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When it’s 33C outside like it has been this Bank Holiday weekend, there are many, many places we’d rather be than standing on a packed and sweaty tube platform. While next week’s temps are set to be a much more moderate 22C, there’ll be another reason to swerve the Underground.
Back in February, members of the RMT union voted to stage a series of walk-outs over a dispute over working hours. While strikes in March and May were both called off, 48 hours of industrial action went ahead in April. If the dispute remains unresolved, two 24-hour strike dates are set to take place next week on June 2 and 4.
If you’ve got somewhere to be on these dates next week, there’ll still be plenty of ways to get about the capital. To help you plan ahead, here’s our essential guide to getting around London while the tube is out of action.
RECOMMENDED: London’s Piccadilly line will be almost completely shut on two weekends this summer.
What dates are the tube strikes in June?
Tube drivers originally scheduled to walk out on June 16 and June 18, but these days of industrial action have been called off.
Instead, tube drivers will walk out on the following two dates in early June. The two 24-hour strikes will take place on:
- Tuesday June 2 (midnight to 11.59pm)
- Thursday June 4 (midnight to 11.59pm)
TfL has warned that some disruption should be expected on the mornings of Wednesday June 3 and Friday June 5 as services get back up and running.
No further dates have been formally announced by the unions, meaning next week’s disruption could be the last bout of action for a while.
How to travel around London during the tube strikes
During the strike period, the Overground, DLR, Elizabeth line and London buses will all be running as normal. We’d still recommend using TfL’s journey planner before you head out on strike days so you can make sure there are no additional changes, as services are likely to be a lot more busy than usual.
E-bike hire schemes are another option for getting around London during industrial action. They’ve already proved a popular option during recent strike days. Lime reported a 22 percent week-on-week spike in trips on April 23, while Forest saw evening rush hour rides soar by more than 50 percent.
Which tube lines are affected by the walk out?
On June 2 and June 4, drivers belonging to the union ASLEF won’t be striking, which means most Underground lines will still be operating, just on a reduced service. However, significant disruption is still expected across the whole Underground network.
When it comes to specific lines, in April the following services were badly impacted:
- The Piccadilly and Circle lines were down.
- The Metropolitan line ran no service between Baker Street and Aldgate.
- The Central line had no trains between White City and Liverpool Street.
All Underground lines will experience reduced services, delays and crowding due to the industrial action. As a reminder, here are all the tube lines:
- Bakerloo
- Central
- Circle
- District
- Hammersmith & City
- Jubilee
- Metropolitan
- Northern
- Piccadilly
- Victoria
- Waterloo & City
Will the Elizabeth line be running?
The Lizzy line doesn’t count as part of the Underground, so it’ll be running as normal next week, meaning it could be a good alternative option for getting out and about.
Will the Overground be running?
Yep, all six Overground lines – Lioness, Weaver, Liberty, Mildmay, Windrush and Suffragette – will all be running as usual all week. We should note, though, that they’re likely to be more crowded than usual due to the Underground being out of action.
How to reach key train stations during the strikes
If you’ve got plans in town over the two days of strike action in June, here’s a breakdown of how to reach important London rail hubs.
King’s Cross-St Pancras
Eurostar services and UK-wide train routes from King’s Cross and St Pancras International will be accessible via the Thameslink service to St Pancras from Luton Airport Parkway, Gatwick airport, London Bridge, Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Waterloo East and more.
Alternatively, head to Farringdon on the Elizabeth line, then jump on the Thameslink to King’s Cross.
Paddington
Access Paddington by hopping on the Elizabeth line.
Euston
Euston is within walking distance of King’s Cross, St Pancras and Tottenham Court Road (for the Elizabeth line), all of which will have non-tube services running next week.
Victoria
Your best bet for getting to Victoria is on the bus. To find all the bus services serving the area around Victoria station, head to the TfL website here.
What are the chances of June strikes being called off?
Last month’s strikes, which were set to take place on May 19-20 and 21-22, were suspended just 24 hours before they were set to begin. It’s possible that as negotiations between the union and TfL progress, the same could happen for the June industrial action. However, until we hear otherwise, we’d recommend preparing for the strikes to go ahead as planned.
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