Customers advised to plan ahead as strike action threatens Night Tube services

06 January 2022
Victoria and Central lines could be severely disrupted from 19:00 onwards on Fridays and Saturdays until 19 June
"We're calling on the RMT to join us for talks so we can work together to resolve this dispute around roster changes"
Andy Lord
Managing Director of London Underground
  • Strike action comes despite guarantees of no job losses 
  • TfL urges the RMT union to join talks and resolve dispute without further disruption

Tube customers are advised that the RMT's planned strike action could cause severe disruption on Central and Victoria line Night Tube services on weekend evenings until 19 June.

Both the Victoria and Central lines could be severely disrupted from 19:00 onwards on Fridays and Saturdays from this weekend until 19 June. Customers are advised to check before they travel and use buses to complete their journeys where required. Night services on London Overground will run as planned on Friday and Saturday nights between Highbury & Islington and New Cross Gate.

The RMT has taken this action over new rosters, which have been agreed by the other recognised union and were introduced for Tube drivers in August.

This strike action has been called despite the new rosters including assurances that there will be no job cuts, providing certainty and the option of permanent work for those on part-time contracts, and only scheduling up to four night shift weekends per year. Where preferred, these night shifts can be swapped with colleagues for duties at other times of day.

Transport for London (TfL) is urging the RMT to join it for talks as TfL seeks to try and avoid this unnecessary action and resolve this dispute.

Night Tube services were re-introduced on the Central and Victoria lines on the evening of Saturday 27 November. Despite strike action in the run-up to Christmas, TfL was able to run a regular and reliable Night Tube service on the Victoria and Central lines, with a full Victoria line service running throughout the majority of the overnight action.

The impact of the overnight strike action depends on the number of drivers booking on each weekend, so customers are advised to check before they travel on Night Tube services for the most up-to-date information. 

Andy Lord, Managing Director of London Underground, said:

'We're disappointed that, once again, the RMT is continuing to push for strike action that is likely to cause further unnecessary disruption. We're calling on the RMT to join us for talks so we can work together to resolve this dispute around roster changes, which mean no job losses and greater flexibility for drivers. 

'If these six months of action do go ahead, we will continue to operate as regular a service as possible. However, customers are advised to check before they travel and use buses to complete their journeys where required. I apologise to them for the impact this unnecessary action will have on their journeys.'

Further information will be available ahead of, and during, the strikes at tfl.gov.uk/tube-strike as well as on the TfL Go app, TfL website and Journey Planner.

The strike affects train drivers only and stations will remain fully staffed throughout the action. Plain clothes and uniformed British Transport Police officers are also patrolling the network to ensure staff and customer safety.

In line with Government regulations on the wearing of face coverings on public transport, all customers travelling on the TfL transport network must wear face coverings for the duration of their journeys or risk being fined, unless they are exempt.

TfL's 500 uniformed enforcement officers and the police are deployed across the transport network ensuring that customers comply with the Government regulations. Anybody who does not comply may be refused entry, directed to leave the network or face a fine. 

Notes to editors

  • Night Tube drivers were offered the opportunity to join the full-time driver pool on a permanent basis, with Night Tube duties spread across all drivers. A number of drivers have been able to stay part-time at their own request, with some of them moving to part-time positions during the day service to help balance their work and personal lives. No Tube driver has or will lose their job as a result of these changes, nor has any driver been forced to switch to part- or full-time work if they do not want to
  • The other Night Tube lines - the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines - will return to service as soon as practicable. TfL is working hard to resolve resourcing issues on these lines and there are other considerations such as the upcoming closure of the Bank branch of the Northern line to allow completion of the upgrade at Bank Tube station