Transport for London’s website and app have crashed as travellers and commuters look for alternative routes.
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The London Underground shut down almost completely on Monday morning on the first of four days of strike action by the RMT union.
It is disrupting travel for millions of people in the UK capital. Transport for London’s website and app have also crashed as travellers and commuters look for alternative routes.
Buses, trams, Overground services and the Elizabeth line are still running, but are severely overloaded with queues to board. Ride-sharing service Uber has warned of increasing journey fares as demand soars.
Here’s what you need to know about travelling around London and to international airports and train stations amid the tube strikes.
London transport plunged into chaos on the first day of tube strikes
Around 10,000 members of the RMT, the UK’s national union of rail, maritime and transport workers, began four days of industrial action on Monday.
The tube train and staff are walking out over demands for a shorter working week as part of pay negotiations.
The strikes have caused severe disruption on the London Underground with little or no service, and will likely keep the system closed until the evening of Thursday 11 September, with knock-on effects expected on Friday.
The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) will shut down completely on Tuesday, 9 September and Thursday, 11 September as part of a separate strike. This metro system primarily serves the Docklands but also provides connections to London City Airport and major transport hubs in the city centre, like Bank and Tower Gateway.
London tube strikes: Getting to airports and train stations
The London Underground is usually the fastest and easiest way for travellers to get between the city and its airports and international railway stations.
With the tube out of action, travellers are warned to set off much earlier, especially with Transport for London’s journey planner down.
Heathrow is the UK’s busiest airport. With the Piccadilly line unavailable, the best way to reach the transport hub is on the Elizabeth line.
This runs through the centre of the capital with stops at key stations including Paddington, Farringdon and Liverpool Street.
You can take the Heathrow Express, but this only goes as far as Paddington.
For Gatwick and Luton airports, travellers should take a Thameslink train, which connects to London Bridge, Blackfriars, Farringdon and St Pancras.
You can also take the Gatwick Express and Southern trains to Gatwick Airport from Victoria.
Stansted Airport is served by the Stansted Express train, which runs to and from Liverpool Street.
To get to St Pancras Railway Station, where Eurostar trains to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam depart, travellers can use the Thameslink from various locations in the capital, including Farringdon, Blackfriars and London Bridge.
Concerts cancelled amid London tube strikes
Some concerts have been postponed or rescheduled as a result of the tube strikes, showing the scale of the disruption.
Coldplay cancelled two of their concerts at Wembley Stadium this week.
The band said: "Without a Tube service, it's impossible to get 82,000 people to the concert and home again safely, and therefore no event licence can be granted for the nights of 7 and 8 September."
To avoid cancelling the shows altogether, the Sunday gig was moved to Saturday, 6 September, while the Monday concert will take place on Friday, 12 September.
US singer Post Malone has also rescheduled two concerts.
The gigs on Sunday 7 September and Monday 8 September at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will now take place on 20 and 21 September, with refunds offered to those who cannot make the rescheduled dates.
