Boris Johnson’s announcement that Londoners will have a 24-hour Tube service from next year means our bustling metropolis will soon be on a par with New York and Berlin.
The weekend service will be rolled out from September 12 2015 on five lines – the Jubilee, Victoria and most of the Piccadilly, Central and Northern lines.
Half a million Londoners use the Tube after 10pm, and with the Rugby World Cup coinciding with the arrival of the new service, it’s bound to be popular.
Transport For London (TFL) predict the new Night Tube could secure around 2,000 new jobs for the city, provide a boost to the economy of £360 million and cut journeys by up to half an hour.
Speaking to TFL, Mr Johnson said: “Running trains all through the night was once thought impossible, but with the huge investment we’ve put in and upgrades that have been delivered we stand ready to take the tube to the next level.
“As well as creating vital new jobs and giving a huge boost to our economy, the Night Tube will help millions of people to get around our city more easily and quickly.”
Londoners’ tales of lengthy, and often nerve-shredding, night bus journeys have often conjured a Dante-esque descent through the bowels of hell.
So do people think a 24-hour Tube service is a good idea?
We took to the streets of South West London to find out your opinions.
Yes No
90% 10%
The overwhelming consensus on the streets is that a 24-hour Tube service would be a winner.
Alex Hemmings, a 32-year-old accountant from Wimbledon, said: “Yes. It will get more people in and out of central London.
“It’s got to be good for business. I would use it occasionally. It would come in handy at some point.”
John Villars, a 37-year-old street fund raiser from Herne Hill agreed. “Yes, why not? It could be useful and better than the night buses. There could be a practical element to it.”
Brad Sharp, 17, is a student from Kingston and is also in favour of the scheme. “Yes. I would say so, although I would probably be more likely to use a 24-hour overground train.”
Jennifer Dixon, a 32-year-old full-time student, was broadly in favour although she held some reservations. “Yes, I think it’s a good idea,” she said. “But it might compromise safety on the trains.”
Alex Briggs, 24, works as a customer services manager and lives in Tooting, he was enthusiastic about the plan. He said: “Absolutely, it would make getting home so much easier and it will make things safer and more convenient.”
Faye Markham, an 18-year-old shoe shop assistant from Streatham, agreed that it would be a boost to the economy.
“Yeah. If you live in central London and it takes an hour to get home it will take twenty minutes,” she said. It will be better for jobs.”
Miguel Fagardo, 28, lives in Wimbledon and works in a restaurant. He said: “I think it will be great. The bus is so disgusting and if I am going to live far from work it will be great for my job.”
George Gechev, 28, an artist and part-time café assistant from Fulham, was also in favour. “Sounds great to me,” he said. “It’s the first time I’ve heard of it.
“The service with the buses through the night is great, but with the Tube it is so much faster.”
Victor Mensa, a 27-year-old rail operator from Sydenham, was not so sure. He explained: “With regards to the economy, they will look at it as a good thing, but with regards to social services like crime and noise pollution there’s bound to be problems.
“We’ve done so well without it until now, so no.”
Black-cab driver David Flower, 63, is from Morden and also thought it was a good idea.
He said: “Yeah, why not? The West End’s open 24-hours a day.”
Mr Flower also didn’t think the new service would pose a threat to the cab trade. “I don’t think it would cause problems for taxi drivers.
“People either use trains or they use cabs.”
Picture courtesy of André Zehetbauer, with thanks
