Published May 16, 2026 3:26pm
Updated May 16, 2026 3:27pm
Another wave of London Tube strikes is around the corner, with disruption and patchy services expected across the network.
Commuters have hardly recovered from the stress of last month’s strikes when another walkout is set to take place from Tuesday.
The strike comes after an ongoing dispute between the RMT union and London Underground bosses over Tube drivers’ condensed working hours.
The good news is that not all routes are part of the strikes, so scroll on to see what London transport services are running next week.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
When is the next Tube strike?
The walkouts will run in 24-hour chunks, but disruption is expected throughout the week from Tuesday during mornings and evenings too.
First planned strike will run from 12pm midday, Tuesday 19 May until midday, Wednesday May 20.
The second walkout will be from midday, Thursday 21 May until midday Friday May 22.
Further strikes, if not called off before then, are planned between June 16 and June 19.
Full list of affected Tube lines
Here are the Underground routes where no service is expected during the strike.
- The entire Circle and Piccadilly lines
- The Central line between White City and Liverpool Street
- The Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate
Services are expected on all other lines, but they will be less frequent and very busy.
However, journeys will be disrupted and the service levels will vary, it warned.
Are you affected by the Tube strike next week?
Stay up to date with the stories everybody’s talking about by signing up to Metro’s News Updates newsletter.
Elizabeth line, DLR and Overground status during the strike
The purple Elizabeth line will run as normal throughout next week, and the same goes for buses, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), and the London Overground, and the tram.
But the services that run are likely to be extremely busy.
What other travel alternatives are there to avoid the disruption?
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
Rental e-bikes, scooters and Santander cycles will be on standby next week as people scramble for alternatives.
Last month, e-bike operators like Forest and Lime had stepped up operations in central London to have more bikes available.
Forest recorded a 50% increase in rides on Wednesday, April 22, during the strike, while Lime experienced a 23% uptick that day.
One rider travelled around 124 miles in four days, roughly the distance from London to Birmingham, Metro understands.
While cycling in London will not be everyone’s cup of tea, strikeling has surged in popularity during recent walkouts, allowing commuters to avoid the worst disruption.
Rail services will also run as normal, although services could be busier than usual. In April, Greater Anglia trains arriving at Liverpool Street appeared to be extremely busy when Metro visited the station at rush hour.
If you are lucky enough to live near the River Thames, you could hop on the River Bus services operated by Uber Boat and Thames Clippers. You can pay for the journey using contactless or an Oyster card as normal by touching in and out.
For the truly adventurous souls, there is the London Cable Car, although it only runs between the Royal Docks and the Greenwich Peninsula.
Why is the Tube strike happening?
The strike, which only includes Tube drivers who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), comes down to a disagreement over working hours.
TfL has proposed to condense the drivers’ five-day working week into four days, meaning they would do longer days, which RMT opposes, saying it would have direct consequences for drivers’ welfare.
Speaking to Metro, Jared Wood, RMT’s London lead, claimed that if the changes came in a driver could, in theory, start work at 3.45am, drive the train for over five hours without a break, then have a half an hour break and drive again for up to a maximum of duty of 9.5 hours.
TfL said that it would never do anything to compromise safety, and that the proposed changes would bring it in line with the shift patterns of national rail operators.
Claire Mann, TfL’s chief operating officer, said: ’It is disappointing that the RMT is planning this strike action despite our best efforts to resolve this dispute.
‘We have been clear that our proposals for a four-day week are designed to improve work-life balance and are entirely voluntary. Any Tube driver who doesn’t wish to opt in to the new, four-day working pattern and associated changes to working arrangements can remain on a five-day working pattern.
‘We have also said many times in discussions that we believe the majority of the issues that have been raised would be resolved with more detailed work.
‘A significant number of drivers have indicated that they want us to progress plans for the pilot of this new working pattern on the Bakerloo line, and it would deliver benefits both for our colleagues and our customers. We urge the RMT to work with us so we can resolve this dispute. In the meantime, we are asking customers to check before they travel and allow plenty of extra time for their journeys.’
TfL said that the four-day working week proposal has already been accepted by Aslef, the other Tube drivers’ union.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Main road into major UK airport closed over half-term sparking holiday chaos
MORE: Dishoom fans are just learning the little-known trick to get money off
MORE: Vienna’s spotless Tube system puts the UK’s public transport to shame
News Updates
Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.
