are terminating at Shadwell
• London Trams: Full service running from Wimbledon to New Addington or Beckenham via Croydon
• TfL Rail: Good service on both lines out of Paddington and out of Liverpool Street

Image source, PA Media

That means there is currently no service, because of the RMT union strike, on the following services:

• Bakerloo
• Circle
• Hammersmith and City
• Jubilee
• Metropolitan
• Northern
• Victoria
• Waterloo & City