Victoria Hollins
BBC London

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

This strike is different to previous industrial disputes on the London Underground, not least because there are so many different ways of getting around the capital.

More people are able to work from home as well, and crucially only one of the main unions, the RMT, are involved in this dispute.

Nonetheless it is having a major impact, not least reputationally.

We know from recent data that around half of Tube services were affected during the first 24 hour strike this week.

Oyster data also shows a 21% drop in tap-ins, so there have been a lot fewer people using London Underground services.

But it is businesses that are really feeling the impact around London, particularly in the hospitality sector.

We're pausing our live coverage there, but we'll be back on Friday with regular updates before the second strike comes to an end at 11:59.

Remember, Underground services are not expected to resume until 07:30 on Friday, with delays and cancellations expected through the morning.

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

We have been hearing from a wide variety of voices today as the BBC travelled around London looking at how the city is coping with the strikes.

Here's a summary of what we have heard around the capital:

"We’re proud to be helping so many Londoners get to where they need to be this week," says Lime's UK policy chief, Hal Stevenson after the bike company reported a 23% increase in usage on Tuesday.

“We heard about the strikes, so we’ve been getting Ubers everywhere,” a tourist in Westminster tells the BBC.

“The buses get too full. It doesn’t stop at the stop, and then you’ve got to wait for the next one,” one city worker tells the BBC as she tries to show her friends visiting the sights in central London.

"I wouldn't be able to afford to stay open. It needs to change," says a coffee shop owner after losing thousands in revenue due to strikes this week and back in September.

“We’ll be celebrating soon!” Resolute LondonerKaty tells the BBC of her alternative plans to take a taxi and the Uber Boat to get to Mamma Mia! The Party.

A coffee shop owner in Fitzrovia has described the latest round of Tube strikes as "just ridiculous" and warns the industrial action is a "massive concern for hospitality across the whole capital".

Peter Dore-Smith, who first opened Kaffeine in 2009 before opening a second shop, says he has lost at least 10% of his revenue so far during the two strikes this week.

He tells the BBC the strikes have been worse for businesses trading in the evening.

Dore-Smith explains during the last wave of strikes in September he lost thousands in revenue in one of his shops after he was forced to close its doors for four days.

"That's a real big effect for a small, independent business," he says. "You just can't continue with that. If that happened three times this year I would be very close to closing this shop down. I wouldn't be able to afford to stay open.

"It needs to change."

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

Around half of Tube drivers are taking part in the latest round of Tube strikes after the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) voted to oppose the introduction of a four-day working week with condensed hours.

As we explained in an earlier post, the union is concerned about shift lengths, unacceptable working times and the impact fatigue can have on safety.

A spokesperson for the RMT argues the "imposed 'fake four-day week'... amounts to five days' work compressed into four".

But drivers who are part of the Aslef union are not taking part in this round of strikes.

A spokesperson for Aslef, the union representing a slightly larger share of Tube drivers, said on Monday they were "surprised that the RMT has decided to take this action".

Aslef has agreed to the voluntary compressed four day week, saying it gives participating drivers an extra 35 days off a year "in return for some fairly minor changes to working conditions".

"It will be the first strike in the history of the trade union movement designed to stop people having a shorter working week and more time off," Aslef's spokesperson added.

Both Aslef and the RMT went on strike together in September nearly halting all Underground services.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) are in the midst of six 24-hour strikes over plans to introduce a voluntary compressed four-day working week.

Under the proposals, most drivers would see their working week reduced from 36 hours to 35 hours - meaning longer shifts at work, but fewer days per week. Their contractual hours would remain the same because paid meal breaks would be introduced.

The union argues the proposed longer shifts could lead to fatigue and compromise safety.

Transport for London says the changes are optional and would give drivers more days off without reducing pay.

Two major unions represent Tube drivers: the RMT and Aslef. In September, both unions took industrial action as part of a different dispute - but this time it's just the RMT, which means there are fewer drivers on strike.

If you're planning on heading home from the office, here's how the Underground network is looking six hours into the strike.

A reminder, TfL is advising that passengers complete their journeys by 20:00 this evening - and if you're back in the office again on Friday morning, expect services to only resume from 07:30.

Image source, Reuters

Lime has reported a 23% increase in usage on Tuesday, compared to the number of trips made on the same day last week.

The popular e-scooter and e-bike provider says it's increasing the number of staff on standby during the strike action, to replace batteries and clear e-bike parking bays.

During the September strike, e-bike usage surged during rush hour, as commuters found other ways to navigate the city.

"We’re proud to be helping so many Londoners get to where they need to be this week," says Lime's UK policy chief, Hal Stevenson. He also reminds users to "ride safely and park responsibly".

And another e-bike hire firm, Forest, said it had experienced a 50% increase in rides during the Wednesday morning peak compared to the same time last week, with a 35% increase during the afternoon peak.

Image source, Getty Images

Among the Tube lines part suspended is the Piccadilly line which is not running between Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 and Heathrow Terminal 5.

It's also running a reduced service to the Heathrow terminals from Acton Town, with Tubes coming every 20 minutes.

When posting about the disruption on Monday, Heathrow Airport reminded customers that Heathrow Express, the Elizabeth line, and bus services will run as normal for those affected by the disruption.

"Please plan your journey before travelling to Heathrow and allow extra time where necessary, as these services will be busier than usual," Heathrow Airport said on X.

Jacob Phillips
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

One of Soho's most famous pubs says it had around half as many customers in its bar on Tuesday during the first Tube strike earlier this week.

Lesley Lewis, who owns the French House in central London, tells me the bar has also been quieter during lunch hours but the seven tables of its upstairs restaurant remained booked out.

But Lewis says the pub is busier than usual and there is a "lovely atmosphere" on Thursday afternoon as the sun has been shining and the Elizabeth line is still running nearby at Tottenham Court Road station.

"It was difficult for the staff coming in because there was some traffic on the roads," she says. "But everyone was here more or less on time."

Earlier the chair of UK Hospitality told BBC Radio London that the Tube strikes are particularly damaging in the city centre and tend to lead to a 40% cut in sales.

Jacob Phillips
Live reporter

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

Tube drivers walked out for the second time this week at midday bringing the Circle line to a standstill and causing disruption on other lines.

The 24-hour strike means that some London Underground lines will close earlier than usual while other services such as the Elizabeth line, London Overground and trams are expected to be busy.

Londoners appear to be working from home today to avoid the strikes, writes our reporter at a quiet Liverpool Street station, while cycle paths have been absolutely rammed as other commuters take to two wheels to get to work.

Around half of Tube drivers are taking part in the strike after the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) voted to oppose the introduction of a four-day working week with condensed hours.

The union said it was concerned about shift lengths, unacceptable working times and the impact fatigue can have on safety.

But Transport for London (TfL) has described the strike action and future plans in May and June as "completely unnecessary".

A reminder that once this strike is over, there are still another four walkouts due to take place in May and June - although negotiations between the RMT and TfL could always happen before them.

If any talks fail they are set to happen on:

• 19–20 May (12:00 Tuesday - 11:59 Wednesday)
• 21–22 May (12:00 Thursday - 11:59 Friday)
• 16–17 June (12:00 Tuesday - 11:59 Wednesday)
• 18–19 June (12:00 Thursday - 11:59 Friday)

The second in a series of 24-hour strikes by London Underground drivers began at midday on Thursday.

The strike by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), which represents roughly half of drivers on the Tube network, is expected to cause travel disruption across the capital.

The union is in a dispute with Transport for London (TfL) over changes to the working week and says it is concerned about the safety impact of proposed shifts lengths. It says it has planned four more 24-hour strikes in May and June if the row is not resolved.

TfL says the industrial action is "completely unnecessary" and the proposed working week pattern was optional.

Here's what's going on:

• The industrial action began at 12:00 on Thursday and is scheduled to last for 24 hours
• The Circle line will be closed entirely
• The Metropolitan line will be closed between Baker Street and Aldgate
• Central line services will not run between White City and Liverpool Street
• Other lines that do run will be offering a significantly reduced service
• Latest status updates here, external

Elliot Burrin
In Westminster

Several Londoners I’ve spoken to today are trying their best to adapt to the strikes.

The chaos from September is all too familiar, particularly for me. They fell on my first day working at the BBC, leaving me with an hour-long walk to Broadcasting House, over dressed on a hot day.

But for those visiting London, it can be difficult to plan to overcome the delays and congestion.

“We heard about the strikes, so we’ve been getting Ubers everywhere,” Dylan tells me. He’s been visiting London with friends over the last few days.

That’s not the story for all. I’ve spoken to several tourists who had no idea there were strikes today.

As a reminder, industrial action began at 12:00 BST and is scheduled to last for 24 hours.

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

London's restaurants, bars and pubs have been "collateral damage" during this strike action, the Chair of UK Hospitality warns.

Speaking to BBC Radio London, Kate Nicholls says the Tube strikes are "hugely damaging," particularly in the city centre as many office staff are working from home instead of travelling into central London.

Tube strikes tend to cause a 40% reduction in sales, Nicholls says. But she adds some businesses in travel hubs, like grab and go coffee shops, can lose up to 80% of their business on strike days.

The rolling strikes have "effectively taken out four days of this week" for businesses, she continues.

She goes on to say that there has been train and tube strikes impacting London since the capital opened up after the Covid-19 pandemic and calls for all sides to get around the table to negotiate.

Elliot Burrin
In Westminster

Richard and Anne thought they’d missed the strikes by taking a guided bus tour yesterday, but now they’re wondering how to get back to their hotel today after realising there’s another day of disruption.

The couple say their trip from the US has definitely been “interrupted” by the lack of service on the Tube.

“We did get stuck in a tremendous amount of traffic yesterday,” they tell me. “It took us an hour and a half to travel six miles.”

But what is a sure-fire way to just avoid the disruption completely? Leave the capital.

Richard and Anne tell me that one way they chose to avoid the strikes was to head southeast to visit the White Cliffs of Dover on Tuesday.

E-scooter and e-bike provider Voi has offered free travel for the remainder of RMT's strike this week.

It comes as other e-bike and e-scooter operators, along with TfL hire bikes, saw big surges in demand during the industrial action.

Voi says day passes would be free and inclusive of journeys up to 30 minutes for Voi app users. The company has about 4,000 bikes and thousands of scooters in 10 London boroughs.

For Wednesday it reported that the overall number of rides on its services was 66% higher than average, while new user registrations surged 148%.

Trip distances were also found to be 10–15% above average, with the biggest spikes in Lambeth and Southwark, according to the firm.

Tom Edwards
Transport Correspondent, BBC London

One of the most striking developments in these strikes is the increase in cyclists in part due to the good spring weather.

The cycle paths are absolutely rammed first thing in rush hour.

That's led to cycle campaigners to say the bike lanes need expanding, while City Hall insiders say it shows how bike lanes actually build resilience.

Yesterday cycle hire increased by a whopping 60% in London.

There's also a bit of a difference emerging between the e-bikes and conventional bikes and how they interact - e-bikes are much faster and heavier and that can lead to some conflict.

And some rider behaviour around red light jumping is not good but it does show cycling can be a serious transport option for some.

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Elliot Burrin
In Westminster

I’ve just taken a surprisingly empty bus to Westminster, where I’ve been speaking to people visiting London.

Camille, who works in the city, told me that it took her two hours to get home on Tuesday because of the strike. It usually takes her 30 minutes.

“The buses get too full, so it doesn’t stop at the stop, and then you’ve got to wait for the next one,” she says.

Her two friends had been planning to visit her in London for a year now, but their trip has been interrupted by the action.

"Something that could have taken 20 minutes is now taking a lot longer,” she says, but the group tell me they support the workers on strike.

Nisha Patel
BBC Radio London, at Liverpool Street Station

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

Liverpool Street, the UK's busiest station, appeared quiet this morning despite rush hour being in full flow.

It appears that people have been choosing to work from home today, suggesting that the impact of the strikes is most likely going to be felt by businesses.

One Londoner who was planning to travel on the Elizabeth Line tells me they "expect it to be absolutely packed," adding that the city "should not be held to ransom".

But another commuter says they did not even realise there was a Tube strike happening, explaining they are "one of the lucky few".

Another man who is visiting the city says the strike is "going to be a bit problematic" and could make him late for a booking to visit the Horizon 22 viewing platform in the City of London.