Travel advice for customers ahead of the Piccadilly line strike threatened by Tube unions

Transport for London (TfL) has today published travel advice to help Londoners get around, should planned strike action on the Piccadilly line take place this week.

Drivers on the Piccadilly line who are Tube union members are currently planning to strike from 21:00 on Wednesday 23 March for 24 hours.

If the strike goes ahead, there will be no Piccadilly line service from late evening on Wednesday and all day on Thursday 24 March. For customers travelling between Heathrow airport and central London, Heathrow Connect and Heathrow Express services will be available to and from London Paddington station.

Although the strike begins at 21:00 on Wednesday, London Underground (LU) will be able to keep Piccadilly line services running until around 22:30. Customers are therefore advised to complete journeys on the Piccadilly line by 22:30 on Wednesday and to travel earlier if possible.

Interchange stations along the Piccadilly line - Finsbury Park, Green Park and King's Cross St. Pancras stations in particular - will be much busier than usual. Services on other Tube and Rail lines, the bus network and river will run as normal but are expected to be busy as passengers seek alternative routes. Roads in west and central London are also expected to be busy.

Extra buses will be provided to help Londoners get around. Buses do not accept cash, so customers will need to use their contactless debit or credit card, Oyster or bus & tram pass to continue their journeys. Customers are advised to allow more time for their journeys.

The Piccadilly line is expected to run a Saturday service on Friday 25 March as part of the Easter Bank Holiday arrangements, although customers are advised to check before they travel.

Pat Hansberry, Operations Director for London Underground, said: `Our customers are advised to check our real-time travel tools for the latest information, in the event that the Piccadilly line strike goes ahead this week. We urge the union leaderships to work with us constructively to resolve these local issues, so that Londoners aren't subjected to pointless disruption.'

TfL advises all customers to allow more time for their journeys and to check before they travel at tfl.gov.uk/tube-strike and by following @TfLTravelAlerts, @TfLTrafficNews and @TfLBusAlerts on Twitter.

Easter engineering works on the Tube, TfL Rail and London Overground will go ahead as planned from Friday 25 March. Details of the works are available from tfl.gov.uk/easter.