South East London Braced for Major Travel Disruption as Tube Strikes Loom

Commuters across South East London are being urged to plan ahead, as strike action by RMT union members threatens to bring widespread disruption to the capital’s transport network next week.

If the strikes proceed, London Underground services will be severely reduced—or halted entirely—between Monday 8 and Thursday 11 September, with ripple effects expected across the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and local bus routes.

Key Impacts in South East London

DLR:
The DLR, a crucial lifeline for commuters in Lewisham, Greenwich, Woolwich, and the Docklands, will be completely suspended on Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 September. On other days, limited services may run, but disruptions are likely at stations shared with the Tube.

Tube:
Passengers travelling from Southeastern rail services and connecting at London Bridge, Waterloo, or Elephant & Castle to the Jubilee, Northern, or Bakerloo lines should expect major disruption from Sunday 7 to Thursday 11 September. On strike days, Tube services will be extremely limited or unavailable.

Buses:
While separate strike action by First Bus from Thursday 11 to Sunday 14 September will mainly affect southwest and west London, bus routes in South East London are expected to be much busier as commuters seek alternative travel options.

Other Services:
The Elizabeth line and London Overground will continue to operate, but are expected to be heavily congested. Stations like Canada Water and Whitechapel may experience significant crowding due to diverted Jubilee line passengers.

TfL’s Response

Transport for London (TfL) has offered staff a 3.4% pay increase, in line with other rail industry agreements, and is urging the RMT to present the offer to its members and call off the strike.

Claire Mann, TfL’s Chief Operating Officer, said:

“We are disappointed that the RMT has announced strike action, especially given the improvements we’ve made in response to union concerns.

If this strike goes ahead, areas like Lewisham, Greenwich, and Woolwich will face serious disruption, particularly with the loss of DLR services. We urge the RMT to reconsider and allow members to vote on our fair and affordable offer.”

Travel Advice for South East London

With Tube and DLR services heavily impacted, roads, buses, and National Rail services are expected to be much busier than usual. TfL recommends the following:

• ✅ Check live travel updates before leaving home: tfl.gov.uk/strikes
• ⏱️ Allow extra time for your journey
• 🚶‍♀️ Walk or cycle for shorter trips where possible

Services are expected to resume from Friday 12 September, although trains will not run before 08:00 that morning.