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How Tube Alerter works

Email and push alerts for the London transport network - built around your actual journey, not generic line-wide noise. Free, no app required, no marketing emails.

Building the most personal way to commute in London - alerts shaped around your journey, not just the network.

11 Tube lines + Overground + Elizabeth + DLR + Tram
Smart Alerts New

Personalised to your actual commute

Set your home and work stations once. We'll know which alerts actually affect your journey and which ones don't - and when a line goes down, we'll suggest a sensible alternative route.

  • Knows the difference between "the Victoria line is delayed" and "the part you take is delayed"
  • When severe, suggests an alternative route with current network state factored in
  • Walks you to a nearby station automatically if yours is closed
See how it works →

Verified alerts, not false alarms

We poll TfL every minute and wait for a confirming second check before sending. Real disruptions reach you in 2-3 minutes; brief flickers are silently ignored.

How alerts work →

Time windows that fit your routine

Any start and end time, multiple windows, any combination of days. Works equally well for 9-to-5 commuters and anyone on irregular hours.

Time windows →

Filter to your section of the line

On long or branching lines, only get alerted when the disruption is between two stations you actually travel through.

Route filtering →

Station closure alerts

Watch up to 5 stations. We'll email you when one closes, even when TfL still shows Good Service on the line.

Station alerts →
📅

Planned closures, weeks ahead

TfL publishes weekend engineering work 3-4 weeks ahead. We email you about closures on lines (and segments) you actually use.

Planned closures →

Step-free / lift alerts

A separate alert flow for step-free access. We watch the lifts at your stations and tell you the moment one fails.

Step-free alerts →
📱

Push notifications, optionally

Prefer browser push to email? Install the lightweight PWA at /app and we'll send the same alerts through your device. No app store.

Push notifications →

Pause when you don't need it

One click pauses alerts for today, 3 days, a week or two. Resume early any time. Designed for holidays, sick days, or working from home.

Customisation →

What we do (and what we don't)

Frequently asked questions

Click any section to expand
Getting Started

What is Tube Alerter?

Tube Alerter sends you alerts by email or push notification when there are disruptions on your chosen Tube or Overground lines, during the times you care about. No app to download, no account to manage.

How do I sign up for alerts?

Visit our main page, select your lines, set your alert window times, and enter your email. You'll receive a confirmation email - click the link to activate your subscription.

Why do I need to confirm my email?

Email confirmation (double opt-in) ensures that only you can sign up your email address. This protects against someone else signing you up without permission and helps our emails reach your inbox rather than spam.

Is the service free?

Yes, completely free. We don't charge for alerts and there are no premium tiers.

How alerts work

How quickly will I receive an alert?

We poll TfL every minute, but wait for a second confirming check before alerting so brief flickers don't reach you. Real disruptions are typically in your inbox within 2-3 minutes - faster than most alternative apps in our experience. For the quickest results, turn on email notifications on your phone.

What types of disruptions trigger alerts?

By default, you'll be alerted for Minor Delays, Severe Delays, Part Suspended, Suspended, Part Closure, and Planned Closure. You can filter these in your settings if you only want to hear about major issues.

Will I get an alert every minute if there's an ongoing disruption?

No. We use multiple layers of protection to keep alerts useful without spamming you - including double-check confirmation, escalating cooldowns, and oscillation suppression. See the box below for full details.

Can I get notified when service returns to normal?

Yes. When signing up, tick "Notify me when good service resumes" and you'll receive a recovery email when your lines return to Good Service. We wait 5 minutes before sending to avoid false alarms from temporary status flickers.

What if my line recovers outside my alert window?

If you were alerted about a disruption and the line recovers within 4 hours, we'll send you the recovery email even if it falls outside your time window. We won't send recovery emails between midnight and 5am. If more than 4 hours have passed since your original alert, we silently reset your alert state without sending a late recovery email.

How we keep alerts useful (not spammy)

  • Double-check confirmation: A disruption must appear on two consecutive checks (~2 minutes) before we send an alert. Brief 1-minute blips that self-correct are silently ignored.
  • Escalating cooldowns: After your first alert for a line, same-severity repeats are throttled - 30 minutes after the first, then 2 hours after. Escalations (e.g. Minor to Severe) bypass this and arrive within 5 minutes.
  • Oscillation suppression: If a line flickers between Good Service and disrupted, we won't re-alert you for the same or lesser severity. The line must sustain Good Service for 1 hour before we treat the next disruption as a fresh event.
  • Recovery debouncing: We wait 5 minutes of sustained Good Service before sending recovery emails, so you won't get a false "all clear" followed by another alert.
  • Severity-aware deduplication: Once alerted at a given severity, you won't be re-alerted unless the situation escalates further.
  • Restart-safe state: All alert and cooldown states are persisted, so a server restart never causes duplicate alerts.
Smart Alerts (new)

What are Smart Alerts?

Smart Alerts personalise the standard alert flow to your specific commute. Add your home and work stations once - we'll work out your typical route, and the system uses that to filter which alerts you receive and what they say.

How is it different from a normal alert?

A normal alert says "the Victoria line is delayed". A Smart Alert knows whether the delay is on the section of the Victoria line you actually take, and what to do about it. When the disruption is severe enough that your usual route doesn't work, we suggest an alternative.

Most other transport apps leave the work to you - open them up, scan a list of disruptions, and figure out an alternative route yourself. That's fine if you have the time. Most people don't, especially first thing in the morning. The whole point of Tube Alerter is to do that thinking before you've even left the house.

Does Smart Alerts cover station closures too?

Yes. We automatically watch your home and work stations for closures, so you'll know before you leave if either is shut. If your commute uses interchange stations (e.g. Highbury & Islington if you change there), you can optionally add those too in one tap - so any closure along your actual route triggers an alert, not just the line-level disruption.

How do you suggest the alternative?

We use the same journey planner that powers our route planner page. It excludes the disrupted line, factors in current delays on other lines, and finds the fastest realistic option from your home to your work. If your station itself is closed, it can walk you to a nearby alternative.

Do you store my home address?

No. We only store the stations you select. Your address never enters our system.

How do I add my home and work?

After confirming your subscription, the confirmation page lets you set them in one step. You can also add or change them later from the Manage my alerts page.

Can I turn Smart Alerts off?

Yes. Smart Alerts are entirely opt-in. If you don't add home and work stations, you get the regular generic alerts. You can remove your stations at any time and the personalisation stops immediately.

Time windows and days

What is an "alert window"?

The time range during which you want to receive notifications. For example, if you commute between 7:00-9:00am, set that as your window and you'll only be alerted during those hours. Unlike most alternative apps that limit you to fixed rush-hour slots, Tube Alerter lets you set any start and end time. Ideal for shift workers, nurses, emergency workers, and anyone whose schedule falls outside the typical 9-to-5.

Can I set multiple time windows?

Yes. Click "Add another time window" when signing up to add a second. Perfect for both morning and evening commutes, or split shifts.

Can I choose which days I receive alerts?

By default, alerts are sent every day, but you can select specific days. Most commuters choose Monday to Friday. Useful if you work from home on certain days and only need alerts on the days you actually travel.

What timezone are the times in?

UK time (GMT in winter, BST in summer). The system automatically adjusts for daylight saving.

Customisation, pausing & settings

Can I filter out minor delays?

Yes. Using the severity filters in the advanced settings, you can exclude specific disruption types. If you only care about severe issues, uncheck "Minor Delays" and you'll only hear about the big stuff.

How do I change my alert settings?

Every alert email includes a "Manage my alerts" link. Click it to update your lines, times, days, or severity filters.

Can I subscribe to multiple lines?

Yes - up to 6 lines per subscription. You can mix Tube, Overground, Elizabeth line, DLR and Tram in a single signup. If you want more than 6 lines, just create a second subscription with the same email address.

What if I want different settings for different lines?

You can create multiple subscriptions with the same email address - for example, one for morning lines, another for evening, each with its own time window and severity filter.

Can I skip alerts on bank holidays?

Yes. In the advanced customisation settings, toggle "Skip bank holidays". This is off by default.

Can I temporarily pause my alerts?

Yes. Every alert email includes a "Pause for today" link. From the "Manage my alerts" page you also get more durations: rest of today, 3 days, 1 week, or 2 weeks. Alerts resume automatically when the pause ends.

Can I pause alerts while I'm on holiday?

Yes - up to 2 weeks in one click. For longer trips, pause again when the first one expires, or adjust your active days.

What happens when my pause expires?

Alerts resume automatically. If you change your mind, visit "Manage my alerts" and click "Resume alerts" to end the pause early.

Route filtering

What is route filtering?

Route filtering lets you narrow your alerts to a specific section of a Tube line - for example, "Hammersmith to King's Cross on the Piccadilly line". When TfL reports a disruption and specifies the affected area, the system checks whether your route overlaps. If it doesn't, the alert is suppressed.

Why is route filtering useful?

Many Tube lines are long and branch in multiple directions. If you only travel between two stations in central London, you probably don't need to know about a closure affecting the far end of the line. Especially useful on Northern, District, Metropolitan, and Piccadilly.

How do I set up a route filter?

Two ways. Manually: when creating or editing a subscription, select a Tube line and you'll see an option to filter alerts for part of that line. Choose your "from" and "to" stations. You can set a different route per line, or leave some unfiltered.

Or automatically via Smart Alerts: add your home and work stations once, and we'll work out the route filter for each line you're subscribed to. Recommended if your commute uses more than one line.

Which lines support route filtering?

Every line we cover - all Underground lines, Elizabeth line, DLR, and all London Overground lines.

Will I miss important alerts with route filtering enabled?

No. Route filtering only suppresses an alert when all three of these are true: (1) TfL explicitly specifies the affected section, (2) your route clearly does not overlap with that section, (3) TfL confirms "Good Service" on the rest of the line. If any condition is unclear, the alert is sent anyway.

What if TfL doesn't specify the affected area?

You get the alert. We'd rather send one extra alert than miss a disruption on your commute.

Can I remove a route filter later?

Yes. Go to "Manage my alerts" and edit your subscription. Clear the route filter and alerts will go back to covering the entire line.

Station closure alerts

What are station closure alerts?

Station closure alerts notify you by email when one of your selected stations closes or partially closes. Separate from line disruption alerts - a station can close (e.g. due to overcrowding or a security alert) even when TfL reports "Good Service" on the line. You can monitor up to 5 stations.

Why would I want station closure alerts?

Particularly useful during rush hour. Stations like Oxford Circus, Bank, and King's Cross occasionally close due to overcrowding at peak times - sometimes for just 10 to 20 minutes. Getting an email before you arrive means you can walk to a nearby station instead of being turned away at the gates.

How do I set up station closure alerts?

When creating or editing an alert, open "Advanced customisation" on the homepage. You'll see a "Station closure alerts" picker where you can search for and select up to 5 stations.

Do station recovery emails respect my time window?

No - station recovery emails are always sent regardless of your time window. If you received a closure alert, we think you should know when the station reopens.

Where can I see current station closures?

Visit the station closures tracker to see all currently closed or partially closed stations across the network.

Planned closure alerts

What are planned closure alerts?

Planned closure alerts notify you about upcoming weekend closures and engineering works on your selected lines. TfL publishes these 3-4 weeks in advance.

Are planned closure alerts route-aware?

Yes. If you have a route filter set, planned closure alerts will only be sent if the closure affects your section of the line. Alternative apps don't currently offer this.

How do I enable planned closure alerts?

When creating or editing an alert, open "Advanced customisation" and toggle "Planned closure alerts". Off by default.

How often are planned closure alerts sent?

We check the TfL API for new planned closures every 2 hours between 7am and 10pm. You'll only be emailed once per closure - duplicates suppressed.

Will I get spammed with planned closure emails?

No. Each unique closure is only sent once. A typical week has 10-20 planned closures across the whole network, but you'll only be notified about closures on lines you subscribe to.

Are planned closure alerts different from regular disruption alerts?

Yes. Regular alerts fire when TfL reports real-time issues. Planned closure alerts are about scheduled engineering works weeks ahead. The emails have a distinct indigo design.

Push notifications & email-vs-app

Why are email alerts the default?

Email requires no app download, no account creation, no storage on your phone, and works on any device. Many people already have email open at work, so alerts appear without checking your phone. In our testing, email alerts arrive just as fast as push notifications from other apps.

Aren't app notifications faster?

Not in practice. Some apps batch notifications to save battery, and others may not send alerts if you haven't opened the app recently. We poll TfL every minute and send straight away. If you turn on email notifications on your phone, they work just like push alerts.

Do you offer push notifications as well?

Yes. If you'd prefer traditional push notifications, you can enable them through our lightweight web app. There's nothing to download - it uses a Progressive Web App (PWA) that you add to your home screen.

How do I set up push notifications?

After subscribing, look for the "Get Push Notifications" link on the confirmation page or "Manage my alerts" page. Tap it, follow the short instructions to add to home screen, then enable push notifications.

Can I use push notifications without emails?

Yes. Once you've enabled push, you can mute email alerts from "Manage my alerts" - email toggle in Notification Preferences. You can switch back any time.

Are push notifications as fast as email alerts?

Yes. Both are triggered from the same system at the same time - within seconds of each other.

Live status & data sources

What is the current status of the London Underground?

Our main page displays live updates for each Tube and Overground line. You can also visit individual line pages for detailed history.

How are the status updates obtained?

Data directly from Transport for London (TfL) via their official API. Refreshed every minute.

What lines do you cover?

All 11 Tube lines, the Elizabeth line, DLR, and all London Overground lines (Liberty, Lioness, Mildmay, Suffragette, Weaver, Windrush).

Can I embed live Tube status on my own website?

Yes - free embeddable widget. Enter your domain, copy a line of iframe code, paste it in. Updates every 60 seconds.

Where can I see reliability statistics?

The Network Dashboard compares reliability across all lines. View data for 24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days.

Unsubscribing & privacy

How do I unsubscribe?

Every email includes an "Unsubscribe" link. One click and you're removed.

What happens to my data if I unsubscribe?

Your subscription is deleted immediately. We don't keep your email address.

Do you share my email with anyone?

No. We never share, sell, or use your email for anything other than sending your requested alerts. See our Privacy Policy.

Troubleshooting

I'm not receiving any alerts. What's wrong?

Check your spam/junk folder - our emails come from alerts@tubenotifications.co.uk. Make sure you clicked the confirmation link. Also verify your alert window times match when disruptions actually occur.

I got an alert but there's no disruption showing now?

Disruptions can be resolved quickly. We alert as soon as TfL reports an issue - if it's fixed within minutes, the status returns to Good Service before you check.

Can I resend my confirmation email?

Yes, sign up again with the same details. If you already have a pending subscription, we'll resend the confirmation.

The confirmation link isn't working. What do I do?

Confirmation links expire after 7 days. If yours has expired, sign up again for a fresh one.

Do you offer step-free access or lift alerts?

Yes - we offer step-free access alerts that notify you when lifts are out of service at your chosen stations. You can sign up for both line disruption alerts and step-free alerts independently.

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