Get you up to speed: Day Three of Tube Strike Sees 4,000 Cyclists on Embankment in Just Hours
London Underground drivers from the RMT union continue their strike into its third day, causing significant commuting disruptions across the capital.
Simon Munk from the London Cycling Campaign reported that cycling numbers during the Tube strike surged, indicating a growing trend for urban cycling in London.
As of 12pm, the London Underground drivers’ strike continues for an additional 24 hours, with disruptions expected to persist until tomorrow evening.
What we know so far
The London Underground drivers’ strike has now reached its third day, significantly impacting commuting patterns across the capital. Tube drivers represented by the RMT union have organised walkouts in waves, causing considerable disruption for passengers.
The current phase of strikes began at midday and will continue for 24 hours, with additional disruptions expected to linger into the evening of the following day. Commuters are adapting to the situation by utilising alternative transportation methods, notably cycling.
By 8:45 am, the cyclist tally on the Embankment displayed over 3,800 riders, a significant increase from the usual daily figure of around 252. This surge underscores a shift in transportation habits, as Londoners appear to be embracing cycling amid the Tube disruptions.
Companies like Lime and Forest have stepped up operations to meet this increased demand, deploying extra teams to manage bike availability and ensure pathways remain clear. However, concerns about improperly parked bikes persist, with some areas still experiencing congestion.
As the city prepares for the upcoming London Marathon, further road closures are anticipated, adding another layer of complexity to commuting this week. Roads such as Birdcage Walk and Victoria Embankment will be closed at various times, requiring commuters to plan their routes accordingly.
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Tube strike day three sees 4,000 cyclists across Embankment within hours | News UK
The London Underground drivers’ strike has entered its third day, turning the capital into a city of strikelists as people saddle up.
Commuters have endured almost three days of strikes, which have come and gone in waves as Tube drivers who are members of the RMT union walk out.
The next round of strikes started from 12pm, rolling on for the next 24 hours before the industrial action officially ends, although disruption is expected to trickle on until tomorrow evening.
Londoners have shown yet again that not even a sweeping Tube strike can slow them down, with thousands of strikelists hitting the road again this morning.
Follow WTX’s live coverage of the Tube strikes here
By 8.45am, the cyclist tally on the Embankment display stood at 3,810, meaning nearly 4,000 riders had passed the spot within hours.
On an average day outside the strikes, around 252 cyclists ride past it.
What about road etiquette during the strikes?
Strikelists – and cyclists – in London have been accused of selfish and risky behaviour, but when WTX joined a steady flow of riders from east London to Kensington, there was no sign of dangerous riding.
How do you travel during the strike?
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Tried to avoid it by working from home
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Elizabeth line, Overground or rail
On the contrary, it seemed more cyclists than usual stopped diligently at red lights between Tower Hill and Buckingham Palace during rush hour.
Several riders, including people on rental e-bikes, wore helmets.
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The sight of e-bikes scattered on pavements has become a quintessentially London nuisance, and there have been some hotspots where badly parked rides have build up like near Westminster and Kensington High Street.
However, WTX saw several on-street teams from Lime and Forest sorting out parked bikes, changing batteries and loading up extra ones into a van to distribute them to other locations.
The companies have been previously criticised for badly parked bikes blocking pavements.
Lime told WTX that it has stepped up operations during the strike, including more foot patrols and drivers on standby to keep high-demand hotspots clear.
Forest’s head of policy, Alex Berwin, told WTX that its battery swappers are using pedal-powered cargo bikes to navigate congestion more easily, improving the availability of bikes during rush hour.
Santander bikes appeared to be popular today, with many docking stations in east London empty while central London commuter and tourist hotspots were full to the brim with parked bikes.
Simon Munk, from the London Cycling Campaign, told WTX: ‘We are seeing the numbers going up from the strike and people cycling, and we are seeing a lot of cycle tracks at over capacity.
‘Our learning from the two strikes now is that a lot of our cycle routes and particularly the tracks in central London, but outside central as well, are way out over capacity on an average day.
‘There are 1.5 million cycle journeys daily now.
‘Places like the Embankment and Blackfriars are over capacity on an average day, and then you throw on a lot more folks who are cycling because of the strike, and you can see the routes are over capacity.
‘The strikes show what the future of a cycling London looks like – these are the kinds of levels of cycling we should be expecting on average in a couple of years.’
However, if you are riding around central London, some roads like The Mall have begun to close for the London Marathon preparation.
The cycle lane and road on Birdcage Walk will be closed eastbound from 6am tomorrow (Friday) and westbound from 6am on Saturday until 6am on Monday for the 2026 marathon.
Victoria Embankment and Parliament Square will be closed from 7.30am until 10pm on the Sunday race day.