tube travel on sundays

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How to Use the London Tube (Subway)

This post is a quick and easy tutorial on how to navigate the London Underground (a.k.a. the Tube), including hours of operation as well as info on Oyster Cards, transfers, and other helpful tips.

• What is the London Underground?
• Tickets, Fares, and Oyster Cards
• The Tube Map
• Operating Hours
• Tips from Locals
• to/from Heathrow Airport
• Tourist Buses vs. the Tube

WHAT IS THE LONDON UNDERGROUND?

Similar to the New York Subway or the Paris Metro, the London Underground is London's series of (largely) underground trains that run a regular service throughout the city.

Since the trains underground run through a series of tunnels, many people (Londoners and visitors alike!) refer to it as the "tube."

Despite this name, a lot of the London Underground network is above ground when you travel, particularly outside of central London.

The London Underground has 11 lines that serve Greater London, intersecting with each other in the centre of town.

The tube map is divided into nine zones, with Zone 1 being the centre of London, and Zone 9 being the suburbs.

The cost it takes to travel depends on which zone(s) you travel in, and how far your journey will take you.

It also connects to the London Overground (a suburban train line that doesn't run through the centre of town), the new Elizabeth Line (a high-frequency rail service that covers both central London, Heathrow Airport, and the suburbs), and National Rail Services (standard train lines that run throughout the country).

The Underground also connects to other rail services that serve the capital such as the Docklands Light Railway (an aboveground small train line that serves the docklands area).

WHEN DOES THE UNDERGROUND RUN?

In general, the Underground trains run from around 5:00 - 5:30 am until the last train leaves around Midnight, (exact times will vary and are listed on the Transport for London website ).

However, there are Night Tube services that run on some of the lines on Fridays and Saturdays for convenient travel on the weekends.

The Night Tube runs on parts of the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, and Victoria lines only.

LONDON UNDERGROUND TICKETS AND OYSTER CARDS

Buying a ticket for the London Underground is pretty straightforward, but for most visitors, using a contactless payment card is the best payment method.

So, for a more in-depth explanation, including the cheapest ways to travel, check out our previous post about ticket prices and options here in London. Below is our summary.

There are 4 ways to pay for your rides on the Tube:

• Paper tickets 
• Oyster Cards
• Contactless Credit/Debit Cards

We normally recommend avoiding paper tickets and recommend that you buy yourself an Oyster card, unless you have a contactless credit or debit card.

Rides with an Oyster Card or contactless card are much cheaper than paper tickets.

You can add as much money to these as you wish and there is a daily limit that you will spend, (£8.10 for Zones 1-2) so the rides get cheaper the more you use them. The same daily cap applies to your contactless card, too.

Read our post on which London Oyster Card or Travelcard to buy . 

TIP: The Oyster Card is actually included with the London Turbo Pass at no extra cost. If you're planning to visit several notable attractions in the city, this could be a great way to save some money.

London Underground Fares

While there are 6 travel zones for the London Underground, most visitors to London will travel largely within Zones 1 + 2.

How much you pay depends on when you travel, whether during peak hours (06:30 - 09:30 and 16:00 - 19:00 Mon-Fri) vs. off-peak (all other times).

It also depends on where you travel to and from, and whether you are using a paper ticket vs. an Oyster, Travelcard, or contactless credit/debit card.

If you have one of the latter, then you will pay somewhere between £2.70 and £3.00 per ride within Zones 1 + 2.

The most expensive ride (Central London to Heathrow) will cost either £3.30 (off-peak) or £5.60 (peak).

Oyster and Travelcards can be used on all of London's public transportation options, including buses, DLR, the Overground, suburban trains (within London), a water taxi, and even a gondola. 

Daily Limits

If you use an Oyster Card or a Contactless Card, then there are daily limits to what you will spend. These caps are dependent on where you are traveling within.

So, for example, if you stay within Zones 1 and 2, the cap for an adult is just £8.10 for the Underground and £5.25 for buses.

So, the more you ride, the cheaper each ride is. You can see what the cap is for each zone or between zones here.

Child Discounts

Children under 11 travel for free and there is a 50% discount on Oyster Card fares for children 11-15 years of age.

To receive this discount, you need to grab a Tube staff member at any Underground station, including Heathrow.

We help you determine which type of card or ticket you need in our in-depth post on Oyster Cards .

Travelcards

Travelcards are prepaid cards that give you unlimited access to specific zones within London. 

You can choose to either order these in advance (in which case you will be given a paper Travelcard) or you can buy them upon arrival (in which case you will be using a plastic Oyster Card with the Travel Card loaded onto it).

Travelcards particularly have benefits for travellers here for an entire week. A 7-Day Travelcard can be worth your while, as a 7-Day Travelcard for Zones 1-2 is £40.70 which works out less per day than the £8.10 daily cap.

Find out more on our post comparing Oyster Cards, Visitor Oyster Cards and Travelcards .

UNDERSTANDING THE TUBE MAP

Picking up a Tube map is easy! They are available for free at most stations on the Underground network.

The maps on offer at the stations are small – perfect for carrying around in your pocket. 

Below is a map of the London Underground. You could also download a PDF version .

Don’t be embarrassed to consult your map as you travel through London, even Londoners themselves occasionally need to check where it is they are heading to!

Some people will actually have an app on their phone sporting the London Underground tube map – though we think Google Maps App is very good. 

If you look closely at the map, you will notice that the center part is shaded white (zone 1) with a ring of gray shade (zone 2) which is also surrounded by white again (zone 3).

Again, most visitors to London will spend much, if not all, of their time in Zones 1-2. 

Focus on Colours

Every line on the London Underground has a different name and colour.

The names and colours will appear on your Tube Map, and also all over the various stations on the network.

For some, memorising the names is easier, but in general, colours can be the simplest way to learn your way around, and also to use when asking for/receiving directions.

Generally speaking, any particular line will either head north-south or east-west.

FREE TOURS BY FOOT TIP:

Start your holiday in London with our All-in-One London Tour, which takes in most of London's legendary tourist sites and utilizes the London Underground. Get a tutorial directly from us.

OPERATING HOURS AND THE NIGHT TUBE

It’s important to remember that the London Underground system doesn’t run 24 hours a day every day and that timings may be different on weekdays vs. weekends.

General Hours

Although each station has different timings, in general, the first tube trains start running around 5:00 am - 5:15 am and finish around 12:00 am - 12:30 am from Mondays through Fridays.

On Sundays, the Tube begins a bit later, around 6:00 am - 6:15 am and the final trains depart around 11:30 pm - 12:30 am.

Sundays also carry a reduced service which means there are not as many trains running as on Mondays to Saturdays.

Weekdays: 7:00 am - 9:30 am and 16:00 (4 pm) - 19:00 (7 pm).

Like any major city, London has a very busy rush hour in the mornings and in the evenings when the majority of people are travelling to and from work.

If possible, try to avoid travelling on the tube during these times, particularly if you have any large baggage/luggage with you.

Space is an absolute premium, which means you may have to wait as multiple trains pass you until there’s one with enough space to fit you in.

If you need a place to store luggage, read our advice here.

The Night Tube

As of 2019, some London Underground lines are now operating as The Night Tube, a 24-hour Underground service that operates on Fridays and Saturdays.

Really, this service should be called the "Overnight Tube" as the regular operating hours reach midnight every day of the week.

Click here for a downloadable pdf .

There are 5 lines making up the Night Tube and there are fewer trains operating, which means wait times are more than the standard 2 - 5 minutes.

The lines and approximate timings are:

• Victoria Line - Trains every 10 minutes
• Jubilee Line - Trains every 10 minutes
• Piccadilly Line (Cockfosters to Heathrow Terminal 5 ONLY) - Trains every 10 minutes
• Northern Line (Camden Town to Morden) - Trains every 8 minutes
• Northern Line (Camden Town to High Barnet) - Trains every 15 minutes (No Night Tube on the Bank and Mill Hill East Branches)
• Central Line (White City to Leytonstone) - Trains every 10 minutes
• Central Line (Leytonstone to Loughton/Hainault) - Trains every 20 minutes
• Central Line (Ealing Broadway to White City) - Trains every 20 minutes (No Night Tube on other branches of the line)

NOTE: The Night Tube operates with standard off-peak fare prices. Your daily travel card will be valid until 4:29 am the morning after you have purchased it.

TIPS ON NAVIGATING THE UNDERGROUND

Now we will provide you with our top 7 tips for navigating your way through the system, from how to enter a system, how to board the correct train, how to change lines, and when to walk instead of taking the Tube.

Underground Tutorial Tours

Let us,  Free Tours by Foot , show you how to utilize the London Underground to get around the city - like our London in a Day or our   Harry Potter Tour .

While these are not specifically Underground tours, your tour guide will assist you in learning how to master the system and to offer you some tips and tricks for riding the Tube.

1. Entering and Exiting Stations

All Underground stations have ticket barriers – large grey machines where travellers either insert their paper travel cards or tap their Oyster cards on top of them.

At first glance, most barriers all seem the same but they are actually divided into three different purposes; Enter, Do Not Enter, Bags/Buggies.

Some of the barriers will have a green arrow displayed – this means this is a barrier that you can travel through.

Insert your paper ticket, or tap your Oystercard on the yellow pad right next to the sign displaying the green arrow.

The barriers in front of you (just left from the arrow) will open and allow you to walk through.

Other barriers will have a red X displayed – this means this barrier will not open for you and is either closed or being used for visitors traveling in the opposite direction.

Lastly, some barriers are quite large, with signs displaying buggies, luggage, and wheelchairs.

These barriers are much larger than the regular grey ones and are there for people travelling with added items/persons.

They will not close as quickly as the others, giving travellers time to get themselves and all possessions through to the other side. 

Read our post on taking the Tube from Heathrow Airport to Central London .

2. Find Your Correct Direction

In general, the Underground lines operate going north-south or east-west and vice versa.

Checking on your map will help you determine which direction you are travelling in, which will help you find the correct platform and train for your journey.

At every station, there will be maps like these showing the two directions that the trains will be travelling in, and under each direction will be a list of all the stations the train will stop at – in order!

This makes it easy not only to see which platform you need to be on but also how many stops it will take you to get to your destination. 

3. Don't Board the Wrong Train

Sometimes, multiple Underground lines share the same track at a station. If you aren't paying attention, you could board the wrong train.

As the trains pull into the platform, you can take a glance at the front of the train. Here will be displayed the final destination of that particular train.

Also, on every platform there will be an electronic sign displaying the time until the next train arrives, and which station will be its’ final stop.

4. Lines that Split

Another potential mixup is lines that split. Some lines can have 2 or 3 different ending tracks, so you need to be aware of this.

Take the image below as an example.

For example, suppose you plan on boarding a District Line (green) train at South Kensington Station (the black square) with a final destination Wimbledon (the bottom-most black arrow).

You would be taking a westbound train. 

However, you can see from the map that there are two additional tracks with different ending points (Richmond and Ealing Broadway), all a part of the District Line heading westbound.

As you probably can tell, you could end up missing the first tennis match.

5. Changing Lines

The Tube map can often be misleading in that many tube lines crisscross over each other on the map, but do not actually connect to one another in reality.

If you want to know where you can change from one Tube line to the other, you need to look for the white circle on the line on your map.

Any time you see one of these, it means you can change from one line to another or to British Rail.

Check out our tips on using the Underground with luggage and kids . 

6. Sometimes You Should Just Walk

The London Underground Map is definitely NOT geographically accurate. Oftentimes it is easier to walk instead of getting on the tube to travel just a stop or two.

There is a map that gives the walking times between stations ( pdf ).

A good example of this is Leicester Square and Covent Garden on the Piccadilly Line.

On the map, they appear a fair distance apart, but in reality, it would take you just 4 minutes to walk the journey yourself.

Another good example is Charing Cross and Embankment - it’s just a 2-minute walk from each station! 

7. Step-Free (Handicap) Access

For those with limited mobility, there are clues on the Underground map that will let you know if there is step-free access.

This is also useful if you are travelling with exceptionally heavy suitcases.

Simply look at the map, and on some stations, you will see a blue circle with a white figure in a wheelchair.

This means it is possible to get from the street into the train without any stairs or escalators. 

The white circle and a blue figure in a wheelchair denote stations with step-free access from the street to the platform.

At these stations, you will need assistance to get into and out of the train, either with a ramp or the help of fellow passengers. 

Note that in larger stations, such as Waterloo, the blue circle appears on one line only, which means the other two lines do not have step-free access. Transport for London has this helpful video .

A final note – Although London is generally a safe and welcoming city for visitors, pickpockets, and thieves operate throughout the entire London Underground network.

Please be aware of your surroundings, keep hold of all of your possessions, and avoid the habit of simply putting your ticket/credit cards/keys/mobile phones into your pockets – this will make you an incredibly easy target!

Also, never leave your belongings unattended on a train or in an Underground Station.

PICADILLY LINE TO AND FROM HEATHROW

By far the easiest and most affordable way to get to and from Heathrow Airport.

The Piccadilly Line runs through all 5 terminals of Heathrow Airport as well as straight through the centre of London, offering connections with every other tube line on the London Underground network.  

Use our Google Map and input the address of your final destination for directions and travel time from Heathrow .  

Travel time on the Tube is roughly 45 minutes to central London.

Piccadilly line trains run out of Heathrow from 5:00 to 23:00.

Ticket prices from Zone 1 to Heathrow are £6.70 for a cash-bought paper ticket, £5.60 on an Oyster card or contactless card at any time.

Read our full post on taking the Picadilly Line to and from Heathrow Airport .

TUBE ETIQUETTE

To avoid faux pas and keep from being marked out as a typical tourist, here are a few tips for Tube etiquette when travelling along the Tube.

1.  Have Your Ticket Ready

Do not approach the ticket barriers until you have your Oystercard – or paper ticket – ready.

If you walk to the barrier and then fumble through your pockets/bags for your ticket, it will delay other travellers and oftentimes can mess with the barrier censors, potentially causing the barriers to lock.

[Remember you need a ticket both to BEGIN/ENTER and also to FINISH/LEAVE your journey!]  Be sure to read our blog post on the Oystercard and Travel Card .

2.  Stand on the Right

When riding escalators up and down in Underground Stations, please remember to stand on the RIGHT.

Travellers who wish to move up/down whilst on the escalators will be doing so on the left-hand side.

If you stand on the left you may find yourself politely asked to move to the right, or simply shoved past by a multitude of commuters.

This also includes your belongings/suitcases – they must be on the right of the escalators as well.

It is poor form and bad manners to take up the left side of the escalator with your belongings.

3.  Stand Behind the Yellow Line

On every Tube platform, you will find a yellow line painted along the edge.

This line marks the boundary between where it is safe to stand, and where it is dangerous.

Stand BEHIND the line (not on top of!) in order to limit any risk of death or injury.

You may occasionally see passengers swiftly walking down the platform directly on top of the yellow line – but do not follow their lead!

4. Move Down the Platform

As soon as you get onto the platform, move either right or left.

You will find many people gathered at the entrance to the platform, meaning people cannot get past them and move onto the platform to get their train.

TIP : Besides just being courteous, the rear and front of the trains tend to be less crowded so moving down the platform means you’re more likely to get a seat!

5.  Let Other Passengers Off First

As soon as the Tube doors open, step to either side of the opening doors and let customers off the train before you attempt to board.

Failure to follow this rule may lead to verbal chastisement.

6.  Move Down Inside the Carriage

Once you are inside the Tube – move away from the door! Standing in place will impede others who are trying to board.

Also (especially during peak times) it is important to move as far down into the carriage as possible in order for the maximum amount of people to fit onto the train.

You will see Londoners standing in between the benches on busy Tube carriages, and you should follow their lead.

7.  Keep Feet and Bags Off the Seats

Particularly on crowded trains, it is unacceptable to take up an entire seat solely for your possessions – or your feet!

8. Do Not Lean on the Poles

The poles that are placed throughout the Underground train carriages are meant for people to hold on to.

Leaning against one of the poles means blocking the pole for those that may need it to hold balance whilst the train is moving.

9.  Mind Your Earphones and Your Meals

The music you are listening to should not be loud enough for anybody else on the Tube to hear.

Also, it is best to avoid eating hot/smelly food on the Underground.

10.  Get Out of the Way of Those Getting Off the Train

When you are on the Tube and at a stop that is not yours, make sure you are not in the way of those who are trying to exit the train.

Occasionally, you may need to step outside of the train to let passengers off if the carriage is very crowded.

This is expected behaviour, and you will be able to step right back on once the departing have left.

11.  Stand Up for the Elderly and Pregnant

This is one even some Underground regulars need reminding of!

It’s just good manners in the UK to offer up your seat to the elderly, pregnant, or those who are less able to stand.

Be aware of who comes on the Tube at each stop and do not be afraid to offer your seat.

Occasionally you may see women with a small ‘Baby on Board’ badge with the London Underground logo pinned onto their coats.

Some men even take it upon themselves to stand up for any woman who comes onto the train so chivalry is not completely dead in London!

12.  Take Your Rubbish Home With You

Rubbish left behind on the Tube is unsightly and can be quite disgusting.

There are no bins on Underground trains or at most Underground Stations which means it is expected that you will take any rubbish of yours off the train and home/back to your hotel with you when you leave.

On the London Underground, a little bit of courtesy and kindness can go a long way.

Commuting and travelling in the city can be quite stressful so try to remain courteous to others as you go about their business, and hopefully, they will do the same as you go about yours

HOP-ON-HOP-OFF BUS VS. LONDON UNDERGROUND

If you’re visiting London and aren’t sure about riding the London Underground, then we hope our tips above have made you more confident and willing to use the tube to get around town.

However, we understand that some people may still be a little anxious or unsure about the benefits of taking the tube, as opposed to riding one of London’s hop-on-hop-off tour buses.

To help you make up your mind, we’ve listed a few pros and cons of each below.

Hop-on-hop-off buses can be useful in getting an overview of the city or learning your way around town.

They are also quite useful for people who aren’t physically fit enough to walk through London day in and day out.

However, whenever possible, we strongly believe that the best - and the quickest - way to get around town is by taking the London Underground or to walk.

[Note that if you wish to take a hop-on-hop-off bus tour, we have a handy page HERE to help you choose which one to ride]

Pros of a Bus Tour

• easy to understand routes
• convenient stops at the most popular tourist attractions
• climate controlled all year (on the inside)
• tickets often include night tours, boat cruises, or free attractions.
• commentary along the routes

Cons of a Bus Tour

• more expensive than riding the subway
• routes are only one-direction
• wait times can be very long due to seasonal or even daily traffic
• buses can be crowded
• bad weather is always a risk

Pros of Riding the Underground

• (relatively) inexpensive
• flexible routing
• very warm in the winter
• you get to travel like a real Londoner
• Almost always faster than a bus

Cons of Riding the Underground

• not all stations are accessible for wheelchairs and strollers
• can be really hot and sweaty in summer
• can be really crowded during rush hours
• no commentary

Related Content

• Which Oystercard to Buy
• How to Get from Heathrow to London Centre by Underground
• How to Get from London to Paris by Train
• Things to do in London
• Most Haunted Places in London

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London tube timetable

Regular service hours :

We're sorry, but it's very difficult to provide a general timetable for all the lines, as the London Underground is extensive, has many lines, and the schedule changes depending on the day, with many factors making it impossible to summarize easily.

Roughly speaking, and as a very general guide, the timetable is as follows:

• Monday to Saturday, including public holidays: from 5:00am to 12:00am.
• Sundays: from 7:00am to 11:00pm.

Some stations open earlier or close later, depending on the last Tube train of the day. If you are on a tight schedule, we recommend you check the station timetables (see below).

Night Tube service is only available on some lines on Fridays and Saturdays. The lines and stations that operate these days are:

• Central Line (Ealing Broadway to Loughton).
• Jubilee Line (Stanmore to Stratford).
• Northern (Edgware/High Barnet to Morden)
• Piccadilly (Cockfosters to Heathrow Terminals)
• Victoria Line (Brixton to Walthamstow Central).
• London Overground (New Cross Gate to Highbury & Islington).

Below is an timetable for April 2024. If you want to know the exact schedule for a station, click on "View Schedules" on the corresponding line:

For more detailed information, including exact times and frequencies, refer to the table below for each Tube line (click in "View Schedules").

If you notice any errors on this website or have any suggestions, please use our contact form , and we will try to solve the problem as soon as possible.

London tube map | Timetable | Fares | All subway lines

London Underground 101: A guide to getting the Tube in London

A guide to getting the Tube, seriously?

Yes. Though you might not have initially thought so, there's a lot more to it than just getting to a station, getting on a train and then getting off again.

The Cheapest way

First of all, let's make sure the price is right.

There are many ways you can pay to travel around London and get on and off the Tube. But in a nutshell, using a debit, credit or Oyster card to tap in and out at the barriers of your start and end station is likely to be the most convenient and best value for money for most people. The same goes for using contactless on your phone. By traveling this way, the amount you'll be charged per day is capped depending on which of the nine zones you're traveling in.

For full details and to work out exactly which is the right method of payment for you, check out the TfL website .

According to the dictionary, etiquette is defined as "The customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group". And believe it or not, the Tube has its code of polite behavior. It can pretty much be simplified into three main rules:

1. Escalator etiquette

Perhaps the most important thing to adhere to is the "stand on the right" rule on the escalators. This allows for those in a rush to glide down the escalators in a flash to avoid having to wait an extra minute for the next train.

2. Mindful Tubing

Everyone getting the Tube has somewhere to be, and likely in a hurry. So, by letting all passengers get off your carriage before boarding will enable a smoother, quicker and more pleasant journey for everyone.

Related: How to spend a Sunday in London

Many choose to pass the time on the Tube by burying our heads in our phones (on rare occasions maybe even an actual book or a newspaper). That's great, but lifting your head once in a while to check if there's anyone in need of your seat will go a long way to making someone's journey better, if not their entire day.

This applies mainly to busy commutes: Squishing as tightly as possible into the area closest to the doors benefits nobody. Why are we so averse to simply moving down the carriage? It makes for a more comfortable, less sweaty journey for everyone.

3. Queueing

In general, queueing is somewhat of a national sport for Brits. We do it anywhere and everywhere, and anyone who fails to queue correctly will receive passive-aggressive eye rolls and tuts from all who witness it. This also strictly applies to the Tube — whether it's waiting to get through the barriers, waiting to get on or waiting for the stairs/escalators/lift to leave the station. Save yourself from the glares and cranky tuts of fellow passengers by simply falling into line.

The quickest route might not be the obvious one

If you're not used to London , you might think that you have to take the Tube to get anywhere . For longer journeys in and out of the city, the Tube is likely to be your best bet. However, for shorter journeys in central London, it will likely be quicker for you to just walk.

When planning your journeys, the TfL website even has a handy box to help you work out which routes are quicker to walk.

Read more : The Royal Treatment: 8 royal places to visit in London

Not only will it be a quicker journey, but you'll breathe in less thick soupy air and swap it for the (slightly) fresher air of the city. The views are guaranteed to be an improvement, too.

Tubing to Heathrow

Depending on where you're traveling from, the likelihood is that getting the Tube will be your cheapest and most direct route to Heathrow (LHR) .

Related: The best ways to get from Heathrow Airport to London

While there's extra space on the Piccadilly Line for suitcases, trains on other lines aren't always as accommodating. Either way, traveling with multiple cases at peak times can make for a stressful and awkward journey for you and those around you.

It's not always possible to get to Heathrow without getting on the Tube during peak times, but, if possible, try to leave earlier to avoid the morning or afternoon rush -- you're likely to have a far more comfortable journey.

COVID-19 era

COVID-19 has changed the way we live, work and — more than ever — travel. This also applies to getting the Tube.

There are signs everywhere to remind us all that wearing masks is mandatory and that social distancing rules apply where possible.

Read more : 8 ways to spend a rainy day in London

If you can avoid getting the Tube at all, then it's advisable to do so. If it's your only feasible means of transport, then traveling at off-peak times is advised.

The only way a mask is beneficial is if it is worn over both the mouth and nose. If your nose is poking out or you're wearing it as a chin strap, you may as well not be wearing one at all.

Bottom line

Love it or hate it, without the Tube, London would likely come to a standstill. So whether it's your first time in the capital or you're a seasoned Londoner, the above tips will serve you well — remember, above all else, stand to the right!

Avoiding Peak Times on the Tube in London

 TripSavvy /  Joshua Seong

As with public transportation in most major cities, there are peak times of travel on the  London Tube that you really should try to avoid during your trip. These times are when the massive transit network known as the tube is at its maximum capacity, and travelers are often forced to squeeze into the last available spot on a cramped train. So really, it's not to be recommended.

For most of the tube network, the morning "rush hour" takes place mostly between the hours of 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. and the evening peak takes place between 4:40 and 6:30 p.m. However, different lines on the tube experience higher levels of traffic during different parts of the day:

• The lines that travel through popular tourist and entertainment areas—like the Piccadilly, Northern, and Central Lines—stay busy throughout the afternoon.
• The Piccadilly Line remains busy until about 8 p.m. as people head to the West End for restaurants, clubs, and theaters and has another mini-rush hour when theaters close after about 11 p.m.
• If you don't like crowded trains, especially avoid the normal rush hours on lines that travel through the main shopping areas of Knightsbridge and Oxford Street —the Piccadilly and Central lines. On most days, the shops close at about the same time as people are leaving their offices. The added crush of package laded shoppers to the normal burden of 9 to 5'ers can be unbearable.

London's Busiest Lines and Stations

Transport for London is coy about breaking down the numbers of transit users line by line, but they publish a station-by-station guide to rush hour and peak travel times for the tube network, and you can also search its website for individual stations to see if they're busy when you plan to leave your hotel for the day.

Additionally, The City Metric , an arm of the magazine The New Statesman  had a go at doing some number crunching based on the most recent data (from a 2012 report). In their study, they found that the Victoria Line is the busiest in London, but it's mainly reserved for people who commute to downtown London for work. In fact, with the exception of three stops in the middle of the line—Victoria, Green Park, and Oxford Circus—there's almost nowhere of interest to visitors that aren't also served by other lines.

In the end, it comes down to personal perceptions and preferences. Ask any Londoner and they are sure to tell you that their line is the most crowded during rush hour.

Making Rush Hour Travel Easier

If you have to travel on the London Underground during rush hour—and sooner or later, most visitors to London do—there are a few things you can do to make your life easier.

Buy an Oyster Card

First, buy an Oyster card , which is used for all forms of public transportation in and around London including the Underground, Overground, and some rail services, buses (which no longer take cash), and Thames commuter boats. You can purchase an Oyster card from a ticket machine in London and charge it up with cash or your credit card at the same machine.

The card costs £5, which can be refunded at a ticket machine, along with any funds still available on the card, when you leave London. Besides saving you a lot of money , just being able to tap in without standing in ticket machine (or the increasingly rare ticket office) queues during rush hour saves a lot of time. 

For added ease on your transit, charge up your card with credit when you happen to be near a station, even if you aren't planning to travel then. At slow times, there are no queues at the ticket machines.

Use Contactless Payment

If you have a contactless credit or debit card, you can use it in the same way as an Oyster Card and save time that way. The fares for contactless payments are the same as for Oyster Cards for U.K. residents, but if you are visiting London from abroad, be careful. You may save time but you'll have to pay foreign exchange charges on your card bill back home—so this option is really only useful for visitors from elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

Be Prepared for Delays and Aware of Announcements

Travel delays from engineering works, signal failures, and the occasional, euphemistic "person on the line" announcements can create mini rush hours that clog up the tube. All London Underground stations post signs daily—including advance notices—about station closures, engineering works, and other problems. Stop to read them so you can plan alternative routes ahead of time if necessary (on the London Underground there is almost always an alternative route).

Go to the Ends of the Platforms

A relatively easy way to minimize your exposure to the rush hour crush is to go to the very ends of the platforms when waiting for the next train. Most people gather around the middle of the station platforms, where the stairs or escalators disgorge their passengers. If you walk to either end of the platform you'll find the carriages are usually less packed. Do this even if it means missing a train or two. During the rush hour, there will always be another one along in just a few minutes.

Public Transportation Alternatives

If you'd rather not face the rush hour crowds at all and you have to travel at that time of day, there are a few alternatives.

The London Bus

London's red buses  get busy during rush hour, too, but the difference is that they are legally limited in the number of standing passengers they can take. The driver, who keeps track of the numbers, simply won't allow any more passengers on board if the bus is too full.

That may mean that in Central London you will have to watch one or two buses go by without stopping, but it also means you won't be crushed up against a stranger during your commute once you're on board the bus. Additionally, buses travel in special lanes, so they are less affected by rush hour traffic jams and can often get you there faster than taking a cab.

Commuter Boats

London now has Riverbus services along the Thames that are a very pleasant way to travel and that you can pay for with your Oyster Card. Like buses, the boats are legally limited in the number of passengers they can carry.

There are piers for boarding at key places all along the river—Westminster Pier, near Parliament ; close to the London Eye on the Southbank; by the Tate Gallery and so on. Check their stops to see if one of them might be within easy walking distance of where you want to go.

Rent and Ride a Bike

London was the second city in the world, after Paris, to have a public bicycle hire program. At the moment it's called Santander Bikes—for the bank that sponsors them—but don't be surprised if locals still call them Barclay Bikes or Boris Bikes.

You'll need a credit card to use on the touch screen at the cycle docking station. There's no need to book in advance, though at busy times you may have to visit more than one docking station to find a bike. When you are finished with the cycle, you simply return it to the docking station and your credit card will be charged for the amount of time you used it—which could be as little as £2.

Do be aware, though, that these bicycles were designed to be sturdy and unattractive to thieves, so they are heavier than your usual bike and much harder to pedal. However, the good news is that the system of safe Bicycle Superhighways is expanding every day, making it even easier to get around on a cycle.

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How to Use London Underground: A Comprehensive Guide for Tourists

The London Underground, affectionately known as the ‘Tube,’ is more than just a transit network; it’s an iconic part of the city’s heart and history. I have used the London Underground countless times and it is my favourite mode of transport to move around the city.

As a tourist, understanding the Tube is key to unlocking the full potential of your London adventure. The Underground connects you to the most iconic sights in the city.

Now, as you go on this journey, keep in mind some cultural nuances. Londoners value their ‘ Tube etiquette ‘ – things like standing on the right side of the escalator and allowing passengers to alight before boarding. These small gestures go a long way in blending in and experiencing the city authentically.

Understanding the London Underground System

Planning your journey, purchasing tickets and oyster cards, how to use the london tube:, accessibility features of london tube:, safety and etiquette rules of the tube:, exploring london’s attractions by tube, tube’s common challenges and solutions.

Alright! Let’s delve into the world of the London Underground, a system that’s not just about trains and tunnels, but also rich in history and culture.

Now, let’s talk about navigating this sprawling network. The Underground is split into nine zones , radiating out from the heart of London. Zones 1 to 3, often called Central London are where you’ll find the big-ticket attractions, while the higher numbers take you further afield.

But why should you care about zones? Simple: they determine your ticket prices. Traveling across more zones usually means a higher fare, so understanding this system can be a real wallet-saver.

Each Underground line has its distinct flavor. Let’s start with the classics: Circle Line (Yellow) , looping around central London like a yellow ring, and the Piccadilly Line ( Deep Blue) , your gateway to landmarks like Buckingham Palace and the British Museum.

Then there’s the Central Line (Red) , slicing through the city, perfect for shopaholics heading to Oxford Street. Each line is a different color on the map, making it a breeze to follow your route.

Beyond the main lines, the London Underground offers lesser-known routes that are treasures in their own right. The Jubilee Line (Grey) , with its sleek, silver trains, is a perfect route for history buffs heading to the Tower of London.

Meanwhile, the Hammersmith & City Line (Pink) takes you through the heart of London’s vibrant arts scene. Stops near the famous Tate Modern and the eclectic markets of Portobello Road are perfect for those who love culture and quirky finds. Then there’s the District Line (Green) , offering a direct route to Kew Gardens , an oasis of tranquility and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Not to be overlooked is the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) – Two Green Lines , providing a futuristic journey through London’s regenerated Docklands area. Here, you can enjoy stunning views of the modern skyscrapers of Canary Wharf.

Each of these lines not only connects different parts of the city but also encapsulates different aspects of London’s diverse character and history. As you plan your journey, consider venturing beyond the well-trodden path to uncover these hidden gems of the Underground.

Next, let’s chat about planning your Underground adventure to go from point A to B within the city. Our main goal here is not to get lost and make your journey longer than it should be.

Remember, if you are crossing the whole London via Tube (East to West), it can take you around or more than 2 hours!! Believe me, I tried it! It was probably the longest train/tube ride I have ever done.

First up, your secret weapon: the Transport for London (TfL) website and the TfL Go app . These tools are like having a personal guide in your pocket. With just a few taps, you can map out your entire journey.

You’ll get a list of options with the estimated travel time and even walking directions to and from stations, which can be very convenient for tourists on the go.

Some Underground stations have no mobile data network, however, the TFL and mobile networks are working towards providing coverage within the whole Underground network or you can connect to their free Underground public WIFI.

Now, let’s decode the London Underground map ( You can download it here for free ). At first glance, it might look like a colorful bowl of spaghetti. But fear not! Each line is color-coded, making it easy to track your path.

The stations are marked as dots along these lines, and the interchange stations, where you can hop from one line to another, are highlighted with a special symbol. It’s like connecting the dots in a vibrant puzzle.

Navigating rush hour can be a bit of a challenge, but I’ve got you covered. The busiest times are typically from 7:30 to 9:30 AM and 5:30 to 7:30 PM. If you can, try to travel outside these hours it’s a bit quieter and more relaxed.

If you do find yourself traveling during these times, don’t worry. Just be prepared for a more crowded experience and remember, it’s all part of the authentic London adventure.

Now, let’s the world of tickets and Oyster cards. Think of it as a treasure hunt where the prize is the most cost-effective way to travel around this magnificent city.

First, let’s talk about your options. You’ve got pay-as-you-go Oyster Card , Travelcards , and contactless payments – each a trusty companion on your Tube travels, but with their special powers.

Pay-as-you-go Oyster Card is like your flexible friend; you only pay for the journeys you make and then will stop on your daily cap. Then there’s the Travelcard, a sort of ‘all-you-can-travel’ pass for a set period. Contactless payments? Well, that’s just using your bank card or a Travel Money card like Wise like a magic wand to tap in and out of the gates.

BEST TRAVEL MONEY CARD

If you are looking for a reliable, safe, and convenient travel money card that has different currencies in one app and card, I highly recommend Wise Travel Money Card . They have the best forex rates and minimal fees plus transfer your money in an instant.

So which one is the best? I wrote another article that can discuss this in full detail you can read it here — Contactless, Travelcard or Oyster card: Which is Cheaper and Best for Tourists .

Now, let’s get into the heart of the London travel game – the Oyster card . This little blue card is your golden key to the city. You can pick one up at any Tube station, and topping it up is a breeze.

Just find a ticket machine, choose how much to add, and you’re ready to go. It’s like loading up a gift card for yourself but for trains and buses! You can also keep it as a London souvenir after your trip.

For my savvy tourists out there, here’s how you can save some pounds. The Oyster card has a daily cap, which means once you hit a certain amount, you won’t pay a penny more for the rest of the day.

It’s like getting a bonus round in a video game! And don’t forget to look into special passes like the Visitor Oyster card, which offers additional discounts on attractions and dining. For more tips, check out my budget travel tips in London .

Using the Underground – Practical Tips

As we continue our adventure through the London Underground, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of actually using this iconic transit system. Think of it as a backstage pass to the most efficient way of zipping around London!

First things first, let’s walk through using the Tube, step-by-step:

• You’re at the entrance of a Tube station.
• Have your Oyster card, travel Card, or contactless payment card at the ready. If you need to top-up (put credits on your Oyster card) you can do so at the machines before the tube’s barrier gate.
• You tap it on the yellow card reader or for Travel cards, insert it into the ticket slot at the gate, and hey presto, the barrier opens!

Now, you’re in the labyrinth of the Underground. Follow the signs to your desired line – they’re color-coded to match your map. Look for the arrows pointing you toward the right platform, especially at larger stations where multiple lines intersect.

It is important that you familiarize yourself with the tube system, and where in London you want to go. Getting your bearings on North, East, West, and South would be tremendously helpful in navigating your way within the London Underground network. Otherwise, you can get lost here pretty quickly!

For those who might need a little extra help, the London Underground is continuously improving its accessibility features. Many stations now have lifts, ramps, and tactile paving to assist travelers with disabilities.

It’s always a good idea to check the Transport for London website for the latest accessibility information for specific stations. It is marked with an Accessibility icon (♿︎) next to the station name. You can check the image above for the Index to London Stations.

Now, let’s chat about safety and etiquette – the unspoken rules of the Tube. One golden rule? Stand on the right side of the escalators, leaving the left side free for those in a hurry.

On the platform, mind the gap between the train and the platform edge – it’s a bit of a London catchphrase for a reason! It is also imperative to let the people off the tube first before pushing your way into the Tube. When this unwritten rule is violated, British people find it so rude!

And remember, no matter how packed the train is, it’s always good manners to offer your seat to someone who might need it more than you.

Moving on, let’s embark on an adventure exploring London’s most iconic attractions by the trusty Underground. Imagine zipping around the city, hopping off at stations that lead you straight to the doorstep of history and culture.

Sounds exciting, right? Let’s dive into an example itinerary for a day packed with exploration and fun.

Start your journey at Buckingham Palace . If it’s summer, you might be lucky enough to peek inside the Staterooms, you can book this tour for that . You check out my experience review of the Buckingham Palace Staterooms tour when my husband and I visited it last summer.

Just a short walk through the splendid St. James’ Park, and you’ll find yourself gazing at the architectural marvel of Westminster Abbey . Remember to book a guided tour to fully appreciate its grandeur.

🚇 Nearest Underground: Green Park and St. James’s Park. I wrote another article about 5 Ways How to Get to and Nearest Tube to Buckingham Palace .

Next, take a stroll to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben . Fun fact: Big Ben is the name of the bell, not the tower! There is also a guided tour of the House of Parliament worth doing to see around the iconic political heart of Britain.

From here, it’s a hop, skip, and a jump to the London Eye . If you fancy a bird’s-eye view of the city, make sure to book a spin at this iconic London attraction .

🚇 Nearest Underground: Westminster

Now, let’s weave through the streets to Trafalgar Square , followed by the vibrant Leicester Square for West End shows and the dazzling lights of Piccadilly Circus . These places are perfect for those Instagram-worthy shots! Continuing the journey, you’ll reach the charming Covent Garden, a haven for foodies and shoppers alike.

🚇 Nearest Underground: Charing Cross, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus

After refueling, head towards St. Paul’s Cathedral . Its magnificent dome is a sight to behold.

🚇 Nearest Underground: St. Paul’s

Next up, London Bridge and the historic Tower of London , where you can delve into centuries of British history. And don’t miss the chance to visit Tower Bridge , where you can explore the museum inside.

Fancy a view from the top? The Shard’s viewing deck is your go-to spot. For naval history enthusiasts, HMS Belfast is a must-visit. And for a unique twist, consider a River Cruise along the Thames. It offers a picturesque view of the city’s landmarks from a different vantage point.

🚇 Nearest Underground: London Bridge, Monument and Tower Hill

If time allows, there are more gems to uncover. Oxford Circus buzzes with shopping excitement, while the British Museum offers a dive into the past, and it’s free!

🚇 Nearest Underground: Oxford Circus, Tottenham Road Court, Holborn, Goodge Street and Russell Square

Remember, this itinerary is ideal if you’re content with a quick stop and photo opportunity at each landmark. If you wish to delve deeper into each attraction, you’ll need more time. Always book in advance to snag those online promotions. You can check out more examples of a one-day itinerary in London .

Finally, let’s tackle some common challenges you might face while navigating the Underground and how to smoothly sail through them. Think of it as learning some secret spells to magically solve any Tube trouble!

First up, service disruptions – they can be a bit like unexpected plot twists in your travel story. Maybe there’s maintenance work, or perhaps a signal’s gone on a bit of a holiday.

But fear not! The key is to stay informed. Check the TfL website Status Updates or the handy apps before you set off. They’ll give you real-time updates on all lines, so you can reroute your journey if needed.

Now, let’s talk about a traveler’s mini-nightmare: lost property. Imagine you’ve left your bag on the Tube, and it’s now traveling solo across London. First, don’t panic. Items found on the Underground are sent to the Lost Property Office .

Head to the TfL website to report your lost item . It’s like sending out a search party for your beloved belongings.

Sometimes, you might need a helping hand, and that’s totally okay. If you’re ever in doubt or need assistance, the staff at Underground stations are your go-to heroes. Look for anyone in a TfL uniform – they’re usually near the ticket barriers or wandering the platforms.

They’re like friendly guides in the labyrinth of the Underground, ready to help with directions, accessibility information, or even just to answer a curious question about London.

Always keep an eye on the departure boards for real-time updates and listen to the announcements. They’re not just background noise; they’re the voice of the Underground, keeping you in the loop.

So there you have it! With these tips up your sleeve, you’re more than ready to face any challenges the London Underground might throw your way. Embrace these solutions, and you’ll be zipping around London like a pro in no time!

Have you ever experienced the London Underground before? Tell me your story about your experience in the comment section below.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Everything Zany

Everything Zany Travel Blog exploring the UK and beyond. Sharing travel guides, tips, history, and culture. Our travel media brand is founded by travel and hotel industry expert – Ryazan Tristram, a Dual Citizen (British–Filipina) based in Birmingham, UK. Everything Zany is a reputable and award-winning travel blog. Our work and contributions have been featured in the Huffington Post, CNBC, Discovery Channel, GMA, Readers Digest, and Lonely Planet. Our mission is to build a great travel community and resource of travel tips, visas, and travel guides for travelers. Join us as we travel around the UK and beyond with a mission to share the best of the world.

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London travel disruption to know about this weekend, including on the Elizabeth Line, Tube and Overground

Several TfL routes (including those going to Heathrow Airport) will be significantly disrupted over the next few days

The next nationwide train strikes might not kick-off until next week ( find out more about those on our London industrial action hub here ), but this weekend is still set to be a tough one for users of certain public transport routes in the capital. 

This weekend (November 25/26) will see substantial disruption on the Elizabeth and Piccadilly lines, as well as on the Overground. Anyone trying to get to or from Heathrow Airport, in particular, may have to change their plans.

Here’s everything you need to know about planned travel disruption in London this weekend.

Elizabeth line

On Saturday November 25 and Sunday November 26, there will be no services between Hayes & Harlington and Heathrow (all terminals).

On Saturday November 25, there will be a reduced service between Paddington and Reading. There will also be no services between Paddington and Abbey Wood / Stratford.

On Sunday November 26, there will be no services between Reading / Heathrow (all terminals) and Abbey Wood / Stratford until 7:40am.

Piccadilly Line

On both Saturday and Sunday, no service between Acton Town and Uxbridge. No service between Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 and Heathrow Terminal 5. 

South Ealing station is closed until mid December.

On both Saturday and Sunday, no service between Highbury & Islington and New Cross / Clapham Junction / Crystal Palace / West Croydon. Including Night Overground on Friday and Saturday nights. 

On Sunday November 26, no service between Liverpool Street and Chingford until 10:15am. Also no trains between Liverpool Street and Enfield Town / Cheshunt until 10:15am. 

On Sunday, no services between Willesden Junction and Camden Road (via West Hampstead). Also a reduced service between Gospel Oak and Barking Riverside (trains every 20 minutes). 

Northern Line

Kentish Town tube station is closed until summer 2024. 

Waterloo & City Line

No service on weekends and public/bank holidays, as usual.

For to-the-minute updates, check out the TfL status site here .

Did you see that Richmond’s gorgeous Art Deco train station is getting a makeover ?

Plus: inside the Piccadilly Line’s new air-conditioned, walk-through trains .

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Five London Underground lines will be closed for hours today – here’s what lines are affected

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Five London Underground lines are set to be simultaneously shut for several hours on the same day this weekend.

Passengers are set to face major disruption on their Tube journeys around the capital today – Saturday, November 11 – the same day as planned Pro-Plaestine marches and Armistice Day ceremonies.

Transport for London (TfL) is implementing closures on the Circle, District, Hammersmith and City, Jubilee and Metropolitan lines until 3pm today

The blanket shutdown of the lines is being put in place to allow for a ‘transformative’ new signalling system to be installed.

The system -which is called Four Lines Modernisation – will be tested out until around 3pm on Saturday, and a number of busy lines will be taken out of action.

Closures will begin from the start of the day’s traffic on November 11 and is likely to affect locals and tourists alike.

The signalling system should be fully implemented by 2025, and is designed to improve journey times and the reliability of services – but testing is required before it can go full steam ahead.

London Overground services are also facing disruption over the remembrance weekend with a reduced service between Kilburn High Road and Euston on both Saturday and Sunday (November 11 and 12).

TfL has warned customers to ‘check before they travel’ and ‘seek alternative routes’ on the day.

London Tube closures in full – Saturday, November 11

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To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro.co.uk's London news hub .

No service on the entire line until 3pm.

District line

No service on the entire line until 3pm, but replacement buses will be in operation.

Hammersmith and City line

No service on the entire line until 3pm. Replacement buses in operation.

Jubliee line

Replacement buses will be in operation on the Finchley Road to Wembley Park, and North Greenwich to Stratford sections only.

For other sections, customers are advised to use alternative London Underground lines or local London Buses services.

Metropolitan line

No service between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Aldgate until 3pm.

Customers are advised to use Chiltern Railways services between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Marylebone. Limited replacement buses in operation.

London Overground

Reduced service in operation between Kilburn High Road and Euston.

Trains will operate from Watford Junction to Kilburn High Road at 30 minutes past each hour, between 6.30am and 8.30pm on Saturday and 11.30am and 8.30pm on Sunday.

Trains will be at 15 minutes past each hour from Euston, between 7.15am and 9.15pm on Saturday, and between 12.15pm and 9.15pm on Sunday will instead start at Kilburn High Road seven minutes later.

A spokesperson for TfL told MyLondon: ‘The closure will facilitate testing of a transformative new signalling system that will improve reliability and journey times on these lines.

‘Rail replacement bus services will be in place, but customers are advised to check before they travel and seek alternative routes on this day.’

It falls on the same day as Armistice Day , which has been recognised in the lead-up with poppy images displayed at stations around London and on buses.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] .

For more stories like this, check our news page .

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Tube strikes: major disruption expected on London Underground throughout next week

Virtually no services expected from Sunday night until Friday morning as RMT workers take action over pay

Strikes are likely to close the London underground for most of next week unless last-ditch talks can avert the stoppages.

Members of the RMT union working in different parts of the tube have started rolling strikes over seven days from Friday, with the biggest impact expected between Monday and Thursday, in a dispute over pay.

Transport for London has told commuters of severe disruption next week, with virtually no tube services expected from Sunday night until Friday morning.

The first action is due to start with RMT engineers striking on Friday evening, having some impact on later District line services. Staff in some network control functions will strike at the weekend, before most services are halted when signallers and station staff strike on alternate days next week.

The TSSA union is also intending to ballot for strike action, although the Aslef drivers’ union has accepted TfL’s offer of a 5% annual pay increase for 2023. Tube workers received an 8.4% pay rise in 2022 as part of a four-year index-linked deal struck before inflation soared.

Glynn Barton, TfL’s chief operating officer, said: “We are disappointed that RMT is planning strike action in response to our offer of a 5% pay increase.

“We have been clear throughout our productive discussions with our trade unions that this offer is the most we can afford while ensuring that we can operate safely, reliably and sustainably. We encourage the RMT to engage with us to avoid disruption for Londoners. We would like to advise anyone travelling during the strike days to check before they travel.”

The RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch, said tube workers were not going to accept poor offers and the “continual undermining of conditions”.

One of the RMT’s demands is the restoration of heavily discounted train travel on national rail services used to get to work – which has not been offered to new staff since 1996. Staff and one family member are given free travel across TfL services.

Lynch added: “The refusal of TfL to restore staff travel facilities and create a two-tier workforce is also unacceptable. Our members have made it clear that they are prepared to take action and we urge TfL to enter into meaningful conciliatory talks to avert disruption in the capital.”

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The previous two threatened tube strikes in the capital in 2023 were called off after progress in talks. However, there appears to be less headway for negotiation this time.

Should the strikes go ahead, London Overground and Elizabeth line trains will run but may be extremely crowded and affected at stations shared with underground lines. Buses are likely to be busier and slower because of greater road congestion.

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Train strikes have begun: Here’s everything you need to know about April disruption

By: Guy Taylor

A major round of industrial action has begun and will cause disruption on National Rail services over the next month, as train drivers strike in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Members of the Aslef union are launching walk-outs at 16 major rail operators all across the UK. Union members will also refuse to work overtime on certain dates. Full-scale strikes began today and are impacting services at Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, CrossCountry and West Midlands Trains.

Two 24-hour rolling Tube strikes set to hit the London Underground in April and May, also from Aslef, were cancelled on Thursday after Transport for London (TfL) reached a late agreement with union officials.

However in a seperate announcement, Aslef revealed that its members at LNER, which operates on the East Coast Mainline to and from London, would strike on Saturday April 20 and refuse to work overtime from Friday April 19 to April 21.

Passengers have been advised to check the National Rail website for up-to-date information before they travel.

It comes over a year and a half into the national dispute, which began in June 2022 when the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union staged the first set of train strikes.

When are the national train strike dates?

Train drivers at 16 rail companies will launch strikes on Friday 5, Saturday 6 and Monday 8 April, Aslef has said.

The union is also planning a six-day overtime ban between Thursday 4 and Saturday 6 April, and Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 April. During the overtime ban, timetables may be reduced, with services subject to cancellations at short notice.

Rail operator’s affected by the national strike action are as follows:

Friday 5 April : Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, and CrossCountry.

Saturday 6 April : Chiltern, GWR, LNER, Northern, and TransPennine Trains.

Monday 8 April : Greater Anglia, c2c, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway main line and SWR Island Line.

Saturday 20 April : LNER, with overtime bans between April 19 and April 21.

When are the Tube strike dates?

Two 24 hour strikes by Aslef tube drivers are planned on Monday 8 April and Saturday 4 May.

It comes after Khan drummed up £30m of public cash to stop separate RMT tube workers launching a weeks worth of action in January.

Why are strikes happening?

Broadly, unions are seeking better pay and working conditions for their members amid inflation and other daily cost pressures.

They are also infuriated by new minimum service legislation, which enforces train companies have enough staff to run 40 per cent of services during walk-outs. In April 2023, Aslef’s executive committee rejected a 4 per cent pay rise for two consecutive years.

Since then, union bosses have accused the transport ministers Mark Harper and Huw Merriman of failing to come to the negotiating table. Talks between Aslef’s general secretary Mick Whelan and the government have been non-existent since December 2022.

The dispute is made more complex by the dire financial state of Britain’s train operators, represented by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), who have struggled to recover financially since the pandemic wiped out passenger numbers.

The network has been plagued by delays and cancellations, such that Transpennine Express had its contract stripped in May 2023. To cope, the government has quietly brought many more operators under the control of the state, a process which was accelerated after emergency contracts were brought in to stabilise the rail industry during the pandemic.

Close to 40 per cent of mainline travel in Britain is now by state-run trains, per analysis by the Financial Times.

“Nobody wins when industrial action impacts people’s lives and livelihoods, and we will work hard to minimise any disruption to our passengers,” a spokesperson for the RDG said.

“We want to resolve this dispute, but the Aslef leadership need to recognise that hard-pressed taxpayers are continuing to contribute an extra £54m a week just to keep services running post-Covid.

“We continue to seek an agreement with the Aslef leadership and remain open to talks to find a solution to this dispute.”

Aslef’s Mick Whelan said: “Those votes show a clear rejection by train drivers of the ridiculous offer put to us in April last year by the RDG, which knew that offer would be rejected because a land grab for all the terms and conditions we have negotiated over the years would never be accepted by our members.”

“Drivers wouldn’t vote for industrial action, again and again and again, if they thought that was a good offer. That offer was dead in the water in April last year and Mark Harper knows that.”

A Department for Transport spokesman said: “Aslef is the only rail union continuing to strike, targeting passengers and preventing their own members from voting on the pay offer that remains on the table.

“Having resolved disputes with all other rail unions, the transport secretary and rail minister have ensured that a pay offer is on the table, taking train drivers’ average salaries from £60,000 up to £65,000.”

Rail workers pay

Median annual pay for train and tram drivers is about £60,000, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

ONS figures show average salaries across the rail sector were £45,919 in 2022.

Tube drivers earn a base salary of around £58,000. However, under a rare type of pension scheme, they can earn a significant amount more.

A 21-year-old train operator working until the age of 65 would build a pension of around £42,500 per year, without any pay rises, according to AJ Bell analysis.

Strikes have a devastating impact on both the railway’s and a range of different sectors, particularly hospitality.

City A.M. reported in October that industrial action had wiped £716m off the sector’s already struggling finances.

Taxpayers are increasingly being forced to foot the bill to keep the struggling rail industry afloat amid disruption and lower passenger numbers, to the tune of almost £200m each month.

UKHospitality, the trade body representing the hospitality sector, estimates the cost for its pubs, clubs and restarants has reached nearly £5bn.

This article will be updated as new details emerge.

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Train strikes in April and May 2024: Full list of dates and lines affected

Overtime bans, an action short of a strike, also mean some services may not be running or may be reduced as drivers refuse to work their rest days.

Saturday 6 April 2024 08:45, UK

Drivers at 16 rail companies have started a fresh wave of strikes, plus overtime bans, causing disruption to the rail network.

The strikes are part of a long-running dispute over pay and will take place across April and May.

Tube strikes planned for April and May have been called off.

In an "entirely separate dispute", ASLEF members will also strike and refuse to do overtime at LNER on specific dates in April "because of the company's failure to adhere to the agreed bargaining machinery", the union said.

LNER's alleged failure to adhere to bargaining machinery refers to it using managers to drive trains on strike days.

People are advised to check before they travel.

Here's what's happening when:

Rail strike dates

Friday 5 April

Strikes will affect Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, and CrossCountry.

Saturday 6 April

Strikes will affect Chiltern, GWR, LNER, Northern, and TransPennine Trains.

Monday 8 April

Strikes will affect Greater Anglia, c2c, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway main line and depot drivers, and SWR Island Line.

Overtime ban dates

Thursday 4 April

Tuesday 9 April

People are advised to check before they travel, as some areas may have no service.

LNER action dates

Members will strike on Saturday 20 April and refuse to work non-contractual overtime from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 April .

Why are the strikes happening?

ASLEF says the LNER strikes are because of "the company's persistent failure to comply with existing agreements".

Nigel Roebuck, an ASLEF organiser in the northeast, said the operator had been trying to get "every driver manager and driver instructor to work on strike days".

A spokesperson said: "LNER has used managers - paid £500 a shift - to drive trains on strike days and, after the expiry of the last non-contractual overtime agreement, on most days of the week now.

"There is no agreement in place for management to drive services on mainline infrastructure.

"It results in branch line services - such as Lincoln, Skipton, and Harrogate - being cancelled because of a lack of route knowledge and means virtually no driver training is being done."

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Mick Whelan, ASLEF general secretary, said of the rail strikes : "Last month, when we announced renewed mandates for industrial action, because under the Tories' draconian anti-union laws we have to ballot our members every six months, we called on the train companies, and the government, to come to the table for meaningful talks to negotiate a new pay deal for train drivers who have not had an increase in salary since 2019.

"Our members voted overwhelmingly - yet again - for strike action."

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A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: "Nobody wins when industrial action impacts people's lives and livelihoods, and we will work hard to minimise any disruption to our passengers.

"We want to resolve this dispute, but the ASLEF leadership need to recognise that hard-pressed taxpayers are continuing to contribute an extra £54m a week just to keep services running post-COVID.

"We continue to seek an agreement with the ASLEF leadership and remain open to talks to find a solution to this dispute."

When the strikes on the London Underground were announced, Finn Brennan, ASLEF's full-time organiser on the network, said in a statement: "ASLEF Tube train drivers will strike in April and May in a long-running dispute over London Underground's failure to give assurances that changes to our members' terms and conditions will not be imposed without agreement and that all existing agreements will be honoured.

"Despite a previous commitment to withdraw plans for massive changes to drivers' working conditions, London Underground management has established a full-time team of managers preparing to impose their plans.

Sadiq Khan said they had been called off after "talking and engaging with transport staff and trade unions rather than working against them".

Related Topics

• London Underground
• Rail strikes

April train strikes 2024: How will Sunday’s train drivers’ walk-out hit passengers?

N ational rail strikes by train drivers have entered their 22nd month with a series of “rolling” walk-outs, one region at a time, planned for early April.

Members of the Aslef union will halt thousands of trains on 5, 6 and 8 April. The aim is to disrupt services on the 14 rail firms in England that are controlled by the UK government and represented by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG). Rolling strikes cause maximum disruption for minimum loss of pay.

In addition, five days of overtime bans will cause further cancellations.

The previous national industrial action by train drivers, comprising an overtime ban and rolling regional walk-outs, hit for nine days from 29 January to 6 February .

Industrial action by Aslef in a dispute over pay and working arrangements began in July 2022. The union is demanding a no-strings pay award, but rail firms – directed by ministers – say any increase is contingent on radical reforms to working practices in order to reduce public subsidies.

During the dispute, hundreds of millions of journeys have been cancelled. Billions of pounds have been lost to the UK economy – particularly hospitality businesses – and taxpayers are pumping cash into an increasingly decrepit and unreliable railway to the tune of £90 per second on top of the normal subsidy.

The quarrel has become increasingly bitter, with no sign of any progress towards a settlement.

Caught in the middle of a seemingly intractable dispute: the passenger. In a snap social media poll for The Independent that garnered 2,142 responses, one in three passengers say they will permanently travel less after the industrial action finally ends.

In addition to the latest walk-outs by rail workers, commuters in the capital were fearing two days of strikes by Aslef members who drive trains for the London Underground . But days before the first planned walk-out, the action was called off .

However, Aslef has called an additional strike and overtime ban at the UK’s flagship train operator, LNER, for later in April.

For passengers, these are the key questions and answers.

Which rail firms are involved?

Aslef is in dispute with the 14 train operators that are contracted by the UK government to provide rail services. They are:

Intercity operators:

Avanti West Coast

CrossCountry

East Midlands Railway

Great Western Railway ( GWR )

TransPennine Express

Southeast England commuter operators:

Greater Anglia

GTR (Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern, Thameslink)

Southeastern

South Western Railway (including the Island Line on the Isle of Wight)

Operators focusing on the Midlands and north of England:

Chiltern Railways

Northern Trains

West Midlands Railway (including London Northwestern Railway)

When are the train drivers walking out?

Drivers belonging to the Aslef union will strike in the following pattern:

Friday 5 April

Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Railway and CrossCountry. The aim is to cause maximum disruption on key intercity lines as well as Midland commuter services.

To further complicate matters, commuters on the Great Western line have faced rush hour travel disruption after a freight train derailed between Reading and London Paddington , with some services cancelled and the remainder delayed.

Saturday 6 April

Chiltern, GWR, LNER, Northern and TransPennine Express. This strike is designed to hit rail passengers in the north and west of England, as well as the day’s football programme. In the Premier League, it will hit Newcastle fans travelling to Fulham in London.

Monday 8 April

C2C, Greater Anglia, Great Northern, Thameslink, Southeastern, Southern, Gatwick Express, South Western Railway. This will hit London particularly hard, with almost all Tube services brought to a halt by the London Underground walkout by Aslef members.

What are the predicted effects at each operator?

The Night Riviera sleeper train and the Gatwick Express will be cancelled throughout the industrial action period.

For other operators, these are the likely service patterns .

The four train operators – Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Railway and CrossCountry – cancelled all services on the day.

“Avanti West Coast services on the days either side of the strike will also be affected,” the West Coast main line operator said.

Chiltern Railways warned people who are thinking of switching to its London-Birmingham service: “Essential travel only, due to strike action on other operators.”

Chiltern, Northern and TransPennine Express have cancelled all services.

LNER is running a skeleton service on core lines between around 7am and 7pm. Its main Edinburgh-Newcastle-York-London line will have at least one train an hour, with some additional trains on the southern part of the network.

GWR will run no long-distance trains, but will connect Reading with Oxford and Basingstoke, as well as a link from Bristol to Cardiff and some branch routes in Devon and Cornwall.

CrossCountry is not on strike but warns its services are expected to be extremely busy, and urges prospective passengers: “Please only travel if essential.”

Sunday 7 April

Although no industrial action is taking place, planned Network Rail engineering projects will hamper many passengers hoping to travel on the Sunday to dodge the strikes.

Avanti West Coast says: “No trains will serve Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Glasgow Central, Haymarket or Edinburgh, and only a limited number of services will serve Lancaster and Oxenholme. All remaining trains will start / terminate at Preston.”

Northern will run rail replacement buses between Halifax and Huddersfield.

The CrossCountry line between Derby and Burton-on-Trent is closed all weekend, with rail replacement buses and train diversions.

Greater Anglia will run to and from London Liverpool Street to Stansted airport, Southend, Colchester, Ipswich and Norwich.

Southern will run a shuttle service between London Victoria and Gatwick airport.

Thameslink will run a shuttle service between London St Pancras and Luton (town and airport stations).

Great Northern will run a shuttle service between London King’s Cross and Cambridge.

South Western Railway will run between London Waterloo, Woking and Guildford, with some other suburban services likely.

Southeastern is urging passengers not to travel, but will run services between London St Pancras and Ashford on the high-speed line; Charing Cross and Orpington; and London Bridge and Dartford.

C2C has cancelled all services.

What about the overtime ban?

Members are also refusing to work their rest days from Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 April and from Monday 8 to Tuesday 9 April. As many rail firms depend on drivers working overtime, hundreds – possibly thousands – of trains will be cancelled.

Avanti West Coast and West Midlands Railway have already said a reduced timetable will run on each day of the strike ban.

GWR says the overtime ban “is likely to cause some short-notice alterations and cancellations, especially at weekends or late at night”.

Which rail firms are not involved?

Some publicly funded train operators will run normally: ScotRail, Transport for Wales, Transport for London (including the Elizabeth line) and Merseyrail.

“Open-access” operators on the East Coast main line – Grand Central, Hull Trains and Lumo – are unaffected. But many of their services will be crowded on days of industrial action. They duplicate journeys of strike-hit companies, including LNER, TransPennine Express, CrossCountry and Northern.

What is at stake in the dispute?

The train drivers demand a pay rise to reflect high levels of inflation since they last won a pay award; Aslef says some members have not had an increase for five years.

But the government insists that even a modest pay increase is contingent on radical changes to long-standing working arrangements in order to reduce costs – and the huge subsidies the railway is currently receiving from the taxpayer.

Since the pandemic, travel patterns have changed. Ticket revenue is about one-fifth down on pre-Covid levels. As taxpayers will foot the eventual bill for the train drivers’ pay rise, the Treasury as well as the Department for Transport will sign off any deal.

Ministers believe train drivers’ terms and conditions are part of the problem. To keep costs down, they must accept changes to how they work, such as making Sunday part of the working week everywhere.

On 27 April 2023 the Rail Delivery Group offered a pay increase of 4 plus 4 per cent over two years covering the 2022 and 2023 pay awards – subject to a host of changes on terms and conditions, covering a wide range of issues including driver training, Sunday working, sick pay and new technology.

The union say this is completely unacceptable. The train drivers will negotiate on changes, but only after they get a decent no-strings pay offer on top of their current pay.

They believe the money will be found to meet their demands, as it always has been in the past. Aslef has also always “sold” reforms to working arrangements for an extra few per cent on their pay and does intend to change that process.

Meanwhile, the corrosion in confidence among travellers continues, with no rail passenger able to plan journeys more than two weeks ahead – that being the minimum notice the union must give for industrial action.

What does the union say?

The general secretary of Aslef, Mick Whelan, said: “Our members voted overwhelmingly – yet again – for strike action. Those votes show – yet again – a clear rejection by train drivers of the ridiculous offer put to us in April last year by the Rail Delivery Group which knew that offer would be rejected because a land grab for all the terms and conditions we have negotiated over the years would never be accepted by our members.

“Since then train drivers have voted, time and again, to take action in pursuit of a pay rise. That’s why Mark Harper, the transport secretary, is being disingenuous when he says that offer should have been put to members. Drivers wouldn’t vote for industrial action, again and again and again, if they thought that was a good offer. They don’t. That offer was dead in the water in April last year – and Mr Harper knows that.

“We asked Mr Harper, or his deputy, the rail minister Huw Merriman, to come and meet us. We asked the RDG and the TOCs to come and talk to us. We said, ‘Let’s sit around the table and negotiate.’ Because you say you don’t want any more industrial action, and we don’t want to disrupt the rail network. But the Tories and the TOCs [train operating companies] have given us no choice.

“We have given the government every opportunity to come to the table but it is now clear they do not want to resolve this dispute. They are happy for it go on and on. Because we are not going to give up.

“Many members have now not had a single penny increase in pay for half a decade.”

What do the employers and government say?

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Aslef is the only rail union continuing to strike, targeting passengers and preventing their own members from voting on the pay offer that remains on the table.

“Having resolved disputes with all other rail unions, the Transport Secretary and Rail Minister have ensured that a pay offer is on the table – taking train drivers’ average salaries from £60,000 up to £65,000.”

A spokesperson for Rail Delivery Group, representing the train operators, said: “Nobody wins when industrial action impacts people’s lives and livelihoods, and we will work hard to minimise any disruption to our passengers.

“We want to resolve this dispute, but the Aslef leadership need to recognise that hard-pressed taxpayers are continuing to contribute an extra £54 million a week just to keep services running post-Covid.

“We continue to seek an agreement with the Aslef leadership and remain open to talks to find a solution to this dispute.”

What does the Labour Party say?

Louise Haigh, Labour’s shadow transport secretary, said: “It is a staggering dereliction of duty that the transport secretary hasn’t got around the table with the unions to try to resolve it since the Christmas before last.

“Labour will take an unashamedly different approach to the Tories, and will work with both sides to reach a deal in the interests of passengers and workers. If the transport secretary took this sensible approach then perhaps we wouldn’t still be having strikes on our railways.”

How much has all the disruption cost?

According to the RDG, industrial action from June 2022 up until mid-January 2024 cost the rail sector around £775m in lost revenue. That does not include the impact of the most recent strikes and overtime bans, which probably add a further £100m to the losses.

UKHospitality estimates the lost business for places to eat, drink and stay amounts to almost £5 billion. Kate Nicholls, the organisation’s chief executive, says: “Ongoing strike action hurts businesses, prevents people from getting to work and significantly erodes confidence in the rail network.”

In addition, there is an unknowable loss of revenue from passengers who have adjusted their lifestyles or found alternative forms of transport; businesses that have stopped making trips and are using online communication instead; and people trimming back on travel because of the lack of certainty.

What about the new minimum service levels law?

Legislation now allows the transport secretary to stipulate minimum service levels (MSLs) on strike days amounting to 40 per cent of the normal service. The government says the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 aims “to ensure that the public can continue to access services that they rely on, during strike action”.

No train operator is seeking to impose the new law on the train drivers’ union. LNER said it might do so earlier this year, and opened consultations. Aslef immediately called a separate five-day strike on LNER alone. Then the train operator said it would not require drivers to work, and the strike was called off.

The Transport Select Committee has previously warned of potential unintended consequences of the legislation. The Conservative chair, Iain Stewart, said: “There is a risk of MSLs worsening worker-employer relations and that, as a result, MSLs could end up making services less reliable.”

The minimum service level rules do not apply to union bans on non-contractual rest-day working – so there would be no benefit in imposing the law when an overtime ban is in force.

What is the LNER-specific dispute about?

On Friday 19 and Sunday 21 April, Aslef members working for Aslef will refuse overtime. On Saturday 20 April, they will strike. The union has accused the rail firm of acting in bad faith. Nigel Roebuck, full-time organiser in the northeast of England, accused ministers of “leaning on the company to persuade every driver manager and driver instructor to work on strike days; effectively to provide a minimum service level without invoking the legislation”.

The Department for Transport for a response.

An LNER spokesperson said: “Our priority focus remains on minimising disruption to customers. We continue to encourage Aslef to work with us to find a way to end this long running dispute.”

Some cancellations are likely on 19 April, and many more on 20 and 21 April.

Anything else on the strike agenda?

Members of the main rail union, the RMT, who work for CrossCountry are striking on Saturday 13 April in a dispute over recognition.

The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking news brand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. We have grown a huge, global readership of independently minded individuals, who value our trusted voice and commitment to positive change. Our mission, making change happen, has never been as important as it is today.

Arkansas governor issues state of emergency due to travel impacts for Great American Eclipse

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KY3) - Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has issued a state of emergency for the state leading up to Monday’s eclipse.

On Friday, Gov. Sanders directed the release of funds for the Response and Recovery Fund ahead of the eclipse.

“This will assist commercial carriers transporting essential items to customers in Arkansas during the eclipse. We want to make sure Arkansans and all visitors have an enjoyable experience and come back again and again,” Sanders said in a statement.

Sanders says the influx of out-of-state travelers may create dangers and hardships throughout the state in anticipation of, and following, this event. Sanders says these circumstances warranted the execution.

“I hereby declare that a state of emergency exists with respect to commercial carriers transporting essential items of commerce to customers in Arkansas during this emergency, including but not limited to groceries, pharmacy items, medical equipment, goods, commodities, fuel, poultry, livestock, and feed,” the declaration states.

Gov. Sanders directed $100,000 to be used at the discretion of the Director of the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management to defray both program and administrative costs.

The state of emergency will remain in effect until April 10, 2024.

To report a correction or typo, please email [email protected]

Copyright 2024 KY3. All rights reserved.

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• International

Devastation in Gaza as Israel wages war on Hamas

By Heather Chen , Sophie Tanno, Adrienne Vogt , Tori B. Powell and Matt Meyer , CNN

Hamas delegation will travel to Cairo Sunday to reinforce previous demands in hostage-ceasefire talks

From CNN's Sarah El Sirgany and Niamh Kennedy

A Hamas delegation said it will reiterate its previous demands when it travels to Cairo on Sunday for further negotiations on the release of hostages in return for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The delegation, headed by senior Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya, will "stick to the stance presented on March 14," the group said in a statement published Saturday. 

These demands include, according to the statement:

• a call for a permanent ceasefire
• a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza
• the return of internally displaced Palestinians to their homes
• the free movement of people throughout the enclave
• a "proper" prisoner-hostage swap deal

Hamas turned down Israel’s latest counterproposal from earlier this week, a diplomat familiar with the discussions said Friday.

Israel’s top political and military officials have previously called Hamas’ demands “delusional” and stated that the elimination of the group remains the permanent goal of the Gaza offensive.

It comes as two sources told CNN Friday that the CIA director and the heads of Israel's intelligence agencies will also head to Egypt this weekend for talks. CIA Director Bill Burns, Israel’s Mossad Director David Barnea and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar all attended the previous round of talks with mediators in Doha, Qatar, which failed to yield a significant breakthrough. 

CNN’s Michael Callahan, Eugenia Ugrinovich, Mostafa Salem and Becky Anderson contributed previous reporting to this post.

Top Iranian general vows Israeli strike "won't remain unanswered" as he attends funeral for commander

From CNN's Niamh Kennedy

The top Iranian general attended the funeral procession of military officer Mohammed Reza Zahedi on Saturday, vowing Iran will respond to the strike on its embassy consulate in Damascus that killed killed top figures from its Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Iran has pinned the blame for the attack on Israel, and Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri said Saturday that it "won’t remain unanswered” by Iran, according to Iran's semi-official news outlet Tasnim.

Bagheri, who is the country's highest ranking military commander, said it will be up to Iran to decide how and when to respond to attack, according to the Tasnim report. 

He also issued a warning to the US, saying the "main responsibility" for the Damascus attack lies with the US, according to Tasnim.

Bagheri's remarks on Saturday were heard by a huge crowd gathered in the western city of Isfahan for Zahedi's funeral procession. Video from news agencies and state media shows mourners thronging the streets to catch a glimpse of the officer's coffin, which travelled in a highly-decorated open cortege. 

Many mourners could be seen waving Iranian and Palestinian flags.

Some context: Israel has intensified its military campaign against both Iran and its proxy groups in the region  since the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, which is backed by Tehran, and the subsequent war in Gaza.

The US is on high alert and actively preparing for a “significant” attack that could come as soon as within the next week by Iran targeting Israeli or American assets in retaliation for the Damascus strike, a senior administration official told CNN on Friday.

Gunfire and explosions heard near the Erez crossing ahead of anticipated reopening

The sound of fighting can be heard near the Erez land crossing on Saturday, according to a CNN team on the ground, as Israel prepares to reopen the crossing for the first time since Hamas' October 7 attacks.

CNN's Nic Robertson reported near the border between Israel and northern Gaza, saying Israel Defense Forces troops had moved the team from another location, where they said CNN could not broadcast.

"It's still a tense situation around here," Robertson said. "We can hear gunfire from the other side of the border." "That's Gaza on the hilltop behind me there," he continued. "You can hear explosions still."

Israel's decision to allow aid deliveries through the Erez crossing came shortly after US President Joe Biden pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do more to address the spiraling humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

But Robertson said it remains difficult to imagine aid trucks rolling safely through Erez while the sounds of fighting remain so close by.

Watch Robertson's report below:

Body of Israeli hostage returned to family after being rescued overnight, Israel says 

From CNN's Eugenia Ugrinovich and Radina Gigova

The body of an Israeli hostage, who was killed while held captive by the terrorist group Islamic Jihad, has been returned to the family, the Israeli military said Saturday. 

The body of Elad Katzir was rescued overnight from the city of Khan Younis in Gaza and returned to his family in Israel following identification procedures, according to a joint statement by the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli Security Agency. 

Katzir was abducted by Islamic Jihad from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the attacks on October 7, according to the statement. His mother, Hanna, was also abducted by the terrorist group and released on November 24 as part of the agreement for the release of hostages. His father, Avraham, was killed in the kibbutz, the statement said. 

"We received bad news. Elad was brought to Israel tonight (last night), after he was murdered in captivity," Katzir's sister Carmit said in a Facebook post Saturday. "This is not how your story and ours should have ended. Sorry we couldn't save you."

She also lashed out at the Israeli leadershi, saying they did not do enough to bring the hostages home. 

"He could have been saved if a deal had been made in time. Our leadership is cowardly and driven by political considerations and that is why it did not happen," she said. 

Following Katzir's return, a total of 133 hostages remain held in Gaza, according to Israeli authorities. Of that number, 129 hostages are from the October 7 attack, and 99 of them are believed to be alive.

Report: Israeli doctor describes "deplorable" conditions and "routine" amputations for Palestinian detainees

From CNN's Lauren Kent

A doctor at a field hospital for detained Palestinians at Israel's Sde Teiman army base has described "deplorable" conditions , with amputations being carried out on prisoners with handcuff injuries on a "routine" basis, according to an exclusive report from the newspaper  Haaretz . 

In a letter to Israel's attorney general and defense and health ministers obtained by Haaretz, the doctor said the conditions at Sde Teiman field hospital compromise inmates' health and violate medical ethics. 

Haaretz reported that the doctor said "inmates are fed through straws, defecate in diapers and are held (in) constant restraints, which violate medical ethics and the law."

"Just this week, two prisoners had their legs amputated due to handcuff injuries, which unfortunately is a routine event," the doctor said in the letter. It is not clear when they wrote the letter.

CNN spoke to a source who has a medical background and previously visited the Sde Teiman field hospital. They confirmed seeing detainees held in constant restraints.

In a written statement to CNN responding to the claims, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said: "The IDF operates according to the law and within the framework of the law when it comes to the treatment of detainees. Every procedure is documented and supervised, and is done with extreme care for the human dignity of the detainees, in accordance with the principles of Israeli and international law."

Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi joins calls to halt US arms sales to Israel

From CNN's Sophie Tanno

Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has joined House Democrat calls to halt US arms sales to Israel, citing the recent strike against aid workers and the spiraling humanitarian situation.

In a letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Pelosi and dozens of other congressional Democrats expressed their "shared concern and outrage" over the Israeli airstrike that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers.

"In light of this incident, we strongly urge you to reconsider your recent decision to authorize the transfer of a new arms package to Israel, and to withhold this and any future offensive arms transfers until a full investigation into the airstrike is completed," it reads.

The letter acknowledges the Biden administration's recent efforts to increase the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza, but warns they are not sufficient to meet the needs of civilians on the ground.

US Sen. Bernie Sanders has also been calling for a halt in military aid.

“The bottom line is, we are looking at one of the worst humanitarian disasters we’ve seen in a very long time," he told CNN's The Lead. “To my mind, Israel should not be getting another nickel in military aid until these policies are fundamentally changed."

Australia says it hasn't received "sufficient information" on death of aid worker despite Israeli probe

From CNN's Angus Watson in Sydney 

Australia has "not yet received sufficient information" about the death of citizen Laizawmi "Zomi" Frankcom, its foreign ministry said, after she was killed along with six other aid workers from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) non-profit in an Israeli military strike.

Speaking during a press briefing in Adelaide, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she had conveyed the message during a verbal briefing with Israel, in which she told them: "We have not yet received sufficient information to satisfy our expectations."

Frankcom and the other workers were killed in an Israeli military strike in Gaza on Monday. She had worked with WCK since 2019, most recently as a senior manager of its operations in Asia.

"This is someone who volunteered in Australia to help people during the bush fires. This is someone who was volunteering overseas to provide aid through this charity for people who are suffering tremendous deprivation in Gaza," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

Wong said she had written to Israeli counterparts following the deaths this week to reiterate expectations about consequences for those who carried out the strikes.

More background: Israel said it made a "grave mistake" in its preliminary findings over the incident, and fired two senior officers.

But the WCK and some Western leaders have called for an independent, third-party investigation into the strike, and the Palestinian ambassador to the UN has  accused Israel  of deliberately targeting the workers.

US preparing for significant Iran attack on US or Israeli assets in the region as soon as next week

From CNN's MJ Lee and Jennifer Hansler

The US is on high alert and actively preparing for a “significant” attack that could come as soon as within the next week by Iran targeting Israeli or American assets in the region  in response to Monday’s Israeli strike in Damascus that killed top Iranian commanders, a senior administration official tells CNN.

Senior US officials currently believe that an attack by Iran is “inevitable” – a view shared by their Israeli counterparts, that official said.

The two governments are working to get in position ahead of what is to come, as they anticipate that Iran’s attack could unfold in a number of different ways – and that both US and Israeli assets and personnel are at risk of being targeted.

A forthcoming Iranian attack was a major topic of discussion on President Joe Biden’s phone  call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu  on Thursday. As of Friday, the two governments did not know when or how Iran planned to strike back, the official said.

A direct strike on Israel by Iran is one of the worst-case scenarios that the Biden administration is bracing for, as it would guarantee rapid escalation of an already tumultuous situation in the Middle East. Such a strike could lead to the Israel-Hamas war broadening into a wider, regional conflict – something Biden has long sought to avoid.

US reviewing Israel's report on airstrike that killed 7 aid workers. Here's what you should know

From CNN staff

The US received  Israel’s report on the deadly strike  on a World Central Kitchen (WCK) convoy in Gaza and is “ reviewing it very carefully ,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday.

There are "no plans" for the US to conduct an independent or separate investigation, according to National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby.

The Israel Defense Forces fired two of its officers and reprimanded others for their involvement in the strikes, but the WCK charity said Israel could not be trusted to investigate its own errors in Gaza.

Here are other headlines you should know:

• More on the WCK convoy attack: UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that while Israel had admitted mistakes  in the killing of the WCK workers, there must be independent investigations and “meaningful” change on the ground. John Kelly, the appointed US representative to the UN, also highlighted the urgent need to protect humanitarian personnel in conflict zones. And the Palestinian ambassador to the UN accused Israel of deliberately targeting the  WCK staff . "It took the deaths of foreigners" for the international community to acknowledge the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza over the past 180 days, Ambassador Riyad Mansour said.
• Humanitarian crisis: The International Rescue Committee has  issued a warning about the grim situation facing pregnant women and mothers in Gaza. These vulnerable groups are struggling to survive, confronting acute shortages of food, water, and medical care, along with the looming threat of famine, it said. Amid the crisis, the World Health Organization said it completed a “ highly complex mission ” delivering medical aid to hospitals in northern Gaza on Thursday.
• Potential Iranian attack: The US is on high alert and actively preparing for a “significant” attack that could come as soon as within the next week by Iran targeting Israeli or American assets in the region  in response to Monday’s Israeli strike in Damascus  that killed top Iranian commanders, a senior administration official told CNN. The United States has warned Iran not to use the Israeli strike as “a pretext to attack US personnel and facilities."
• Pressure on Israel: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged Israel’s government to “ quickly implement ” its plans to  reopen the Erez land crossing  and port of Ashdod to allow more aid into Gaza, saying there are “no more excuses.” And Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told CNN of the “frustration” felt within NATO that Israel is “ going too far ” in Gaza after  this week's attack  on a WCK aid workers.
• AI in war: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed concerns over  reports of  Israel's use of artificial intelligence during its war in Gaza.

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The Best Photos of the British Royal Family on Easter 2024

King Charles and Queen Camilla were joined by a small group of Windsors at church today.

Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

While it's unclear whether or not the modern day Windsors participate in an Easter egg hunt on the grounds of the estate, royals of centuries past have enjoyed the tradition; In 1833, 14-year-old Princess Victoria (the future Queen Victoria), wrote in a letter , "Mama did some pretty painted & ornamented eggs, & we looked for them." Years later, she and her husband Prince Albert continued this tradition for their children; in a journal entry in 1869, Queen Victoria wrote , "After breakfast, the children, as usual on this day looked for Easter eggs."

This year's Easter gathering will look different from previous years , as Prince William and Kate Middleton won't be in attendance with their children following the news of Kate's cancer diagnosis , and due to King Charles's cancer diagnosis, it was a much smaller group.

Here, see all the best photos of King Charles, Queen Camilla, and the rest of the royal family in Windsor on Easter 2024:

King Charles and Queen Camilla appeared to be in good spirits as they arrived at the Easter Mattins Service.

Queen Camilla opted for a green dress and matching hat.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh smiled as they arrived at church.

The Duchess looked lovely in purple.

James, Earl of Wessex was the only member of the younger generation of royals in attendance. (He's 16, and the youngest of the late Queen Elizabeth's grandchildren .)

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, hasn't attended the Easter Mattins Service since 1991 , before her divorce from Prince Andrew, but was there today.

Prince Andrew joined his family at church.

Princess Anne waved to the gathered onlookers.

Anne was joined by her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence. Unlike other years, the royals mainly arrived by car this year.

Queen Camilla and King Charles smile as they depart from the service.

The Queen received a festive bouquet on the way out.

The King even greeted well-wishers.

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma , a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram .

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Solar eclipse 2024: Follow the path of totality

Thinking of taking a last-minute drive to see the eclipse here's what to know.

Geoff Brumfiel

RV traffic sits at a standstill along a two-lane road near Madras, Ore., a few days before the 2017 total solar eclipse. Experts say traffic could be heavy, but eclipse watchers shouldn't necessarily be deterred. AFP Contributor/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

RV traffic sits at a standstill along a two-lane road near Madras, Ore., a few days before the 2017 total solar eclipse. Experts say traffic could be heavy, but eclipse watchers shouldn't necessarily be deterred.

NASA says that roughly 31.6 million people live in the path of this year's total solar eclipse, and a little under half of the U.S. population lives within 200 miles driving distance of the path of totality .

That could mean many millions of Americans will hit the road to get a better view on April 8. If you're still pondering whether or not you want to make the journey, here's what to consider.

Have some destinations in mind, and check the weather and cloud cover forecasts in advance

It's a good idea to scout out one or more locations within driving distance, so that you have some flexibility if traffic or weather is threatening your plans, says Jonathan Upchurch, a professor emeritus of civil engineering at Arizona State University who has studied travel around solar eclipses.

There are several interactive tools that show the path of totality, including Eclipse2024.org and the National Solar Observatory . You can use them to figure out what sites might work best for you.

In terms of weather, check not just the weather forecast, but also the cloud cover forecast. Some websites, such as Windy.com will predict cloud cover ahead of time, giving you a sense of whether you'll actually be able to see the eclipse in all its glory.

Everything you need to know about solar eclipse glasses before April 8

During the total solar eclipse in 2017, Upchurch says he chose to go to Idaho "because there were some great chances of having sunny skies, and I had the opportunity to be nimble and relocate if I wanted to."

Before driving into the path of totality, make sure your gas tank is full and that you've got everything you need

During the last total solar eclipse in 2017, it's estimated some 5 million people took to the roads, and those numbers will potentially be much higher this year.

Given all that, Upchurch says it's important to make sure you're taking what you need into the path of totality. You should make sure your car is gassed or charged up, and that you have plenty of snacks and water with you in case you get stranded for a while, especially when trying to leave.

Solar Eclipse 2024: Totality stretches from Texas to Maine

Simple tips to safely photograph the eclipse with your cellphone.

Also don't forget to bring eclipse glasses, which must be worn anytime you're looking at the sun, except for the few minutes when it is completely blocked by the moon.

Some state emergency planners also recommend bringing a paper map or road atlas in case cellular networks become overloaded with visitors seeking directions from their phones.

Don't forget your eclipse glasses everyone! Erika Goldring/FilmMagic hide caption

Don't forget your eclipse glasses everyone!

Arrive early and stay late

Once you figure out where you're going to watch the eclipse, and you've got your supplies, try to get there early. Although traffic is likely to be heavier than normal on the morning of eclipse day, it still should be possible to reach many destinations without too much hassle, says Upchurch.

"Leaving is definitely going to be more of a problem," he says. As the eclipse concludes, people will take to the roads all at once to try and get home as fast as they can. In 2017, that led to traffic jams that lasted many hours in some areas. If possible, Upchurch says, people should stay put for a while to try and avoid the worst of the post-eclipse rush, which in 2017 stretched even into the following day in some parts of the country.

Here's what time the eclipse will be visible in your region

And one more thing: If you do find yourself on the move near the time of the eclipse, state officials stress that you should not simply pull over to the side of the road or highway you're driving on. It's important to be parked legally and safely at the moment of totality.

If you're already in the path of totality: Relax and enjoy!

Several major metropolitan areas including Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Buffalo are already inside the path of totality, so there's no need to seek a better view, Upchurch says. You'll probably have the most fun simply staying where you are.

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If you're on the edge of the path of totality, however, you might consider making a short trip to get closer to the center of the eclipse's path.

"If you're within about 40 miles of the center line, you'll have two-and-a-half minutes or more" of complete totality, Upchurch says. It's up to you to decide whether it's worth making the trip to a more central location.

Despite studying the potential hassles of traveling extensively, Upchurch says he's still looking forward to seeing the 2024 eclipse, which he plans to watch from Texas.

"Totality is absolutely spectacular," he says. "If you have a chance to witness it, I would do it."

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