London Tube Strike LIVE — Day 2, Wednesday April 22, 2026: Piccadilly Line to Heathrow Shut, Circle & Central Lines Down — How to Get to Every London Airport Today — Complete Guide for UK, US & Australian Passengers

Live — Day 2: The RMT union’s London Underground driver strike is in its second day of four, and this is the morning that matters most. Wednesday April 22 is experiencing severe disruption until 11:59am — the final hours of the first 24-hour walkout — with gradual but incomplete recovery through the afternoon. The Piccadilly Line — the main Tube route to Heathrow, used by hundreds of thousands of passengers every week — is closed. The Circle Line — which serves Victoria for the Gatwick Express and Liverpool Street for the Stansted Express — is also down. The Central Line is out between White City and Liverpool Street, cutting another Stansted Express access route. Every single London Underground line is affected by at least reduced services. The Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express are running normally, as are London Overground services and National Rail. Here is your complete hour-by-hour guide to getting to every London airport today, plus the full strike schedule for Thursday–Friday and beyond.

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Published: April 22, 2026 — Wednesday (Day 2 of 4)
Strike Type: RMT union driver walkout — 24-hour action
Strike Period (Wave 1): 12:00 Tuesday April 21 → 11:59am TODAY Wednesday April 22
Today’s Status: Severe disruption until ~12:00 midday · Gradual recovery through afternoon · Services may not return to full normal until after 8pm ⚠️ No service before 7:30am on ANY Tube line (Wednesday morning)
Piccadilly Line: 🔴 NO SERVICE — main Tube route to Heathrow
Circle Line: 🔴 NO SERVICE — serves Victoria (Gatwick Express) + Liverpool Street (Stansted Express)
Central Line: 🔴 NO SERVICE between White City and Liverpool Street
Metropolitan Line: 🔴 NO SERVICE between Baker Street and Aldgate
All other Tube lines: 🟡 Reduced service, delays, heavy crowding
Elizabeth line: 🟢 RUNNING NORMALLY — primary Heathrow alternative
Heathrow Express: 🟢 RUNNING NORMALLY — fastest Heathrow link
London Overground (Lioness, Weaver, Liberty, Mildmay, Suffragette): 🟢 RUNNING NORMALLY
DLR (Docklands Light Railway): 🟢 RUNNING NORMALLY
Thameslink: 🟢 RUNNING NORMALLY — Gatwick Express alternative
Gatwick Express: 🟢 RUNNING NORMALLY from Victoria
Stansted Express: 🟢 RUNNING NORMALLY from Liverpool Street + Tottenham Hale
Next Strike: Thursday April 23 (12:00 midday) → Friday April 24 (11:59am) — same pattern
Bus strike additional: Friday April 24 — routes 8, N8, 25, N25, 205, N205, 425 in east London (Bow garage dispute, Unite)
Future strikes confirmed: May 19–20 · May 21–22 · June 16–17 · June 18–19
Cost to London businesses: £100m+ per day (CityAM/NTIA)
RMT general secretary: Eddie Dempsey — “TfL seem unwilling to make any concessions”
TfL director of customer operations position: Changes to working week are “voluntary” — claims impact on train operators will be “minimal”

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Why This Strike Is Happening: The Four-Day Week Dispute

The RMT (Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers) union is taking strike action against London Underground on a single central issue: a proposed compressed four-day working week for Tube drivers.

TfL’s position: Transport Commissioner Andy Lord confirmed that TfL shared a proposal for a four-day working week with trade unions last year. TfL says the changes are voluntary — offered as a new working pattern, potentially to be trialled first on the Bakerloo line only. TfL’s director of customer operations told LBC that management has “done everything possible to try and avoid the action” and that the impact on train operators will be “minimal.”

RMT’s position: General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said the union has “approached negotiations with TfL in good faith throughout this entire process” but that “TfL seem unwilling to make any concessions.” He described TfL’s approach as one “which does not lead to industrial peace.” In the RMT’s formal strike notice, Dempsey said the four-day week proposal raises “serious concerns around fatigue, safety and work-life balance.” The RMT characterises the changes as being forced on workers despite having been “rejected by our members.”

Why the March strikes were called off: A previous round of strikes scheduled for March 24–27 was suspended after “progress in talks” between the RMT and London Underground management. However, no final agreement was reached, and the April strikes were subsequently confirmed. Further June dates were actually added after the March suspension.

Who is and is not striking:

• ✅ RMT union members who are Tube drivers — walking out
• ❌ ASLEF union driver members — NOT striking
• ❌ Non-driver RMT union members — NOT striking
• This is why TfL says the impact will be “less severe than September” — in September 2025, a wider strike involving more unions caused more complete closures

The broader industrial landscape: This dispute sits alongside a separate Unite union strike by approximately 300 bus drivers at Bow bus garage in east London (affecting routes 8, N8, 25, N25, 205, N205, 425 on Friday April 24 only), and the ongoing Spain SAERCO ATC strike and Stansted ABM strike that have defined European aviation this week.

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Today’s Hour-by-Hour Guide — Wednesday April 22

⛔ NOW Until 11:59am: SEVERE DISRUPTION PHASE

This is the active strike window. The formal walkout period runs until 11:59am today. During this period:

• No Piccadilly Line trains at all — confirmed by TfL and Heathrow Airport’s own website
• No Circle Line trains at all
• No Central Line between White City and Liverpool Street
• No Metropolitan Line between Baker Street and Aldgate
• No service on ANY Tube line before approximately 7:30am today — TfL confirmed that on strike-end mornings (Wednesday and Friday), no services start running until around 7:30am
• All other lines: reduced frequency, heavy crowding, expect delays

What IS running right now:
✅ Elizabeth line — full normal service including to Heathrow Terminals 2&3 and 5 (direct)
✅ Heathrow Express — every 15 minutes from Paddington to Heathrow T2/3, T5
✅ London Overground (all Lioness, Weaver, Liberty, Mildmay, Suffragette routes)
✅ DLR — full normal service
✅ Thameslink — full normal service
✅ Gatwick Express — full normal service from Victoria
✅ Stansted Express — full normal service from Liverpool Street and Tottenham Hale
✅ National Express coaches — Heathrow, Gatwick, Victoria
✅ Most bus routes (except east London routes on Friday only)

🟡 12:00 Midday Onwards: GRADUAL RECOVERY PHASE

After midday, the 24-hour strike action formally ends. TfL will begin restoring Tube services — but this does not mean instant normalisation:

• Piccadilly, Circle, Central, and Metropolitan lines will gradually restore service from midday onwards
• Full normal service is NOT expected until after 8pm this evening at the earliest
• Early afternoon services (12:00–16:00) will be sparse and heavily crowded as the backlog of morning passengers moves into afternoon travel
• Do not rely on the Piccadilly Line for airport travel until at least 15:00–16:00 — even if a service starts, it will be infrequent and extremely crowded
• Even reduced services may not stop at stations that are physically closed due to industrial action

The Londonist live blog noted: Despite TfL initially saying there would be no Piccadilly service, a partial service appeared to be attempted on Tuesday afternoon. Today, the pattern is likely similar — partial, unreliable, extremely crowded if it runs.

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AIRPORT BY AIRPORT: How to Get There Today

✈️ HEATHROW (LHR) — The Critical One

Heathrow is the world’s busiest international airport by international passenger numbers, and the Piccadilly Line is normally the cheapest and most popular way to reach it from central London. Today, the Piccadilly Line is not running. Heathrow’s own website confirms this and directs passengers to two alternatives.

Your options today (ranked by recommendation):

🥇 Option 1 — Elizabeth Line (Crossrail) — RECOMMENDED

✅ Running normally — not affected by the Tube strike
✅ Direct to all Heathrow terminals — serves T2/3 and T5 directly; T4 via interchange at T2/3
✅ From central London: Paddington (15 mins), Tottenham Court Road (25 mins), Farringdon (30 mins), Liverpool Street (35 mins), Canary Wharf (45 mins)
✅ Frequency: Up to 4 trains per hour direct to Heathrow
✅ Cost: ~£10.80–£13.60 depending on zone/Oyster — significantly cheaper than Heathrow Express
⚠️ Will be busier than normal — every Piccadilly Line passenger is now on the Elizabeth line. Allow extra boarding time, especially at busy central London stations
⚠️ Some Elizabeth line stations may be closed if they are jointly operated with the Underground — check TfL’s journey planner for your specific boarding station before travelling

Key boarding stations:

• Paddington (Elizabeth line, Platform 6/7): Change from most main London termini via bus, Overground or taxi
• Tottenham Court Road: Elizabeth line running normally — good interchange for central London
• Farringdon: Elizabeth line + Thameslink — excellent for City/EC1 area
• Liverpool Street: Elizabeth line running normally — despite Central Line closure to this station for Underground purposes, the Elizabeth line platforms here are unaffected

🥈 Option 2 — Heathrow Express — FASTEST

✅ Running normally — 15 minutes non-stop Paddington → T2/3, T5
✅ Every 15 minutes — reliable, frequent
✅ Luggage space, WiFi, at-seat power — best option if carrying large bags
⚠️ Price: From £25 single walk-up (on-the-day) · From £10 advance (booked online in advance)
⚠️ Will be busier than normal — usual strike surge

Getting to Paddington during the strike:

• Bus: Multiple routes serve Paddington — check the TfL bus map. The strike does not affect most bus routes today (the bus strike is only Friday April 24 and only in east London)
• Overground: Paddington is served by some Overground services — check TfL journey planner
• Taxi/rideshare: Most practical option if you have luggage and time is critical. Allow 30–45 mins for London centre to Paddington, more during peak traffic

Book Heathrow Express: heathrowexpress.com | advance booking strongly recommended today

🥉 Option 3 — National Express Coach

✅ Running normally — coaches to Heathrow from Victoria Coach Station and other pick-up points
✅ From Victoria Coach Station (30–90 mins depending on traffic)
✅ Price: From £10 (advance booking)
⚠️ Traffic: Road traffic into Heathrow will be heavier than normal today as more passengers use road transport. Allow significant extra time (up to 2 hours from central London in worst case)
⚠️ Terminal 4: National Express does NOT currently serve T4 — passengers for T4 should take the free train transfer from Heathrow T2/3 Central Bus Station
⚠️ Terminal 5: Only 4 direct services between T5 and central London

Book National Express: nationalexpress.com

Option 4 — Black Cab / Rideshare

✅ Good option if in a group or with heavy luggage
⚠️ Allow at least 60–90 minutes from central London to Heathrow, more during peak
⚠️ Uber/rideshare surge pricing likely today due to high demand from Tube closure

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✈️ GATWICK (LGW) — Circle Line Down, But Rail Is Fine

The Circle Line closure affects access to Victoria station — but Gatwick remains well-connected by National Rail services that are entirely unaffected by the Tube strike.

Getting to Gatwick today:

✅ Gatwick Express from Victoria — running normally, every 15 minutes, 30 mins non-stop to Gatwick. Victoria is accessible via the District Line (reduced service but running) or Victoria line (reduced service but running) or bus to Victoria
✅ Thameslink from St Pancras, Farringdon, City Thameslink, London Bridge, Blackfriars, Waterloo East — all running normally. These are the best options for passengers who cannot easily reach Victoria
✅ From Farringdon/London Bridge on Thameslink — excellent interchange from the Elizabeth line. Take Elizabeth line to Farringdon → change to Thameslink direct to Gatwick. This is the recommended route if you are not near Victoria.
✅ National Express coach to Gatwick from various central London locations

⚠️ Getting to Victoria without the Circle Line:

• Victoria line: Reduced service but running — use if you can access a Victoria line station
• District line: Reduced service but running — use from west London
• Bus to Victoria: Multiple routes — check TfL bus map

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✈️ STANSTED (STN) — Double Challenge: Circle AND Central Line Down

Stansted faces the most complex access challenge of any London airport today. The normal Tube approach to Liverpool Street (for the Stansted Express) relies on the Circle Line OR the Central Line — both of which are down.

Getting to Liverpool Street today:

✅ Elizabeth line to Liverpool Street — the Elizabeth line stops at Liverpool Street and is running normally. This is the cleanest substitute for the Central line’s Liverpool Street service
✅ Overground (Weaver or Mildmay lines) to Liverpool Street — running normally
✅ Overground/National Rail to Tottenham Hale — the Stansted Express also calls at Tottenham Hale, which is a Tube Victoria line station (reduced service) AND a National Overground interchange
✅ Bus to Liverpool Street — slower but available

Once at Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale:
✅ Stansted Express — running normally, 45–50 mins non-stop to Stansted, every 15–30 mins

⚠️ Allow significant extra time today — Liverpool Street will be congested with passengers displaced from the Central and Circle lines

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✈️ CITY AIRPORT (LCY) — DLR Is Your Friend

London City Airport is well-insulated from today’s Tube strike.

✅ DLR to Woolwich → London City Airport — running normally. City Airport has its own DLR station (London City Airport station)
✅ Elizabeth line to Custom House → DLR interchange — Elizabeth line running normally to Custom House, then DLR to City Airport
✅ From central London: Bank → DLR to London City Airport (approximately 20–25 mins)

London City Airport is today’s least-affected London airport from a surface transport perspective.

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✈️ LUTON (LTN) — St Pancras Is Key

Luton Airport Parkway is served by Thameslink trains from St Pancras International.

✅ Thameslink to Luton Airport Parkway — running normally from St Pancras, Farringdon, City Thameslink, Blackfriars, London Bridge
✅ Luton Airport Express and Luton Dart — not affected by strikes. Take the shuttle from Luton Airport Parkway station to the terminal
✅ Elizabeth line to Farringdon → Thameslink — excellent access route running normally

⚠️ Getting to St Pancras: King’s Cross/St Pancras is also walkable from several stations with non-Tube services — it’s accessible by Overground (King’s Cross is served by several lines), by Elizabeth line (Farringdon is a short walk or Overground hop), and by bus
✅ National Express coach from central London to Luton also available

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✈️ SOUTHEND (SEN) — Elizabeth Line + Overground to Liverpool Street

✅ Trains to Southend from Stratford and Liverpool Street — running normally
✅ Access via Elizabeth line (to Liverpool Street or Stratford) or Overground — both running normally

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Full Line-by-Line Status — Wednesday April 22

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The Next Strike: Thursday April 23 → Friday April 24

The second 24-hour walkout begins at 12:00 noon on Thursday April 23 and runs until 11:59am on Friday April 24. The pattern is identical to this week’s first wave:

• Thursday April 23: Normal service until 11:59am → then severe disruption from midday
• Friday April 24: Severe disruption until 11:59am → gradual recovery through afternoon

ADDITIONAL: Bus strike on Friday April 24

Separately from the Tube strike, approximately 300 bus drivers at Bow bus garage in east London are taking strike action on Friday April 24 only. Unite union has confirmed the following bus routes will be affected all day Friday:

• Route 8 / N8 — Bow → Oxford Circus / Holborn
• Route 25 — Ilford / Stratford → Oxford Circus
• Route 205 — Bow → Liverpool Street / Paddington
• Route 425 — Stratford → Bow / Limehouse

If you are travelling in or through east London on Friday (particularly between Stratford, Bow, Bethnal Green, and Liverpool Street), check alternative routes. The rest of London’s bus network is not affected.

Windrush Overground caution Thursday: There is a possibility of disruption on the Overground Windrush line (Highbury & Islington → Clapham Junction / West Croydon / Crystal Palace) on Thursday April 23 due to a separate action by signallers and telecom staff. Based on previous similar disputes, TfL ran a normal service — but check the morning of.

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All Future Strike Dates: May and June 2026

The RMT has confirmed a further four 24-hour strikes beyond this week. The pattern is the same for each: strike begins at 12:00 midday on Day 1, runs until 11:59am on Day 2.

Important: These dates are confirmed by the RMT but could be called off if a settlement is reached with TfL. The March strikes were called off at the last moment. Equally, more strikes could be added after June if no deal is reached.

For summer 2026 travel planning: If you have a Heathrow departure in May or June, check whether your travel date falls on a strike day — and plan your airport access route accordingly now, not the night before.

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What the Strike Means for International Passengers

🇺🇸 US Passengers Arriving at or Departing Heathrow

The vast majority of US passengers at Heathrow rely on public transport to reach central London hotels or onward connections. Today’s Piccadilly Line closure means:

If you are arriving at Heathrow today:
✅ Take the Elizabeth line from T2/3 or T5 directly into central London. The Elizabeth line stops at Tottenham Court Road (for West End hotels), Farringdon (for City hotels), Liverpool Street (for East London), and Canary Wharf. Journey time to central London: approximately 25–35 minutes.
✅ If your hotel is near Paddington: Heathrow Express is the fastest option — 15 minutes, every 15 minutes, from £10 advance.
✅ Allow extra time when changing to the Elizabeth line platform — platforms may be crowded and queue times at lifts/escalators will be longer.

If you are departing Heathrow today:
✅ Check your departure terminal and travel to the appropriate Elizabeth line station serving that terminal (T2/3 and T5 each have their own Elizabeth line stations).
✅ Allow 30–45 extra minutes on top of your normal journey time — both to account for surface transport to the Elizabeth line and for crowding at the stations.

🇦🇺 Australian Passengers

Australian passengers are most commonly routing through Heathrow either for long-haul departures (Sydney, Melbourne, Perth) or as part of a UK/Europe holiday itinerary. Both the Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express serve all terminals including the Emirates, Qantas, and Virgin Australia terminal buildings.

Note for passengers connecting through Heathrow on to Europe: Eurostar from St Pancras International is not affected by the Tube strike. If your itinerary involves Heathrow → city centre → St Pancras for Eurostar, the path is: Heathrow Express or Elizabeth line → Paddington → Elizabeth line or bus to Farringdon/St Pancras. This journey is longer and more complex today. Allow at least 2 hours for the Heathrow → St Pancras segment.

🇬🇧 UK Passengers — Delay Repay and Your Rights

If you are travelling today on National Rail services (Gatwick Express, Stansted Express, Thameslink, or Heathrow Express) that are delayed because of the knock-on impact of the Tube strike:

✅ Delay Repay applies to National Rail if your train service itself is delayed 15+ minutes. However, the cause being a Tube strike rather than a fault on the specific National Rail service may affect eligibility — check with the specific operator.

⚠️ No compensation for the Tube strike itself — TfL does not offer compensation for delays caused by industrial action. Travelcards and Oyster cards will still be charged for any journeys you complete on lines that are running.

✅ Taxis and Ubers: If you had no way to reach your workplace or a pre-booked event because of the strike, and you took a taxi, you cannot claim this from TfL. The cost falls on the passenger.

✅ Travel insurance: Check your annual travel insurance policy for “disruption to public transport” coverage. Some policies cover additional transport costs incurred due to strikes — call your insurer and ask specifically about the RMT Tube strike today.

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6 Things Every Passenger Must Do Right Now

1. Do not go to a closed Tube station expecting a bus replacement There are no bus replacement services for the specific Tube closures — there is no Piccadilly Line bus replacement running to Heathrow. The alternatives are the Elizabeth line, Heathrow Express, and coaches. Do not arrive at a Tube station entrance and expect a regular replacement service.

2. Use the TfL Journey Planner — not Google Maps — for today’s routing Google Maps may show cached route suggestions that include the Piccadilly Line or closed stations. The TfL Journey Planner (tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey) is updated in real time for the strike. Use it specifically.

3. Allow 45–60 extra minutes for any airport journey today This is not optional guidance — it is the minimum required buffer. The Elizabeth line will be significantly more crowded than normal. Queues at Heathrow Express ticket machines and barriers will be longer. Surface traffic to Paddington will be heavier. The 45–60 minute buffer is in addition to normal Heathrow check-in and security times (which themselves have been slower this week due to the EES entry/exit system implementation).

4. If flying from Heathrow Terminal 4 specifically — allow extra time The Elizabeth line’s Heathrow Terminal 4 branch requires a platform change compared to T2/3 and T5. During strike crowding, the interchange can add 10–20 minutes. T4 is also not directly served by the Heathrow Express — you take the Express to T2/3 and then use the Heathrow free inter-terminal train to T4. The free inter-terminal train is running normally.

5. Consider the “midday trap” on Thursday The second wave of this strike begins at 12:00 noon on Thursday April 23. If you are travelling Thursday afternoon or evening, the Piccadilly Line and Circle Line will close again at midday. Book your taxi, plan your Elizabeth line route, or travel before noon on Thursday.

6. Check TfL’s official strike page before you leave home every day this week The RMT called off March’s strikes at the last minute following a negotiating breakthrough. It is possible — though not confirmed — that today or tomorrow could see a similar development. Check tfl.gov.uk/campaign/strikes on the morning of travel for any last-minute resolution before rearranging your plans around the alternatives.

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The Bottom Line: Today is Day 2 of 4 of the RMT Tube strike, and this morning is the most disruptive session of the week — the last hours of the first 24-hour walkout, with no services before 7:30am and severe disruption until midday. The Piccadilly Line to Heathrow is shut. The Circle Line is down. The Central Line is closed between White City and Liverpool Street. Every single Underground line is affected. But the Elizabeth line is running normally and provides a direct service to all Heathrow terminals. The Heathrow Express runs every 15 minutes from Paddington. Thameslink gets you to Gatwick. The Stansted Express runs from Liverpool Street (accessible by Elizabeth line). The message for every passenger today is simple: do not go to a Piccadilly Line station. Take the Elizabeth line instead, allow 45–60 extra minutes, and check TfL’s journey planner before you leave. Thursday brings the second wave of this strike from noon — start planning now.

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For More Resources:

• TfL official strike page: tfl.gov.uk/campaign/strikes
• TfL Journey Planner: tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey
• TfL real-time status: tfl.gov.uk/tube-dlr-overground
• Heathrow transport guide (official): heathrow.com/transport-and-directions
• Heathrow Express: heathrowexpress.com | 0345 600 1515
• National Express coaches to Heathrow/Gatwick: nationalexpress.com
• Gatwick Express: gatwickexpress.com | runs from Victoria
• Stansted Express: stanstedexpress.com | from Liverpool St + Tottenham Hale
• Thameslink (for Gatwick, Luton, St Pancras): thameslinkrailway.com
• TfL customer contact: 0343 222 1234
• Londonist live updates: londonist.com
• Time Out strike guide: timeout.com/london

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Posted By : Vinay

As a lead contributor for Travel Tourister, Vinay is dedicated to serving our Tier 1 audience (US, UK, Canada, Australia). His mission is to deliver precise, fact-checked news and actionable, data-driven articles that empower readers to make informed decisions, minimize travel risks, and maximize their adventure without compromising safety or budget.