2LT International News

LONDON, U.K.: Londoners faced another day of travel disruption on Tuesday as a strike by underground staff brought the capital’s Tube network to a halt, forcing commuters to rely heavily on alternative forms of transport.

The walkout, which is set to paralyze the network until Friday has pushed thousands of workers and students to swap their usual journeys underground for bikes, buses, and even river boats.

With only a handful of trains operating, demand surged across the city’s bike-sharing schemes and river transport services, creating crowded conditions and significantly lengthening commute times. The London-based Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) has estimated that the strike will cost the capital 230 million pounds (US$310 million) in lost productivity and wider disruption, with the true economic impact likely to climb higher once indirect effects are included.

Companies providing cycling alternatives reported record-breaking usage. Lime, which manages one of the city’s largest fleets of electric bicycles, said it experienced a 58 percent jump in trips during the morning rush hour compared with the same day the previous week. Notably, journeys were not just more frequent but also longer, with riders increasingly depending on Lime for their full commutes rather than short connections.

Forest, another major e-bike operator, echoed this trend. The company, which maintains a network of around 15,000 bicycles, reported a doubling of rides between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. on September 8, with projections that 60,000 people would use its service during the day. That figure is more than twice its regular weekday traffic, underlining the extent of the pressure on London’s transport system.

River services also saw a surge in popularity. Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, which runs commuter ferries along the Thames, described passenger numbers as “busier than usual.” The operator added extra sailings to accommodate demand, including a special shuttle service between Canary Wharf and London Bridge — two key business hubs that are heavily dependent on the Tube.

The industrial action was organized by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, which is locked in a dispute with Transport for London (TfL) over pay, working hours, and fatigue management. TfL has offered staff a 3.4 percent wage increase, but union leaders are pressing for shorter hours, arguing that current shift patterns are unsustainable.

The strike poses an early test for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government, elected in July with promises to curb widespread industrial unrest. Ministers have urged both sides to return to negotiations quickly, stressing the damage caused to ordinary commuters and to London’s economy.