Travellers Facing Severe Tube Disruption With Few To No Services Running

Londoners are bracing for days of major travel disruption as a wave of strikes by thousands of London Underground workers leaves few to no Tube services running. Transport for London (TfL) has warned passengers to expect significant delays from Monday through Thursday, with no trains before 8am and services shutting down by 6pm.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, including drivers, signallers and maintenance staff, are walking out over pay and working conditions. The industrial action began on Sunday with limited services operating, but the impact will escalate throughout the week.

Adding to the disruption, no Docklands Light Railway (DLR) trains will run on Tuesday or Thursday due to a separate RMT pay dispute.

TfL has offered a 3.4% pay rise, which it says is “fair,” but rejected union calls to cut the working week, citing costs of “hundreds of millions of pounds.” Nick Dent, director of customer operations at London Underground, described the demands as “simply unaffordable” and warned the staggered strikes would be “very damaging” to TfL.

The RMT said it is striking over staff fatigue, health risks linked to shift work, and staffing cuts since 2018. A union spokesperson said: “We are not going on strike to disrupt small businesses or the public. This strike is going ahead because of TfL management’s refusal to even consider a modest reduction in the working week.” The union pointed to TfL’s reported £166m surplus last year and a £10bn annual budget, arguing that workers “deserve fair consideration.”

The strikes mark the first network-wide Tube walkout in three years, though this week’s action differs as various staff groups are striking on different days. TfL is advising passengers to plan ahead, leave extra time for journeys, and expect packed buses and busy roads.

Business groups have warned the disruption could hit central London trade, with commuters, tourists and small firms already grappling with rising costs and uneven footfall.