Here’s How To Get Around London During This Week’s Tube And Rail Strike

Commuters are bracing for a week of disruptions as the biggest walkout in 30 years is set to take place. The action will see disruptions across Tube and Rail services, with TfL encouraging people to avoid travel if possible.

Following on from strike action on June 6, the action will affect The Tube, London Overground, The Elizabeth Line, London Trams, and National Rail services. Those attending Glastonbury later on this week will also see their travel disrupted. Strike action will take place on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday (21, 23, and 25) with effects felt throughout the week.

Commuters have been advised to work from home where possible, or take advantage of alternative transportation methods, while being aware of the potential for queues and delays.

Travellers should also be aware of the possibility of action short of a strike from some station staff. This may see some stations closing at short notice.

Here’s all the info you need to know about the strike, and how to navigate your way across town this week, with Secret London’s handy Rail and Tube strike guide.

London Tube and Rail strike

Why is there a strike?

The RMT union announced the strike amidst fears from workers regarding cost-cutting processes that they worry will disproportionately affect them. Pension schemes for TfL are being reviewed, and the network plans to axe 500-600 station posts. This has led to concerns about further redundancies, loss of pension outright, and potentially unsociable working conditions. TfL has said no worker will lose their job, and cuts will be made simply by not re-filling positions of those who leave or retire. Andy Lord, TfL’s chief operating officer, also had the following to say:

“No changes have been proposed to pensions and nobody has or will lose their job as a result of the proposals we have set out.”

The RMT, however, believes that discussions are no longer possible at their current level. Mick Lynch, RMT General Secretary, said:

“There’s no point in our union continuing to sit opposite management representatives who have neither the inclination nor the authority to negotiate a settlement, when the power lies with the Mayor.”

Last-minute talks are still ongoing. Meanwhile, new government legislation may see striking workers replaced by agency workers from mid-July.

Which services are affected by the strike?

Strike action will hit the Tube on Tuesday, June 21. This will affect all lines throughout the day and into mid-morning Wednesday, June 22. This coincides with strike action from national rail workers, taking place on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. This will affect most national rail services, as well as Overground, Elizabeth Line, and some Tube services.

How many days is the strike?

The strike will take place over three days, but knock-on effects will likely find the effects continuing on throughout the week. Commuters are advised to stay home if possible. Otherwise they’re advised to check line statuses before travelling, plan their journey, and travel after mid-morning on the days following strike action.

A day-by-day breakdown of the strike

Tuesday June 21:

Strike action from Tube and National Rail workers will see nationwide disruptions or cessation on National Rail, Tube, Overground, Elizabeth Line, and London Tram services. Anyone who has to travel is encouraged to “finish your Tube or rail journey by 18:00.” London Overground will only run between 7am and 8:30pm.

No Tube services will be running the following day (Wednesday) until 8am. There will be reduced service on the Overground and The Elizabeth Line until mid-morning Wednesday.

Thursday June 23:

National Rail strike action will take place, causing cancellations and disruptions across the entire nationwide service. There will also be a reduced service on the London Overground as well as The Elizabeth Line. Part of the Tube will also be affected: The Bakerloo, District, and Waterloo & City lines will see disruptions or reduced services. London Overground will be running a reduced service from 7:30am and travellers are encouraged to finish their journeys by 6pm.

Disruption is likely the following day (Friday) across the Tube, Elizabeth line, and London Overground services. National Rail services will also likely see delayed starts that day.

Saturday June 25:

National Rail strike action will take place, causing cancellations and disruptions across the entire nationwide service. There will also be a reduced service on the London Overground as well as The Elizabeth Line. Part of the Tube will also be affected: The Bakerloo, District, and Waterloo & City lines will see disruptions or reduced services. London Overground will be running a reduced service from 7:30am and travellers are encouraged to finish their journeys by 6pm.

Disruption is likely the following day (Sunday) across the Tube, Elizabeth line, and London Overground services. National Rail services will also likely see delayed starts that day.

Are Overground services affected by the strike?

Yes. The London Overground will see disruption and reduced services across the duration of the week. The same applies to Elizabeth line, and London Trams. The DLR is expected to largely run as normal, but significantly busier than usual.

Are the buses running?

Yes, but they’re likely to be much busier that usual as strikes push more passengers onto alternative means of transport. You can refer to TfL’s bus status page to check the latest updates on London buses, or find the info from the TfL Go app.

What if I’m going to Glastonbury?

If you’re travelling to Glastonbury you may need to seek alternative travel methods. Only five services are running from London Paddington to Castle Cary on Thursday. This brings the number of services from Paddington to Castle Cary to a total of 24 between Wednesday and Friday. This sees the number of services running the route dropped by more than half. Those travelling by road have also been alerted to the possibility of severe traffic in the area.

How else can I get around London?

The Santander Cycles are available for hire as usual, although strike action tends to push their ridership to higher levels than normal, so be warned it might be a little trickier than usual to grab a bike. There’s also Dott, HumanForest, Lime Bikes, TIER, as well as those handy little e-scooters available for hire across London.

If you’re relying on the power of walking to get around, you can refer to this handy map, which shows the number of steps between each Tube station.

Finally, London’s fleet of black cabs and ride-hailing services are all options for you, though I suspect there might be some surge pricing happening on the apps as demand for rides increase. Plus, the road will likely see an increased flow of traffic as more people look to cabs or their own vehicles to get to work. Good luck out there!

Also published on Medium.