23.05.16
Night Tube to start running on 19 August
The Night Tube will start running on the Victoria and Central lines from 19 August, the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, announced today, ending speculation over when the service will open.
The 24-hour tube service will then be implemented on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines in two phases over the autumn, once the new drivers are trained.
Khan said: “The Night Tube is absolutely vital to my plans to support and grow London’s night-time economy – creating more jobs and opportunities for all Londoners. The constant delays under the previous mayor let Londoners down badly.
“I have made getting the night tube up and running a priority, and London Underground has now confirmed that services on the first two lines will launch on 19 August.”
The Night Tube was due to start running last year, but was delayed after London Underground failed to reach an agreement with drivers’ unions over pay, leading to strikes.
The unions accepted a revised contract earlier this year, but RMT is now balloting staff about another strike over outstanding issues with working hours and pensions for Tube Lines staff.
Mick Cash, RMT general secretary, said: “There are major unresolved issues in relation to the Tube Lines engineering workforce and it is imperative that the company now moves quickly to address the points at the core of that dispute.
“RMT also still has major concerns over the safe running of the Night Tube and there are unresolved issues on the detailed safety case that will have to be agreed through the health and safety machinery.”
Mike Brown, London’s transport commissioner, said: “It is good news for London that the first ever all-night tube service will be ready on 19 August. More than half a million people use the tube after 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and the introduction of the Night Tube, which will support London’s businesses and jobs, is a historic step in our modernisation of the underground and our work to support London’s economic growth.”
(Image c. Tim Ireland from PA Images)
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