Sept. 5 (Bloomberg) -- London Underground, which carries 3 million passengers a day, has almost resumed a full train service after a U.K. union called off a strike late yesterday.

Trains on all of the railway's 12 lines except for the Circle Line were running normally, according to a statement from Transport for London this evening.

The Rail, Maritime & Transport union ended a strike by 2,300 workers over jobs and pensions that began on Sept. 3 after nearly nine hours of talks with Transport for London, the city authority that runs the railway. Union leaders will meet this week to review a pension deal hammered out by negotiators and to decide whether to proceed with a 72-hour walkout scheduled for Sept. 10.

The biggest strike in three years on the railway forced 2 million daily passengers to find alternative routes to work. Buses and taxi lines remained busy today. Prime Minister Gordon Brown yesterday urged the strikers to return to work saying the dispute had caused ``enormous'' trouble.

Commuters agreed. ``It's a nightmare,'' said Ricky Cichon, a National Health Service senior manager, who was trying to catch a train. ``They haven't thought about the travelers -- they're just thinking about themselves.''

The strikers maintain tracks, trains and signals and are employed by Metronet Rail, the largest contractor on the Underground, known as the Tube. The union is seeking guarantees of jobs and pensions after Metronet ran out of cash and collapsed in July.

Pension Rescue

The pension rescue plan agreed to by union and city negotiators was approved by the Transport for London pension trustees today, a spokesman for the agency said. Union officials meet on Sept. 7 to review the proposal and next week's strike, said Bob Crow, the union's general secretary, in an e-mailed statement.

Crow hailed the deal as meaning ``our members will now actually have their pensions restored to them.'' Union members ``can return to work with their heads held high after sustaining their strike in the face of enormous pressure and hostile media,'' he added.

Mayor Ken Livingstone yesterday said he had promised the union that workers won't lose ``a penny'' of their pensions. Yesterday's agreement reiterated earlier assurances to the union, which should cancel next week's strike, said Hendy.

``There is absolutely no reason why this action should recommence,'' said Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy in a British Broadcasting Corp. interview, referring to the second possible walkout.

Cost of Strike

The last major strike in 2004 cost London businesses 60 million pounds ($120 million) a day in lost sales and employee disruption, according to London First, a business lobby group. The organization hasn't calculated the cost of this week's strike, spokesman Graham Capper said.

Metronet was put under the control of administrators Ernst & Young LLC on July 18. The company ran out of cash and ran up extra costs of 2 billion pounds. Transport for London has said it plans to make an offer to buy Metronet and take over its contracts for two years.

The union wants the city to absorb Metronet permanently and demanded unequivocal guarantees that whoever buys the company won't cut jobs or pensions.

To contact the reporter on this story: Brian Lysaght in London at blysaght@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: September 5, 2007 13:52 EDT