London Underground to be disrupted by strikes, as Coldplay forced to reschedule shows

Credit: Transport for London

UPDATED: 04/09/2025

London Underground strike action confirmed as RMT talks stall; Coldplay reschedules Wembley shows

Passengers in London are bracing for severe travel disruption as RMT union members prepare for a fresh wave of strike action on the London Underground between 7–11 September.

The industrial action, announced earlier this week, comes after long-running disputes over pay, fatigue management, shift patterns and reductions in the working week. The strikes will see different grades of staff walk out on different days, affecting services across the capital.

According to LBC, an RMT spokesperson said the union had continued attempts to “break the impasse” with management, but that proposals had been “rejected so far.” The spokesperson added: “We are seeking a revised offer which addresses our members concerns about pay conditions and agreements. Overtures have been made by RMT to break the impasse but have been rejected so far. Meanwhile, the strikes remain on.”

The walkout will impact nearly all London Underground lines, including the Bakerloo, Central, Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria and Waterloo & City. Services will be heavily disrupted with little or no trains expected to run between Sunday 7 September and Thursday 11 September. Any limited services operating from Monday 8 September onwards are expected to begin later than normal, with no trains before 8am.

The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) will also see strike action by separate RMT members, compounding the impact on London’s transport network.

Other Transport for London services, including the Elizabeth line, London Overground and trams, are not part of the strike but are expected to be extremely busy as passengers seek alternatives.

One of the highest-profile consequences of the disruption is the rescheduling of Coldplay’s Wembley Stadium concerts, originally planned for 7 and 8 September. Event licences for the 80,000-capacity venue cannot be granted without adequate late-night transport provisions. The band has confirmed the concerts will now take place on Saturday 6 September and Friday 12 September, with all tickets remaining valid for the new dates. Refunds are available for fans unable to attend, and any returned tickets will go on sale via Ticketmaster.

A TfL spokesperson said: “We regularly meet with our trade unions to discuss any concerns that they may have, and we recently met with the RMT to discuss some specific points. We are committed to ensuring our colleagues are treated fairly and, as well as offering a 3.4 per cent pay increase in our ongoing pay discussions, we have made progress on a number of commitments we have made previously.”

Passengers are being urged to plan ahead, check before they travel, and allow extra time for journeys during the strike period.

Why is the London Underground going on strike? 

The RMT said management’s refusal to address staff concerns or honour previous agreements had fuelled anger and distrust among its members, who voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action. In addition, workers on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) will stage separate strikes during the same week, compounding the impact on the capital’s transport network.

RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “Our members are doing a fantastic job to keep our capital moving and work strenuous shift patterns to make sure Londoners get to their destinations around the clock. They are not after a King’s ransom, but fatigue and extreme shift rotations are serious issues impacting on our members health and wellbeing, all of which have not been adequately addressed for years by LU management. Coupled with the fact there are outstanding issues around staff travel arrangements, an atmosphere of distrust has been created, where our members feel like no one is listening to them.”

The planned strike timetable will see different grades of staff walking out on separate days, ranging from fleet engineers and station staff to signallers and control room operators. The action is expected to bring large parts of the Underground to a standstill.

Which London Underground lines will be affected by the strike

• Bakerloo
• Central
• Circle
• District
• Hammersmith & City
• Jubilee
• Metropolitan
• Northern
• Piccadilly
• Victoria
• Waterloo & City