Waterloo and City London Underground line reopens ahead of schedule

London Mayor Sadiq Khan was among those to travel on the line on the morning it reopened

A London Underground line that closed entirely at the start of the pandemic has reopened ahead of schedule.

The Waterloo and City line, linking Waterloo Station to Bank, stopped running in March last year as part of efforts to stop the spread of Covid-19.

The service was due to restart on 21 June but opened early due to an increase in people using the Tube.

Transport bosses said it was a "welcome step back towards normality for the City".

The popular commuter service was shut on 20 March 2020 to enable train drivers to work on the Central line in order to keep that running.

Waterloo and City line trains will run during the morning and evening peak hours

Trains will operate every five minutes on weekdays between 06:00 and 10:00, and 15:30 and 19:00.

Transport for London (TfL) said commuters would be able to stagger their journeys during the morning and afternoon peaks, and the reopening would provide extra capacity on the network.

There has been over a 20% increase in the number of people using the Underground since 17 May, according to TfL.

Andy Lord, London Underground's managing director, said the reopening was "a welcome step back towards normality for the City as well as for the rest of London".

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who took a journey on the line earlier, said: "As London's economy continues to reopen and more people return to the offices, having this key artery connecting Waterloo and Bank station up and running will be vital."

Those using public transport will still need to wear face coverings.