- Circle line suspended clockwise after signal failure at South Kensington
- Severe delays anti-clockwise on Circle and across all District line routes
- Commuters tried to take buses and other trains to get to work in London
- One driver is said to have told passengers that the delays were a ‘disaster’
Tens of thousands of commuters faced huge delays on their way to work in London today as a signal failure brought Tube services grinding to a halt.
The Circle line which runs around Central London was suspended clockwise after a signal failure at South Kensington, while there were severe delays anti-clockwise.
Meanwhile the District line also faced severe delays for the same reason this morning as irate commuters tried to take buses and other trains to get to work.
The Circle line which runs around Central London was suspended clockwise today (file image)
Passengers complained of a ‘terrible service’ despite the ‘shockingly high cost of our travel’, while one driver is said to have told them the delays were a ‘disaster’.
Others on social media joked that signals on the London Underground must be made of paper, as they complained of an ‘unreliable’ service to get to work.
One passenger told how it had taken him more than 50 minutes to get from Westminster to South Kensington – a journey that should take less than ten.
Another said it had taken him 20 minutes to go just two stops, while others complained that such delays were becoming a regular occurrence.
Roads around London were gridlocked today, with the Tube chaos causing further problems
The delays were also causing many workers to hail black cabs or order Uber cars to take them to work, prompting a knock-on effect of even more tailbacks on the roads.
A Circle line spokesman tweeted: ‘There is no service on the clockwise service. Severe delays anti-clockwise while we fix a signal failure at South Kensington.’
A District line spokesman added: ‘There are severe delays on the entire line due to a signal failure at South Kensington. Tickets accepted on buses and South Western Railway and C2C.’
The London Underground network, which opened in 1863, has 11 lines covering 250 miles and takes up to five million passengers a day between 270 stations.