Tube strike: How can I get around during London Underground walkout?

Travellers advised to ‘avoid travelling where possible’

Tube stops are closed across central London (AFP via Getty Images)

A widespread strike by Transport for London workers sees the Tube network shut across the city on Friday, 19 August.

Disruption is likely to continue until mid-morning on Saturday (when there is also a second nationwide rail strike).

TfL is advising customers to “avoid travel on the Tube if possible and only travel on the rest of the network if essential.”

There will be “severe disruption” on all lines with little to no services throughout the day and no Night Tube.

A coordinated bus strike will also see some services out of operation.

But if you do have an essential journey, how can you get around London?

Bus

Most buses are operating as normal, but services are expected to be much busier than usual.

However, a strike will see services affected in west and south west London and parts of Surrey. Expect disruption on the following routes: 9, 18, 33, 49, 65, 70, 71, 72, 85, 94, 105, 110, 116, 117, 148, 203, 211, 216, 220, 223, 224, 235, 258, 265, 266, 272, 281, 283, 290, 293, 371, 404, 406, 411, 418, 419, 423, 440, 465, 467, 470, 481, C1, E1, E3, H17, H22, H32, H37, H91, H98, K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, N9, N18, N33, N65, N72, N266 and S3

London Overground

The London Overground will start later than usual, with no Night Overground.

DLR

Most DLR services are operating as normal; services into Bank are only running from 7am-6.30pm.

Elizabeth Line

The Elizabeth line will run a reduced service with the following timetable:

• Central (Paddington-Abbey Wood) - normal service starting 7am. After 10.30pm, trains may not stop at all stations.
• East (Liverpool Street-Shenfield) - normal service starting 7am
• West (Paddington-Reading/Heathrow) - normal service starting 7am

London Trams

A reduced tram service is running.

National Rail services

There will be very few National Rail services before 8am.

Coaches

Coach services from London to airports, regional, national and international destinations are expected to be very busy this week. TfL advises travellers to:

• Book ahead where possible
• Check with your operator for any changes
• Arrive at your departure point (including Victoria Coach Station) well in advance of your scheduled departure

Driving and cabs

Travellers can still complete journeys by car, although roads are expected to be busier than usual. ULEZ and Congestion charging will remain in place for the duration of the week and will not be affected by the industrial action.

Walking and cycling

Much of London’s Zone 1 is walkable depending on where you need to get to; TfL has released a walking Tube map to help travellers better navigate and plan journeys on foot.

Cycling is also a convenient option – according to TfL, “You are never more than 600 metres from a Santander Cycle hire point in central London”. Santander bikes cost £2 for unlimited 30-minute journeys within a 24-hour period. Journeys longer than 30 minutes cost an additional £2 per journey.

Electric scooters

There are rental e-scooter trials operating in the following London boroughs:

• Camden
• City of London
• Ealing
• Hammersmith & Fulham
• Kensington and Chelsea
• Lambeth (north of the borough only)
• Richmond upon Thames
• Southwark
• Tower Hamlets (limited parking at Canary Wharf and some TfL stations)
• Westminster

Travellers can hire e-scooters from Dott, Lime and TIER via their mobile apps.

Uber Boat by Thames Clippers

Uber Boat by Thames Clippers has services along the Thames running every 20 minutes throughout the day from early in the morning until midnight.