London Underground Strikes Will Proceed Starting April 21

So, Londoners, it’s happening again. Grab your walking shoes, dust off your bike, or prepare to become very familiar with the #38 bus. The London Underground strikes are officially set to begin on April 21, and the chaos train is leaving the station—without a driver.

It feels like the Tube goes on strike more often than a French bakery, right? In fact, since 2014, the London Underground has experienced over 30 separate strike days. That’s more walkouts than a toddler in a tantrum-themed playgroup, and just as predictable.

Who’s striking, and why?

The strike is being organized by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union. These are the folks who keep your train moving—the station staff, the ticket office workers, the people who clean the carriages after someone spills a full kebab at 2 AM. They’re walking out over a dispute about jobs, pensions, and working conditions. Sounds reasonable, until you realize you’ll now have to walk to Zone 6 in dress shoes.

Here’s a surprising fact: London Underground staff earn an average salary of around £56,000 a year—but that doesn’t include the emotional toll of scraping a half-eaten pasty off a seat. Still, you can bet your Oyster card that a lot of commuters will be grumbling about “how much they get paid” while stuck in a traffic jam on the Finchley Road.

What does this mean for you?

If you normally take the Tube on April 21, expect the apocalypse. Well, the transport apocalypse. That means almost no service on most lines, and the few trains that run will be packed tighter than a sardine can at a cat convention. The Bakerloo, Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, and Waterloo & City lines are expected to be hit hardest.

Pro tip: The Overground and DLR might still run, but everyone else will have the same idea. You’ll be standing shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers, breathing their coffee breath, and questioning every life choice that led you to this moment. It’s like a silent disco, but with no music and more desperation.

The history of Tube strikes: a love story

Did you know the first London Underground strike happened way back in 1926? Workers walked out over pay cuts during the General Strike. Since then, there have been major strikes in the 1970s, 1980s, and, famously, the 1990s when the “Ghost Trains” became a real thing—trains running without drivers to break the strike. It was like Thomas the Tank Engine meets a dystopian thriller.

One of the most ridiculous strike facts: in 2015, a strike lasted 48 hours and cost the London economy an estimated £50 million per day. That’s enough money to buy every Londoner a bagel and a pretentious flat white, then have change left for a plastic unicorn.

How to survive the strike like a true Londoner

First, prepare your excuses. “Sorry I’m late, the Tube strike” is valid. Use it for everything—work, dentist appointments, and dinner with your in-laws. The key is to say it with a world-weary sigh that implies you’ve just trekked across the Serengeti.

Second, invest in a good pair of walking shoes. You may end up walking from Brixton to Bank. Fun fact: the entire Circle Line is only 17 miles long. You could walk it in under six hours. Think of the calories. You’ll burn off that Greggs sausage roll in no time.

Third, learn the bus routes. Buses are the cockroaches of London transport: they survive everything. The 38 bus from Clapton Pond to Victoria station is a legendary lifeline, but good luck getting a seat after 8 AM. You’ll be hanging from a strap like a human piñata.

The upside? (Yes, there is one)

Believe it or not, strike days can be weirdly magical. Londoners suddenly become friendly. You’ll share an Uber with a stranger who works in finance, and you’ll bond over how much you hate the RMT. Then you’ll never speak again, like a one-night stand of commuting.

Also, the streets are quieter. No Tube means fewer people underground, so the pavements get a zombie apocalypse vibe. You might even hear birds singing instead of the “mind the gap” announcement on repeat. It’s like London is having a mental health day—if mental health involved a 90-minute walk to work in drizzle.

What’s the endgame?

The RMT says they’ll keep striking until a deal is reached. The Tube bosses say they’re “disappointed.” Honestly, that’s like saying a cat is “disappointed” after it knocks a vase off a shelf and blinks at you. Both sides are playing chicken with your commute, and you’re the one trying to get to work without sweating through your shirt.

One more surprising fact: London Underground trains use 630 volts of electricity. That’s enough to fry a mischievous squirrel. Meanwhile, the strike uses zero volts but will fry your patience. Try to remember: this too shall pass. April 21 is just a day. A very long, sweaty, irritating day, but a day nonetheless.

So, charge your phone, download a podcast, and accept your fate. The London Underground strikes are coming. But hey, at least you’ll have a good story to tell. And if you see me on the 38 bus, standing in a puddle of someone’s spilled coffee—save me a nod. We’re in this together, you beautiful, grumpy commuters. God save the Tube (when it actually runs).