How to get around London during next week’s tube strikes, including which Underground services are running

UPDATE: Yesterday (January 7), the planned tube strikes for January 7-11 were suspended by the RMT union. There is no industrial action planned for the capital’s tube and train services this week. 

January is a dreary time of year, but just to add to the post-Christmas slump (besides the the terrible, terrible weather) the RMT union has announced a massive round of tube strikes – and they begin this weekend. 

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union rejected a five percent pay offer at the end of 2023, and now various departments that run the Underground are striking on different days as part of a ‘rolling programme’ of industrial action. 

Only tube staff are striking, but the severe disruption means buses, the DLR, the Overground and the Elizabeth line will all be a whole lot busier than usual. Here’s everything you need to know about getting London during next week’s strikes. 

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All you need to know about the train strikes across the UK.
Will the Elizabeth line be affected by January 2024’s tube strikes?

When are the tube strikes in January 2024? 

Sunday January 7

TfL has advised passengers to make their tube journeys by 5:30 pm, as services are due to end earlier than normal. RMT members from London Underground’s network control centre are striking on this day, but services are also gearing up for the full staff strike on January 8.

Fans intending to go to the Arsenal vs Liverpool FA Cup match at the Emirates Stadium should expect delays getting away from the game. Official advice says that there won’t be any Piccadilly Line trains after the game (though they will still be running beforehand). To make things worse, there will also be no National Rail services from Finsbury Park due to maintenance works. 

Tuesday January 9

Signalling and service control function staff are striking on this day, so expect little to no service on the Underground. The Lizzie line, Overground and DLR will all be busier than usual. 

Wednesday January 10

All RMT staff members are striking on Wednesday, so there’ll be little to no service, and again, the Lizzie line, Overground and DLR will be busy. 

Thursday January 11

The Underground’s signalling and service control functions are striking on Thursday, so expect little to no tube service and crowded services on the Lizzie line, Overground and DLR. This is the final day of strikes. 

Friday January 12

While no staff are striking on this day, Underground services will start later than usual. Things should be back to normal by midday. There’s no expected disruption on the Lizzie line, Overground or DLR. 

Will any London Underground services be running?

We should expect no services whatsoever on January 8 and 10, as those days are when the full RMT strike is on. On the other strike days, there’ll be significant disruption and reduced services, so passengers are advised to only travel if it’s ‘essential’. 

When there are services, it’s likely there’ll be one-way or queuing systems in place. You can have a look at TfL’s journey planner to see which trains are actually running, and this should be updated regularly. There’s also some info here about alternative ways to get around. 

For more information on industrial action across the capital’s rail network, have a look at our guide to London’s train and tube strikes for January. 

Did you see that King’s Cross station is closing for two weekends this month?

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