Khan – who has spoken of wanting to help London’s night clubs to “flourish” and preventing a situation where young and creative Londoners abandon the city for Amsterdam, Berlin, to Prague – was due to be among the first riders of the new service last night.
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A spokeswoman for the force said it had been called to just four incidents on the first run of the Night Tube, which was “in line with what we would expect to see on a Friday night”.
The mayor’s predecessor, Boris Johnson, announced in September 2014 that the service would begin on September 12 2015, with TfL promoting the benefits for spectators attending games at last year’s Rugby World Cup. The financial analysts predicted that the new services could boost the city’s economy by up to 77 million pounds annually and support tens of thousands of new jobs by 2029.
Hundreds of police officers being drafted in to cope with the London Underground running 24 hours through the night and tomorrow on the Central Line has been welcomed in east London by the Mayor of Tower Hamlets.
It will be a boost for tourists and shift workers, who on Friday and Saturday nights will be able to travel at any chosen hour.
Transport for London (TfL), which is in charge of London’s transport network, said there was a “huge demand” as passenger numbers on weekends had soared by 70 per cent since 2000.
Joseph Tung Yao-chung, executive director of the Travel Industry Council, said the round-the clock underground services were good news for Hong Kong visitors. I’m really pleased and proud that finally the night tube is here.
He said: “You can feel the buzz, you can feel the vibe”.
About half a million people use the Tube after 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays combined, and LU hopes this figure will be increased by around 40% once all five Night Tube lines are running.
The Night Tube was launched in the London Underground on Saturday – nearly three years since the plan was first announced.
And while younger Londoners cheered the opportunity to stay out later, others were more subdued.
The service will allow everyone who wants to enjoy late evenings, or very early mornings, to take the tube home once their frivolities are over.
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Trains will run every 10 minutes on the full Victoria line and on the Central line between White City and Leytonstone.
