After 10 successful years and more than a billion journeys, the London Overground will operate 24 hours a day at weekends from tonight, Friday December 15 - in addition to the hugely popular Night Tube.
Here’s what you need to know:
What's happening? Overground trains will run 24 hours a day at weekends on the East London line - helping Londoners working into the early hours, as well as those out enjoying the area's electric nightlife. It follows the huge success of the Night Tube, which has seen more than nine million journeys, helped cut late-night journey times by an average of 20 minutes, and created more than 3,600 jobs in its first year.
When? Trains will operate 24-hour services starting on Friday 15 December 2017, just in time for the festive season.
Where? Initially, the Night Overground will run between New Cross Gate and Dalston Junction. It will be extended to Highbury and Islington next year.
How often? The 24-hour services will run on Friday and Saturday nights.
Why? Since its launch in 2007, the Overground has grown to be the third-largest rail operator in the UK, running to 23 boroughs and southern Hertfordshire. It carried 189 million customers in 2016-17 - up from 33 million in 2008-09.
What else? Passengers using Night Overground will see much shorter journey times at night than currently available, saving up to 29 minutes between Hoxton and Surrey Quays and up to 43 minutes between Shadwell and New Cross Gate.
What next? The Night Overground is part of the Mayor’s draft Transport Strategy, which aims to create a fairer, greener, healthier and more prosperous city by improving public transport. Lots more Overground improvements are planned in the coming years, including:
- Extending the Gospel Oak to Barking line to Barking Riverside
- Electrifying the Gospel Oak to Barking line, allowing for more reliable trains with space for twice as many customers
- 45 air-conditioned, walk-through trains to replace 30-year-old rolling stock on West Anglia lines out of Liverpool Street and Romford to Upminster routes