Commuters across the capital faced a chaotic and frustrating start to the day on Tuesday, 6 January 2026, as severe disruptions paralysed five major lines on the London Underground network.
Multiple Lines Paralysed by Faults and Engineering Issues
The morning's travel misery began with a faulty train at South Kensington station, which had a cascading effect on two lines. The Circle line was partially suspended between Aldgate and Edgware Road via Victoria, with severe delays affecting the remainder of the service. The same incident caused severe delays across the entire District line.
Transport for London (TfL) advised passengers to use London buses as an alternative for both lines, with tickets being accepted. Those on the District line were also told they could use the Mildmay line and C2C services via reasonable routes.
Further Disruption from Overruns and Electrical Faults
The problems were not confined to the faulty train. A late finish to planned engineering work caused major delays on both the Jubilee line and the Metropolitan line. On the Metropolitan, severe delays were reported specifically between Wembley Park and Aldgate, though a good service was running on the rest of the line.
Meanwhile, the Elizabeth line was hit by severe delays from Abbey Wood to Reading and Heathrow Terminals. This was due to Network Rail engineers working to fix an electrical fault on the network.
Commuters Advised to Seek Alternative Routes
In response to the widespread disruption, TfL implemented ticket acceptance on numerous alternative services to help stranded passengers complete their journeys. The key advice issued was:
- London Underground tickets were accepted on London buses across multiple affected lines.
- District line passengers could also use the Mildmay line and C2C services.
- Elizabeth line passengers were advised that tickets would be accepted on reasonable alternative routes.
The series of unrelated incidents, all occurring during the crucial morning peak, created a perfect storm of transport chaos, leaving thousands of Londoners facing lengthy delays on their commute. TfL engineers were working at the scenes to resolve the issues as quickly as possible.
