London set for week-long Tube strike
Thousands of Tube staff set to carry out the network's biggest strike in 3 years
Londoners, brace yourselves.
The much-anticipated (or dreaded) Tube strikes are set to shake up the city starting this weekend.
The strike action kicks off from the evening of Friday, September 5, 2025, and stretches through to Thursday, September 11.
That means a full week of disruption across the entire London Underground network, affecting every Tube line including the Bakerloo, Central, Circle, District, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, Waterloo & City, and more.
Here’s the breakdown:
From September 5 (6pm) to September 7, select depot staff and control centre workers will stage walkouts.
From Sunday, September 7, the strikes ramp up with different groups of transport workers striking daily, often bringing the Tube network to a near or complete standstill.
Particularly tough days will be September 8, 9, 10, and 11, when most trains won't be running or will be severely limited.
To add to the headache, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) will also be shut down on September 9 and 11.
Why all this drama?
The RMT union is striking over key issues like pay disputes, gruelling shift patterns, fatigue management, and unmet promises from London Underground management.
The union insists their demands are fair and necessary for their members' well-being, while TfL says it has put forward reasonable pay offers but sees some demands as impractical.
What’s open?
The Overground and Elizabeth Line services will mostly run as usual, along with buses and national rail, offering some lifelines for travellers.
But expect overcrowding and delays, and it's best to plan ahead.
For anyone trying to fly out of London airports, you might want to arrange alternate routes as the Tube closures could make getting there trickier than usual.
So whether it’s commuting to work or catching a gig (Coldplay postponed their Wembley shows, btw), Londoners should gear up for a tough transit week ahead.
Strike dates summary:
Sept 5 (from 6 pm) until Sept 11: Various London Underground staff strikes across multiple days
Sept 9 & 11: No Docklands Light Railway service
Stay tuned for updates as talks continue — there’s always a chance the strikes may be called off at the last minute, but until then, prepare for travel chaos
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