On Tuesday 21 June, the RMT and Unite unions are planning 24 hours of strike action. TfL expects severe disruption across the network
"We're urging the RMT and Unite to call off this strike - my message to them is that it's not too late to work with us to find a resolution and avoid the huge disruption this action will cause"
Andy Lord
TfL's Chief Operating Officer
  • Customers are strongly encouraged not to travel on TfL services on 21 June and before mid-morning on Wednesday 22 June, unless absolutely necessary
  • Strike action on national rail services is also taking place on 21 June and will impact London Underground, Overground and Elizabeth line services from 21 to 26 June
  • Further strike action will also impact national rail services until 26 June. Plan ahead and check before you travel
  • Strike action on London Underground has been called despite there being no proposals to change pensions and no job losses

Transport for London (TfL) is strongly encouraging people not to travel on Tuesday 21 June and until mid-morning on Wednesday 22 June, unless absolutely necessary, due to planned industrial action being taken by the RMT and Unite unions. This comes ahead of a week of travel disruption across the country, which will impact London Underground, Overground and Elizabeth line services between 21 and 26 June.

If customers cannot avoid travelling on 21 June, they should expect severe disruption across the transport network, plan ahead and leave more time for journeys. They should complete journeys by 18:00, with Elizabeth line customers travelling between Paddington and Reading, and Shenfield and Liverpool Street advised to complete their journeys by 16:00. Customers are encouraged to avoid making journeys on 22 June until mid-morning.

An enhanced bus service will run during the strike period but will be very busy, with queues expected. Customers are encouraged to walk and cycle if they can.

For the latest information on how TfL services are operating, customers should 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/tube-strike.

Andy Lord, TfL's Chief Operating Officer, said:

'I want to apologise to our customers for the impact these strikes will have on their journeys and urge people to avoid travel on all TfL services on 21 June unless absolutely necessary. If they are travelling, they must complete journeys by 18:00, and expect disruption across the network. Walking and cycling is likely to be the best way to get around during this action.

'The strike on the London Underground has been timed by the RMT and Unite unions to cause maximum disruption to our millions of customers by coinciding with strike action on national rail services. Additional strikes on national rail services next week will also have an impact on London Underground, Overground and Elizabeth line services because of shared track and assets. TfL customers are therefore advised to plan ahead and leave more time for their journeys next week.

'This strike is particularly frustrating as it comes so soon after industrial action earlier this month, no changes have been proposed to pensions and nobody has or will lose their job as a result of the proposals we have set out. We're urging the RMT and Unite to call off this strike - my message to them is that it's not too late to work with us to find a resolution and avoid the huge disruption this action will cause.'

Travel advice for each day is set out below:

Tuesday 21 June (London Underground and national rail strikes):

There is likely to be severe disruption or no service on all London Underground lines on Tuesday 21 June.  If customers cannot avoid travelling on 21 June, they should plan ahead and leave more time for journeys. Customers using any Underground services that are running are advised to complete their journey by 18:00.

The Elizabeth line will be running a reduced service. Services between Paddington and Abbey Wood will be running a reduced service between 07:00 and 18:00 and customers are urged to complete their journeys by 18:00. The west (Paddington to Reading and Heathrow) branches of the Elizabeth line will run a reduced service from 07:40 and on the east (Liverpool Street to Shenfield) from 07:30, with customers on these branches advised to complete all journeys by 16:00. 

The London Overground will run a reduced service between 07:30 - 18:00. Services running are expected to be very busy and may not be able to stop at all stations.

Other TfL services that are running on 21 June, including buses, are likely to be extremely busy with queues to board. Customers using DLR services from stations also served by London Underground are advised to check before they travel due to possible station closures for safety reasons.

Walking or cycling may be quicker for some 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.

Wednesday 22 June:

There will be no London Underground services running before 08:00 on Wednesday 22 June and a reduced service on the London Overground and Elizabeth line. Customers are encouraged to avoid making journeys until mid-morning. 

Thursday 23 and Saturday 25 June (national rail strike days):

There will be a reduced service on the London Overground and Elizabeth line on these days due to the national rail strike and its impacts on shared track and assets. Services running are expected to be very busy and may not be able to stop at all stations.

The central section of the Elizabeth line will still be running a reduced service but will close as normal at 23:00. The west (Paddington to Reading & Heathrow) branch of the Elizabeth line will run a reduced service from 07:40 and on the east (Liverpool Street to Shenfield) from 07:30, with customers advised to complete all journeys by 16:00. The London Overground will run a reduced service between 07:30 - 18:00.

London Underground will operate as much of the network as possible. However, there will be no service from Queen's Park to Harrow & Wealdstone on the Bakerloo line and on the Richmond and Wimbledon branches of the District line services will only operate between 07:30 and 18:30. The Waterloo & City line will operate as usual on Thursday 23 June but has a planned closure on Saturday 25 June. There is also the potential for disruption due to the strike impacting London Underground staff availability, meaning customers should still check before they travel.

Friday 24 and Sunday 26 June:

Disruption from the national rail strike will continue to affect customers on the mornings when no strike action is planned. London Underground customers using sections of the Bakerloo and District lines, which will be affected by national rail strike action, are encouraged to avoid making journeys until mid-morning. Elizabeth line and Overground services will start later than usual so please check before you travel.

Full travel advice for the strike action is available at tfl.gov.uk/tube-strike.

This disruptive action comes as part of separate disputes with both the RMT, over pensions, jobs and conditions, and with Unite over pay, pensions 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. TfL met the RMT and Unite unions at the conciliation service ACAS last week and, although no resolution was reached, is keen to take part in further talks in the hope that this strike can be called off. Pay talks with Unite and other recognised unions in the area have now begun.

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.

Notes to editors

  • Customers are advised to check nationalrailenquiries.co.uk for the latest information on the national rail strikes
  • Walking maps are available at: https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/walking/
  • Continued RMT strike action on Night Tube services is planned on the evening of 24 and 25 June. Despite this strike action, TfL is running a good service on the Victoria line and a regular service on the Jubilee line, with at least three trains per hour. There's also a regular service on the Central line with at least two trains per hour through central London
  • Services on Monday 20 June will run as usual