07.11.16
Night Tube: the journey so far
Source: RTM Oct/Nov 16
Shortly after more Night Tube services were rolled out on the Jubilee Line in October, Steve Griffiths, London Underground’s chief operating officer, reflects on the successes of the all-night service so far, and its impact on the capital’s business and crime rates.
There’s no doubt that London is a 24-hour city, and we at Transport for London (TfL) are continuing our efforts to make the London Underground network 24-hour to match rising passenger demand on Friday and Saturday nights. The Night Tube has been running on the Central and Victoria lines since 19 August, was recently introduced to the Jubilee Line on 7 October, and the Northern (18 November) and Piccadilly lines are due to follow this autumn.
The first Night Tube services on the Central and Victoria lines have been hugely popular. Around 100,000 people have used the service each weekend since its opening – tens of thousands more than was originally forecast – and with the recent launch of the Night Tube on the Jubilee Line this figure is set to rise even further. The popularity of the Night Tube has come as no surprise to us, considering that the services cut late-night journey times by an average of 20 minutes, and in some cases by more than an hour.
Tube demand has soared over recent years, with passenger numbers on Friday and Saturday nights up by around 70% since 2000, while demand for travel on night buses has risen by over 170% in the same period.
Passenger data shows that more than 50% of people using night buses are going to or returning from work – many of whom are now benefitting directly from the Night Tube.
‘Literally changing my life’
The reception of the Night Tube so far has been overwhelmingly positive, with many customers commenting that it makes it both easier and cheaper for them to get home at night. On social media, users have been voicing their support for the service, tweeting comments such as: “Loved not worrying about how I was going to get home last night” and “Did my first Night Tube journey home last night. Literally changing my life”. Many have also written words of thanks to the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, for implementing the new service.
The Night Tube has proven to be pivotal to London’s night-time economy, and the latest research from London First and Ernst & Young suggests that it could actually provide an even greater economic boost than originally anticipated: up to £77m a year. On top of this, Night Tube supports around 2,000 permanent jobs, and over 500 jobs have been created directly through the operation of the service, including part-time drivers, station staff, and maintenance and service control staff.
Impact on nightlife and safety
Businesses throughout the capital have been hugely supportive of the Night Tube, and have noticed how it has benefitted London’s nightlife. It is now much easier for residents, students and tourists to get home after a night out, more people are able to access entertainment hubs like the O2 and the West End, and online restaurant booking platform Bookatable even found that late-night restaurant bookings have increased by 21% since the introduction of the Night Tube.
All stations are fully staffed throughout the night, and TfL is spending an extra £3.4m to ensure that British Transport Police (BTP) officers are patrolling the Night Tube. When all five lines are running Night Tube services there will be around 100 officers out at any given time. The introduction of the 24-hour service has not impacted the already low crime rates on London’s transport network. We continue to work closely with BTP to ensure the safe running of the service as it continues to expand to other lines, ensuring the safe operation of our network at all times.
Overall the introduction of the Night Tube on the Central, Victoria and Jubilee lines has been a huge success, and we are looking forward to introducing the service on the Northern and Piccadilly lines later this year.
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W: www.tinyurl.com/RTM-Night-Tube
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