The RMT union is planning strike action that will affect five London Underground lines on 26 November and 18 December.
Services are likely to be disrupted on two days and eight nights in November and December as part of a dispute over new rosters for Tube drivers. These provide greater flexibility for drivers, permanent work, and job certainty. All other recognised unions agreed changes to driver's rosters in May 2021.
On the planned strike dates of Friday 26 November and Saturday 18 December services on the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, and Victoria Lines will be severely disrupted, with a significantly reduced service all day, and in some places little or no service at all.
The RMT has also called for strikes to disrupt the re-introduction of Night Tube services on the Central and Victoria Lines from the evening of Saturday, 27 November, and on weekends throughout December. Both lines are expected to be severely disrupted from 19:00 onwards, with little or no service from this time overnight on 27-28 November, 3-5 December, 10-12 December, and 17-18 December.
Services on Tube lines that are not affected by the strike (Bakerloo, Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, and Metropolitan) are likely to be much busier than usual. Thameslink services and buses through central London are also expected to be busier than normal.
Nick Dent, Director of London Underground Customer Operations, said “By making changes to Tube driver rosters, we have provided greater flexibility for drivers as well as permanent work and job certainty, something welcomed by all other unions”.
TfL previously announced that the Night Tube will return in time for the busy Christmas period, after being suspended since March 2020 because of the pandemic. Services on the Central and Victoria Lines are planned to run throughout Friday and Saturday nights from Saturday, 27 November. The night services will provide more options for customers who need to travel at night for leisure or work, while also offering shorter journey times and additional safe routes home.
Nick Dent, Director of London Underground Customer Operations, said: “At such a pivotal time for the capital's recovery, we are hugely disappointed that the RMT is threatening London with this unnecessary action. By making changes to Tube driver rosters, we have provided greater flexibility for drivers as well as permanent work and job certainty, something welcomed by all other unions.
“The return of Night Tube is a hugely significant moment for the night-time economy and for Londoners travelling late at night who will have improved journey times and an additional safe travel option. We have been meeting with the RMT for a number of months through ACAS to try and resolve their issues and we remain open to talking further.”
London's high-frequency bus services will continue to run throughout the planned strike action. However, they are expected to be busier than normal, as will London Overground, DLR, TfL Rail and London Trams. TfL recently announced that night services on London Overground between Highbury & Islington and New Cross Gate will be restored on Friday and Saturday nights from 17 December 2021.
More information about travel options during this action will be available later this week on the TfL website, real-time information channels, Journey Planner, and on TfL Go.
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