London Tube strike: Chaos as Clapham Junction evacuated due to overcrowding

Millions of London Underground passengers are facing travel chaos as services are crippled by a 24-hour strike by station staff.

Clapham Junction - which claims to be the UK's busiest station - had to be evacuated earlier this morning due to overcrowding. It remained closed for almost an hour before it was reopened, Sky News reports.

Transport for London said it was likely that most stations in Zone 1 would be closed for the entire period, with services severely reduced across the Tube network.

Pictures shared on social media showed large crowds inside and outside key stations with people queuing for trains, buses and taxis at Victoria, King's Cross, Waterloo, Paddington, Euston, Bank, Liverpool Street and London Bridge.

One commuter tweeted: "London during the tube strike, the buses are now mad Max style death trucks. People try to ride pigeons to work. No gaps are minded. Chaos."

Furious Uber customers claimed they were being stung by price hikes by drivers during rush hour. One woman claimed she had been quoted £28-£32 for a journey which she said would normally cost £6-£8.

Uber denied drivers were taking advantage of the strike action, asserting "the fare increases automatically, and only in response to real-time demand when there are not enough available cars".

It took some people up to 3.5 hours to get to work, others gave up on their journeys and returned home, while some tweeted of missing exams and university classes being live streamed.

The industrial action by members of the RMT and TSSA unions, due to end at 6pm, is part of a long-running dispute over ticket office closures.

According to the unions, more than 800 jobs have been lost, while staff are allegedly being abused by passengers queuing at ticket machines.

TSSA representatives turned down the latest offer, echoing an earlier decision from the RMT.