It appears as if Londoners will finally get their night tube. The opening date has been moved up to April 30th, 2016. According to Boris Johnson, despite all of the previous stops and starts, Londoners can now expect 24-hour tube service.
After announcing that 24-hour tube service would be a possibility, the program was beset with delays and problems. There were union issues, as well as disagreements over salaries, several strikes from the drivers, and it seemed every time there was progress, there was a setback that took them even further away.
You may recall the announcement of a settlement amongst one union of drivers, but the other driver’s union negotiations were stalled. Apparently, after April 1st, all of their issues were resolved and now the mayor, Boris Johnson is happy to announce that 24-hour service will commence by the end of the month.
There are loads of question on both sides, for example, the likely potential for accidents, as there won’t be as much time to dedicate to track walks overnight, and ensuring there is constant communication amongst track workers and the drivers. There are also concerns over the increased expense, and if the ridership will be enough to cover the increased expense.
On the other side passengers who have to take transit late at night, such as hospitality workers, are very happy to hear about the new service. It’s much faster to get about London than the night buses, and for some it’s safer with a shorter ride.
A city such as London should feel they can compete with other big cities, like New York that offer 24 hour service as the city itself is very much 24 hours. Only time will tell if this was worth all the negotiations, and delays and whether or not the service continues.
