London Underground drivers are set to walk out in a series of strikes beginning tomorrow, causing widespread disruption across the capital.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union confirmed on Monday that its members will strike for 24 hours from midday on Tuesday and Thursday, with further walkouts planned through the summer.
Here is everything you need to know about the strikes, which lines are affected and how to plan your journey.
When are the Tube strikes?
The strikes are planned on the following dates:
April Tuesday 21 – Wednesday 22 April Thursday 23 – Friday 24 April
May Tuesday 19 – Wednesday 20 May Thursday 21 – Friday 22 May
June Tuesday 16 – Wednesday 17 June Thursday 18 – Friday 19 June
Each strike runs from midday to midday the following day, but disruption is expected to continue into the afternoons and evenings of each strike day. Most notably, the first to begin will be Tuesday from 12pm.
Which Tube lines are affected?
The strikes will affect the entire Tube network. While a reduced service will run across most lines, significant disruption is expected throughout. Services that do run will be less frequent and very busy — you may not be able to board the first train that arrives.
The following lines will see no service at all during strikes:
The Piccadilly line and Circle line will have no service. The Metropolitan line will have no service between Baker Street and Aldgate. The Central line will have no service between White City and Liverpool Street.
What to expect on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Normal services will run until mid-morning. Services will begin ramping down in the late morning ahead of the midday strike start. From midday onwards, significant disruption is expected across all lines, continuing through the following day. Any Tube services that do run will finish early — passengers should aim to complete their journey by 8pm.
What to expect on Wednesdays and Fridays
No Tube service is expected before 7.30am. Significant disruption will continue across all lines until midday, after which services will gradually recover — though some disruption is likely to persist into the evening.
What transport services will be running in London?
The Elizabeth line, DLR, London Overground and tram services will all run normally on strike days, offering alternative routes for commuters and tourists caught out by the Tube disruption.
The vast majority of bus routes will also operate as usual throughout the strikes. However, seven routes operated by Stagecoach from Bow Bus Garage face separate strike action from 5am on Friday April 24 to 5am on Saturday April 25. The routes affected are 8, 25, 205, 425, N8, N25 and N205. All other buses will run as planned.
Services are likely to be extremely busy across all alternative transport options as passengers seek to avoid the Tube.
Why are London Tube drivers striking?
The RMT union triggered the strikes after accusing TfL of imposing a new four-day working week on drivers without agreement. General secretary Eddie Dempsey said the union had “approached negotiations with TfL in good faith throughout this entire process” but that TfL appeared “unwilling to make any concessions in a bid to avert strike action.”
“This is extremely disappointing and has baffled our negotiators. The approach of TfL is not one which leads to industrial peace and will infuriate our members who want to see a negotiated settlement to this avoidable dispute,” he added.
TfL rejected that characterisation. Chief operating officer Claire Mann said the proposed four-day week was voluntary, would involve no reduction in contractual hours and would bring London Underground in line with other train operating companies.
“This allows us to offer train operators an additional day off, whilst at the same time bringing London Underground in line with the working patterns of other train operating companies, improving reliability and flexibility at no additional cost,” she said. “Those who wish to continue a five-day working week pattern would be able to do so.”
How to plan your journey
Passengers are advised to plan ahead, check before travelling and consider alternative routes where possible. The timing is particularly disruptive, coming just as many commuters and visitors return to the capital following the Easter break.
TfL’s Journey Planner can help map out routes by public transport, cycling or walking. The TfL Go app provides a live Tube map and real-time disruption alerts. Live status updates for Tube, rail, trams and buses are available on the TfL website, along with email update subscriptions for regular commuters.
