Saturday the 27th of November marks the return of the Night Tube for the busiest Central and Victoria lines in time for the Christmas period
Since March 2020, Night Tube services have been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic and the demand for drivers to work on daytime services.
Central and Victoria line services will recommence running right through the night on Fridays and Saturdays and will mean better travel options and also improved safety for those travelling through London at night either for work or leisure.
The Night Tube services will also mean a decrease in journey times and provide safer routes homes for women, girls and all Londoners. Transport for London (TfL) continues to run as many services with the remaining Night Tube lines set to return as soon as is possible to do so.
Credit: TfL
As two of the busiest lines on the Night Tube network, Central and Victoria lines offer essential links between parts of London and the city centre. Running these services will support businesses in their recovery following the pandemic such as bars, clubs and restaurants. The services will also give a safe and fast travel choice for Londoners who need to travel to or from work at night.
With a safe and low-crime environment the Night Tube has over 2,500 police and police community support officers, as well as 500 TfL enforcement officers who patrol London's transport network, and thousands of frontline transport staff who are available to support customers. The Tube network also features an extensive CCTV network throughout.
Offering one of the most extensive night bus networks in the world, TfL continues to offer everyone the ability to travel through London no matter what time of day it is. With more than a hundred routes running through the night. Licensed and regulated taxis and also private hire vehicles offer door-to-door transport at any time of the day.
The Tube operates between around 05:30 and 00:30 throughout central London from Monday to Saturday, with TfL now running some trains during the earlier part of Sunday mornings which supports customers needing to travel during those times.
Guidance for venues, operators, charities, councils and businesses have been set out by the Mayor's Women's Night Safety Charter in a bid to improve safety at night for women. The guidance includes better training of staff, encouraging the reporting of harassment and ensuring public spaces are safe. The charter now has more than 600 organisations now signed up and more joining each day.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The reason why I was so keen to be the first Mayor in London's history to start the Night Tube in 2016 and to restart it now, after the Covid pause, is because I know how important this is to London's thriving night-time economy, to London's recovery and to the confidence and safety of everyone travelling home at night, particularly women and girls. I am determined to make our city as safe as possible for all Londoners.
“That's why I'm delighted to see the return of the Victoria and Central Night Tube lines next month, which will make a huge difference to people travelling around our city at night and making their way home, offering them an additional safe, reliable transport option. I will continue to work with TfL and the Government to do everything we can to bring back the full Night Tube network as soon as possible.”
Night Czar for London, Amy Lamé, said: “I've been working closely with TfL and the industry to bring the Night Tube back as soon as possible, and its return will be hugely welcome news to the capital's night-time businesses which have been hit so hard by the pandemic. It's fantastic to see London getting its buzz back, and the Night Tube offers a safe, quick way to travel across the city at night, whether you're out enjoying the capital's world-leading culture and hospitality, or one of the 1.6 million people that regularly work at night making your way home. I look forward to seeing the Victoria and Central lines back in action next month, with the rest of the Night Tube to follow.”
Nick Dent, London Underground's Director of Customer Operations, said: “The return of the Night Tube will be a huge boost to the night-time economy and help our customers travel around London at weekends. The Tube has played a vital role during the pandemic and will continue to be vital to London's recovery. We continue to run a regular, orderly and clean service at and will continue to work hard to return the full Night Tube network as soon as possible.”
Ros Morgan, Chief Executive, Heart of London Business Alliance, said: “We welcome the reopening of two of the lines on the Night Tube as of next month. This is a vital next step in helping to get footfall back into central London, ensuring crucial transport services for workers and visitors to safely and enjoyably benefit from the best of its world-leading night-time economy.
“London's night-time economy plays a vital role in promoting London as a global destination and should be celebrated. We support TfL's objectives to keep service levels running at pre-pandemic levels and look forward to the full reopening of the Night Tube which will ensure that people will be incentivised to support London's night-time economy businesses.”
Jace Tyrrell, Chief Executive at New West End Company, said: “West End businesses absolutely welcome the news that the Night Tube is returning, particularly ahead of our busy festive season when many businesses have later opening hours and we see a greater number of visitors at all hours across London. The safety of our customers and 150,000 colleagues is of paramount importance, and the Night Tube offers a much missed alternative for travelling around London safely. We hope that the reopening of the network will give Londoners confidence to travel around the capital in a safe, low crime environment.”
Michael Kill, Chief Executive Officer, Night Time Industries Association said: “The Night Tube's return across the Central and Victoria line from the end of November is a welcome addition to London's Night Time Economy infrastructure, and a step in the right direction. With a focus on vulnerability, and the safety of women at night, and thousands of night workers within London we must push to get the full service established at the earliest opportunity and open London's late night economy fully to the public.”
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