August date set for first Night Tube

New Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced that the first all-night Tube service will run on August 19, on the Central and Victoria lines.

Night Tube will then be extended to the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines in two phases during the autumn, once driver training has been completed.

A frequency of six trains per hour will run on all lines between 0030 and 0530, rising to eight trains per hour on the Northern Line to serve what London Underground anticipates will be the busiest stations between Leicester Square and Camden Town.

Proposals to introduce all-night running were first announced in September 2014, but its planned implementation date in September 2015 was beset with repeated delays due to industrial action over pay and changes to working conditions.

The Night Tube will mean 24-hour weekend services for the first time, cutting an estimated average of 20 minutes off journeys by shift-workers and night-time revellers who currently rely on night buses or taxis.

It is hoped the increased service will support 2,000 extra jobs, boosting the capital’s economy by £360 million a year.

Khan said: “The Night Tube is 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 Major [Boris Johnson] 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 August 19.”