Below is an updated from TFL ahead of the upcoming rail strikes on the 1st, 5th, and 8th of October. More information is available on the TFL site. For information on affected services outside of London, please click here.
Please be aware that strike action will take place on national rail services on 1, 5 and 8 October. This will impact London Overground and Elizabeth line services as well as some of the London Underground. Full information will be available at tfl.gov.uk/strikes.
No service is expected on London Overground on Saturday 1 and Wednesday 5 October as a result of national ASLEF dispute. The Elizabeth Line and some of London Underground will also be affected on Saturday 1 and Saturday 8 October by a national rail strike by RMT members.
The Piccadilly line will be suspended between Acton Town and Heathrow Airport on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 October, due to planned engineering works.
The majority of Transport for London (TfL) services will operate as usual, but customers are advised to check before they travel and leave more time for their journeys this weekend, next Wednesday and next weekend. Bus services will run as normal but may be busier as a result of the rail strike action.
Unite strike action which was due to impact London bus services in north and northeast London from Tuesday 4 October has now been suspended.
There will be no service on the Piccadilly line between Acton Town and Heathrow Airport on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 October for work on the line upgrade that was planned before strike action was announced. Customers are advised to use the Elizabeth line where possible, rail replacement buses (running from both Acton Town and Hammersmith) or coaches to and from Heathrow. As the Elizabeth line will also be impacted by Network Rail staff being on strike on Saturday, there will be no rail services to the airport after around 17:10 on Saturday until Elizabeth line services resume on Sunday morning at around 08:00. See below for more details.
Those travelling to the TCS London Marathon should check with the event organiser and plan journeys in advance using TfL’s real-time travel tools, including status updates, Journey Planner and TfL Go.
TfL advises customers to check National Rail Enquiries for the latest information on the national rail strikes as there will be a major impact on some national rail operators outside of London. Walking maps are available at: tfl.gov.uk/modes/walking and cycle maps can be found at: https://tfl.gov.uk/maps/cycle.
Travel advice for each day is set out below:
Saturday 1 October
- Night Overground on Friday 30 September will run until around 04:00 on Saturday 1 October, which is an earlier finish than normal
- There will be no service on the entire London Overground network from around 04:00 on Saturday morning as a result of ASLEF strike action
- RMT strike action on national rail services will also impact services on London Overground as well as parts of the District and Bakerloo lines. Services will be disrupted on the District line between Wimbledon and Parson’s Green and between Richmond and Turnham Green, with limited services running between 07:15 and 18:30 only and minor delays from 18:00 expected from Parson’s Green to Upminster
- Limited services will run on the Bakerloo line between Queen’s Park and Harrow & Wealdstone from 08:00 to 18:00 with no service outside these times
- The central section of the Elizabeth line from Paddington to Abbey Wood will have a normal service until 17:45 when services will be reduced. On the east between Liverpool Street and Shenfield, trains will run a reduced service of two trains per hour from around 07:30 to 17:30 and on the west from around 07:40 to 17:10, two trains per hour between Paddington and Reading and four trains per hour between Paddington and Heathrow T2/3, with two of these continuing to T4 and the other two trains per hour continuing to T5
- The Piccadilly line will have no service between Acton Town and Heathrow Airport on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 October. Rail replacement buses will run to Heathrow from both Acton Town and Hammersmith
Sunday 2 October
- Services will start slightly later on the London Overground, Bakerloo and District lines with a good service expected by late morning
- Elizabeth line services will start at around 06:30 on the east, 08:00 in the west and the Elizabeth line from Paddington to Abbey Wood does not currently run on Sundays
Wednesday 5 October
- Strike action is taking place by train drivers on London Overground who are part of the ASLEF union meaning that there will be no service on the entire London Overground network
Thursday 6 October
- Services will run as normal on the London Overground
Friday 7 October
- Night Overground on Friday 7 October will run until around 04:00 on Saturday 8 October, which is an earlier finish than normal
Saturday 8 October
- RMT strike action on national rail services will impact services on London Overground with no services between 04:00 and 08:00 and after 18:00. A reduced service will operate between 08:00 and 18:00. A Saturday Night Overground service will not operate
- Parts of the District and Bakerloo lines will also be disrupted. Services will be disrupted on the District line between Wimbledon and Parson’s Green and between Richmond and Turnham Green, with limited services between 07:15 and 18:30 only and minor delays from 18:00 expected from Parson’s Green to Upminster
- There is a planned District line closure due to engineering work on 8 October between Earl’s Court and Wimbledon
- Limited services will run on the Bakerloo line between Queen’s Park and Harrow & Wealdstone from 08:00 to 18:00 with no service outside these times
- The central section of the Elizabeth line from Paddington to Abbey Wood will have a normal service until 17:45 when services will be reduced. On the east between Liverpool Street and Shenfield, trains will run a reduced service of two trains per hour from around 07:30 to 17:30 and on the west from Paddington to Reading or Heathrow will run a reduced service of two trains per hour from around 07:40 to 17:10
Sunday 9 October
- Services will start slightly later on the London Overground, Bakerloo and District lines with a good service expected by late morning
- There is a planned District line closure due to engineering work on 9 October between Earl’s Court and Wimbledon, and between Turnham Green and Richmond
- Elizabeth line services will start at around 06:30 on the east, 08:00 in the west and the Elizabeth line from Paddington to Abbey Wood does not currently run on Sundays
Further information on Heathrow access and Piccadilly line engineering works on Saturday 1 October
- The purpose of the engineering work is to deliver a track renewal at Boston Manor as well as upgrade works for the new Piccadilly line trains at Northfields depot. Committed spend and potential cancellation costs, as well as timetabling issues, mean that it is not possible to reschedule this.
- Between approximately 07:40 and 17:10 the Elizabeth line will be operating a 4 trains per hour (tph) service between Paddington and Heathrow Terminals 2/3, of which 2tph will go on to Terminal 4 and 2tph to Terminal 5. During these times, this will be quickest option and will have the highest capacity. The times of operation are limited due to a lack of Network Rail signallers as a result of industrial action. Before 08:00 and after 18:00 there will be no rail options to and from Heathrow.
- Heathrow Express services will not be operating throughout the day due to a lack of drivers as a result of the industrial action
- There will be a normal rail replacement bus service in operation
- PL1 – stopping service all stations between Acton Town and Heathrow Central Bus Station – every 10 minutes
- PL3 – non-stop service between Hammersmith and Heathrow Central Bus Station (terminals 2 and 3) – every 5-6 minutes
- We are also planning to operate some additional rail replacement bus services:
- PL2 – non-stop service between Hammersmith and Heathrow Terminal 5 – every 12 minutes
- PL9 – non-stop service between Acton Town and Heathrow Terminal 4 between 18:00 and 23:00 – every 20 minutes
- There are road works taking place on the A4 Great West Road which may increase journey times on rail replacement bus services (the westbound will have two lanes closed and the eastbound will have one lane closed)
- Heathrow Airport will operate an inter-terminal bus service
