LONDON (AP) – Subway passengers faced continuing travel problems on London’s transport network yesterday despite the end of a 24-hour strike that had been timed to cause disruption to New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Tens of thousands of revellers defied the action to crowd into central London on Saturday night, with non-striking staff and managers ensuring the underground railway services continued to ferry passengers across the city.

Leaders of the RMT union, which organised the action, had expected the subway to halt after guards and ticket office workers left their posts at 12:00 pm Saturday, in protest over new staff assignments and schedules.

London Underground, however, managed to keep most of the Tube running, with – at its peak – only 37 of the sprawling network’s 275 stations closed.

Officials said 34 stations remained closed yesterday afternoon, though most were expected to reopen as workers arrived for evening shifts.

In a statement released by his office Sunday, Mayor Ken Livingstone said, “The Tube strike hardly materialised.

“The majority of London Underground staff did not agree that it made sense to punish ordinary Londoners on New Year’s Eve.”

The RMT later accused London Underground of jeopardising safety by opening stations without appropriate staffing levels during the walkout and claimed some stations were staffed by office workers not qualified to carry out those duties.

London Underground denied the claim and said that where numbers were inadequate, stations were closed.

The RMT union called to strike to protest new staff assignments and schedules, which they say spread workers too thin and threaten safety – a complaint denied by managers.

Some 4,000 of the Tube’s 6,000 workers belong to the RMT union, which is planning another 24-hour strike is on January 8th.

People traveling to the annual New Year Parade in Parliament Square faced few problems early Sunday as they arrived to watch dancers and musicians entertain a crowd of around 7,000 in the shadow of Britain’s Houses of Parliament.

Earlier, thousands gathered in Trafalgar Square and at sites across London to hear Big Ben chime midnight.

Though the stoppage had little impact, some partygoers were left confused about which stations would be open, and worried about their journey home.

“It has put a real downer on New Year’s Eve,” said Colin Munsie, 50, ducking into Baker Street station. “For one of the biggest cities in the world not to have a proper transport system working on a night like tonight is a disgrace.”