Unions are expecting the strike to have a “massive” impact on services
Your guide to the Tube strikes BBC London’s travel page BBC travel alerts on Twitter BBC London Facebook Transport for London’s strike page
Millions of London Underground passengers face disruption throughout the day because of strike action.
The first in a series of 24-hour walkouts began at 1700 BST on Monday with maintenance staff walking out. Drivers, signallers and station staff stopped working four hours later.
They are unhappy about plans to cut 800 jobs in ticket offices and say security could be at risk.
Passengers have been advised to find alternative means of travel.
A Transport for London (TfL) spokesman said it expected to be able to provide a 50% service on some lines and 25% on others.
But it could not say which services would be worst hit and said the situation would be reviewed hour-by-hour.
An extra 100 buses and 10,000 more passenger journeys on Thames riverboat services are being laid on. Some taxi ranks will be marshalled and escorted bike rides will be operating.
Mayor Boris Johnson has criticised the action as a “trumped-up and politically motivated” attempt to attack the coalition government.
“Sending out a few volunteers without the necessary operational licences and training to try and run a few trains is a disaster waiting to happen”
RMT general secretary Bob Crow
General secretary of the RMT union Bob Crow, who will join a picket line at Euston in the morning, said: “We have laid out the clearest possible evidence to the mayor and his officials that if he breaks his promises and slashes station staffing numbers he will be giving the green light to disaster.”
The chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce, Colin Stanbridge, said that each day the Underground was shut would cost the capital’s economy £48m.
BBC London’s transport correspondent Tom Edwards said the level of service would depend on how many Tube staff turn up for work and how many managers are available to replace those who do not.
“Comparing it to the last strike, which involved one union and was over pay, when there was severe disruption, this time there are two unions so I think we can expect a skeleton service at best.”
The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) and the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) unions are fighting plans to cut ticket office staffing levels, claiming security could be compromised for passengers.
But London Underground (LU) has insisted the plans would mean all stations would still be staffed and has pledged there will be no compulsory redundancies.
In a separate dispute, up to 200 Jubilee and Northern line maintenance staff employed by Alstom-Metro began a 24-hour strike at 1900 BST on Sunday after rejecting an “insulting”, sub-inflation pay offer.
The RMT has said it expects the impact of the strikes to be “massive”.
Boris Johnson says health and safety is not being prejudiced
The union has also accused LU bosses of playing “fast and loose” with safety in their efforts to keep the Tube running during the strike.
The RMT said a circular had been sent to staff seeking volunteers to help run services during the walkout.
According to the union the note, signed by LU’s managing director Mike Brown, said no operational licence was needed if people volunteered to support staff turning up for work, adding that lapsed licences could be renewed.
Mr Crow said: “Sending out a few volunteers without the necessary operational licences and training to try and run a few trains is a disaster waiting to happen.”
Denying the allegations, TfL said it would never do anything to compromise safety on the Underground.
Further strikes are planned for October and November.
Send your pictures and videos to [email protected] or text them to 61124 (UK) or 0044 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.
At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. In most cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. If you wish to remain anonymous, please say so in the box.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.