Strikes by the transport union RMT will halt the DLR today and tomorrow in the service’s first all-out two-day strike.

Transport for London (TfL) has warned commuters that the District and Hammersmith and City lines are expected to be “much busier than usual”.

And stations at Canning Town, Stratford, Canary Wharf and West Ham are expected to be “exceptionally busy”, as they like the DLR to other key London stations.

Extra buses will be operating on routes along the DLR network and extra staff are being deployed to help customers travel.

Rory O’Neil, TfL’s DLR director, said he was disappointed with RMT’s decision to strike over working practices, which include using agency staff.

“We are disappointed that strike action called by the RMT leadership is causing disruption to DLR customers,” he said. “The only way to resolve their dispute with KeolisAmey Docklands, who operate the DLR on our behalf, is through meaningful discussion rather than unnecessary strike action.”

But the union’s general secretary Mick Cash told the BBC today the union had “made every effort over the past 72 hours to resolve this dispute through negotiation”.

Managing director of KeolisAmey Docklands Kevin Thomas told the BBC “discussions to seek resolutions would be more productive than strike action”, apologising to customers for the disruption.

The two-day strike ends at 3.58am on Thursday.