Night Tube marks ten years with 67 million journeys but no Thursday service

London’s Night Tube celebrated its tenth anniversary on 19 August 2024, having carried 67 million passengers since its launch in 2016. The service operates on Fridays and Saturdays across the Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria, Central and Waterloo & City lines, averaging 81,000 journeys each night.

First night drew 50,000 passengers

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On the evening of 19 August 2016, the Night Tube began with services on the Victoria and Central lines between 00:30 and 05:30. More than 50,000 journeys were recorded that night, as reported by the BBC. Lovely Obeng, then a 19-year-old customer service assistant at Tottenham Court Road station, recalled the atmosphere.

Working the launch night, as a team, we all felt like we were part of something great. It was something that was new and we could feel that.

Lovely Obeng, former Night Tube customer service assistant

Obeng, now 29, described passengers arriving for night shifts or returning from late outings. She said staff received repeated thanks from commuters during the first weekend. The service was introduced after Transport for London identified rising demand for overnight travel, as reported by the BBC.

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Delays and disputes preceded launch

The Night Tube was originally scheduled to start in September 2015 but was postponed after disputes between TfL and rail unions over pay and working conditions. Months of negotiations and industrial action followed before the service received approval. The BBC reported that Mayor of London Sadiq Khan joined passengers on the first night, four months after his election in May 2016.

At the time, TfL claimed the Night Tube could contribute £360 million to the economy over three decades. Khan later reflected that the service had become a defining feature of London’s 24-hour identity, as reported by the BBC.

Covid suspension and full restoration

Night Tube services were suspended in March 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. A phased return began in late 2021, with the full network restored by July 2022. Obeng, who moved to day shifts earlier this year, said night work had taught her resilience and adaptability.

She recalled one incident where a young woman lost her friends and belongings during a night out. Obeng and colleagues helped contact an emergency contact and ensured the passenger reached home safely. The memory remains significant in her eight-year career with TfL.

No expansion to Thursdays planned

Despite growing calls to extend Night Tube services to Thursdays, TfL said there are no current plans to do so. The transport body told the BBC that any expansion would require additional funding and significant adjustments to overnight maintenance schedules. TfL added that such changes could be considered only after major modernisation programmes are complete.

Thursday nights have increasingly resembled Fridays in London, with more office workers treating the evening as the start of the weekend. However, TfL confirmed that no business case for Thursday services has been approved. The existing Night Tube network remains unchanged since its full restoration in 2022.