London Tube strikes to halt Piccadilly and Circle lines this week

London’s Underground was facing a fresh test of its reliability as strike action by RMT Tube drivers was set to wipe out service on the Piccadilly and Circle lines and cut parts of two more routes. Transport for London said it expected some trains to run on most lines, but warned of significant disruption across the network as the dispute spread from midday Tuesday, April 21, through midday Friday, April 24.

The hardest hit services were the Piccadilly and Circle lines, where no service was expected. TfL also said the Metropolitan line would be shut between Baker Street and Aldgate, while the Central line would not run between White City and Liverpool Street. That leaves commuters and visitors squeezed onto the parts of the network that remain open, a reminder of how quickly the capital’s transport system can buckle when staffing rules collide with day-to-day demand.

TfL said the Elizabeth line, Docklands Light Railway, London Overground and trams would run normally, although they were likely to be very busy. Most buses were also expected to keep running, but seven Stagecoach-operated routes were due to be hit by separate strike action from 05:00 Friday, April 24, to 05:00 Saturday, April 25. The picture is one of partial continuity rather than full shutdown, but the practical effect for passengers is likely to be slower journeys, crowded platforms and more early finishes than usual.

At the center of the dispute is TfL’s proposal for a four-day working week for train operators, first put forward in March 2025. Under the plan, operators would move from a 36-hour week spread across five days to 35 hours over four days. The RMT is demanding a further cut to 32 hours over four days. Eddie Dempsey, the union’s general secretary, said longer shifts could cause driver fatigue and put passengers at risk.

TfL said it was continuing talks with the union and urged the RMT to call off the action, including a pilot for train drivers on the Bakerloo line only. The walkouts were the first in a series of planned Tube strikes between April and June 2026, after the RMT suspended an earlier round in March when it said progress had been made in negotiations. For London, the dispute is about more than one pay schedule or one roster: it is another warning that the city’s essential transport network is operating under constant strain, with staffing, work rules and reliability all under pressure at once.