The Time Out London blog team

Good news, Londoners! May’s tube strikes, which were scheduled to take place this week, have been called off.  In April London was hit by tube strikes for the first time since September 2025. RMT union members walked out in response to the introduction of a ‘compressed four-day working week’ for tube drivers, impacting the entire London Underground network. While the May strikes have been called off, there are still several strike dates looming over Londoners. The RMT has warned that ‘more strike action will follow if [the union] fail[s] to make sufficient progress’ in talks with TfL.  Worried about strikes hitting the capital? Here’s everything you need to know. RECOMMENDED:🛤️ When are the next UK-wide train strikes? What you need to know about nationwide industrial action.⛔️ London travel disruption this weekend: full list of tube and train closures for May 16-17 2026. When are the next London tube strikes? Tube drivers are still set to walk out on the following two occasions, each a 24-hour period.  June 2-3 (12pm to 11.59am) June 4-5 (12pm to 11.59am) Which services will be affected by the strikes?  Drivers belonging to ASLEF are not set to strike, and neither are non-driver RMT union members. This meant that the April strikes were not as impactful as previous walk-outs.  In April, TfL ran a reduced service will run across most lines. However, the following services were more severely hit:  The Circle line was down The Piccadilly line was not running...

UPDATE MAY 18 – STRIKE SUSPENDED. After last minute talks between the RMT union and TfL, this week’s tube strikes have been suspended. A spokesperson for the union said, ‘At the 11th hour the employer has shifted its position, allowing us to further explore our members’ concerns around the imposition of new rosters, fatigue and safety issues.’ However they did at that ‘the dispute is not over, and more strike action will follow if [they] fail to make sufficient progress’.  Here we go again. Round two of London’s current bout of tube strikes is on the way. Following four days of industrial action in April, this week the London Underground network will be hit by two 24-hour strikes spread across four days. The strikes are the result of a dispute between the RMT union and TfL. The main issue is a ‘compressed four-day working week’ for tube drivers, with the RMT saying that London Underground management is attempting to compress the hours of a normal working week into four days. The union has raised concerns about shift lengths, working time arrangements and the potential impact on fatigue and safety. The April walk-outs were nowhere near as severe as the strikes back in September 2025, with TfL able to run a reduced service on most tube lines. Plus, there plenty of ways to get around the city without the tube, like buses, trams, e-bikes, National Rail trains, the Overground and the Elizabeth line. The purple line isn’t a London Underground service, so its drivers don’t take...

UPDATE, MAY 18: Amazing news! After last minute talks between the RMT union and TfL, this week’s tube strikes have been suspended. A spokesperson for the union said, ‘At the 11th hour the employer has shifted its position, allowing us to further explore our members’ concerns around the imposition of new rosters, fatigue and safety issues.’ However they did at that ‘the dispute is not over, and more strike action will follow if [they] fail to make sufficient progress’.  London is bracing for more strikes on the tube. Starting this Tuesday (May 19), London Underground drivers who are in the RMT union will walk out in two 24-hour strikes spread across four days. The drivers are protesting TfL’s plans to implement a four-day working week. The RMT says that, under the plans, staff will work a five-day week’s worth of hours in four days, increasing fatigue and compromising safety. TfL insists that the proposals are voluntary. On strike days, Londoners can expect severe disruption across the tube network. But what about the Overground? Find everything you need to know about the trusty formerly-orange network below. May 2026 Tube Strikes: How to get around London during RMT industrial action. When are the May 2026 tube strikes? There are two periods of industrial action on the tube in May: May 19-20 (12pm to 11.59am) May 21-22 (12pm to 11.59am) Following that, there will be two more strikes to watch out for in June: June 16-17 (12pm to 11.59am) June 18-19 (12pm to 11.59am) ...