London Rush Hour Trains Still Packed Because Fewer Trains Are Running

As the UK stands on the brink of a second week of lockdown, more photos are emerging that show the London Underground network still full of commuters making the journey to work on Monday morning.

Once again, tube and train carriages have been filled up with key workers making the trip into Central London to help with the fight against Covid-19.

Because of the measures that have been put in place, there are less trains carrying commuters into the city, and therefore the wait for a train has gone from three minutes to around 20, and meant that carriages are full up with people.

The situation wasn't helped by a defective train on the Jubilee line meaning that more people had to get on fewer trains, as it had to be taken out of service.

A Transport for London spokesperson said: "We are sorry that a defective train caused a gap in the Jubilee line service for a short time earlier this morning. This was quickly fixed."

One worker shared a photograph of the packed tube this morning and wrote: "I am a frontline NHS worker and this is how I have to travel to work due to @TfL reducing their service and people ignoring the #StayHome message. Absolutely disgusting."

Another wrote: "Tube stations too full! How are frontline NHS workers getting to work safely. It's a joke.

One of the precautionary measures being taken is that trains have been sprayed with an "anti-viral" spray that will allegedly keep the virus from settling and being picked up from seats and handrails within the trains.

However, as the seventh day of the new and unprecedented restrictions on travel came into force, there are still issues with provisions for those who must travel, and the dissemination of information regarding who should still be going into work.

The decision to cut the number of trains has also been criticised, as fewer trains means that the remaining carriages become overcrowded and don't allow for anyone on them to practise the safe social distancing that we are told will be necessary to slow the spread of the infection.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps criticised Transport for London (TfL) in a meeting of the Commons Transport Committee the other day, saying that the overcrowding is 'unacceptable' and that the reduction in services had gone 'too far'.

On Wednesday, Shapps said: "The crowding was unacceptable. The situation had not been well handled."

Transport Commissioner for London Mike Brown said: "In the same way as national rail services into London have been reduced, we are also running fewer Tube trains.

"This is because about 30 per cent of our own drivers, station staff, controllers and maintenance teams are not able to come to work, including those self-isolating or ill with coronavirus.

"We are running as many trains in the early morning as possible. There has been crowding on some sections of the Tube at these times as London has adapted to our new ways of working."

Featured Image Credit: Rachael Baines/Twitter

Topics: World News, UK News

Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a LADbible journalist and Twin Peaks enthusiast. Despite having a career in football cut short by a chronic lack of talent, he managed to obtain degrees from both the University of London and Salford. According to his French teacher, at the weekend he mostly likes to play football and go to the park with his brother. Contact Tom on [email protected]

@TPWagwim