London Tube Strikes: Live Updates, Service Disruptions and What Commuters Need to Know

The London Underground strike by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) concluded its first 24-hour walkout on Tuesday, April 22, 2026, but significant disruption persisted across the network as services struggled to return to normal.

As of 12:15pm, the Circle line and Waterloo & City line remained fully suspended, while parts of the Central, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines were still halted, according to Transport for London (TfL) updates reported by Metro.

Some routes began reporting severe delays, while others operated with part suspensions, though the first Tube trains started running on several lines during the morning. TfL warned that severe delays and disruption were expected throughout the morning, with services slowly returning to normal during the afternoon.

Despite the strike action ending, other TfL services including the Elizabeth line, DLR, London Overground and Trams continued to run normally but were anticipated to be very busy due to displaced passengers. The vast majority of buses operated normally throughout the strikes, though they experienced extreme crowding.

Commuters were advised to check tfl.gov.uk/strikes before traveling, as disruption was expected to continue into the evening. A further wave of RMT-led strikes was scheduled to begin at 12pm on Wednesday, April 23, 2026, for another 24 hours.

The industrial action stems from ongoing negotiations over pay, working conditions and job security for London Underground drivers, reflecting broader tensions in the UK’s transport sector amid rising operational costs and staffing challenges.