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| London Tube strikes have come to an end - what's next? | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| There was little-to-no Tube service for five days in London | There was little-to-no Tube service for five days in London |
| Five days of Tube strikes that badly disrupted London have drawn to a close. | |
| Business groups say the walkout will have cost the capital £230m. | |
| The dispute centred on demands for a reduction in the working week to 32 hours by the RMT union. | The dispute centred on demands for a reduction in the working week to 32 hours by the RMT union. |
| The industrial action ended at 08:00 BST although Transport for London (TfL) warned of delays as services get back to normal. | |
| Looking forward, what happens next? | |
| Will there be more strikes? | Will there be more strikes? |
| This is the big question. The sticking point in this dispute is the demand for a 32-hour week - reduced from 34 hours - by the RMT. Language from the union softened and it says it wants "steps towards" a 32-hour week. | This is the big question. The sticking point in this dispute is the demand for a 32-hour week - reduced from 34 hours - by the RMT. Language from the union softened and it says it wants "steps towards" a 32-hour week. |
| But for TfL this previously was a red line. It says even a 30-minute reduction in the working week would cost £30m a year. A reduction to 32 hours, according to TfL, would cost over £200m which it would then not be able to invest in the system. | |
| The Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan did not intervene to avert the strike, although he did in 2024 with £30m of GLA funding. Critics say that move undermined talks in 2025. | The Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan did not intervene to avert the strike, although he did in 2024 with £30m of GLA funding. Critics say that move undermined talks in 2025. |
| On Thursday, the general secretary of the RMT Eddie Dempsey told the BBC: "We are pleased to see finally that Sadiq Khan has instructed TfL to meet us...so I'm now waiting for a formal invitation and once that is received we will go straight back to talks and a resolution so we can get London moving again." | On Thursday, the general secretary of the RMT Eddie Dempsey told the BBC: "We are pleased to see finally that Sadiq Khan has instructed TfL to meet us...so I'm now waiting for a formal invitation and once that is received we will go straight back to talks and a resolution so we can get London moving again." |
| The mayor told the London Assembly on Thursday he expected talks to resume between the RMT and TfL soon. | The mayor told the London Assembly on Thursday he expected talks to resume between the RMT and TfL soon. |
| TfL has invited the RMT to talks on Wednesday. It says it was not instructed to do so by the mayor. To get a resolution it would probably take compromise on both sides, which has been in short supply so far. | TfL has invited the RMT to talks on Wednesday. It says it was not instructed to do so by the mayor. To get a resolution it would probably take compromise on both sides, which has been in short supply so far. |
| Many Londoners switched to other transport modes | Many Londoners switched to other transport modes |
| How did Londoners cope? | How did Londoners cope? |
| Across most days there was a drop of about a quarter (24%) in the number of commuters using contactless and Oyster cards in London. It's difficult to say where those commuters went, apart from on to non-TfL services. It would make sense that many worked from home or switched to walking and cycling. | Across most days there was a drop of about a quarter (24%) in the number of commuters using contactless and Oyster cards in London. It's difficult to say where those commuters went, apart from on to non-TfL services. It would make sense that many worked from home or switched to walking and cycling. |
| Of those who did travel, many switched to other modes. Bus use went up 5% compared to the same day last year. | Of those who did travel, many switched to other modes. Bus use went up 5% compared to the same day last year. |
| London Overground went up 20% compared to the equivalent day last year. | London Overground went up 20% compared to the equivalent day last year. |
| And TfL Cycle Hire, by 15:00 on Wednesday, had 19,608 hires. Last Wednesday, at the same point, it had 10,158 hires, reflecting a 93% increase. | And TfL Cycle Hire, by 15:00 on Wednesday, had 19,608 hires. Last Wednesday, at the same point, it had 10,158 hires, reflecting a 93% increase. |
| One thing we have learnt from the pandemic is when fewer people travel on the network, it eases the disruption for those who have to travel. | One thing we have learnt from the pandemic is when fewer people travel on the network, it eases the disruption for those who have to travel. |
| London Underground did manage to run some Tube services but not many. | London Underground did manage to run some Tube services but not many. |
| Elizabeth line usage went up by 26% | Elizabeth line usage went up by 26% |
| New routes - and new commutes | New routes - and new commutes |
| Londoners are resilient getting around. The Elizabeth line has not only redrawn London, it has changed the way people get around during Tube strikes. | Londoners are resilient getting around. The Elizabeth line has not only redrawn London, it has changed the way people get around during Tube strikes. |
| It was very busy at times but it made travelling east-west a lot easier. Early on there were issues with Elizabeth line stations not opening in central London due to a lack of staff. TfL stats show a 26% increase in commuter traffic on the Elizabeth line. | It was very busy at times but it made travelling east-west a lot easier. Early on there were issues with Elizabeth line stations not opening in central London due to a lack of staff. TfL stats show a 26% increase in commuter traffic on the Elizabeth line. |
| The Thameslink service that runs north-south was also very busy. | The Thameslink service that runs north-south was also very busy. |
| E-bike operators reported a surge in use | E-bike operators reported a surge in use |
| A new solution: E-bikes | A new solution: E-bikes |
| A big theme was the emergence of e-bikes. Lime bikes says it had a 74% increase in trips, a 40% increase in trip duration and a 35% increase in distance. | A big theme was the emergence of e-bikes. Lime bikes says it had a 74% increase in trips, a 40% increase in trip duration and a 35% increase in distance. |
| So it seems commuters were using e-bikes to travel much longer distances. Lime is part owned by Uber and Google and it is an interesting aside that a Californian tech company promoting individual travel has benefited from strikes on a publicly owned mass transit system. | So it seems commuters were using e-bikes to travel much longer distances. Lime is part owned by Uber and Google and it is an interesting aside that a Californian tech company promoting individual travel has benefited from strikes on a publicly owned mass transit system. |
| On Monday, Forest bikes saw a 300% increase in rides from 27,000 to 60,000. Over the week it says it will see a 500% jump in usage as it accumulates new riders. | On Monday, Forest bikes saw a 300% increase in rides from 27,000 to 60,000. Over the week it says it will see a 500% jump in usage as it accumulates new riders. |
| So was this the coming of age of the e-bike in London? | So was this the coming of age of the e-bike in London? |
| It did mean huge numbers of e-bikes ended up blocking streets in central London. Lime introduced "strike parking zones" but the charity Guide Dogs said the clumps of hire e-bikes were a big concern. | It did mean huge numbers of e-bikes ended up blocking streets in central London. Lime introduced "strike parking zones" but the charity Guide Dogs said the clumps of hire e-bikes were a big concern. |
| Calling for more regulation, it said: "The rental firms admit use has spiked, yet their measures - like geo-fenced parking and retrieval teams - are not up to the job. | Calling for more regulation, it said: "The rental firms admit use has spiked, yet their measures - like geo-fenced parking and retrieval teams - are not up to the job. |
| "Without stronger rules and enforcement, this free-for-all will continue to put blind and partially sighted people in danger. | "Without stronger rules and enforcement, this free-for-all will continue to put blind and partially sighted people in danger. |
| "The government has recently published plans to license and control these rental schemes. The situation on the streets of many cities shows how desperately these powers are needed. | "The government has recently published plans to license and control these rental schemes. The situation on the streets of many cities shows how desperately these powers are needed. |
| "We also urge riders to be considerate where they park to help keep our pavements clear and accessible for everyone." | "We also urge riders to be considerate where they park to help keep our pavements clear and accessible for everyone." |
| Impact on business | Impact on business |
| Hospitality groups say the strikes dealt a sharp blow to smaller operators. | Hospitality groups say the strikes dealt a sharp blow to smaller operators. |
| KERB, which runs street-food markets and the Seven Dials Market in Covent Garden, reported a 60% drop in footfall at Seven Dials compared with the same week last year. It said this equated to a loss of more than 24,000 potential customers. | KERB, which runs street-food markets and the Seven Dials Market in Covent Garden, reported a 60% drop in footfall at Seven Dials compared with the same week last year. It said this equated to a loss of more than 24,000 potential customers. |
| Simon Mitchell, the firm's chief executive, said it had been forced to close four of its midweek lunch markets, costing about 30 traders an estimated £40,000 in revenue. | Simon Mitchell, the firm's chief executive, said it had been forced to close four of its midweek lunch markets, costing about 30 traders an estimated £40,000 in revenue. |
| "The strikes have been a hammer blow to London's street food community - coming after a typically quieter summer trading period," he said. | "The strikes have been a hammer blow to London's street food community - coming after a typically quieter summer trading period," he said. |
| "It's already harder than ever to survive as a small food business." | "It's already harder than ever to survive as a small food business." |
| UKHospitality, a trade body representing the sector, said the strike could have cost up to £600m. | UKHospitality, a trade body representing the sector, said the strike could have cost up to £600m. |
| Kate Nicholls, its chief executive, said: "Our pubs, bars, coffee shops, hotels and restaurants, to name a few, continue to suffer as collateral damage, with total lost sales since the start of the dispute last year now expected to reach more than £3bn." | Kate Nicholls, its chief executive, said: "Our pubs, bars, coffee shops, hotels and restaurants, to name a few, continue to suffer as collateral damage, with total lost sales since the start of the dispute last year now expected to reach more than £3bn." |
| Ahead of the strike commencing on Monday, the Centre for Economics and Business Research said a range of sectors, from professional services to retail and hospitality, would be affected by: | Ahead of the strike commencing on Monday, the Centre for Economics and Business Research said a range of sectors, from professional services to retail and hospitality, would be affected by: |
| Reduced productivity as staff struggle to get into the office or arrive late | Reduced productivity as staff struggle to get into the office or arrive late |
| Shops, restaurants and leisure venues experiencing weaker footfall and lower consumer spending | Shops, restaurants and leisure venues experiencing weaker footfall and lower consumer spending |
| Congestion on London roads adding to delays and lost output | Congestion on London roads adding to delays and lost output |
| Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk | Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk |