If there’s one complaint people have with London it’s that they can’t travel on the tube 24/7. OK, you might be thinking, “why would you want to be on a tube train at 3am?” That’s fair but travelling around a city the size of London would be made much easier if its wide reaching and complex network of underground trains was accessible throughout the day and night. It would also benefit the city economy; the current midnight curfew for revellers puts a limit on how late people can stay out, like in the glitzy West End after a night at the theatre.
That wish is about to come true for Londoners and visitors alike. The Night Tube, as it’s being dubbed, comes into action from autumn 2015. From the 12th September late night revellers will be able to travel across the capital on the underground at weekends through the whole of the night.
Transport for London has run the numbers and they have estimated journeys will be cut by around 20 minutes, on average, helping to boost the capital’s economy by £360m. As London moves to an even more 24/7 culture it means bars, restaurants, even theatres will be able to stay open later as the midnight cut-off point is removed. TfL estimates the move will create around 2,000 jobs.
The new service will launch on the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria on Friday and Saturday nights. It will be widened out to the rest of the Tube by 2017 in a move that’s being hailed a major modernisation of the underground network.
A 24/7 service isn’t the only major improvement heading to the London Tube. The Northern Line is being extended adding two stations at Nine Elms and Battersea by 2020; after the Night Tube launches in September it will be extended to the Overground and DLR; Crossrail arrives in 2019 making it easier and faster to travel from east to west across London; Driverless and air conditioned tubes are launching in 2022; a new Bakerloo extension sees the tube extended beyond Elephant and Castle.
There’s a reason why Clarendon always builds and develops new serviced apartments along the tube network; it is the simplest and easiest way to travel across London. The tube network is cost-effective and comprehensive making 90% of the capital easily accessible. This continued investment in the network will make it better for commuters and visitors to the capital. The network, as good as it is, needs to modernise and reflect the city’s changing culture. Providing a boost to the economy and creating new jobs, the ongoing investment by TfL in the underground continues to provide a strong foundation for London’s growth and ever improving infrastructure.