Travel advice for customers and road users ahead of planned strike by Tube unions

Customers are advised to check before they travel at www.tfl.gov.uk/tube-strike and by following @TfLTravelAlerts, @TfLTrafficNews and @TfLBusAlerts on Twitter. Strike action is completely unnecessary. Unions should put the very fair pay offer to their members Transport for London (TfL) has today outlined the measures it will put in place to help keep London moving ahead of planned industrial action on the Tube today and tomorrow. Union leaders are planning a co-ordinated period of strike action, which will mean no London Underground (LU) services from late afternoon today. Tube services will begin to stop running at around 18:00 with customers needing to complete their Tube journeys by this time. There will be no Tube services at all on Thursday.

Staff on the DLR, London Overground, the bus network, tram, TfL Rail, Santander Cycles, river services and Emirates Air Line are not on strike. These services will run as normal, but they will be much busier than usual and customers are strongly advised, if they can, to travel outside of the morning and evening peaks on Thursday.

Many locations in central London are easily accessible from mainline rail stations, and TfL will have staff on hand to help people find their destinations on foot, by bus, by Santander Cycles or by other means.  Around 200 extra buses are being provided to boost capacity on the main commuter corridors and to and from mainline stations. Additional temporary Santander Cycles hubs will mean more bikes will be available at the busiest locations. Extra river services are also being provided. But in both cases, these will be very busy and customers are asked to bear with the transport staff who are at work and trying to help them get around.

Steve Griffiths, London Underground’s Chief Operating Officer, said:

"This strike is completely unnecessary. No-one is being asked to work more hours than they do now when we bring in the Night Tube. We have offered a very fair and competitive package of an average 2 per cent increase this year, inflation-protected pay rises for the next two years, a £500 launch bonus to all staff on the Night Tube lines and stations and a £2,000 transition bonus for train drivers.  The unions have refused to put this new offer to their members, which is extraordinary given that it is a very different offer to the one over which they were balloted. We remain available for talks at ACAS all day, and it is not too late for the unions to suspend this action.

“Should the strike go ahead, there will be no Tube service after around 18:00 this evening and no Tube service at all tomorrow. Our customers are advised to check the TfL website for the latest information.”

Travel advice to customers during the strike action:

Tube

The strike action that has been called involves Tube station staff and Tube drivers, which will affect services as follows:

No service from late afternoon today;

No service all day Thursday 9 July;

There may be some disruption during the morning of Friday 10 July.

Should the strike action go ahead, LU expects that there will be no Tube service from early evening tonight and no Tube service at all on Thursday 9 July.  All other public transport services and roads will be much busier than usual.

Tube services will begin to stop running at around 18:00 tonight with customers needing to complete their Tube journeys by this time, and travel earlier if possible. Tube services are expected to be exceptionally busy between 16:00 and 18:00 as a result of customers travelling earlier. On Thursday, customers are strongly advised to travel outside of peak hours.

Staff on the DLR, London Overground, the bus network, tram, TfL Rail, Santander Cycles, river services and Emirates Air Line are not on strike. These services will run as normal, but they will be much busier than usual and customers are strongly advised to, if possible, travel outside of the morning and evening peaks on Thursday.

TfL Ambassadors and volunteers will also be on hand to provide customers with travel information and advice on the ground. TfL urges all customers to plan ahead and to check before they travel at www.tfl.gov.uk/tube-strike and by following @TfLTravelAlerts, @TfLTrafficNews and @TfLBusAlerts on Twitter.

Wimbledon travel advice

·         Wimbledon is accessible by bus and National Rail services to Wimbledon mainline station;

·         Detailed travel advice for spectators travelling to and from Wimbledon is available at www.tfl.gov.uk/tube-strike and at wimbledon.com. TfL is working with the event organisers and the bus operator Go Ahead to ensure more bus services are on hand locally to get people to and from the events.

First Great Western

·         There is separate strike action by the RMT on First Great Western significantly affecting services from Thursday 9 July for 48-hours. Customers are advised to check with their train operator or National Rail enquiries. All of these services are expected to be much busier than usual.

Chiltern 

·         Chiltern Railways services will not stop at stations between Marylebone and Great Missenden:

Travelling southbound in the morning peak;

Travelling northbound in the evening peak;

Chiltern trains travelling in the opposite direction at these times will stop at stations between Marylebone and Great Missenden as usual.

National Rail

·         National Rail routes will largely operate as normal but services are expected to be much busier than usual, so please check before you travel.

DLR

·         A normal service will operate but trains will be much busier than usual. Some stations where there is an interchange with London Underground may be affected.

London Overground

·         A normal service will operate but trains will be much busier than usual. Some stations where there is an interchange with London Underground may be affected.

Tramlink

·         A normal service will operate.

TfL Rail

·         A normal service will operate but trains will be much busier than usual. Some stations where there is an interchange with London Underground may be affected;

·         TfL is working with Network Rail and the train operators to ensure that customers have the latest information on how best to get around.

Buses

·         Services are being boosted with around 200 extra buses on key routes but will be much busier than usual;

·         TfL Ambassadors and volunteers are being deployed to bus stations and hubs to provide customers with travel information and advice on the ground.

Coaches

·         Coaches will run more regularly on some London routes on the day of the strike;

·         Several coach operators, including National Express and Green Line, offer services that stop in a number of locations throughout London. Some of the core coach routes are as follows:

o   Golders Green - Finchley Road - Baker Street - Marble Arch - Victoria Coach Station (National Express);

o   Brent Cross - Finchley Road - Baker Street - Marble Arch - Victoria (Green Line);

o   Hillingdon - Shepherd's Bush/Baker Street - Marble Arch - Victoria (Oxford Tube & X90);

o   Hammersmith - Kensington - Hyde park Corner - Victoria (Green Line);

o   Stratford - Bow - Aldgate - Victoria Coach Station (National Express);

o   Bexley - Canary Wharf - Aldgate - Embankment - Victoria Street (Commuter Services);

o   Sutton - Streatham - Stockwell - Victoria Coach Station (National Express);

o   Eltham - Lewisham - Walworth - Elephant & Castle - Victoria Coach Station (National Express);

o   There will also be an hourly service to Heathrow Central Bus Station and Terminals 4 and 5.

·         For up to date information on coach services go to http://coachtracker.nationalexpress.com/;

·         Tickets can be purchased in advance from the Victoria Coach Station ticket hall, or on the operator’s websites.

Emirates Air Line

·         A normal service will operate.  LU tickets will be accepted on Emirates Air Line services.

Cycling

·         Santander Cycles will be available to members and casual users, although demand is likely to be high, and cycles harder to access, during peak times. Additional temporary hubs will be in place at key locations during morning and evening peak and additional distribution teams will be making as many bikes available as possible. The Santander Cycles App provides up to the minute information on the nearest  docking station and bike availability;

·         Londoners who own a bike are encouraged to cycle to work.

River Services

·         TfL will operate extra river services on Wednesday 8 And Thursday 9 July between central London and Canary Wharf, and central London and Putney.

Taxis & Private Hire

·         During peak times a marshalled taxi service will operate at major London rail stations. The marshals will manage taxi and  passenger queues and provide advice and assistance to taxi passengers and other members of the public;

·         Private hire and minicab services will be running as normal. Details for licensed private hire and minicab operators in London are available at www.tfl.gov.uk/cabwise. 

Walking

Walking maps will be provided online and at transport hubs in central London, with TfL Ambassadors and volunteers helping people plan their routes around the city;

People are urged to walk for short journeys, where possible.

Roads and the Congestion Charge

To help keep traffic flowing, the Congestion Charge will remain in operation throughout the strike;

TfL will be delaying or curtailing road works on major London roads wherever possible and has encouraged all London boroughs to take similar measures on their network. TfL will also work with the Metropolitan Police to minimise the impact of congestion;

TfL will be working to keep traffic flowing around major transport hubs;

Londoners and commuters are encouraged to keep journeys by car to a minimum to enable public transport to move freely;

For up to date information follow @TfLTrafficNews.

Ticketing

Oyster pay as you go, Travelcards and contactless payment cards can all be used on National Rail services as normal.