Transport for London (TfL) is advising passengers to plan ahead as planned industrial action by the RMT union is set to impact London Underground services from Tuesday 19 May through
Friday 22 May.
The dispute centers on a proposal to introduce a voluntary four-day working week for Tube drivers—an initiative designed to improve work-life balance. While TfL maintains that many of the union's concerns could be resolved through further dialogue, the RMT has opted to proceed with strikes.
Service impact & key closures
While TfL expects to operate most Tube lines, passengers should prepare for significant disruption and specific line closures.
Full Suspensions Expected:
Circle line: No service.
Piccadilly line: No service.
Metropolitan line: No service between Baker Street and Aldgate.
Central line: No service between White City and Liverpool Street.
Daily Service Patterns:
Tuesday 19 May & Thursday 21 May: Normal service until mid-morning. Services will reduce significantly from 10:00 AM, with early closures expected.
Wednesday 20 May & Friday 22 May: Late start-up in the morning. Frequencies will increase from midday, though disruption will persist into the evening.
Alternative transport options
The following services will operate as normal but are expected to be significantly busier than usual:
Elizabeth line, DLR, and London Overground
London Buses and Trams
Santander Cycles
Note: Queuing systems may be in place at busy interchange stations. Passengers are encouraged to allow extra time for their journeys.
A voluntary shift for drivers
Claire Mann, TfL's Chief Operating Officer, said: "It is disappointing that the RMT is planning this strike action despite our best efforts to resolve this dispute. We have been clear that our proposals for a four-day week are designed to improve work-life balance and are entirely voluntary. Any Tube driver who doesn't wish to opt in to the new, four-day working pattern and associated changes to working arrangements can remain on a five-day working pattern. We have also said many times in discussions that we believe the majority of the issues that have been raised would be resolved with more detailed work.
"A significant number of drivers have indicated that they want us to progress plans for the pilot of this new working pattern on the Bakerloo line, and it would deliver benefits both for our colleagues and our customers. We urge the RMT to work with us so we can resolve this dispute. In the meantime, we are asking customers to check before they travel and allow plenty of extra time for their journeys."
Travel tools for customers
TfL reminds passengers that during previous industrial action, the network remained resilient, with many Londoners successfully using alternative routes. To stay updated:
App: Download TfL Go for real-time maps and arrival times.
Web: Visit tfl.gov.uk/strikes for the latest service status.
Social: Follow @TfL on X (formerly Twitter) for live updates.
Photo by chaddavis.photography, Wikimedia commons.
