Several stations, including Victoria, were closed because of suspicious packages.The RAC reported that by late afternoon, major routes out of London were jammed. On the M4, air travellers heading for Heathrow abandoned taxis and hotfooted to the airport along the hard shoulder, dragging their suitcases behind them in order not to miss their flights.Regular searches were carried out on all buses, bus stations and garages.On the trains, southbound services into the capital from the north terminated at Watford with no onward bus transfers. Sirens from emergency vehicles rang out on the crowded streets, adding to a sense of unease and alarm. Motoring organisations described the centre of the capital as "totally gridlocked".Travellers on the fringes of London were warned by police that they should enter London only if their journey was vital.The suspension of the Underground led to problems at Heathrow and Gatwick airports as airlines at Heathrow warned that flights could be delayed because staff could not get to work.Security checks caused further delays. The Underground system, used by three million people every day, was shut down completely and mainline commuter lines soon stopped running a full service.Out on the streets commuters and tourists flooded out of Tube and train stations and formed long queues at taxi ranks.Vehicles on the roads crawled along congested highways.
Roads around Russell Square, Woburn Place and Aldgate High Street will be closed for up to the next 48 hours.. London's already creaking transport system collapsed following yesterday's blasts, with severe delays and cancellations crippling the Tube, trains and buses. Motorists were stuck in traffic jams as Londoners fled the city and anyone wishing to travel had to abandon public transport. All buses within the inner zone of London were cancelled in the aftermath of the explosions, towards the end of the morning rush hour. There was also a restricted Wimbledon to High Street Kensington service. On the Metropolitan line, there was no service between Baker Street and Aldgate There was also a restricted service on the Piccadilly line All other lines were running a near-normal service.
With roads closed around the scene of yesterday's explosions, buses were being diverted but TfL reported that London's bus services were back to near normal today. TfL went on: "Regular security checks will continue to take place on each bus and at all bus stations and garages for the foreseeable future." On the main line, East Coast operator GNER was starting and terminating services at Peterborough, while Virgin West Coast was running a near-normal service. Thameslink services to and from Moorgate were terminating at Farringdon All other main line services were back to normal today. A TfL spokesman said: "We are encouraging our passengers and staff to remain vigilant, to question who owns items that remain unattended and to report any unattended items or suspicious activity to transport staff or the police. "We're also asking people to please make sure they help keep transport running as smoothly as possible, both by keeping hold of their own bags and luggage at all times, and by taking litter home with them to avoid unnecessary security alerts." On the Tube, there were no services on either the Circle line or the Hammersmith & City line. There were restricted services on the District line, with no service between High Street Kensington and Edgware Road and no service to Olympia.