London Underground commuters face a fresh round of disruption in May and June 2026 as the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) presses ahead with industrial action over Transport for London’s introduction of a compressed four-day working week for tube drivers. Two further strike dates have been called for May and two for June, following walkouts on 21-22 April and 23-24 April. The current period of action is set to end on 19 June 2026, but further dates may be added if no agreement is reached.
The strike dates
RMT members will walk out for 24 hours on each of four further dates, with services across the network expected to be either fully suspended or severely reduced. As ever, the impact will vary by line and by depot, but commuters should plan for no service on most Underground lines during a strike day and a slow restart the following morning.
Drivers belonging to the rival union ASLEF — which represents more than half of London Underground drivers — are not striking, and neither are non-driver RMT members. That distinction means TfL has been able to run a partial service on some lines during recent strike days, particularly on lines where ASLEF membership is concentrated. Even so, customers should assume severe disruption and plan alternative travel.
What’s running, what’s not
The Overground, DLR and Elizabeth line are operated separately from London Underground and are not directly affected by RMT strike action, although knock-on demand pressure can reduce reliability and crowd carriages well beyond comfortable levels. Buses operate normally except for a separate, parallel east London bus drivers’ dispute involving 300 staff that is scheduled to produce one further strike day in May.
The Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Bakerloo, Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria and Waterloo & City lines are all expected to be affected to some degree on each strike day. Travel to Heathrow on the Piccadilly line, to Gatwick via the Gatwick Express from Victoria (Circle line), and to Stansted via Liverpool Street (Central and Circle lines) will be particularly difficult. Heathrow Express from Paddington is operated separately and continues to run.
The dispute
The RMT’s objection is to what its general secretary Eddie Dempsey has called a “fake four-day week” — the compression of five days’ work into four longer shifts, which the union argues raises fatigue and safety concerns in a safety-critical role. The compressed pattern is currently being trialled on the Bakerloo line, with TfL stating that participation is voluntary and that the new pattern will improve service reliability and flexibility for those who choose it.
RMT disputes that characterisation, arguing that members are being pressured into the new pattern and that TfL has provided no written assurance that current shift patterns will remain available. ASLEF, the larger driver union, supports the principle of a four-day week and has not called industrial action. Nick Dent, director of customer operations for London Underground, has urged the RMT to “call off this strike, meet with us and avoid any further disruption to Londoners.”
Travel advice
TfL advises customers to check before they travel on every strike day and the day after, when services restart from depots and reach normal frequency only late in the morning. The TfL Go app and journey planner are updated continuously. Alternative travel options across the city include the Thames Clipper river bus, the Santander Cycles network and significantly increased demand on bus routes that parallel suspended Tube lines.
Major employers across the City and Canary Wharf have reactivated remote-working policies for strike days, and several universities — including UCL and King’s College London — have advised staff and students that home working is acceptable on affected dates. The disruption is expected to weigh measurably on retail and hospitality footfall in central London, particularly during evening trade after 7pm.
— Sarah Mitchell, London Capital Post
