Angry commuters and tourists branded striking rail and Tube workers “unbelievably selfish” as their walkouts crippled the capital’s network and left travel plans in tatters.
Major stations and transport hubs were brought to a near standstill as services were scrapped.
With Tube services closed and only an estimated one of five mainline trains running, frustrated travellers piled onto buses or were forced to scramble for taxis or hire bikes in a bid to get to work.
Luke Lilburn and his family arrived at Paddington station two hours early on Tuesday fearing that their Heathrow Express train would be cancelled.
The contracts manager, 45, who was jetting back to Australia with his family, said the strike left a “sour” taste especially as his elderly father had not been able to see him off.
Sitting at the station with wife Meliss, 41, and children Molly, 6, and Archie, 4, he said: “My father was supposed to come to London from Devon to see us off but he wouldn’t have been able to get back because of the strike. He had booked a hotel to be with us on our last night so has lost his money for that.
“You never know when you are going to see people again, he is getting old and we are far away. The rail workers get paid as much as or more than frontline workers so I don’t think they should be striking. It’s left a sour taste in my mouth, it’s unbelievably selfish.”
NHS worker Karim Sayeed, 41, said: “I’ve had to hire a bike to get get to work and usually I drop my kids off at school but couldn’t today. I worked during the pandemic and everyone I know worked very hard for the country. I have had some sympathy with the rail workers but that’s gone now.”
The A40 into London from the west was congested along with other major arterial roads including the North and South Circulars.
