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London Underground: TfL lost £13m in fares due to Tube strikes

PA Media Victoria Station closed mon Thursday 3 FebPA Media
All 11 London Underground were suspended or partly suspended during the Tube strikes in March

Two strikes on the Tube network last month cost Transport for London an estimated £13m, City Hall has said.

About 10,000 workers from the RMT Union walked out at midnight on 1 March and on 3 March in a dispute over job losses and pensions.

The strikes crippled the Tube network with most lines closed, leaving passengers to find alternative travel.

Future strike action has not been ruled out by the RMT as its dispute with TfL continues.

During both 24-hour walkouts extra bus services were laid on, but they were overwhelmed with passengers. Taxi services also struggled to meet demand.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan warned last month that the strike had an impact on TfL's fares, adding that the ongoing pension review formed part of the conditions attached to the recent government bailout deal.

PA Media Buses packed at Liverpool StPA Media
There were huge queues at bus and taxi ranks as people switched to other forms of public transport to get to work

Last week in response to a mayor's question, Mr Khan said: "The RMT strike action on 1 March and 3 March had an effect on demand across the whole week beyond the two strike days, making it difficult to isolate the effect of each strike day from the other.

"Overall, TfL estimates that London Underground fare revenue was around £13m lower across the week as a result of the strike."

Sign showing strike action affecting services
More strike action could be possible, the RMT Union said

TfL is almost totally reliant on fares and, since the pandemic began in 2020 passengers have stayed away meaning its finances have suffered.

This has led to central government having to step in with repeated emergency funding - but with conditions attached.

One of those is to carry out a review of TfL's pension fund, a condition which has upset the unions.

After the strikes, London Underground's chief operating officer Andy Lord said TfL had not proposed any changes to pensions and ruled out any job cuts.

Fare comparison graph

However, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "The funding crisis at TfL which is at the heart of this dispute is not of our making and our members are not prepared to take a hammering to pay for it.

"This week we have seen workers fighting back across London against attacks on themselves and their colleagues from political machinations that are out of their control."

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