London Assembly call on mayor to reopen the Night Tube in full
The London Assembly has called on the mayor to set a timeline for reopening Night Tube services in full after more than 150,000 Londoners signed a petition.
London Assembly member Emma Best 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.”
Best’s comment came after the Mayor set 27 November as the date for the reopening of Night Tube services on the Victoria and Central lines, which were suspended at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Khan remained vague regarding when Night Tube services will return on the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines, saying the reopening would take place “as soon as practicable.”
Pressures to reopen the night service have been mounting since the murders of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa. Ella Watson, the 26-year-old who started the petition, argued that Transport for London’s initial decision not to run the service this winter would impact negatively women.
“Whilst it is important to recognise the tube itself, much like other public transport, is not perfect and more needs to be done to protect women when using it, the running of a well-lit and well-connected tube network, with platform CCTV and appropriately trained security staff serves as the best transport option to ensure millions of women across London can get home safely in the evenings and at night this coming winter,” Watson wrote in her Change.org petition.