Travel chaos hits London as rail workers go on strike for 48 hours

Millions of Londoners were hit by travel chaos yesterday as underground rail workers began the first of a series of strikes that have been branded "shameful" by Prime Minister David Cameron.

As tempers frayed on packed buses and commuters walked, ran and cycled to work through gale-force winds, Mayor Boris Johnson and union leader Bob Crow traded recriminations over the latest walkout.

London's underground rail drivers, who have a history of going on strike, plan not to work for two days this week and another two days next week in a dispute over job cuts.

Some three million people use the underground "tube" system every day and only the lucky were able to cram themselves on to the few trains that were running.

Cameron said on his official Twitter feed that the strike was "shameful, bringing misery to millions of Londoners".

Police were out in force at major rail stations like Waterloo to keep order in the long lines that built up at bus stops from shortly after dawn. Even so, there were reports of jostling as tempers frayed.