London Underground 24‑Hour Strikes April 2026

Key Points

• London Underground workers are to stage 24‑hour strike action on 21–22 April 2026 and 23–24 April 2026, with industrial walkouts running from midday one day to just before midday the next.
• The strikes are being taken by RMT union members, following a series of earlier, suspended walk‑outs in March 2026.
• Services on the Piccadilly and Circle lines are expected to be suspended for the duration of the strike windows, with partial closures on the Central line (White City–Liverpool Street) and the Metropolitan line (Baker Street–Aldgate).
• Transport for London (TfL) warns of gradual shutdowns from midday on 21 and 23 April, with peak disruption in the afternoon and evening, and knock‑on delays into the following mornings.
• The Elizabeth line, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and London Overground are expected to operate normally, though crowding may increase.
• The strikes are part of a wider pattern of RMT industrial action across the London Underground network in spring 2026, with further dates scheduled for May and June.

London (Extra London News) April 18, 2026 – London commuters are being warned of major travel disruption as 24‑hour strike action by London Underground workers is scheduled for Tuesday, 21 April and Thursday, 23 April 2026, with effects spilling over into the following mornings. The strikes, organised by the RMT union, will see drivers walk out from midday on each strike day until just before midday the next day, prompting Transport for London (TfL) to advise passengers to plan alternative routes and expect significant delays.

As reported by Olivia Edwards of Travel and Tour World, the upcoming walk‑outs

“will affect the entire London Underground network, with the most severe impact likely to be felt on the Piccadilly and Circle lines”.

The article notes that TfL has already begun alerting passengers via its website and social media to prepare for “reduced service and extensive delays” during the strike windows.

What are the strike dates and time windows?

According to TfL’s official disruption schedule, as summarised by Westminster Pimlico News, the 24‑hour strike action will run:

• 21–22 April 2026: 12:00 Tuesday to 11:59 Wednesday
• 23–24 April 2026: 12:00 Thursday to 11:59 Friday

The same report by Westminster Pimlico News explains that the pattern

“involves a gradual shutdown from midday, with peak disruption in the evening and into the following morning commute”.

In a broader background piece, Accio’s supply‑chain‑focused coverage notes that the RMT union has announced 12 days of strike action between March and May 2026, specifically targeting Tuesdays and Thursdays “to maximise disruption during peak travel times”. The firm lists the confirmed dates as 24 and 26 March; 21 and 23 April; 19 and 21 May, with each walkout lasting 24 hours from midday to just before midday the next day.

More recently, UCL News circulated an internal alert to students and staff summarising the same time windows: 21–22 April and 23–24 April, as well as 19–20 May and 21–22 May, advising people to monitor TfL updates closely.

Why are workers striking?

The RMT union has framed the industrial action as a response to ongoing disputes over pay and working conditions on the London Underground network. In a statement referenced by accio.com’s “Supply Chain Survival Guide”, the union said its members had voted in favour of industrial action in February 2026, with the strikes targeting key through‑fare days and “peak” travel slots.

As reported by Timeout London,

“a majority of RMT members voted in favour of action in February, with strikes called for the London Underground”,

although the first March dates were later suspended following progress in negotiations. The article notes that while those early walk‑outs were called off, the union confirmed further strike days in April, May and June “to keep pressure on London Underground management”.

A separate Standard.co.uk summary of strikes in April echoes that the drivers’ walkouts are part of an ongoing dispute, but stops short of giving detailed attribution to specific RMT officials, instead paraphrasing the union’s position as a campaign for “better pay and working conditions”.

Which Tube lines will be affected?

As detailed by Helen Blake of The Standard (London), no service is expected on the Piccadilly line and the Circle line during the 24‑hour strike windows. She writes that these two lines “are likely to see the most severe impact, with stations effectively shut and no trains running between key central hubs”.

The same report adds that there will also be partial closures on the Central line between White City and Liverpool Street, and on the Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate.

Further context is provided by Westminster Pimlico News, which breaks down the impact by date and time, noting that the closure pattern is expected to repeat on both 21–22 April and 23–24 April, with

“gradual shutdowns from midday, peak disruption in the evening and the next morning, and then a gradual return to partial service in the afternoon”.

In its general strike‑advice piece, Yahoo News UK similarly warns that the entire London Underground network will face major interruptions, even though the full shutdown is concentrated on those four lines.

How will this affect commuters?

As reported by Benjamin Clarke of Yahoo News UK, TfL has warned that

“regular services will continue until mid‑morning on 21 and 23 April, but delays are expected to increase as the day progresses”.

He notes that the agency expects

“significant delays during the afternoons and evenings, carrying over into the next day”,

with the worst impact likely between midday and midnight.

Westminster Pimlico News adds that on 22 and 24 April, “substantial delays are projected until midday, with services gradually improving in the afternoon”. The article interprets this as meaning that rush‑hour commuters may face “longer journey times and potential cancellations” even two days after the first strike begins.

In a campus‑wide alert, UCL News emphasises that students and staff “should keep an eye out for updates and allow more time for travel” on strike days, and considers remote working or schedule adjustments “where possible” for those whose work is not time‑critical.

Will other transport services run normally?

According to Benjamin Clarke’s report for Yahoo News UK, the Elizabeth line, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and London Overground are “anticipated to operate normally during the strike period”. However, he cautions that these services “may experience increased crowding as passengers seek alternatives to the Tube”.

The Westminster Pimlico News timetable article similarly notes that while the Tube network will be “severely disrupted”, other TfL services are expected to run, but “commuters should be prepared for longer waits and fuller carriages”.

In a broader context, The Guardian’s coverage of a previous four‑day tube strike in 2025 recalls how the Elizabeth line and buses experienced increased usage when the Underground was largely shut down, drawing commentary from Downing Street that “Londoners would rightly feel frustrated” by the disruption. That coverage is cited here mainly to illustrate the kind of knock‑on demand that can occur when Tube services are pared back or suspended.

How does this fit into wider strike action across the Tube?

As outlined by Accio’s “Supply Chain Survival Guide”, the forthcoming April strikes are part of a broader campaign across the London Underground. The article notes that RMT union members “voted in favour of action in February” and that the initial March dates were suspended but later replaced with a sequence of 12 strike days between March and May, with the same 24‑hour midday‑to‑midday pattern.

Timeout London’s spring‑strike round‑up, authored by Lily Chen, reports that “a majority of RMT members voted in favour of action in February, with strikes called for the London Underground”, and that “the first walk‑outs, which were supposed to take place on 24–27 March, were suspended following progress in talks”. Chen adds that “further strike dates were added to June 2026”, indicating that the industrial action is not a one‑off event but part of a longer campaign.

UCL News’ own summary repeats that the same strike pattern is set to continue with 19–20 May and 21–22 May 2026, again from 12:00 to 11:59 the next day, and warns that “your travel may be disrupted” on those dates as well.

What should passengers do to prepare?

Transport for London, as reported by Benjamin Clarke in Yahoo News UK, advises that passengers “check the TfL website or app for real‑time updates before travelling”, and “plan alternative routes, including buses, DLR, Overground, Elizabeth line and walking where feasible”. The article stresses that “leaving earlier than usual” and “avoiding peak travel times” can help reduce the impact of delays.

UCL News’ advisory, written by UCL Communications staff, echoes this, recommending that “staff and students should allow extra time for journeys, consider remote working or flexible hours, and monitor TfL’s official channels for any changes to the strike schedule or service patterns”.

In a more niche but informative piece, Accio’s “Supply Chain Survival Guide” addresses not just commuters but logistics and delivery firms, suggesting that businesses “buffer inventory, optimise routes, and communicate changes to customers in advance” to manage the added risk of supply‑chain delays caused by Tube strikes.

How severe could this disruption be?

Westminster Pimlico News, in its detailed timetable, describes the 24‑hour strikes as “likely to cause major disruption to the capital’s transport network”, particularly for those relying on the Piccadilly and Circle lines. The article warns that the “cumulative effect” of the 21–22 and 23–24 April actions could mean “compounded disruption” for passengers who must travel every weekday.

Drawing on the experiences of earlier strikes, The Guardian’s 2025 coverage of a multi‑day Tube walk‑out notes that at the peak of those stoppages TfL recorded a roughly 20 per cent drop in overall public‑transport use, with many people staying at home or resorting to buses, overground trains, cycling or walking. While that report does not apply directly to the 2026 dates, it provides a useful benchmark for how extensive disruption can become when much of the Tube network is shut.