Tube STRIKE: How to travel through London during the Underground CHAOS

TFL Strike: How to get to work when all 11 Tube lines and 270 London Underground stations are shut?

THE London Underground is shutting down for 24 hours – threatening to cause travel chaos across the capital. Thankfully, there are a few handy tips, tricks and apps that can make your Tube-free journey a little easier.

Thousands of commuters will be either stranded, or squeezed into overcrowded buses as all 11 lines and 270 London Underground stations shut down.

Your smartphone is definitely able to make the stressful-commute a little more bearable – thanks to services like Apple Music and Netflix.

 

CityMapper is rolling out a new Strike Safe section which plans a feasible journey during the strike

 

CityMapper will guide you on unfamiliar routes with directions from your wrist

 

Uber lets you order a taxi – and see an estimated fare – from within its hugely popular mobile app

 

Evening rush hour – from 5pm – in central London during the last strike, according to Uber data

 

Google Maps is available on Android, iOS and online – and now supports live public transport times

But can your tech help you painlessly navigate through a Tube-less capital city? 

NewsNewsBlog.blogspot.com has rounded up some of the most useful apps to help ease the Transport for London strikes.

CityMapper (Free) Online, Android and iOS

Don't panic. There are many many ways to get around this city

CityMapper 'How to Survive the Tube Strike' Guide

 

CityMapper is a hugely successful public transport navigation app.

The popular city route planner has already rolled out a new Strike Safe section to accommodate those travelling in London tomorrow.

Strike Safe will only offer routes unaffected by the strike – plotting your journey via TFL Buses, Overground, DLR, National Rail, Trams and River Buses. 

 

CityMapper also boasts a constant stream of live updates with the latest travel information from around the city.

The iPhone and Android app lets you to set notifications (during rush hour, or throughout the day) for specific routes or Underground lines.

 

"Don't panic," the CityMapper How to Survive the Tube Strike guide reassures commuters.

"There are many many ways to get around this city."

CityMapper – which is available for free in your browser or on Android and iOS – also has a smartwatch companion app for Android Wear and Apple Watch.

The wearable apps will subtly tap you on the wrist to warn you about an upcoming bus or tram stop and will provide walking directions between bus stops.

This feature – which is also available within the fully-featured smartphone app – will be particularly useful for those travelling unfamiliar routes tomorrow.

Uber (Free) Android, iOS and Windows Phone

Popular taxi service Uber says it will “be doing everything possible to help you get where you need to be” during the TFL strike this week.

The US firm is expecting its drivers to be incredibly busy during the strike so suggests Londoners share an Uber to help keep the city moving.

 

“There are a whole three seats going spare if it’s just you and your driver travelling,” the hugely successful company wrote in a blog.

“Organise to share an Uber with a friend or a colleague heading in the same direction – you can split the fare in-app and you’ll be freeing up a car for another commuter. It’s win-win!”

Uber also published a number of heat maps to showcase the busiest areas during the last London Underground strike.

 

For those unfamiliar with Uber – the service allows users to hail and pay for a taxi using only a smartphone app.

Uber drivers can use your smartphone's location data to pick you up.

The service calculates the price of your joinery based on the distance travelled and time spent inside the car.

Every journey is mapped out live on your smartphone – or smartwatch – and Uber even provides statistics, such as average speed, at the end of your trip.

No cash ever changes hands – once you leave the car, the app will take the fare directly from your chosen bank account, or PayPal.

The app even crowdsources feedback for the driver, so you can quickly skim-read previous customers’ experiences before getting in the car.

If the roads are busy, Uber is not likely to be the cheapest option (unless you split a fare) but it might be the best way to avoid the overcrowded buses.

Google Maps (Free) Online, Android and iOS

Chances are, you're already pretty familiar with Google Maps.

But did you know the hugely popular mapping service recently added live transport times? 

Google Maps now keeps you up-to-date with the latest arrival data and cancellation notifications. 

 

The Android and iOS apps also allow users to plan journey using a number of criteria, including the Best Route, Fewest Transfers and Less Walking.

And if the search firm cannot find a viable route using public transport, it will also estimate the cost to complete the journey with an Uber taxi.

Google Transit also offers static public transport timetables within the Maps app, for those who want to plan ahead. 

If you are already familiar with Google Maps and have it installed on your Android or iOS smartphone – the popular app could be the easiest way to check the progress of your nearest double-decker.

 

Maps Product Manager at Google, David Tattersall told NewsNewsBlog.blogspot.com: "We are excited to bring real-time information to all of our Google Maps users, just in time for summer when people across the country rely on buses to get to and from their holiday destinations. 

"We believe that this will give our users more options and save them more time."

Unlike CityMapper - Google has not rolled out an update to help plan routes during the Tube Strike. 

However, remember to simply toggle on the services which are still running (DLR, National Rail, London Overground) in the options menu when planning a route. 

Remember - you can now send any pre-planned direction from your desktop computer to your smartphone before you leave for work.