How to Get Event Guests Home During a London Tube Strike

Last updated: 2 November 2026

If a tube strike falls on the night of your event, the most reliable way to get guests home is to book transport such as coaches, minibuses or minivans that take them directly from the venue to their mainline stations. Plan specific vehicles per departure station, set departure times around guests’ onward train connections, and confirm the vehicles as soon as the strike date is announced.

This applies to event organisers, venue teams and PAs running evening events in central London where most guests use onward travel by National Rail.

Why is a tube strike a problem for evening events?

A tube strike removes the main way guests reach mainline stations from central London venues. Without the Underground, guests have to walk, find a bus, or book a taxi or rideshare service such as Uber at the same time as everyone else leaving events in the area. That usually means long waits, surge prices and guests leaving early to make sure they catch their train.

For the host, the risk is that the room empties before the event has finished.

How often are there tube strikes in London?

In 2026, RMT members who drive London Underground trains held four 24-hour strikes, on 21 and 23 April and on 2 and 4 June. The dispute is over a proposed four day working week for drivers. Strikes planned for March and May were called off, and dates set for 16 and 18 June were moved forward to 2 and 4 June.

On the June strike days, Transport for London said service would be limited before 06:30 and asked passengers to finish their journeys by 21:00. There was no service on the Circle line, the Piccadilly line, the Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate, or the Central line between White City and Liverpool Street. During the April strikes, TfL ran about half of its normal Tube services. The Elizabeth line, London Overground and DLR ran as normal but were busier than usual.

The 21:00 cut-off matters most for evening events. Many evening events run later than that, which leaves guests who rely on the Tube with no easy way to reach their station.

What is the best way to get guests from a venue to mainline stations?

The simplest plan is to coordinate transfers by railway station, so every guest travels direct to their mainline terminal. Work back from guests’ train times to set each departure. If the last useful trains from two stations leave at similar times, those coaches can depart together. If one station’s trains run later, that coach can leave later and give its guests more time at the event.

How much notice do you need to book coaches for a tube strike?

Book as soon as the strike date is confirmed. Coaches can be arranged at short notice, but other organisers and businesses will be looking for vehicles on the same day, so booking early gives you more choice. In the example below, the coaches were booked approximately 24 hours before the first departure.

Transport for London publishes strike dates and the lines affected on the TfL website.

What should a strike day transport plan include?

For each vehicle, the plan should set out the destination, the time it arrives at the venue, the departure time, the vehicle size and how many guests it carries. Vehicles should arrive before their departure time so guests are not left waiting outside the venue.

The plan should also say how guests will find the right vehicle. A sign on each coach with its station name stops guests boarding the wrong one, which matters when several coaches leave from the same location within minutes of each other.

A strike plan works best as part of a wider transport contingency plan. Consider reviewing our complete guide to event group transport to look how to build a transport contingency plan.

When is a coach not the right answer?

If only a handful of guests need help, or they are heading to different parts of London rather than a few mainline stations, pre-booked taxis will usually suit better than coaches. If most guests are going to one station within walking distance, a clear walking route may be enough. Having a coordination partner such as Groupbus is most useful when several vehicles, several destinations and fixed train times all need to line up.

Case Study: 150 guests from The Orangery to three London stations

A tube strike was set for Thursday 4 June 2026, the evening of a client’s corporate event at The Orangery in Kensington Palace Gardens. After the event, 150 guests needed to reach London Waterloo, London Bridge and London Victoria. Transport for London had asked passengers to finish their journeys by 21:00 that day, before the event was due to end.

The client contacted Groupbus on the afternoon of Wednesday 3 June. That afternoon we booked three 53 seat coaches with a London operator from our network, one for each station. All three were confirmed within 15 minutes of each other.

Each coach carried 50 guests. The plan for Thursday 4 June was:

• London Waterloo: coach on site at 21:20, departing at 21:30
• London Bridge: coach on site at 21:20, departing at 21:30
• London Victoria: coach on site at 21:35, departing at 21:45

The Victoria coach left 15 minutes later to match guests’ onward National Rail connections from that station. Each coach arrived 10 minutes before its departure time and carried signage with its station name, so guests could see which one to board.

All three coaches were in place at The Orangery before the event finished. Guests stayed for the whole evening instead of leaving early to beat the strike, and each group of 50 travelled direct to its station in time for the last trains home. Without the Underground, the alternative would have been 150 guests competing for Ubers and taxis across central London at the same time and at risk of missing their final trains home.

If you have an event coming up on a strike day, send us your event details through our quote request form and we will come back with a transport plan. We aim to reply within one hour during business hours.

How does Groupbus manage short notice event transport?

Groupbus is a transport coordinator for events, conferences and transport programmes, based in Birmingham, Groupbus operates UK wide. We source suitable vehicles from our supply chain, and one coordinator owns the transport plan from the first enquiry to the final drop-off.

Our team of coordinators briefs the operator and drivers, tracks journeys in real time and provides 24/7 operational support while journeys run. We cover the UK and Ireland, and in 2026 have delivered conference and event transport programmes in London, Birmingham, York, Glasgow and Belfast. You can read more about our event and conference transport and disruption response transport services here.

Questions to ask before booking strike day transport

1. Which stations do guests need, and roughly how many are going to each?
2. What are the last useful trains from each station, and how long is the drive from the venue at that time of night?
3. Where exactly will each coach drop guests at the station, and how far is that from the train station?
4. Where can the coaches wait at the venue, and does the venue need to approve it?
5. Who do you call on the night if a coach is running late?
6. What happens to the booking if the strike is called off?

Frequently asked questions

When were the tube strikes in 2026?

London Underground drivers in the RMT union held 24-hour strikes on 21 April, 23 April, 2 June and 4 June 2026. Planned strikes in March and May were called off.

What time does the Tube stop on a strike day?

On the June 2026 strike days, Transport for London asked passengers to finish their journeys by 21:00. Some lines had no service at all, so check the TfL website for the lines you need.

Does a tube strike affect coaches?

No. Coaches use the road network, so they keep running during a tube strike. Roads in central London can be busier on strike days, so allow extra time to make your journey.

How many guests fit on one coach?

A 53 seat coach carries up to 53 seated passengers. In the case study above we put 50 guests on each coach.

Can you book coaches the day before a strike?

Yes. In the example above, three coaches were booked on the afternoon before the event and confirmed within 15 minutes of each other. Booking earlier gives you more choice of vehicles and better pricing.

Do you only arrange strike transport in London?

No. Groupbus arranges ground transport across the UK and Ireland.

How quickly will Groupbus reply to an enquiry?

We aim to reply to enquiries within one hour during business hours.

About the author

Tom Bull is the CEO and Founder of Groupbus. Tom has worked in the UK bus and coach industry since 2012 and holds an MBA from Keele University.

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