More than two million commuters were thought to be affected by the walkout, which came amid cold, rainy weather, a falling pound and new fears over Britain’s plans to exit the European Union. Two separate industrial actions at British Airways and Southern Railway are also expected this week.
“Hard Brexit, pound plummet, Tube strike,” Alex Caldwell, a Londoner, wrote on Twitter, adding the hashtag #blueMonday.
As a consequence of the strike, Uber fares more than quadrupled, further raising the ire of Londoners and making Leicester Square, a major tourist hot spot, seem like a “Toyota Prius convention,” according to Chris Parsons, another commuter.
Transport for London, the Underground’s operator, provided river services — that is, boat rides across the Thames River. The company was also forced to wheel out its heritage buses — vintage double-deckers — to help ferry thousands of bus passengers, offering some a brief moment of delight.
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