What every Tube status means

"Good Service" doesn't always mean a good service. "Minor Delays" sometimes mean very major delays. Here's a plain-English guide to what every TfL line status actually translates to on the platform — and what you should do about it.

TfL has a deliberately small vocabulary of line statuses, shown across the Tube map, the live status pages, station boards and apps like ours. The simplicity is intentional: it lets you scan eleven lines in two seconds. The trade-off is that each label covers a wide spread of real situations. This guide unpacks each one.

Good Service

What TfL means: the line is running broadly to timetable. No major incident, no closures, frequencies roughly normal.

What it actually means on the platform: in most cases, exactly that. But "Good Service" is line-wide, not station-specific. A lift outage at your specific station, planned engineering work that doesn't affect train running, or platform overcrowding can all coexist with a "Good Service" badge. Always check the destination of the train as it arrives, in case a particular train is short-formed or out of route.

What to do: proceed as normal. If you're sensitive to overcrowding, peak-hour "Good Service" still means the rush-hour service pattern — which can be its own challenge.

Minor Delays

What TfL means: the line is running, but at a reduced frequency or with longer-than-usual gaps between trains. Could be anything from a signal failure being worked through, to a customer incident, to a previous problem still causing knock-on effects.

What it actually means on the platform: typically an extra 3–8 minutes of waiting beyond your usual gap. The line is functioning, but you may see trains bunched, stopping for longer at platforms, or running out of normal sequence.

What to do: usually fine to continue with your normal plan. If you're heading somewhere time-critical (flight, interview, appointment), allow an extra 10–15 minutes and consider whether an alternative line covers the same route.

Severe Delays

What TfL means: a significant problem is materially affecting service across the line — typically a signal failure, a serious incident, or a fault that's stopped trains running normally over a long section.

What it actually means on the platform: waits of 15+ minutes are realistic, and trains that do arrive will likely be heavily crowded. Sometimes whole sections of the line are running normally while others are suspended — read the detail on the status page, not just the headline.

What to do: seriously consider an alternative route. Most central destinations are reachable by more than one Tube line. Check whether a parallel bus, an Elizabeth line service, a Thameslink train or a National Rail service could get you there faster.

Part Closure

What TfL means: part of the line isn't running, but the rest is. Could be planned engineering work, or an unplanned incident affecting one section.

What it actually means on the platform: trains may terminate short of their normal terminus. You'll likely need to change trains or use a rail replacement bus to complete the journey through the closed section. The status page will list the specific stations involved.

What to do: read the detail. If your journey is wholly within an unaffected section, you may not be affected at all. If it crosses the closed stretch, check whether a different line, an Overground route or a bus alternative is faster than waiting for the replacement.

Suspended

What TfL means: the line — or a section of it — is not running at all. Trains are not in service through the affected area.

What it actually means on the platform: staff will be redirecting passengers to alternatives. Rail replacement buses may be in place for planned engineering closures; for unplanned suspensions, alternatives are typically other Tube lines, Overground services or buses.

What to do: don't enter the station; go to an alternative route. If you're already on a train when a section becomes suspended, you'll be terminated at the next station and may be offered ticket acceptance on other services.

Special Service

What TfL means: the line is running, but with a non-standard service pattern — usually because of a major event, a temporary diversion, or operational testing.

What it actually means on the platform: trains might be running to unusual destinations, calling at fewer stations, or running at a different frequency. Common around big events at Wembley, Stratford, The O2, or major football fixtures.

What to do: check the destination of each train carefully and listen for platform announcements about the special pattern. Don't board the first train without checking — it might not be going where you expect.

Reduced Service

What TfL means: trains are running, but less frequently than the normal timetable would suggest.

What it actually means on the platform: longer waits than usual but the service is structurally fine. Often used for sustained periods of reduced frequency — for example, a temporary staffing reduction, a long-term signalling adjustment, or a longer-than-usual recovery period after an incident.

What to do: add 5–10 minutes to your usual journey time and proceed.

Planned Closure

What TfL means: the line — or a section of it — is closed for engineering, and the closure has been scheduled in advance. Almost always at weekends, sometimes for whole weekends or longer.

What it actually means on the platform: rail replacement buses will be operating, and alternative routes via other lines will be available. Planned closures are typically very well-signed at stations and the affected entrances will be barriered shut.

What to do: plan ahead. TfL publishes planned closures at least a fortnight in advance, and our live status page shows them as they activate. Often an Overground, Elizabeth line or alternative Tube route bypasses the closure entirely.

Service Closed

What TfL means: the line isn't running at all right now — either because of overnight closure, Sunday hours, or a non-operating day (such as Waterloo & City on a Sunday).

What it actually means on the platform: stations on the line will be locked. There are no trains.

What to do: use the Night Tube if it runs on this line at this time (Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria all run Friday and Saturday nights), or take a night bus.

How fast do statuses update?

TfL's status feed updates continuously — typically with new information within a minute or two of a change. Our live status board refreshes every 60 seconds in the background, so you should never be more than a couple of minutes behind the official feed. For arrival predictions at specific stations, our departure boards refresh every 30 seconds.

A word on the asterisk

Line status is line-wide, but real disruption is often localised. A line can be flagged "Good Service" while one platform is closed, one station has a lift out, or one branch is running short trains. Always glance at the per-station departure board if you're heading somewhere sensitive — it will tell you what's actually happening at your specific platform.

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