ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences

Hundreds of thousands of London Underground passengers face fresh disruption as drivers plan to stage a strike on the Central line on Friday.

A second strike by Tube drivers on the line is also planned for November 7, the Aslef drivers' union said.

The strike on Friday by members of the Aslef union threatens to bring the line, used by more than 800,000 passengers a day, to a standstill. It will also affect the Waterloo & City Line as they both use the same group of drivers.

Union leaders claim a “breakdown of industrial relations” in a long running dispute with London Underground (LU.)

It accused Tube bosses of imposing “unsafe” working practices. Friday's strike will begin just after midnight and last for 24 hours.

Tube Strike: 22nd February 2017 7 show all Tube Strike: 22nd February 2017 1/7 Reduces service: a lone train running at Leytonstone Jeremy Selwyn 2/7 Commuters walk to work today along The Thames embankment. The Waterloo and City line was closed Jeremy Selwyn 3/7 Queues of commuters at Leytonstone Jeremy Selwyn 4/7 There was further disruption as the Tube strike coincided with a strike by Southern Rail workers Jeremy Selwyn 5/7 Passengers queue for replacement bus services at Leytonstone Jeremy Selwyn 6/7 A large queue of commuters waiting for trains at Ilford Station ITV London 7/7 Commuters queue at Ilford Station during the tube strike @MCR_Digital 1/7 Reduces service: a lone train running at Leytonstone Jeremy Selwyn 2/7 Commuters walk to work today along The Thames embankment. The Waterloo and City line was closed Jeremy Selwyn 3/7 Queues of commuters at Leytonstone Jeremy Selwyn 4/7 There was further disruption as the Tube strike coincided with a strike by Southern Rail workers Jeremy Selwyn 5/7 Passengers queue for replacement bus services at Leytonstone Jeremy Selwyn 6/7 A large queue of commuters waiting for trains at Ilford Station ITV London 7/7 Commuters queue at Ilford Station during the tube strike @MCR_Digital

Finn Brennan, ASLEF’s organiser on the Underground, said: “Industrial action is always the last resort but, given the intransigence of management on a whole range of issues affecting our members, we have, reluctantly, decided this is our only course of action.

“The strike on the Central line is the result of management’s failure to deal with the issues our reps have raised regarding service control problems affecting our members; abuse of the attendance at work procedure; breach of agreements regarding managers driving trains; abuse of the case conference procedure; harsh and unfair use of the disciplinary procedure; and imposition of new and unsafe ‘flash and dash’ working practices.”

Drivers belonging to the rival RMT union could refuse to cross picket lines, increasing the risk of no service over all or large parts of the line.

Nigel Holness, Transport for London's director of network operations for London Underground, said: "This possible strike action will mean that the Central and Waterloo & City lines would be closed for the day.

"If there are any changes to service levels, we will update customers through our website, journey planner and social media channels, which all feature up-to-date travel advice.

"We are meeting with Aslef leadership to try to work with them to avoid this strike action and I urge them to continue these positive discussions so that Londoners don't experience disruption this week."

The strike follows four days of disruption on the Piccadilly line last week by members of the RMT in a separate dispute – but the union also blamed a breakdown of industrial relations.

Efforts will now be made to get Aslef and LU talking again in an effort to call off the walkout.

RMT guards on mainline rail South Western Railway services to and from Waterloo are to strike for 48 hours on Friday and Saturday in a dispute over changes to duties and driver-only operations.