Tube strike 9 July: How can you beat the shutdown?

A transport assistant waits behind the fence of the closed tube station at Victoria as tube drivers are on strike in LondonAP

A strike has shut down London's entire Tube network until Friday morning. Here's what you need to know.

Are any lines running?

Transport for London (TfL) says London Overground, DLR, Transport for London Rail and trams are all operating a normal service - but will be exceptionally busy.

Click here for real-time updates on what's running and what's not.

PA

How should I travel?

Walking could be your best bet.

Below is a walking map of central London showing the walking time, in minutes, between stops. Fortunately for commuters, Thursday's weather is sunny and dry, with highs of 20C.

About 200 extra buses are running - here's a map of the key bus routes you might need - and some coach services are running more regularly on many routes.

Extra river services are running, and extra bikes are available to hire, along with extra cycle hubs (full list here). The Emirates Air Line cable car is also open until midnight on Thursday - Oyster and travelcards will be accepted.

If driving, be aware the congestion charge remains in place, but major roadworks have been delayed to lessen the impact.

If travelling by road or river it's essential to check the latest before you travel - and try to make your journey outside rush hour.

And if all else fails...

  • Work from home

  • Car share with a neighbour

  • Book a taxi - but leave plenty of extra time

  • Take a bottle of water, some comfy shoes and a good book (or podcast, playlist or iPlayer episode) and be prepared for a wait...

AP

What about getting to airports?

It's likely to be harder to get to Heathrow as the Piccadilly line is not running.

But the Heathrow Express is operating, and there are extra coach services to take passengers to the airport from Victoria Coach Station.

Rail services to Gatwick, Luton and Stansted airports are all running as normal.

Getty Images

What if I'm going to Wimbledon?

Tube services are not running from Southfields, Wimbledon or any other nearby stations on Thursday.

Wimbledon is still accessible by bus, National Rail and tram at Wimbledon station - but these services will be busier than usual.

When will it all end?

The strike is due to end at 21:30 on Thursday - but TfL says services will not resume until Friday morning because there isn't enough time to restart the network so late in the day.

Don't forget too that a separate 48-hour walkout by First Great Western (FGW) staff is causing severe disruption between London, Wales and the West Country, including for fans heading to the first Ashes test in Cardiff.

These train services won't resume until Saturday morning.

Click here for latest updates on the rail strike.

PA

So why is the strike happening?

The strike was called after London Underground and various unions failed to agree a pay deal over new night Tube services.

  • Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) and Unite walked out at 18:30 on Wednesday

  • Aslef drivers began strike action at 21:30 on Wednesday

The FGW action relates to job losses and maintenance of new Hitachi trains.

PA

Can I get a refund?

The short answer is no.

This is because TfL says strike action is something that is beyond its control so no refunds for journeys delayed or cancelled will be on offer.

But printed single Tube tickets will be accepted on bus and tram services on "reasonable" alternative route, though not on National Rail services.

Latest information

Get online to find out the latest:

On Twitter:

More on this story