Commuters in London face another day of disruption as a second 24-hour tube strike by RMT union drivers continues into Friday. The strike, which began at midday on Thursday, is the latest action against London Underground's plans for a voluntary four-day week.
Services were reduced across most underground lines, with no service expected on the Piccadilly, Waterloo & City, and Circle lines, as well as parts of the Metropolitan and Central lines during strike hours. Other rail services, including the London Overground, Elizabeth line, and DLR, are running as normal.
Transport for London (TfL) said passengers should check before travelling, with services set to finish early on Thursday and first trains on Friday starting from 7.30am. The first 24-hour strike from midday on Tuesday caused reduced services but not cancellations, with some passengers reporting quieter trains on well-operated lines.
Bike and scooter hire usage surged during the strikes, with Santander bike hires up 60% on Tuesday morning and Voi e-scooter and ebike rentals 52% higher than the previous week. Many companies relaxed rules to allow more working from home, and fine weather encouraged cycling and walking.
The RMT union said its drivers had concerns about fatigue and blamed TfL for failing to negotiate. An RMT spokesperson said the union objected to an “imposed, fake four-day week” and that TfL had “U-turned” on negotiations. TfL insisted the changes would be voluntary, with no reduction in contractual hours, and urged the RMT to call off the strike.
The RMT has planned four more 24-hour strikes in May and June unless the dispute is resolved. Aslef, the other main tube drivers' union, which represents just over half of drivers, has welcomed the four-day week plan and is not participating in the strike.
