A Tube strike on three London Underground lines is set to go ahead on Wednesday, with warnings there could be more ‘network-wide’ industrial action in the run up to Christmas.

Workers on the Piccadilly and Central lines will walk out for 24 hours tomorrow as members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union and drivers’ union Aslef dispute working conditions and breaches of contract agreements.

The strikes are expected to cripple Tube services in central London, with commuters being urged to plan ahead.

The Tube is likely to mean services on other lines will be busier than usual (Picture: Getty)

Strikers are warning that this could just be the beginning of the action, with plans for a ‘network-wide shutdown’ of the Tube if talks fail again in the run up to Christmas.




Talks held at the conciliation service Acas on Monday failed, with little hope that the strikes will be called off.

Finn Brennan, Aslef’s organiser on London Underground, said: ‘The issues underlying this dispute – fair treatment at work and complying with agreements – aren’t just confined to a couple of areas.

‘The Aslef executive committee is to discuss resolutions from our branches on the Hammersmith & City and Northern lines asking to be balloted for action, with other branches set to follow.

‘Unless there is a rapid change of approach from management, working inside existing agreements instead of trying to circumvent or “reinterpret” them, then the likelihood is there will be a network-wide shutdown in the run-up to Christmas.’

He added that senior figures at Transport for London (TfL) ‘need to realise just how serious the industrial relations problems on London Underground have become’.

Members of the RMT and Aslef are in dispute with bosses over working conditions (Picture: Getty)

‘Aslef does not want to be in a position where we are faced with dispute after dispute,’ he said.

‘We don’t want to see passenger journeys disrupted and our members having to lose money.’

Nigel Holness, managing director of London Underground, said: ‘The strike action called by Aslef is totally unjustifiable.

‘The union is demanding the reinstatement of a Central line driver sacked over a serious safety breach after deliberately opening the doors of a train in a tunnel.

‘We always strive to run a reliable service for our customers but our commitment to the safety of both customers and staff is absolute and something we will never compromise on.

‘I urge Aslef to call off this entirely unnecessary strike action which will only cause disruption to our customers.’

Many central London stations, including Oxford Circus, are expected to close in busy periods to prevent overcrowding during the strike (Picture: Getty)

How will the strike affect journeys? According to Transport for London, if the strikes go ahead the Central and Waterloo & City lines will have limited or no service throughout the day on Wednesday, with services expected to resume on Thursday. The Piccadilly line will have limited or no service from 2pm on Wednesday until 3pm on Thursday. There will likely be no services running to Heathrow Airport with travellers being urged to take different routes. Holborn station is expected to be closed throughout the day, TfL said. Extra buses will be put on but roads are likely to be busier so commuters are warned to leave plenty of time for journeys. ‘We advise people to use alternative routes on Tube, rail and bus services throughout the strikes,’ TfL said. ‘Interchange stations along the Piccadilly, Central and Waterloo & City lines will be much busier than usual.’ Stations that will be busier than usual and may need to close to prevent overcrowding are: Stratford

Finsbury Park

Hammersmith

King’s Cross St Pancras

Warren Street

Green Park

Bond Street

Piccadilly Circus

Tottenham Court Road

Bank

Liverpool Street

Woodford

Mile End

Leytonstone

White City

Ealing Broadway

Oxford Circus

Notting Hill Gate

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