London Tube Strike Causes Travel Chaos

Today in London, millions face travel problems as the RMT started its strike action (beginning at 7 PM Tuesday, 9 June) that may stretch on for 48 hours.

Millions of London commuters who count on the Underground tube system to get to work faced chaos across the city today, as a strike by the RMT closed nearly all lines. While reports of a few tube lines being open (the Northern Line) and slow, random service on other lines like the Hammersmith and City line, most commuters have taken to the buses to get around the city today, or picked alternative methods of transport, including walking, cycling and taking boats on The Thames River. Creative solutions are being reported on Twitter today, with a motorbike owner spending the day transporting people about town. He's picking up people who send him tweets for rides to @paul_clarke, and Londoners are following his progress with the hashtag #tweetbike (Note, I'll be taking a ride on the #tweetbike today to get to a meeting, and plan to blog/tweet about the experience today. Please follow @lisadevaney for updates of the tube strike today.) The Guardian is currently the best source of live tube strike news, as they post updates from across the city, including watching experiences people are reporting on Twitter. To follow people's experiences on Twitter watch the hashtag #tubestrike Mayor Boris Johnson told The Evening Standard yesterday that he thought the RMT union leadership was "demented" and vowed that London will keep moving through the strike.