A strike by tube drivers on Thursday 5 October will cause substantial disruption across the London Underground network, passengers have been warned.



Members of the Aslef union plan to walk out for 24 hours in a dispute over working conditions.

The strike will hit football fans travelling to Wembley for England’s World Cup qualifier against Slovenia.

Transport for London (TfL) warned that other transport services would be busier than usual as passengers seek alternative routes.

Bus services were likely to be exceptionally busy across the capital, it said, and urged people to walk if possible. Road journeys could also take significantly longer than normal, so people were advised to drive through central London only if necessary.

Extra buses and Santander cycle hubs will be provided should the strike go ahead, and TfL is exploring options to help get supporters to Wembley stadium.

The dispute is about the progress of joint initiatives set up last year between TfL and the unions to improve the work/life balance of tube drivers.

A four-day, 36-hour working week was trialled on the Jubilee line for drivers, which is now being analysed.

TfL said it had met its commitments and had been in “constructive” discussions with Aslef at the conciliatory service Acas to try to resolve the dispute. Further talks are scheduled early next week.

Nigel Holness, director of network operations for London Underground, said: “Should the planned strike action go ahead, there will be substantial disruption. We will do everything possible to ensure customers can get around on alternative transport services and have the right information to help them do this.

“We are committed to ensuring that our employees are able to maintain a good balance between their work and personal lives, and we have been working closely with the unions on new ways to achieve this.

“I encourage the Aslef leadership to continue working with us constructively rather than moving towards unnecessary strike action.”

The strike will take place as four rail companies around the UK face action by RMT members in the escalating dispute over the role of guards on trains.

Conductors or guards from the union will walk out on Tuesday and Thursday next week on Southern, Northern, Merseyrail and, for the first time, Greater Anglia services. Southern and Greater Anglia have said they will run a near-normal service despite the action, although Northern and Merseyrail will operate only a limited service, mostly from the morning to evening peaks.

However, the prospect of the dispute spreading outside England has receded. Unions welcomed a commitment from the Welsh government that it would retain a second staff member on all train services during the next Wales and Borders franchise, which is due to be renewed next year. The government said the commitment was built on a clear public response in a consultation that guards were important or essential in the region

Cabinet secretary for economy and infrastructure, Ken Skates, said: “We want to hold up the Welsh rail network as an example of where a government can work in effective social partnership with trade unions to deliver a world class railway for commuters, our economy and our communities.”