London was plunged into chaos again today by a Tube strike costing the economy £250million as the Green Party lent its support to the £72,000-a-year drivers.
Members of the militant Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) walked out from noon today for 24 hours – and will do so again from midday on Thursday.
Hundreds of thousands of commuters will have to walk, cycle or take buses with some working from home – as hospitality businesses were warned bookings will drop by up to two thirds again, as they did during the last RMT strike in September 2025.
The Piccadilly and Circle lines will be shut, as will sections of the Metropolitan and Central lines. Other lines are set to have a reduced service for at least four days.
RMT leaders are resisting the introduction by Transport for London (TfL) of a four-day working week, which they claim could raise fatigue and compromise safety.
The union was backed by Green Party London Assembly leader Caroline Russell who said: ‘The drivers are raising really important issues about their working conditions that ultimately affect safety. What’s important is that TfL listens and engages with the striking drivers so that their issues can be addressed through dialogue.’
But TfL has insisted the changes are voluntary, calling the walkouts ‘absolutely unnecessary’ – and drivers’ union Aslef described it as the first strike in trade union history ‘designed to stop people having a shorter working week and more time off’.
Conservative transport spokesman Richard Holden told The Standard: ‘We can see the chaos the Greens would bring to Britain. Strikes, disruption, and making ordinary working people pay the price for their weird far-left ideological politics.
A sign showing the status of train lines at St James’s Park Underground station this afternoon
Posters explaining service disruption at Westminster station on the London Underground today
‘Conservatives will always side with the passengers over the picket line, with workers over wreckers, with Britain over the union bosses.’
Reform UK’s London mayoral candidate Laila Cunningham claimed the Greens were a ‘danger to London’, adding: ‘Instead of standing up for working Londoners, the Green Party has chosen to back the very strikers that are holding them hostage.’
Susan Hall, head of the Conservative group at the London Assembly, called on London’s Labour Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan to take action to avert the walkout.
She told the Daily Mail: ‘Sadiq Khan said he would see no strikes. Now he’s sitting back and doing absolutely nothing while Londoners are left to suffer again. The Mayor and the Labour Government give into the unions all the time.’
Sir Sadiq called for a ‘swift resolution’ to the dispute. He said today: ‘Strikes are bad for London and bad for Londoners, particularly for all those businesses who rely on commuters coming into our city.
‘Most of the Tube and TfL services will continue to run throughout this week, but Londoners should check before they travel.’
TfL said service levels will vary across the network and urged passengers to check before they travel.
No service is expected across the Circle and Piccadilly lines, while there will be no Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate and no service on the Central line between White City and Liverpool Street. Significant disruption is expected on all other lines if services do run.
Other TfL services including the Elizabeth line, Docklands Light Railway, London Overground and Trams will be running normally but are likely to be very busy.
Tube services ran normally from the start of service this morning but will reduce from mid‑morning onwards, and there will be significant disruption from midday today when the strike starts.
Strike action will continue until midday tomorrow, after which services will begin to recover – but disruption will continue into the evening. The same pattern will then start again on Thursday into Friday.
Meanwhile seven bus routes in East London operated by Stagecoach will also be affected by a separate 24-hour strike from 5am on Friday. Other buses across the capital are expected to run as normal.
RMT boss Eddie Dempsey said: ‘We have approached negotiations with TfL in good faith throughout this entire process. But despite our best efforts, TfL seem unwilling to make any concessions in a bid to avert strike action.
‘This is extremely disappointing and has baffled our negotiators. The approach of TfL is not one which leads to industrial peace and will infuriate our members who want to see a negotiated settlement to this avoidable dispute.’
The RMT represents a majority of Underground staff, including train drivers, station staff and maintenance workers.
Aslef, which also represents Tube drivers, has accepted the changes, which would cut the average driver’s working week from 36 to 35 hours.
An Aslef spokesperson said its union was ‘surprised’ that the RMT was going on strike, adding: ‘It will be the first strike in the history of the trade union movement designed to stop people having a shorter working week and more time off’.
A sign showing the status of Underground lines at Tower Hill station is pictured this afternoon
Sir Sadiq Khan at the British Museum to view the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial design today
Are YOU planning to work from home to avoid the disruption?
A Tube driver earns around £71,170 per year as a base salary, with total earnings often reaching £75,000 to £80,000 when overtime and allowances are included.
Most are enrolled into the TfL pension fund, which requires drivers to pay in 5 per cent of their salary for an employer contributions of more than 33 per cent. Other perks include free TfL travel and 75 per cent off train season tickets.
Tube drivers do not require prior qualifications other than GCSEs in maths and English and training takes around six months.
On most Underground lines, the trains are semi-autonomous. This means a machine handles stopping and starting, with drivers operating doors and handling emergencies.
Simon French, chief economist at independent investment bank Panmure Liberum, has estimated the cost of the strikes as £210million.
He said: ‘Whilst Londoners have shown admirable adaptation to their work patterns to deal with strike disruption, there is still a core of workers who can’t work at home, or adjust their commute. The cost is another own goal in an economy struggling for growth.’
Hospitality AI tech company Access Hospitality said it expected hospitality bookings at London businesses to fall by up to 67 per cent and walk-in drop by nearly 70 per cent, based on data collected during the last Underground strike in September 2025.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: ‘In a typical week, London’s pubs generate approximately £80million in GVA (gross value added) between Tuesday and Friday alone.
‘This doesn’t just boost the economy but represents the jobs, high streets, and community spirit that revolve around pubs.
‘At a time when so many locals are already operating on a knife edge because of huge costs, significant disruption to trade will be acutely felt.’
Claire Mann, TfL’s chief operating officer, said: ‘We have set out proposals to the RMT for a four-day working week.
‘This allows us to offer train operators an additional day off, whilst at the same time bringing London Underground in line with the working patterns of other train operating companies, improving reliability and flexibility at no additional cost.
‘The changes would be voluntary, there would be no reduction in contractual hours and those who wish to continue a five-day working week pattern would be able to do so.
‘We urge the RMT to call off this action, which will disrupt Londoners, and continue to engage with us.’
