There isn’t a Tube strike happening right now in London, but new rail and Overground strikes have been announced for February–April 2026, and past Tube strikes give a good guide to how long they typically last.

How long do London Tube strikes usually last?

For the London Underground itself (Tube):

  • Recent large-scale Tube strikes have generally run for four to five days in a row , often from Sunday through Thursday.
  • Services the day after can still be disrupted early in the morning , with trains starting later than normal.
  • In other cases, unions have called one‑day walkouts , sometimes repeated on non‑consecutive days, but the big network‑wide ones tend to span several days.

An example: in September 2025, RMT action on the Tube was scheduled from Sunday to Thursday , with little or no service across much of the network during those days. Services only began to return towards normal from about 08:00 on the Friday.

What’s actually happening around early 2026?

Right now the big confirmed new action is:

  • London Overground (Windrush line) strikes – RMT signallers and telecoms staff are planning walkouts over pay and conditions.
  • These are set over three strike days spread across February, March and April 2026 , and the dispute is currently expected to run for around three months , with the possibility of more action if no deal is reached.

These February–April strikes affect Overground services , not the Tube lines themselves, but they will still hit London rail travel and may cause knock‑on crowding on the Underground.

So, “how long is the London Tube strike on for?”

Because Tube strikes are called as individual disputes, there isn’t a single fixed duration. Looking at recent patterns:

  • A major Tube strike normally lasts 4–5 consecutive days , with some residual disruption the following morning.
  • Train and Overground strikes in early 2026 are planned to stretch over about three months , but only on specific announced days within that period.
  • Future Tube strike dates and durations are usually confirmed only a few weeks in advance and can change if talks progress.

If you’re asking about a specific strike you’ve heard about (for example “the one next week”), the only fully reliable up‑to‑the‑minute answer will be on:

  • The official TfL strike/industrial action page.
  • Live status pages for Tube, Overground and National Rail (these are what Londoners watch during strike weeks).

Quick practical tips

  • Check the exact dates on the official travel site just before you travel – timetables can change even the day before.
  • Assume that on strike days there may be no or very limited service on affected lines, and that non‑striking lines and buses will be much busier.
  • The morning after the last strike day can still be messy as trains and staff get back into position.

In short: recent Tube strikes have usually run for several days in a row, but the 2026 disruption you’re hearing about is more likely the new Overground/rail action, which is spread over multiple days across about three months rather than one continuous shutdown.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.