If you’re trying to get around London this week, brace yourself. Tube drivers are set to walk out for two straight 24-hour stretches starting Tuesday, and they’ve got company: Overground staff and bus drivers are joining in on separate days. The good news? No nationwide rail action is planned, so the rest of the UK largely escapes. Here’s what you need to know to get where you’re going.

4 related posts

Tube strikes planned: 21–22 April and 23–24 April · Nationwide action: None announced · Official source: tfl.gov.uk · Localised strikes: Check individual operators · Strike calendar: strikecalendar.co.uk

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Exact line-by-line severity per day
  • Whether ASLEF drivers will honour picket lines
  • Potential new dates beyond April
3Timeline signal
  • 21–22 April: Tube drivers strike (12pm start)
  • 23 April: Windrush Line Overground staff strike
  • 24 April: East London bus drivers strike
4What’s next
  • RMT and TfL may resume talks
  • Further dates possible if negotiations stall
  • No National Rail escalation forecast
Detail Value
Planned Tube strikes Tuesday 21 to Friday 24 April 2026
Nationwide industrial action None announced
RMT driver action 24-hour tranches from midday
Local strikes Check individual Train Operating Companies

How to find out when train strikes are?

Three official channels give you the most reliable picture. Start with TfL’s dedicated strikes page for anything affecting London Underground, Overground, DLR, and bus services. For National Rail services outside London, the National Rail industrial action tracker tells you which operators are affected and whether the disruption is strike-related or planned engineering works. A third resource — the UK Strike Action Calendar — aggregates union announcements, though its updates lag slightly behind official TfL and National Rail pages.

Official rail websites

Strike calendars

National Rail updates

National Rail confirmed that no nationwide industrial action has been announced for the week of 20–26 April 2026. Minor disruptions are limited to amended Thameslink services to/from Sutton through Friday 24 April, and late-night Southern services via Streatham Common through Thursday 23 April — both are service amendments, not strikes.

Bottom line: Bookmark TfL’s strikes page and National Rail’s industrial action tracker before you travel. These two sources cover every confirmed action this week.

What lines are affected by tube strikes?

TfL expects reduced service across most Tube lines during the 21–24 April strikes, though the disruption should be less severe than the September 2025 action. That’s because the RMT is calling out only drivers this time — non-driver staff and ASLEF members are not striking. The result is a partial rather than total shutdown.

London Underground lines

  • All lines face reduced service
  • Normal service until 11:59am on strike days, then severe disruption from midday
  • On April 22, severe disruption continues until 11:59am with some residual delays after
  • April 21–22 and 23–24 strikes run as 24-hour actions from 12pm to 11:59am the following day

DLR and other services

No DLR strikes are listed for late April 2026 according to TfL’s planned track closures PDF. Overground services face a specific exception: Windrush Line staff are striking on Thursday 23 April, affecting the route from Highbury & Islington to Clapham Junction, West Croydon, and Crystal Palace.

The catch

TfL only guarantees “reduced service” — not a minimum number of trains per line. Your best bet is to check live status tools the morning of travel rather than assuming any line will run normally.

Can you still travel during a train strike?

Yes, but your options narrow significantly on strike days. Services that run do so at reduced frequency, and you should expect significant crowding. If your journey isn’t essential, rescheduling to before 12pm on strike days gives you the best chance of a normal commute — TfL has confirmed normal Tube service through 11:59am on both April 21 and April 23.

Alternative options

  • Working from home or adjusting meeting times to pre-midday windows
  • Bus services — though East London routes 8, 25, 205, 425, N8, N25, and N205 face their own strike on Friday 24 April
  • Cycling or walking for shorter journeys
  • National Rail services outside London are unaffected this week

Refunds and tickets

National Rail has not announced ticket refund extensions for the April 2026 strikes. Usually, if your planned journey is affected by a strike, you can use your ticket on the day before or after — but check with your specific operator before assuming. The refund policy depends on whether the disruption qualifies as a “strike day” under National Rail’s passenger charter.

Why this matters

East London bus passengers face a double blow on April 24: Tube strikes plus their own driver action. Seven routes will have little to no service, according to TfL’s own strikes page.

How to check if a train is running or cancelled?

Live status tools give you real-time answers that static strike announcements can’t. National Rail’s live departures page shows actual train movements, not just planned schedules. If a train is cancelled or delayed due to industrial action, you’ll see it reflected there within minutes of its scheduled departure time.

Live status tools

  • National Rail Status and Disruptions — real-time service table
  • National Rail journey planner — live routing with strike adjustments

Apps and websites

The upshot

TfL expects the April 21–24 disruption to be less severe than September 2025 because ASLEF drivers are not striking and non-driver RMT members are staying put. That partial participation limits, but doesn’t eliminate, the impact.

The implication: even partial strikes can leave you stranded if you don’t check status before heading out.

How do I know if my train is affected by the strike?

Run your specific journey through National Rail’s journey planner. Enter your origin, destination, and date — the tool flags whether your booked operator has an active strike or service amendment. For London Underground, TfL’s strikes page lists which dates trigger action, but doesn’t guarantee which lines will run minimum service.

Journey planners

  • National Rail journey planner — for National Rail and most TfL services
  • TfL Journey Planner — for London Underground, Overground, DLR, and bus

Alerts

Sign up for operator-specific alerts through National Rail or your Train Operating Company’s website. This way, if a strike is announced or suspended after the article publishes, you’ll get a direct notification rather than discovering the change on the day.

Bottom line: Your journey planner may not auto-flag “no service” on strike days until service actually starts running (or doesn’t). Build in buffer time — or better yet, plan essential travel for before noon on strike days.

Timeline

Strike calendar last updated; RMT vote for action dates back to February 2026

Tube drivers strike begins at 12pm — normal service until 11:59am

Tube strike continues until 11:59am; residual delays expected after

Tube strike resumes at 12pm; Windrush Line Overground staff strike; amended Thameslink and Southern services end

Tube strike continues until 11:59am; East London bus drivers strike (routes 8, 25, 205, 425, N8, N25, N205)

Confirmed

  • TfL Tube strikes on 21–22 April and 23–24 April (per Transport for London Official Strikes Page)
  • No nationwide industrial action announced (per National Rail Official Industrial Action Page)
  • Reduced service expected, not full closure (per Time Out London)
  • Normal Tube service through 11:59am on strike days (per Time Out London)
  • Windrush Line strike on 23 April affecting specific London routes (per Time Out London)
  • East London bus drivers strike on 24 April affecting routes 8, 25, 205, 425, N8, N25, N205 (per Time Out London)

Unconfirmed

  • Exact line-by-line severity until TfL issues day-of updates
  • Whether any new strike dates will be announced beyond 24 April
  • Whether TfL and RMT will resume formal talks
  • Impact on specific interchange stations during peak hours

What the authorities say

Strikes are planned by some Tube drivers on these dates: Tuesday 21 to Wednesday 22 April. Thursday 23 to Friday 24 April.

— Transport for London (Official Authority)

The RMT says that the strikes are down to introduction of a compressed four-day working week for tube drivers.

— RMT via Time Out London (Union Statement)

No further nationwide industrial action has been announced.

— National Rail (Official Authority)

For commuters and businesses in London, the path forward is straightforward but demanding: check TfL’s strikes page before you leave, plan any essential travel before noon on strike days, and sign up for operator alerts if you haven’t already. The strikes are limited to London and the RMT action involves only drivers — the rest of the UK rail network is running normally this week. Whether that stays the case depends entirely on whether talks between TfL and the RMT produce any progress before 21 April.

Related reading: When Does the Transfer Window Close? 2026 Dates & Times

Additional sources

timeout.com, content.tfl.gov.uk, trainsplit.com, en.wikipedia.org

Related coverage: Tube strikes this week fördjupar bilden av Tube Strikes This Week: Dates, Lines Affected & TfL Updates.

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Frequently asked questions

Are there train strikes UK today?

As of the week of 20–26 April 2026, no National Rail strikes are affecting services outside London. In London, Tube drivers are striking on 21–22 April and 23–24 April only.

What are train strike dates this week?

TfL Tube drivers are striking from 21–22 April and 23–24 April 2026 (24-hour tranches starting at midday). Windrush Line Overground staff strike on 23 April; East London bus drivers strike on 24 April.

Is there a train strike tomorrow UK?

If you are in London on 21 April, yes — a Tube drivers’ strike starts at midday. National Rail services elsewhere have no strikes planned for that day, only minor service amendments on Thameslink and Southern.

How disruptive are current tube strikes?

TfL expects reduced service across most Tube lines — less severe than September 2025 because only RMT drivers are striking, not full staff or ASLEF members. Morning travel before noon is your best option.

Why are Tube drivers striking?

The RMT union says the dispute centers on TfL’s proposed compressed four-day working week, which drivers say raises concerns about fatigue and safety.

What date were recent tube strikes?

Previous major Tube strikes occurred in September 2025. March 2026 strikes were suspended after talks progressed, but new dates were added to April, May, and June.

Are there upcoming strikes UK?

Beyond 24 April 2026, no further dates are confirmed. TfL Unite workers voted to strike over rota changes as of 17 April — future dates may emerge if talks stall.

Are bus strikes affecting London trains?

East London bus drivers are striking on 24 April, affecting routes 8, 25, 205, 425, N8, N25, and N205 — compounding the Tube strike that same day. Bus replacements for Tube services are not guaranteed.