Mayor should set a date to reopen all night-tube services

The London Assembly has welcomed the resumption of night-time services on the Central and Victoria lines from the 27th of November.

However, today it has called for a date to be set for reopening the Night Tube on the Victoria, Jubilee and Piccadilly lines.

Emma Best AM, who proposed the motion said:

“Sadiq Khan must fully reopen the Night Tube; two lines are simply not enough to keep women, girls and vulnerable Londoners safe or to support London's economic recovery.

"Without Night Tube services on the Northern, Jubilee, and Piccadilly lines, many Londoners may choose to stay at home to avoid being stranded at night. That's bad for businesses and can leave people feeling unsafe.

"I've witnessed and experienced inappropriate sexual behaviour at night on London's streets, in taxis and at bus stops. Sadly, a lot of women have. That's why the Night Tube is so important; its stations offer Londoners a safe haven at night and a trusted route home.

The full text of the motion is:

This Assembly recognises the popularity and importance of the Night Tube which Mayor Sadiq Khan introduced in 2016. More than 150,000 people signed a petition calling for the Night Tube to be reinstated in its entirety. Resuming the service will provide Londoners with a better-lit transport option at night and help London’s night-time economy recover from the pandemic.

This Assembly notes that at the 14 October 2021 Mayor’s Question Time meeting, the Mayor explained that there are a number of reasons why the Night Tube had to be paused during the pandemic, including the operators and staff were required elsewhere and have been backfilling many of the positions in the daytime, due to staff of having the virus or self-isolating, and a delay in retraining new train operators because of social distancing rules. The return of the Night Tube also has to be planned around complex vital operational and engineering closures. This Assembly further notes the pressure on TfL to reduce services as a result of funding deals with the Government.

The Assembly welcomes the announcement that night-time services will resume on the Central and Victoria lines from the 27th of November and London Overground from the 15^th of December. However, it is disappointing that no date has been set for reopening the Night Tube on the Northern, Jubilee and

Piccadilly lines.

This Assembly calls on the Mayor of London and TfL to set out an appropriate timetable for reopening all Night tube services on the London Underground.