London Tube Strikes: Travel Chaos Imminent as Last-Ditch Talks Crumble

London commuters will face major travel disruption as last-ditch talks, aimed at avoiding London Underground strikes, failed.

The talks, which were held at the employment resolution organisation Acas between negotiators from the Transport for London (TfL) and the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), lasted 90 minutes.

Union members will walk out for 48 hours from 2100 BST tonight (28 April) and for three days from the same time on 5 May over ticket office closures and the loss of 750 jobs.

But Transport for London (TfL) has claimed that more than 650 staff have applied for redundancy and stressed that there would be no compulsory redundancies when the ticket offices shut in 2015.

"Regrettably, London Underground has dug itself into an entrenched position and has refused to move one inch from their stance of closing every ticket office, in breach of the agreement reached previously through ACAS, which enabled us to suspend the previous round of action," said Mike Cash, the acting general secretary of the RMT.

"We could have recommended the suspension of this strike action if London Underground had responded positively to our proposal to halt the implementation of these savage cuts, stopping the dire impact they would have the length and breadth of London Underground."

London Underground bosses have promised to "keep the capital moving and open for business".

TfL said it will run as many services as possible, but admitted the industrial action would cause disruption.

TfL also said that extra bus and river services will be put on to help commuters as well as licensed and trained TfL Ambassadors helping to keep tube stations open and provide travel information.

Phil Hufton, London Underground's chief operating officer, said before the talks: "[Should the strike] go ahead we will be working hard to keep London moving and open for business."