7:15am UK, Wednesday October 02, 2002

Millions of London Underground passengers are going through fresh travel misery with a second 24-hour strike by Tube workers crippling services throughout the capital.

SL Tube trains

Trains stay in their depots

The network ground to a halt at 10pm last night.

This was two hours after the official walkout - and no trains were expected to run today.

Services will not return to normal until tomorrow morning, causing huge disruption to business in the capital and costing the economy an estimated £65m

Plea

Hopes of last-minute talks faded before the industrial action, despite a plea from the leader of the train drivers' union, Aslef, for the Government to intervene.

General secretary Mick Rix said the strike could be called off if transport minister John Spellar instructed London Underground to accept mediation in a dispute over pay.

But the Government made no move and Mr Rix and Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union, both left Blackpool - where Labour is holding its annual conference - to travel to London to prepare for the strike.

Impact

Business organisation London First estimated the action will cost more than £65 million and warned that the impact on the capital would be "incalculable" if transport continued to be disrupted.

Both unions said they expected solid support for the strike and have warned of further industrial action after rejecting an imposed 3% pay rise.