Commuters are facing massive disruption across London today with a Tube strike underway after last ditch talks between Transport for London (TfL) and the RMT Union failed to reach a deal.
The first of two 24-hour walkouts began at 00.01 today and will end at 11:59pm, with further strike action expected on Thursday at the same time.
There is no service on the Circle line, the Piccadilly line, the Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate, and the Central line between White City and Liverpool Street. Disruption is expected across all other Tube lines, with services starting late and finishing early.
Other lines, including the Elizabeth line, DLR, London Overground and buses will run as normal but are expected to be extremely busy.
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There will be no Piccadilly line services to and from Heathrow Airport today. Travellers have been warned to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys to and from the airport.
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Usually packed with commuters, tourists and rail passengers, Victoria station was eerily quiet this morning, with a lone pedestrian seen walking past a shuttered underground entrance.
A commuter walks past a closed Victoria Station in central London this morning(Image: Marcin Nowak/LNP)
ASLEF, which represents roughly half of the capital’s Tube drivers, has labelled the voluntary four-day week proposal as “exactly the sort of deal every trade union should be trying to achieve”.
Their refusal to join the RMT’s strike means the Underground is operating on a reduced schedule today, rather than shutting down completely.
The RMT union is leading the strikes – but ASLEF has backed TfL’s deal(Image: NEIL HALL/EPA/Shutterstock)
TfL said the strike action is “bitterly disappointing,” and that it will try to run as many services it can for commuters.
A spokesperson said: “It is bitterly disappointing that despite five hours of meetings with the RMT at Acas and repeated assurances that the four-day working week proposals will remain voluntary, RMT has chosen to continue with its disruptive strike action.”
“We will do all we can to provide as much service as possible during this action.”
TfL says strike action will have a serious impact on Londoners (file image)(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
As travel chaos grips the capital, one disgruntled Tube user quipped the strikes would “be the death of me”.
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In a statement before it was confirmed the strikes would go ahead, Ed Richardson of BusinessLDN said: “For many businesses that rely on people visiting in person, the impact of these strikes will have already been felt through cancelled bookings and people changing their plans.
“We urge both sides to reach a sustainable agreement to put an end to the damaging uncertainty hanging over businesses and London’s economy.”
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The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said the current proposals from TfL for a compressed four-day working week would lead to “driver fatigue” and safety issues.
TfL bosses have offered train operators a 35-hour week on a four-day schedule, effectively fitting in their current hours on a shorter working week.
But the RMT are demanding a reduced 32 hours for the same pay, arguing that this would lead to drivers being overworked.
A spokesperson said: “Despite our best efforts in ACAS talks, TfL have failed to provide assurances on our members deeply held concerns around fatigue, reduced flexibility, shift lengths and the impact these proposals could have in a safety-critical role like tube driving.
“We remain available for meaningful talks, but strike action tomorrow will now go ahead.”
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London Overground services are operating as normal but passengers are being advised to check before they travel as they are expected to be extremely busy.
Services running as normal:
- Elizabeth Line
- London Overground
- DLR
- London Buses and Trams
The Elizabeth line is running as today(Image: PA)
Today’s strike will run until 11:59pm. Here’s what to expect:
- No service will be running on the Circle line, the Piccadilly line, the Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate, and the Central line between White City and Liverpool Street.
- Other lines, including the Elizabeth line, DLR, London Overground, buses and trams, will be running as normal but are likely to be busy.
- Commuters are being advised to expect disruption to journeys, with services starting late and finishing early.
- TfL says travellers should complete their journeys before 9pm.
Multiple services will not be running today(Image: Getty Images)
Students up and down the country will be relying on the Tube to get them to school for exams this week.
GCSE and A Level exams began in early May and will continue until the end of June.
Both qualifications are taking place entirely through traditional in-person exams – but with Tube strikes underway, some students may struggle to make their exams on time.
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This is the sight greeting many commuters who have ventured out to Tube stations this morning after eleventh-hour talks failed to avert a train driver walk-out.
At Canary Wharf station, there’s been a steady but quieter-than-usual flow of passengers during the morning rush hour, with the Jubilee line remaining open today on a reduced service.
Canary Wharf station would usually be much busier during the morning rush hour(Image: Benedict Tetzlaff Deas)
Commuters have been voicing their frustration over today’s strikes – which have come only weeks after the London Underground was plunged into chaos for four days in April.
One said in a post on X: “Actually so sick of these tube drivers striking every freaking second.”
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This morning’s Tube strike is going ahead after eleventh-hour talks between Transport for London and a major union broke down.
Last year, TfL put forward proposals for a voluntary four-day working week for train drivers, which would see them work 35 hours compressed into a shorter schedule, without any reduction in pay.
Aslef – which represents just over half of Tube drivers – accepted the offer, describing it as the “biggest improvement” in work-life balance “for decades”.
But the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union is pushing for a 32-hour working week across four days for the same pay, arguing that the current proposals would lead to driver fatigue and safety issues.
On Monday, representatives from the RMT and TfL met at the independent conciliation service, Acas, for five hours of last-ditch talks designed to avoid the industrial action – but failed to come to an agreement.