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Commuter chaos stalls London as subway worker strike grinds city to a halt

Click to play video: 'London grinds to a halt as subway workers go on strike'
London grinds to a halt as subway workers go on strike
WATCH ABOVE: Millions of London commuters were facing delays and frustration on Monday as a strike by Underground station staff shuts down much of the city's subway network – Jan 9, 2017

Millions of commuters cycled, trudged and waited in snaking bus queues Monday as a strike by London Underground station staff shut down much of the city’s subway network.

Scores of Tube stations and many of the city’s subway lines were closed during the morning rush hour, forcing Londoners to walk, use overcrowded buses, seek scarce taxis or work from home.

READ MORE: False teeth, ashes and Chewbacca: Wacky finds in London Underground’s lost and found

Some took to bicycles, weaving through slow-moving traffic.

“It is really scary out there, cyclists are taking huge chances,” Simon Quantrill said. “The traffic is mad.”

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The strike also closed subway links from Terminals 4 and 5 at London’s Heathrow Airport and connections at London’s major train stations.

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The 24-hour strike began Sunday evening, and service isn’t expected to get back to normal until Tuesday morning.

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WATCH: Gridlock stalls London amidst 24-hour tube strike

Click to play video: 'Gridlock stalls London amidst 24-hour tube strike'
Gridlock stalls London amidst 24-hour tube strike

Transport unions are protesting job cuts and ticket-office closures, citing safety issues.

While acknowledging some issues needed to be addressed on the network, London Mayor Sadiq Khan described the strike as a “completely unnecessary” action that was causing inconvenience across the city.

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“Why strike?” Khan told the BBC. “Why not resolve these things amicably?”

London’s subway system handles more than four million journeys during a typical business day.

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