Tube strike: Travel disruption hits commuters in Ilford and South Woodford

Commuters at South Woodford underground station (Image: Archant)

Many residents experienced longer journeys due to there being no services on the Hainault loop of the central line, via Wanstead, Redbridge, Gants Hill, Newbury Park, Barkingside, Fairlop and Hainault.

Passengers piled on to buses outside Ilford station (Image: Archant)

There was also heavy traffic on roads, with Cranbrook Road, Ilford, and the M11 southbound in Woodford particularly affected.

A rush to get into Ilford station (Image: Archant)

Early risers came to South Woodford station at 7am to take the tube to Leytonstone, where they were going to catch buses to Stratford.

Traffic at a standstill in Cranbrook Road, Ilford, just after 8am Wednesday morning [Picture: Ellie Hoskins] (Image: Archant)

One of them was Anita Kaur, 25.

She said: “There has been lots of disruption, it is a joke. They have replacement bus signs on the bus stop near the station, but there’s none.

“I was waiting for 18 to 20 minutes but there weren’t any. They shouldn’t have the signs there.”

Anita, from South Woodford, usually travels to her Southwark job by getting on the jubilee line at Stratford.

However, today, after travelling to Stratford via Leytonstone, she was due to catch the tube to Waterloo and walk to her office, as services were not running through Southwark.

Danny Compton, 27, also from South Woodford, was heading to Temple. He normally travels to Mile End and changes onto the district line, but today he was due to travel on the jubilee line from Stratford to Waterloo and walk from there.

He said: “I think it will be carnage, given all the people at Leytonstone. I don’t know if they [tube workers] should be striking and I’m not sure if they will achieve what they want.

“But it is a recession, so people should be grateful they have jobs.”

Over at Ilford station, there were crowds of people waiting for trains to Stratford and Liverpool Street.

Agnieszka Singh, 34, from Hainault, usually goes from Hainault station to Aldgate East. However, due to the latter being closed, she was due to travel to Liverpool Street and walk the rest of her journey.

Her and her husband left their home at quarter to eight to drive to Ilford.

Agnieszka said: “There was so much traffic on the road. It would be better if they [tube workers and officials] discussed it with each other rather than going on strike.”

Friends Afia Appiah, 24, and Sarina Corker, 27, travelled on the bus from their Newbury Park homes to Ilford station, setting off at 8.50am.

Afia was due to go to Elephant and Castle via Liverpool Street, while Sarina was travelling to Stratford and then hoping to go on to Camberwell.

“It has been really bad,” said Afia. “It is annoying, there was loads of traffic to get to Ilford and we still have a long way to go!”

Ilford station customer service employee Colin Marter said: “This morning it was very busy between six and seven, we were sending people to Liverpool Street on buses.

“Then things started to relax. In my experience, when the central line has a problem we become a hub area.”