London Tube Strikes March to June 2026

That encompasses 4 of the 5 days I am in London. I hope it’s resolved.

So I land at Heathrow at 7 AM on the 25th and have a train to Paris later that day.

It looks like both the Heathrow Express annd Elizabeth line will be options. I’ll just have to figure out how to get from Paddington or wherever to the Eurostar station. Luckily, I’ve given myself a lot of time for this connection.

I’m doing London on the second half of the trip and managed to avoid the strikes there

Carol

You won't have too much trouble getting from Heathrow to St Pancras - take an Elizabeth Line train to Farringdon and then a Thameslink train to St Pancras. Neither route is affected by the strikes.

Thank you Philip. I had already figured the Elizabeth line was my best bet but I wasn’t sure where to change that sounds like it’s going to be the best option.

I appreciate the help

Is there a site that lists all planned train strikes in England, not just London? We are coming 2nd half of May.

You can find info on nationwide strikes here: https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-information/industrial-action/

You'll see there are currently none planned, but you can keep checking back.

You can also find general information on disruptions and localised strikes here: https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/status-and-disruptions/

As the upcoming strikes are by just RMT drivers, ie not other station staff or indeed drivers in ASLEF (or even no union) the disruption may be less than would otherwise be the case although some lines will be affected more than others.

I guess we'll be walking!

Thanks for the update.

Reuters news service reported on March 18 that London Tube ​drivers have suspended the planned series of ​strikes ​due to begin later ⁠this ​month, with trade ​union officials citing progress in ​talks. More talks will take place and the dispute is not resolved, meaning the strikes could still happen.

Ok, so I am in London April 29, 21, 22,23, and depart on the 24th. There were no tube strikes planned when I booked.

This article seems to think there will be no tube despite that it isn’t all the unions.

https://www.mylondon.news/news/transport/tfl-confirms-extent-passenger-disruption-33741221

I have been to London countless times and have always used the tube.

Anywhoo, I switched my hotel from my usual Kensington or Earls Court location to Covent Garden Area so I am in an area where I can walk to more things. I have tickets to the King’s Gallery and theatre tickets on the Southbank.

These are where I had hoped to go and perhaps some kind person could help with buses.

Daunt Books Marylebone,
Isabella Plantation
Bletchley - I had thought about this, but if it’s going to be a faff with no tube, maybe not. I can walk to Waterloo Train Station so perhaps there is somewhere else I can take a day trip to from there.
London Wetland Centre - was thinking of going birding here.
New V&A out in Stratford - if the Elizabeth Line is running
Holland Park/Leighton House

Maybe they will just call the whole thing off considering the mess it caused last September. If there was someone there last September during the strike I would love to hear your experiences.

I’m determined to have a good time whatever happens.

No point making plans for the end of April. The strikes might be called off or they might not.

As of yesterday (9 April) the strikes are still on, no progress has been made in the negotiations.

To Daunt Books I suspect I would walk it, otherwise any bus up Tottenham Court Road to Warren Street tube, then the 18 or 205, but walking is probably faster than bus (even on a normal day).
Bletchley- probably walk to Euston rather than wait for a well filled bus. You could walk to Charing Cross, main line train to London Bridge, change, Thameslink to St Pancras, out the back door of St Pancras on the wellness walk to Euston, but I doubt that is any faster.
Isabella Plantation (and President Eisenhower) - main line train from Waterloo to Kingston on Thames then bus 85 (either walk to Waterloo over the Hungerford Bridge, or walk to Charing Cross, any main line train to Waterloo East, in station transfer to Waterloo (main line)
London Wetland Centre- Main Line train Waterloo to Barnes then bus 485
Holland Park/Leighton House- Bus 9 direct from Charing Cross, or train from Waterloo to Clapham Junction, change, London Overground to Kensington Olympia.
That is the North London line, so a longer route is Elizabeth Line to Stratford, then train from Stratford to Olympia (it takes 55 minutes, but is quite an interesting ride).

FWIW I think I expect little or no tube service because-
1- On days when the strike starts at noon, TfL won't want to run a normal morning service, then be unable to get people home or end up with dangerously overcrowded stations due to a thinned out service,
2- Drivers and trains need to be back at depot by 12 noon, or start from depot at 12 noon, so services will take several hours to wind down/start back up. On days when strikes end at noon I have doubts whether a full service will run later, as people didn't get in to London in the morning, and strikers may just call in 'sick'.
3- There will likely be picket lines at depots, which other union's members won't cross.

But all that is no more than informed speculation. There is a habit of calling such strikes off at the very last minute.

If you look at the TFL Journey Planner you can set the search to not include the tube as an option. You can also say how far you are happy to walk.s
You can then plan ahead some possible options, although just because a bus is running it doesn’t mean there will be space on it during a strike.

The TFL site defaults to UK time so if you are using it in the US when it is night in the UK it will give odd results eg nightbuses. It is easy enough to change the time to get a more accurate answer.

https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/

On the day the Citymapper App might also be helpful.

What do they want now?

Thank you isn31c and Emma. Your responses are really helpful.

Please also note that there are East London bus strikes now to add into the mix-

From 0500 on 17 April to 0500 on 18 April, 0500 on 24 April to 0500 on 25 April (same date as a tube strike) and 0500 on 15 May to 0500 on 16 May-

Routes 8, 25, 205, 425, N8, N25 and N205 (the 25 and 425 are hoped to very limited impacts, the others will have severe impacts)
8/N8- Bow Church to Tottenham Court Road via St Paul's Cathedral (N8 is Oxford Circus to Hainault)
25/N25- Ilford to City Thameslink (N25 extends to Trafalgar Square)
205/N205- Marble Arch to Bow Church via Euston, Kings Cross and Liverpool Street (N205 is Paddington to Leyton)
425-Ilford to Clapton (so not normally a tourist route)

Help. I leave for London in a few days. Please advise on the best ways to get around during the strike.

Should we try the buses, or are they going to be so crowded that we can't get on?

Should we plan to take a taxi, or will they be in such short supply we may not get one?

Is Uber or Lyft a viable alternative to taxis?

And if the strike "ends" at noon, is it safe to plan to take the Tube in the late afternoon or evening?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Thos,

It’s hard to say what might happen with the strike, but I feel your pain.

Perhaps if you let us know the area you are staying in and when you are arriving/departing, we can better assist you.

Hi KB--We're staying in London for a week and our arrival and departures days are outside of the strike dates. We're staying in Knightsbridge and we'll need to get around the city center during the strike. Some of the destinations include the National Gallery, Churchill War Rooms, National Theatre, etc. I'm trying to get a feel for what's possible. For example, if it's rush hour, should I avoid buses at all costs? Will taxis be so scarce that I may have to rely on Uber or Lyft (who will charge a fortune, I'm sure)? Thanks for any advice you may have.

Don't take this as gospel, others may have differing opinions or more insight, but I'll have a go.

Should we try the buses, or are they going to be so crowded that we can't get on?

Yes, try buses. There will be extra services (hopefully) on all of the central London routes. They will be busy. If you can't get on the first bus that comes, wait for the next one. Don't be surprised by a completely full bus not even opening the front doors. Standing room downstairs, no standing on the stairs or upper deck. If you get on a bus and want a seat upstairs, hover around the stairs, wait for people coming down for their stop, and get up the stairs like a rat up a drainpipe as soon as someone comes down.

Use Citymapper or Google Maps to work out which bus you need. Having a "plan B" bus route that may involve a bit of walking either end is useful. In fact, walking if you're able may be quicker in some cases. The destinations you mention aren't particularly walkable from Knightsbridge though. Reworking your itinerary on strike days to include walkable destinations from Knightsbridge may be an idea if you can.

Everyone else is in the same boat as you, so you just need to muck in and get on with it if you want to go places. It's what everyone that has to be in central London will be doing. Many will work from home or take leave from work on strike days though, but you don't have that option as a visitor.

Try not to travel in rush hour if you can help it. Transport tends to be less busy after 9:30 or 10am. Evening rush starts around 4:30pm and things tend to quiet down after 7pm.

Should we plan to take a taxi, or will they be in such short supply we may not get one?

Taxis will be in high demand, yes. Hard to predict if you'll get one. Every licenced hackney cab will be out on the streets. Don't be surprised if they refuse short journeys. Or long journeys. Or whatever journey they don't like the sound of. I expect that many will be trying the "card machine isn't working" ruse to encourage you to pay in cash for the purposes of tax evasion. Having a working card machine is in the terms of their licence if they're for hire. The drivers will be out to make as much as they can.

Is Uber or Lyft a viable alternative to taxis?

Yes, Uber anyway. I don't think Lyft has much, if any, presence in London. I've never used one. Expect surge pricing on Uber pushing costs up.

And if the strike "ends" at noon, is it safe to plan to take the Tube in the late afternoon or evening?

Expect disruption to tube services for quite a while after the strike ends. Definitely all afternoon. Drivers and trains end up in the wrong place because of strike action and it takes a while to get back on track.

All that said, my intuition is that the strikes will be called off between now and then. The union and its members don't want to be out on strike if they can help it. Dialogue is generally better than it was under the last government, but I'm not party to the nuts and bolts of negotiations so it's hard to call for definite.

Industrial action, or the threat of it, is what the railway unions have to make sure they continue to have good pay and conditions. It's rare in the modern world that a group of workers have that tool and should be supported, even if it's through gritted teeth as you elbow your way on to a packed bus, imho anyway.

Fingers crossed it doesn't happen. Good luck if it does!

Excuse the double post, rather than adding to an already lengthy post above.

Many, many Londoners will use Lime rental bikes on a strike day. I'd hesitate to recommend that to visitors. The cycle lanes will be absolute chaos with many who don't usually cycle. It's quite dangerous for those who have the added disadvantage of being accustomed to driving on the right. It's what a lot of people will be doing, but only for the the very brave visitor.

We're staying in Knightsbridge and we'll need to get around the city
center during the strike. Some of the destinations include the
National Gallery, Churchill War Rooms, National Theatre, etc.

If it were me, I would simply walk.

Hopefully this strike is called off before then. If not, I would also advise to walk if possible. During the last tube strike I had to take a bus for a work meeting, and what was normally a 45 minute journey took over two hours. This is because there are a lot more vehicles on the road in general during a strike. Just to keep in mind in case you are planning a bus journey during a tube strike.

I don't know if it is a possibility for you at this late date, but you might consider changing hotels to something more in the area of the places you listed.

TfL now have a guide to what they expect if the strike(s) go ahead at https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/strikes

Some of the main points:

• A reduced service will run across most lines but significant disruption is expected
• Any services that do run will be less frequent, very busy, and you may not be able to board the first train
• No service expected on the Piccadilly and Circle lines
• No service expected on the Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate
• No service expected on the Central line between White City and Liverpool Street
• Tube services that do run will finish early - you should aim to have completed your journey by 20:00

There is also no service expected to run on the Waterloo and City line. This is not stated on the website, but you find out if you try to plan a journey on the W and C during the strikes.

On Wednesday and Friday Tube services that do run will start later than normal with no service expected before 07:30.

Barring a total miracle the April strikes are on as negotiations have failed to make any progress, and no further talks are planned this week.

Thanks isn31c.

I'm in London now and ran all around today taking advantage of the unrestricted tube access.

My theatre emailed offering a credit if I can't make it. Not much good, seeing as how I live overseas. But its still a nice offer if you are local. I will be able to go as I can walk from my accommodation.

I think many are still hoping for an eleventh hour miracle.

I am currently on a plane home and was in London yesterday and this morning for the Tube strike that did occur. You definitely have to plan how to get around, but it can be done with patience. Morning, no issues. About 12:30 pm, very little issues. In the afternoon, my friend and I used the bus to get to and from our tea reservation. Around 5:30 pm, we actually chanced it and used the Tube to go from Earl's Court to Tottenham Court Road station for our London Walks pub walk and had very little issues - one train come at Embankment totally full and we just waited for the next train 6 minutes later that was way less crowded in the first car. Post 9:30 pm was complete madness trying to get buses, taxis, or Ubers. We eventually got a taxi via Uber after walking a bit. We both pre-booked cars to get to Heathrow this morning and had no issues.

As I said, if you will be in London and the planned strike does occur as scheduled, just pack patience and have back-up plans to get around (bus, walking, taxi, Uber) and build in time to your schedule. It did not ruin any of our plans or damper our fun. We both live in big U.S. cities and are used to transportation chaos!

I'm also reporting from London and agree that if you plan carefully, you can still get around in the city center. We avoided the Tube during the strike period. We also tried to avoid travel during rush hour. Buses were crowded but none so full that they just drove past our stop. We took the #9 frequently, and none of the buses reached their terminus at Aldwych. Most ended the route at Piccadilly but one stopped running at Hyde Park Corner. So be prepared for buses that don't follow the enitre route. As for taxis, the FreeNow app won't prebook taxis, so we had to use Uber to prebook. The one we ordered came about 30 minutes late. We got updates from Uber so we knew it was going to be late, but it was still a hassle. The Tube was very crowded when we took a trip after the strike ended at noon. My guess is that people who might have traveled in the morning waited until the afternoon to take a trip. Bottom Line: You can get around but plan for delays.

The tube strike hasn't really effected me, but it likely will tomorrow. The tube isn't going to start running until 7:30am for the lines open and that will be pushing past my comfort level getting to Heathrow. Uber wanted over 100 pounds just to go to Tottenham Court station, which is a 10 minute drive. Uber to airport was also ridiculous. Its price gouging.

I have booked a car service for now which us a better rate then Uber. I could try to walk to Tottenham Court with my backpack and suitcase, but I think its a bit far to haul all that with how busy the sidewalks will be.

I’m in London this week and have navigated the strikes fine. It’s an inconvenience, especially since I was planning on using the Piccadilly line a lot, but it’s not that big a deal. More Victoria line and buses than planned for. Honestly, if there was a reality where you could barter inconveniences, I would choose the strike over one day of rain while on vacation in London 100% of the time. Our weather has been great this week.

Unfortunately I was out at Bletchley today and there has been a fatality on thr train line and it is closed for hours with no replacement buses. Now taking expensive cab to Bedford ro get a different line back to London.

I've always thought they had replacement buses for situations like this.

There is a direct train line from Bletchley to Bedford - hourly service taking 42 minutes.

That line is the West Coast Mainline which all the fastest trains from Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow into London as well as local trains. There would just not be the capacity to rustle up hundreds on buses to meet the demand, especially unplanned.

Several of those are canceled too and the next one isn't for another hour.

there is a train from Bletchley station to both Bedford stations

See my response above which is likely why the person at the station didnt mention it.

Bletchley to Bedford is also cancelled due to a different issue, but buses have been recruited for that line and should be on site.

Next bus is 1755 to Bedford- one all stations, one semi fast. My source is the LNWR website, and I assume the app. Buses also ran at 1600.

The West Coast main line is expected to be closed for all evening, so the buses to Bedford are the best bet.
Long distance passengers are diverted to Kings Cross, St Pancras, Paddington for Cross Country from Reading and Marylebone.

I'm now on the train to London from Bedford.

There was one bus that i didn't know about that pulled put just as I arrived to inquite about alternatives. I was waiting on the platform ad train after train was canceled. No announcement about a bus was made.

The Bletchley station was quite busy dealing with many people. There were no other buses from there and at the time station person didn't think there would be anytime soon. I just asked if I could get to another station to get on a different line back to London and they told me taxi to Bedford. The can driver was quite nice and gave me a discount.

It's worked our and only a minor inconvenience compared to the situation emergency services are dealing with.

KB the line was closed for a little over 2 hours. At that location around 10-15,000 people PER HOUR would have been passing through, have you any idea how many buses would have been needed? Not that you can ever get any at that time of day because they all have school contracts for the same two hours.

Me.crewe, my issue is resolved so no need for that post.

For reference of others in the future the incident log shows that it was first logged at 1503. By 1532 rail replacement coaches had been ordered from 5 different companies to shuttle between Watford Junction and Milton Keynes Central.
The first of those coaches was on site at 1624.

All rail companies have standing contracts with companies to pull in replacement road transport at short notice, as happened here. Initially there is confusion and lack of information, but given time this resolves itself. Near me Northern have 4 buses on permanent 30 minute notice 24/7 to turn out as required.

Yes there would not have been enough capacity in the short term, but the railway industry does not just strand passengers.

Passengers for Birmingham were given permission to divert as far as Cheltenham Spa on GWR from Paddington, then Cross Country. A long and probably not very comfortable journey, but people were kept moving.

Due to staff and stock disruption there were ongoing delays all evening, with staff working very long hours to recover the service.

Avanti held many trains at stations (for passenger comfort) further north until the line was cleared (some were terminated short), eventually arriving at Euston up to 200 minutes late.

Spam link above has been reported- that is not a place to find updates. For updates to strike action on London transport always check tfl.gov.uk.

My daughter and I returned from London on Wednesday and I was concerned about getting to Heathrow from Central London. We were able to tube and walk the previous day to enjoy our last full day in London but didn't want to stress about missing our flight. We ended up taking National Express bus from Victoria Coach Station. It was a few more blocks from our hotel but we planned for extra time. It ended up being affordable for two of us and easier with our luggage than changing platforms on the tube. Arriving at Heathrow, you take a lift and tunnel to departures, very easy.
My daughter thinks we should take bus both ways next time!