LONDONERS are breathing a sigh of relief after Tube drivers called off a 24-hour Christmas Eve strike.

Transport for London (TfL) confirmed the Central Line driver strike called earlier today (December 22) was cancelled at around 4pm.

Speaking before unions backed down, Central Line operations manager Peter McNaught urged them to reconsider the industrial action, which would have ensured travel chaos across the capital.

Central Line services will now run as normal on Christmas Eve, but will finish earlier than usual at around 11.30pm, with no Night Tube services.

There will be no service at all on any London public transport on Christmas Day.

Elsewhere on the network, London Overground services will finish at around 9.30pm, with no service between Romford and Upminster or Gospel Oak and Barking.

The DLR will finish early at around 10.50pm and TfL Rail services between Chadwell Heath and Shenfield will be replaced by buses.

TfL Rail trains will run every 15 minutes on the rest of the line but finish early at 10pm.

Buses across the capital will not run past midnight on Christmas Eve and there will be no congestion charge for drivers.

For more information, see the TfL website.