Rush-hour commuters faced chaos Monday as staff on the London Underground train network staged a five-day strike, shutting stations and forcing people to work from home or use alternative modes of transport.

Thousands queued to try and get on crammed buses while others reluctantly walked or cycled.

Transport for London (TfL), which manages the Underground, also known as the Tube, warned there would be little or no service between Monday and Thursday as a result of the first major strike in more than two years.

Lauren, 53, a construction sector admin worker, told AFP she was having to walk a couple of kilometres to work in central London instead of catching her usual Tube train.

“It’s a real inconvenience. I’m not sympathetic (to train drivers). They should get back to work,” she said.

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