When do the London Tube strikes end and what lines are affected?
London Underground drivers are planning two days of strike action this week, which will cause serious travel disruption for passengers and visitors to the capital.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union announced that its members will go on strike for 24 hours, starting at noon on Tuesday, May 19, and again on Thursday, May 21.
This means the strike will begin at noon on Tuesday and last until noon on Wednesday. The drivers will then leave their jobs again at noon on Thursday, and the strike action will end at noon on Friday.
There are additional strikes planned for June.
The RMT accused Transport for London (TfL) of trying to introduce a new four-day working week, while general secretary Eddie Dempsey expressed disappointment that negotiations had stalled.
He said: “Despite all our efforts over the months we have not been able to achieve a satisfactory outcome, so we have no choice but to announce the strike dates.”
TfL’s chief operating officer Claire Mann said the four-day working week proposals allowed the company to “offer train operators an additional day off, while also improving reliability and flexibility at no additional cost by aligning the London Underground with the working patterns of other train operating companies”.
He added: “The changes will be voluntary, there will be no reduction in contract hours and those who wish to maintain the five-day working week will be able to do so.”
TfL has outlined what passengers can expect on strike days, stating that some lines will be more affected than others. Here’s what you need to know:
On what dates are the cylinder strikes?
May
- From Tuesday, May 19 to Wednesday, May 20
- From Thursday, May 21st to Friday, May 22nd
June
- From Tuesday, June 16 to Wednesday, June 17
- From Thursday, June 18 to Friday, June 19
What time will the metro close and reopen?
The planned strike action will take down significant parts of the network for half of two consecutive days, lasting from noon to noon.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, passengers can expect normal service until mid-morning when services will begin to decrease. There will be a serious disruption in all lines starting from noon and working lines will end early.
On Wednesdays and Fridays, metro services will start later and service is not expected before 7.30 in the morning. There will be significant disruption until around noon when normal service will resume, but delays are likely.
Which Metro lines will be affected?
TfL said the strikes would affect the entire tube network but the reduced service would continue with significant cuts on most lines.
However, services will not be provided on the following issues:
- Piccadilly and Circle lines
- Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate
- Central line between White City and Liverpool Street
The Elizabeth line, DLR, London Overground and tram services will operate as normal on strike days, but are likely to be very busy.
