Strikes bring much of London transport to a halt

1. Passengers in London are facing severe disruption as Tube workers and some bus drivers go on strike
2. Transport for London (TfL) is advising people to avoid travelling today, with services also affected tomorrow morning
3. It is the fifth time RMT members on London Underground have walked out for 24 hours this year in a dispute over job cuts
4. Bus drivers from the Unite union employed by London United are striking for 48 hours, affecting services in west and south-west London and parts of Surrey
5. People are also being warned that rail services will be slow to recover this morning after the latest national strike on Thursday
6. Today's action comes ahead of another UK-wide rail strike on Saturday

Thanks for joining us

That's it for our coverage of today's transport strikes in London.

The page was written by Marita Moloney, Thomas Macintosh and Andre Rhoden-Paul. It was edited by Nathan Williams and Chirag Trivedi.

What's been happening?

We'll shortly be stopping our live coverage of the transport strikes in London. Here's a round-up of what's been happening today:

• Passengers across the capital are facing disruption to their journeys due to separate industrial action by Tube workers and bus drivers
• Transport for London (TfL) has advised people to avoid travelling today, and there's a very limited service running on just three lines
• RMT members are striking for the fifth time this year in a dispute over job cuts, while National Rail workers will also walk out again on Saturday
• Some 63 bus routes are affected in west and south-west London and parts of Surrey as Unite members strike for 48 hours over pay
• Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says the rail industry has made a "very fair pay offer" and is accusing "union barons" of holding their membership hostage to strike ballots
• But RMT general secretary Mick Lynch says there's a "big stalemate" between the government and the London Mayor's office, while Unite says the pay deal offered to bus drivers is "insulting"

Is there a strike tomorrow?

Yes. Unite's London bus strike continues for a second day.

Plus, there will be more widespread disruption to the UK rail network on Saturday, as the RMT and TSSA go walk out again.

The effect on services is expected to be the same as 18 August, although some services will run on one of the days but not the other. Disruption is likely to continue into Sunday morning.

Read more details about the strikes here

'We're as near to a general strike as we have been in decades'

Getty Images

Rail workers aren't the only group joining the picket line as the cost of living soars.

Unions members from several industries are set to go on strike in the coming months, as Alan Jones, Industrial Relations Correspondent at the Press Association, explains.

Among those who could potentially strike are refuse workers in Windsor, members of the Royal College of Nursing, barristers and workers at the Port of Felixstowe.

He says:

A lot of these people worked through the pandemic: post office workers, Royal Mail workers, train workers, delivery drivers, refuse collectors - many of them hailed at the time as being the kind of heroes of the pandemic."

Inflation is "definitely what is driving a lot of these disputes", he tells BBC Radio 4's World at One, with autumn expected to bring even more industrial unrest.

"It's possible that teachers and nurses and even doctors and other health workers will be taking some form of industrial action," Jones says.

"People were talking about a summer of discontent... but the autumn and the winter could be much bigger in terms of industrial action than what we've seen in recent weeks.

"We're as near now to a general strike as we've been for decades."

Trains are only running on three Tube lines

Rob Oxley

BBC Radio London

A very limited service continues to run on only three Underground lines.

The Central Line isn't running through Central London with no service from White City to Liverpool Street. A limited service is operating at the ends of the line in the suburbs.

The District Line is only running between West Ham and Upminster.

Whilst the Northern Line has a reduced service Golders Green to Edgware and High Barnet to East Finchley.

The DLR and the Elizabeth Line are the only parts of the Transport for London network with a good service.

BBC

The status of the tube lines via TfL open data

Long taxi queues building up

McDonnell calls for wage rises in line with inflation

PA Media

Some more political reaction to bring you as the former shadow chancellor has now waded in on how the strikes and cost of living crisis go hand-in-hand.

Speaking on Radio 4's World at One (WATO) programme Labour's John McDonnell called for wage rises in line with inflation adding it is the only way to protect people from "sinking in to poverty".

He rejected that this would embed inflation saying that the dominant thrust of inflation rising wasn't coming from wages but from profits, and called for an excess profit tax.

He also criticised city bonuses which he claimed had gone up 30%.

Asked about whether the UK is facing a "winter of discontent" of strike action he said there is a build-up of workers prepared to go on strike "many of whom have never been on strike before".

Thameslink busier at St Pancras

Harry Low

BBC London News

BBC

With no Tube service at a station which would ordinarily serve six London Underground lines, there is extra pressure on Thameslink.

Thameslink trains connect north and south of the city via central London – as well as Luton and Gatwick airports and various counties beyond.

There has been a constant stream of passengers leaving this part of the station all afternoon.

London to Manchester service reduced

Elsewhere in the land of transport, only one train an hour is running between London and Manchester.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps seemed unaware of how many trains were running along that route.

Avanti West Coast is running a reduced timetable of one direct train an hour because of "severe staff shortages".

Transport secretary under fire for train timetable mistake

Restaurateur says customers adapting to disruption

Wendy Hurrell

BBC London

BBC

One London restaurant owner says both staff and customers are adapting to this week's transport disruption.

Ed Thaw, who owns Leroy restaurant in Shoreditch, says they were busier on Wednesday because customers knew that three days of reduced services due to strikes were ahead of them.

He adds that he is sympathetic to the strikes - for now.

"It's kind of swings and roundabouts but by and large we're kind of getting to where we want to be across the week," he says.

"I think our customers are adapting and we're kind of adapting. It's a lack of staff, it's energy bills going up and this is one of the lesser pains to deal with.

"It's not ideal, if it keeps on happening then at some point it's going to be a problem."

Re-route required

Harry Low

BBC London News

BBC

Like many people outside Tube stations across London, I find Salani Bandaranayake (right) tapping directions into her phone outside Euston.

She is travelling back to Leicester with her mum having visited family in Watford for the past fortnight.

In their case, it's a relatively short walk to King's Cross St Pancras.

"We actually booked a ticket a week ago... Now we'll have to walk to catch our train on time."

She says she is "neutral" on supporting London's fifth Tube strike this year.

"They're fighting for their rights as well," she adds.

How many trains are running today and Sunday?

Katy Austin

Transport Correspondent

EPA

Network Rail says about 70% of usual train services are running today.

This is because of starting late following yesterday’s national rail strike.

On Sunday, about 85% of usual services are expected to run following the next national strike day on Saturday.

How to win at London during a Tube strike

Getty Images

Today's Tube strike is the fifth to happen in London this year but the first to take place at the height of the school summer holidays.

While most of the Underground network is down and some bus routes aren't operating, there are still other methods for Londoners and tourists to battle their way around the capital.

Trains can offer sneaky routes across the city, more river bus services are operating for the day and there's always the option of a rented bike or e-scooter, depending on which borough you're in.

Discover other ways to survive the day in the city here.

Tube staff pay up 8.4%

Harry Low

BBC London News

BBC

Although London Underground workers received an 8.4% pay rise in April, prices are rising at 10.1% - their fastest rate for more than 40 years.

It means the gap between pay growth and inflation is the biggest since records began more than 20 years ago.

However, a four-year deal with unions guarantees 15,000 Tube workers an annual pay increase of RPI+0.2%, which will cost TfL £100m.

Elsewhere in the public sector, police have received 5% pay rise, teachers were awarded between 5% and 8.9% and the Armed Forces, who cannot strike, got 3.75%.

NHS workers received at least £1,400, backdated to April, with porters and cleaners getting a 9.3% increase.

Eligible doctors and dentists received a 4.5% rise.

Mayor: We have an anti-London government

'This is an anti-London government'

As transport workers in London go on strike today, the Mayor of London has told BBC London he thinks the government is "anti-London".

He says if Transport for London wasn't still in discussions with the government, it could resolve this industrial dispute amicably with trade unions.

The government and TfL are still in negotiations about the conditions of a long-term funding deal, something which Khan says is hampering discussions with the RMT and other trade unions.

The RMT has previously said this latest strike was prompted by TfL's "refusal" to share details of a draft government proposal it received regarding funding of the transport system in London.

But Khan said the deal wasn't final and that its contents were "sensitive".

Key points from today's strike action

PA Media

Here is a midday catch-up of everything we know so far about today's Tube strike.

• The majority of lines on the London Underground network have some form of disruption
• Only the Elizabeth line and the south London Trams are reporting a good service at midday
• Over in south-west London more than 1,600 bus drivers are on strike which is causing disruption to services across that part of the capital
• RMT general secretary Mick Lynch claims there is a "big stalemate" in talks between the government and the Mayor of London's office
• Transport Secretary Grant Shapps argues the rail industry has made a "very fair pay offer"

Station shops shut

Harry Low

BBC London News

BBC

It's not just Tube stations which have the shutters down.

Seven shops are shut inside Euston station this morning, even though train services are running.

Although none of them has anything to indicate the reason for the closures, it seems a good bet that the Tube and bus strikes are a factor.

There is another Mexican outfit outside the station which is closed - but that is due to "routine maintenance".

BBC

BBC

Pay deal offered to bus drivers 'insulting', says union

Pay offer for bus drivers is insulting - Unite union

As well as London Underground workers, bus drivers who are members of the Unite union are also walking out today in a dispute over pay.

Some 63 bus routes are affected, with services disrupted in west and south-west London and parts of Surrey today. Drivers will also strike on Saturday.

Unite regional officer John Murphy says the pay offer offered to members is "insulting" as wage increase offered over a two-year period "doesn't get close to inflation".

Drivers deserve to be treated better and with respect, he tells the BBC.

More empty seats at Lord's

Harry Low

BBC London News

BBC

It's day three of the first Test between England and South Africa at Lord's and there are fewer fans in place for the start of the action than normal.

The nearest station - St John's Wood (the only Tube station which doesn't contain the letters of the word "mackerel") - would ordinarily bring thousands of supporters to the home of cricket.

"I do hope that people can manage to get here today," Jonathan Agnew tells listeners on Test Match Special.

"It's all a bit chaotic today with Tube strikes and a bus strike as well.

"Well done to those how have made it but looking around there are still rather more empty seats than there would rather be for the first ball of a Lord's Test match but hopefully people will be able to get here and see, more or less, the start of the action."

Truss says unions 'holding country to ransom'

PA Media

Liz Truss, who is currently bookies' favourite to become the next PM, has vowed to "crackdown" on strikes if she is selected as Tory Party leader.

The foreign secretary has outlined her plans to tackle strikes, which include introducing minimum service levels to keep transport links running.

"Once again we're seeing militant trade unionists holding our country to ransom," she told the Daily Express.

"As prime minister, I'll crackdown on the debilitating strikes that cripple the vital services that hard-working people rely on."