London Underground shuts down after RMT begins first full strike since 2023

London's Tube network was set to be closed from 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7, until about 8 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 12, after members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) began their first full-stage walkout since 2023, forcing Transport for London (TfL) to run only limited services earlier in the day.

The RMT says the strike is aimed at securing both a cash pay increase and a reduction in weekly working hours from 35 to 32. TfL has offered a 3.4% pay rise and said a reduction in hours would be "unaffordable and impractical." Nick Dent, TfL's director of customer operations for the Tube, appealed to the union to call off the action and said talks were possible, noting the operator had met the union four times in two weeks.

The shutdown marks the first complete closure of the Underground since March 2023, when a network-wide stoppage was led by then-RMT leader Mick Lynch. The union has framed the current industrial action as a response to long-standing concerns over pay, fatigue and shift patterns. RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said members were not seeking a "King's ransom" but stressed that extreme shift rotations and fatigue were affecting staff health and wellbeing and that outstanding issues over staff travel had created an atmosphere of distrust.

TfL warned passengers that alternative services will be extremely busy and urged people to avoid travel where possible. Commuters were expected to shift to buses, the London Overground, trams and local rail services, increasing road congestion and putting pressure on other parts of the transport network. TfL also indicated some services could be unable to call at stations normally shared with the Underground because of capacity and stopping constraints.

The disruption is not limited to the Tube. Docklands Light Railway (DLR) services through east and southeast London were also scheduled to be stopped entirely on Tuesday and Thursday because of a separate dispute, compounding concerns about capacity across the city's public transport system during the working week.

Signs at multiple stations displayed service suspensions on Sunday morning, with Circle Line services listed as not running and the Bakerloo Line and parts of the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines also shown as fully or partially suspended. Images from central London stations showed unusually sparse passenger numbers during normally busy morning hours.

TfL's 3.4% offer follows recent rounds of negotiation but falls short of the union's demands for a combined cash increase and a reduced working week. Dent said TfL remained open to further talks and urged the RMT to present any revised offer to members. The union, however, proceeded with the planned action after balloting members.

The action revives memories of earlier large-scale disruption. In January, London Mayor Sadiq Khan used Greater London Authority funds to pay staff to prevent strikes, an intervention that briefly avoided strikes on the Tube. Transport officials and some business groups have warned that prolonged or repeated strikes could damage retail, leisure and office-based activity in the capital by deterring consumer and employee travel.

Businesses and commuters have been advised to prepare for extended travel times and constrained services throughout the week. TfL said it would publish the latest service updates on its website and social channels and urged customers to check journey planners before setting out. The RMT said it remained willing to engage with London Underground management in pursuit of a negotiated settlement but insisted that core staffing, scheduling and fatigue issues must be addressed.

As the week began, uncertainty over whether further talks could narrow the gap between the union's demands and TfL's offer left the capital facing its most significant rail disruption in more than two years, with economic and operational impacts to be assessed as the strike action continued.