'Very Limited' Central Line Service During Today's Tube Strike

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TfL advises passengers to avoid peak times and complete journey by 11pm

TfL says that a 'very limited' service is running on the Central Line on Wednesday during a 24 hour strike by the RMT union.

The line will also close at 11pm tonight so customers are advised to complete their journeys by this time.

A normal service will resume tomorrow, Thursday 23 February.

Nearby buses, roads, Tube and rail services are busier and TfL says to please check before you travel, allow more time for your journey and avoid the peak times if you can.

There are posters, digital boards and announcements in stations around the network and customers are advised to check before they travel at tfl.gov.uk/tube-strike and use TfL’s live update services - @TfLTravelAlerts, @TfLTrafficNews and @TfLBusAlerts on Twitter.

This dispute concerns the need to move eight train operators on the Central line. These drivers are needed at other depots on the Underground so that London Underground can provide the best possible train service to customers. Following consultation, TfL has minimised the number of drivers affected to eight from originally over 30 and has guaranteed that those required to move will
have first preference on any future vacancies at their original location.

These moves are in accordance with TfL’s agreements with the unions, which state that employees can be asked to work at any location on the network. No further moves are planned.

Peter McNaught, Operations Director for the Central line, said:"I apologise to customers for the disruption that this unnecessary strike will cause. We have made all reasonable efforts to resolve this dispute through talking through the issues with the unions, and we have minimised the number of employees affected from over 30 to eight.

"All of these moves are within the longstanding agreements we have made with the unions. We urge them to engage with us to resolve this issue and to withdraw the strike action, which will only cause needless disruption to Londoners."

The RMT union meanwhile claims that their drivers are being displaced at the ‘drop of a hat’ so that London Underground (LU) can cover for staff shortages. M

Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary, said: "RMT negotiators have made strenuous efforts through the ACAS machinery to resolve this dispute but the door has been slammed in our faces. To up the ante, LUL have now written to us confirming that they will be bulldozing through the displacements regardless.

"Let us be in no doubt, if LU are allowed to get away with this move on the Central Line they will start shunting drivers around the combine at the drop of a hat regardless of the consequences. Our members will be sent out from pillar to post to plug gaps that are solely down to staffing shortages.

" With massive budget cuts in the pipeline at LU this is a straw in the wind as to how the company expects to operate in the future."

The Waterloo and City line is also affected by the 24 hour walkout.

February 14, 2017