Christmas Tube Strike: What Tubes Are Running During Central And Bakerloo Line Strikes?
17 December 2018, 10:18 | Updated: 17 December 2018, 10:19
London Underground passengers are to face disruptions over Christmas as Central and Bakerloo Line workers plan strike action.
Transport for London have warned commuters and shoppers that there will be disruption to both the Central Line and the Bakerloo Line over the Christmas period.
Central Line workers will walk out late on Friday 21st and most of Saturday 22nd December as talks between Transport for London and the RMT union reach "breaking point".
But in a separate strike about staffing levels, key stations on the Bakerloo Line will be closed on Boxing Day.
Why is the Central Line on strike?
RMT's general secretary Mick Cash said that "industrial relations along the Central Line have been at breaking point for some time" and that the 'failure of management to face facts' has "tipped the situation over the edge".
But TfL say the row is over a driver who was sacked for failing a drugs test before a shift.
Are any tubes running on the Central Line during the strike?
The entire lines are expected to be suspended during the strike action.
What time is the Central Line strike?
The Central Line strike is broken into two:
Starting Friday night, the Central Line is expected to be suspended for 6 hours from 8pm until 2am.
On Saturday 22nd December, the Central Line will be suspended between 4am and 8pm.
When is the Bakerloo Line strike happening?
TfL also expect the Bakerloo Line to strike on the 26th December (Boxing Day) from 5am to 11pm.
This strike is only planned for key stations including Charing Cross, Elephant and Castle, Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus, but disruptions are expected to have a knock on effect for the rest of the line.
Mr Cash said: “RMT members are rightly angry that staffing levels on the Bakerloo Line have been hacked back to the bone presenting a serious danger to staff and passengers alike."
Are extra buses running to cover the strikes?
Transport for London say they are running additional buses throughout the strikes, but these are also likely to be busy.
National rail services will be running as normal, and are also expected to be busier than normal.
Haven't Central Line staff walked out already?
Yes.
Staff on the Central Line and Waterloo & City lines walked out on November 7th.
Which stations are likely to be busiest during the tube strikes?
TfL indicate that these stations are particularly busy during Saturday and at times may need to close temporarily to prevent overcrowding: Stratford, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Bank, Liverpool Street, Woodford, Mile End, Leytonstone, White City, Ealing Broadway, Oxford Circus, Notting Hill Gate.
TfL also expects these stations to be busier than usual: Ilford (TfL Rail), Chadwell Heath (TfL Rail), Canning Town (Jubilee line), Shepherd's Bush (London Overground), Highams Park (London Overground), Victoria (Victoria, Circle, District lines and Southern and Southeastern).
