Tube passengers already facing disruption as six-day strike set to begin
London Underground passengers have been urged to finish their journeys by 5.30pm on Sunday as a series of rolling strikes threaten to cause mass disruption throughout the coming week.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will stage a series of walkouts from Sunday evening until the morning of Friday 12 January. There will also be 24 hours of industrial action from engineers and maintenance workers, beginning at 6pm on Friday evening.
Transport for London (TfL) warned that "there is expected to be severe disruption across the whole Tube network", adding: "Please remember to check before you travel and ensure you complete your journey by 5:30pm on Sunday 7."
At around midday on Sunday, a number of lines and services were listed on TfL's website as partly closed or having reduced services. The transport body has produced a guide to show exactly which Underground stations are not working and on what days.
Disruption will also be keenly felt on the DLR, Overground and the Elizabeth Line. London buses are expected to operate normally but many routes would be extremely busy.
Figures from the hospitality industry are concerned about the impact the coming week's strikes will have on the sector.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade body UK Hospitality estimated the impact on the sector to be worth around £50m. "January is already one of the quieter trading months of the year for hospitality, where every sale counts, and this disruption will make the start to the year even more challenging," she added.
The strike was called in protest at a 5% pay increase offer, with the RMT announcing on Friday that talks had failed. A union spokesperson said: "TfL has failed to avert this strike by not offering a deal that was acceptable to our members on London Underground. We do not take strike action lightly but we are determined to get a negotiated settlement on pay, travel facilities and a grading structure that means our members will not lose out."
Recommended reading
How to get around London during the January Tube strikes (Evening Standard)
RMT union set to continue walkouts for another six months (London World)
Maps to help navigate London during strike
While travelling in London will be more restrictive due to the Tube strike, TfL ha produced four handy maps that will help people navigate the capital. With buses set to be busier than normal, TfL recommends either walking or cycling around London for at least part of the journey, where possible.
TfL said that much of Zone 1 of the Underground is walkable, and has produced a map to show how long it takes to travel on foot between stations.
A West End walking map and a City of London walking map that show the routes between stations are also recommended for people struggling to commute.
TfL added that cycle hire points are always within 600m in central London, while some London boroughs also have electric scooter rental trials.
