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And just like that, London’s recent, blissfully strike-free period on the tube has swiftly come to an end. At the end of August the RMT union announced a week-long period of industrial action on the capital’s transport network, and it’s now officially begun.
RMT staff are striking for a range of reasons, including pay demands, shift patterns and apparent failures to honour previous agreements. The most recent demands to emerge are a 32-hour working week (Underground staff currently work 35 hours per week) and staff discounts on the national rail network.
What’s more is that it won’t just be the tube that’ll be hit by strikes: DLR workers will also walk out as part of a separate dispute. The strikes are set to last for seven days, and there will be severe transport disruption for a total of five days.
Worried about getting around London during the strikes? Here’s everything you need to know about the industrial action planned on tube and DLR services over the coming weeks.
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When are the next tube strikes?
London Underground strikes
Strike action started on September 5, and will continue through to September 11. Different workers will strike on different days. Here’s the lowdown on who is going on strike and when.
- Friday September 5 to Sunday September 7 – depot operational control managers at Ruislip walked out from 6pm on September 5 to 5.59pm on September 7.
- Sunday September 7 – track access controllers, London Underground control centre, power/control and ERU members strike from 12.01am to 11.59pm.
- Monday September 8 – all fleet (except engineering vehicles operations and maintenance and ERU), plus engineering, stations and trains members walk out. Strike from 12.01am to 11.59pm.
- Tuesday September 9 – signallers, service control and ERU members strike between 12.01am and 11.59pm.
- Wednesday September 10 – all fleet (except engineering vehicles operations and maintenance and ERU), plus engineering, stations and trains members walk out from 12.01am to 11.59pm.
- Thursday September 11 – signallers and service Control members strike between 12.01am and 11.59pm.
- Friday September 12 – no strike, but staff and trains need to get back into positions. No services until 8am.
There is, of course, still a chance that the RMT and London Underground management will come to an agreement before the strikes fully play out. However, after a week of negotiations and failed talks over the weekend, the chances of an agreement are much slimmer.
We’ll update this page if and when there are developments.
How to get around London during the strikes
While tubes (and the DLR, on some days) are down during the strikes, there are other ways of getting around. The Overground network, Elizabeth line, and London trams and buses are all still running this week.
Find TfL’s guide to which services are running below, and see a full guide to navigating the city during the strikes here.
DLR strikes
The DLR – which is a train service, not a tube – will be hit by strikes in the week beginning September 7, lasting until September 11. The RMT says walk-outs will cause ‘significant disruption to the capital’s transport network’.
The two dates to watch out for, with little-to-no service on the DLR, will be Tuesday September 9 and Thursday September 11 2025.
How long will the London train strikes last?
The tube strikes will last a total of one week, while the DLR walk-outs will be most impactful on two days.
Which Underground lines be affected by the strikes?
Services on every single line on the London Underground will be affected. Although different workers will be walking out on different days, the impact of the strikes will be pretty much the same throughout the week. Here’s what to expect:
- Sunday September 7: Limited service on Underground lines. Journeys should be completed by 6pm
- Monday September 8: No service on Underground lines
- Tuesday September 9: No service on Underground lines OR DLR all day
- Wednesday September 10: No service on Underground lines
- Thursday September 11: No service on Underground lines OR DLR all day
- Friday September 12: No service on Underground lines until 8am
Find out how to travel around London during the strikes here.
Why are there new train strikes?
The RMT says that the tube strikes are the result of London Underground management refusing to engage seriously with demands on pay, fatigue management, extreme shift patterns and a reduction in the working week. It also says that management has failed to honour previous agreements made with staff. In a ballot on the upcoming strikes, 57 percent of RMT members backed taking industrial action.
DLR staff are striking over pay and working conditions.
What have union and rail bosses said about the strikes?
RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey commented on the latest round of tube strikes: ‘Our members are doing a fantastic job to keep our capital moving and work strenuous shift patterns to make sure Londoners get to their destinations around the clock.
“They are not after a King’s ransom, but fatigue and extreme shift rotations are serious issues impacting on our members health and wellbeing- all of which have not been adequately addressed for years by LU management.
‘Coupled with the fact there are outstanding issues around staff travel arrangements, an atmosphere of distrust has been created, where our members feel like no one is listening to them.
‘RMT will continue to engage LU management with a view to seeking a revised offer in order to reach a negotiated settlement.’
A TfL spokesperson said: ‘We regularly meet with our trade unions to discuss any concerns that they may have, and we recently met with the RMT to discuss some specific points.
‘We are committed to ensuring our colleagues are treated fairly and, as well as offering a 3.4 percent pay increase in our ongoing pay discussions, we have made progress on a number of commitments we have made previously.’
‘We welcome further engagement with our unions about fatigue and rostering across London Underground, but a reduction in the contractual 35-hour working week is neither practical nor affordable.’
Will strikes affect the Eurostar?
Eurostar is not expected to be affected by any strike action.
Will the Elizabeth line be on strike?
No Elizabeth line strikes are currently planned, though the purple service may be much busier than usual during tube strikes. Find out more about using the Lizzie line during the upcoming strike action here.
Is the London Overground on strike?
No action is planned on Overground lines, though the newly-colourful network could be affected by the disruption of tube and DLR strikes. Find out more about the Overground during the strikes here.
How to get to London airports during strikes
Tubes and trains are rarely on strike at the same time, so travellers can usually get the other, non-striking one to the airport. If you plan on using the Piccadilly line to get to Heathrow, you can always use the Elizabeth line or Heathrow Express.
Coaches frequently run from central and outer London areas by the likes of National Express. All airports are also, obvs, all accessible by road – whether you’d like to drive or get a taxi. Expect potentially higher levels of traffic during strike days.
Find out more about how to get to London’s airports during the industrial action here.
How much do TfL tube drivers earn?
According to a recent Freedom of Information request (FOI), in April 2024 the annual salary for a tube operator (AKA driver) was £65,179. The same FOI revealed that more advanced operators earn as much as £75,677 p/a.
What are the chances that the strikes will be cancelled?
So far, it seems highly likely that the strikes will last a full seven days. Over the past week several rounds of negotiations between the RMT and London Underground management have failed. However, talks will continue even after the strikes have started – there is the chance that the full shutdown will not last a full five days.
How will the strikes impact Coldplay gigs at Wembley Stadium?
Coldplay have rescheduled their final two dates at Wembley Stadium because of the strikes. Find out more about those here and plan how to get to and from Wembley Stadium on strike days here.
Will the strikes affect Post Malone at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?
On Friday Post Malone’s two gigs in north London were postponed because of the strikes. The Tottenham shows were rescheduled to September 20 and 21 – find out more here.
Timeline of previous London tube strikes
Here’s a lowdown of all the tube strikes that have been called in the last few years.
- June 6-7 2022
- June 21-22 2022
- August 19-20 2022
- November 10-11 2022
- November 25 2022
- March 15-18 2023
- January 5-11 2024 (strike called off)
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