TfL issues travel advice for customers ahead of upcoming strike action, with most TfL services likely to be disrupted

Transport for London (TfL) is strongly encouraging customers to avoid travelling on the Tube and only travel if essential on the rest of the network on Friday 19 August and until 08:00 on Saturday 20 August. This is due to planned industrial action by the RMT on London Underground and London Overground station staff on 19 August, as well as by Unite on some London buses on 19 and 20 August. RMT strike action on national rail services will also impact services on London Underground, London Overground and the Elizabeth line from 18-21 August. Customers are advised to plan ahead, check before they travel and leave more time for their journey.

In addition, strike action by ASLEF train drivers tomorrow (Saturday 13 August) will significantly disrupt the London Overground network. Customers should use alternative routes.

Unite is undertaking strike action on some London bus services on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 August, which will impact some routes through west and northwest London and parts of Hertfordshire and Surrey. Several routes will not be operating throughout the day and there will be no Night Bus service on affected routes on Friday 19 August and Saturday 20 August. A full list of affected routes is available below and on TfL's webpage. Customers are encouraged to avoid making journeys on affected services until 08:00 on Sunday 21 August.

Walking or cycling may be quicker for some journeys and planning tools are available to plan walking journeys. Santander Cycles will be available, with teams ensuring that bikes are distributed at key locations according to demand. Rental e-scooters are also available to hire in some London boroughs.

For the latest information on how TfL services are operating, please use TfL's real-time travel tools, including status updates, Journey Planner and TfL Go. Travel advice for the strike action is available at tfl.gov.uk/strikes.

Andy Lord, TfL's Chief Operating Officer, said: "I would like to apologise to our customers who will have their journeys impacted by these strikes. We're urging people to avoid travelling on the Tube and only travel if essential on the rest of the network on 19 August, and to ensure they check before they travel from 18-21 August. If customers are travelling they should plan ahead and expect disruption across the network. Walking and cycling is likely to be the best way to get around during this action.

"We're urging the RMT and Unite to call off these strikes - my message to them is that it's not too late to work with us, Arriva Rail London and RATP to find a resolution and avoid the huge disruption this action will cause."

Travel advice for each day is set out below:

Saturday 13 August (national rail strikes):

During national rail strikes there will be no service on London Overground. There will also be no Night Overground services on the evening of 13 August. Customers who use London Overground services should use alternative routes to complete their journeys. Customers travelling on the morning of Sunday 14 August are advised a good service is expected on the London Overground by midday.

Thursday 18 August (national rail strikes):

During the national rail strikes, the majority of TfL's services will continue to run, however some disruption is expected. There will be a reduced service on the London Overground, Elizabeth line and some Tube lines due to the impact of the national rail strike on shared track and assets. Services running are expected to be busy and may not be able to stop at all stations. Customers using national rail services are advised to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary.

There will be a reduced service on London Overground between 08:00 and 18:00, with no service outside of these times and no service at all on some sections of the network throughout the day. Further details are available on the TfL website.

The central section of the Elizabeth line will run a reduced train service after 18:00. Customers connecting with national rail services should check before they travel use TfL's real-time travel tools, such as Journey Planner and TfL Go to plan their journeys ahead of time.

There will be no service on the Bakerloo line north of Queen's Park and the Wimbledon and Richmond branches of the District line will only run between 08:00 and 18:00. There is the potential for further disruption due to the strike impacting London Underground staff availability. Customers are advised to plan ahead, check before they travel and leave more time for their journey. 

Friday 19 August (London Underground, London Overground and London bus strikes):

Disruption from the national rail strike on Thursday 18 August will continue impacting services into the following morning resulting in a delayed start on 19 August. Elizabeth line and Overground services will start later than usual so customers are advised to check before they travel.

Tube, Overground and bus strikes are taking place on Friday 19 August, which will affect the majority of TfL's services. TfL expects severe disruption on all London Underground lines on Friday 19 August, with little to no services throughout the day due to RMT's strike action. There will also be no Night Tube or Night Overground service from Friday evening. Customers are advised to avoid travelling on the Tube and only travel if essential on the rest of the network.

Unite strike action will impact some routes in west and north west London and parts of Hertfordshire and Surrey, which will not be operating throughout the day. On affected routes, there will be no Night Bus service on Friday 19 August and Saturday 20 August. If travel cannot be avoided customers should check before they travel and leave additional time for journeys. Walking or cycling may be quicker alternatives for some journeys and planning tools are available to plan walking journeys.

Saturday 20 August (national rail strikes and London bus strikes):

Disruption from the London Underground strike will continue into the morning of Saturday 20 August and customers are advised to avoid making journeys before 08:00. The industrial action on London buses will also continue throughout Saturday 20 August and there will be no Night Bus service.

Similarly to Thursday, national rail strikes will impact TfL services due to shared track and assets. Customers using national rail services are advised to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary. Services running are expected to be very busy and may not be able to stop at all stations. There will be a reduced service on London Overground between 08:00 and 18:00 and no Night Overground service.

The central section of the Elizabeth line will run a reduced train service after 18:00. Customers connecting with national rail services should check before they travel use TfL's real-time travel tools, such as Journey Planner and TfL Go plan their journeys ahead of time.

Due to shared tracks, there will be no service on the Wimbledon and Richmond branches of the District line before 08:00 and after 18:00. There will also be no service on the Bakerloo line before 08:00 and no service north of Queen's Park throughout the day. There is the potential for disruption due to the strike impacting London Underground staff availability. Customers are advised to plan ahead, check before they travel and leave more time for their journeys. 

Sunday 21August (impacted by previous day's strike action):

Disruption from the national rail and London bus strikes will continue to impact services in the morning on Sunday 21 August. From 08:00, services will resume on bus routes impacted in west and north west London and parts of Hertfordshire and Surrey. Elizabeth line and Overground services will start later than usual, so customers are encouraged to avoid making journeys on affected services until after 08:00.

This disruptive action on London Underground comes as part of a dispute with the RMT over pensions, jobs and conditions. This is despite the fact no proposals have been tabled on pensions or terms and conditions, and nobody has or will lose their jobs because of the proposals TfL has set out. The RMT is seeking assurances from TfL that no organisation could meaningfully provide. Unite trade union members at bus operator RATP are striking over a separate issue relating to pay. TfL has urged both parties to work together to agree on a fair pay settlement and avoid the need for industrial action.

Notes to editors

• The latest timetables for services operating between 18-21 August will be updated early next week, which will provide more accurate journey planning information to customers. TfL will be issuing further communication to customers next Monday, to encourage anyone who needs to travel to check first
• TfL advises customers to check nationalrailenquiries.co.uk for the latest information on the national rail strikes
• Walking maps are available at: tfl.gov.uk/modes/walking/
• A full Night Tube service will operate on the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines on Saturday 13 August. However, there will be no Night Tube service on Friday 19 August due to industrial action, and no Night Overground on Friday 13, Friday 19 and Saturday 20 August
• As part of previous funding agreements, the Government has required TfL to work towards achieving financial sustainability on its operations by April 2023. This means TfL must speed up its pre-pandemic savings programme. As part of this, TfL has been engaging with its trade unions and staff to seek their views on how it can make London Underground more efficient and financially sustainable, while continuing to deliver the highest standards of safety, reliability and customer service. TfL has committed to its staff and trade unions that the safety of staff and customers will always remain paramount and the changes will protect as many jobs as possible for the people who work for TfL today, allowing more flexibility to adapt to changing customer requirements
• TfL has proposed not recruiting into around 500 to 600 posts as they become vacant - including 250 currently unfilled Tube station posts. London Underground stations will remain staffed at all times while trains are operating, with more than 4,500 station staff available across the network to assist customers and keep them safe, supplemented by enforcement teams and police. This will bring staffing levels in line with customer need while protecting as many jobs as possible. TfL is urging the RMT to work with it to find a resolution and avoid the disruption and damage another strike will cause to London and the economy
• The following bus routes will be impacted by Unite strike action from 00:01 Friday 19 August to 08:00 Sunday 21 August:

9, 18, 33, 49, 65, 70, 71, 72, 85, 94, 105, 110, 111, 116, 117, 148, 203, 211, 216, 220, 223, 224, 258, 265, 266, 272, 281, 283, 290, 293, 371, 400, 404, 406, 411, 418, 419, 423, 440, 465, 467, 470, 481, 613, 635, 662, 663, 665, 671, 681, 696, 697, C1, E1, E3, H22, H32, H37, H91, H98, K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, KU1, KU2, KU3, N9, N18, N33, N65, N72, N266, S3