However, the night tube isn’t just going to be used by revellers.
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Trains will run through the night on Fridays and Saturdays on the Victoria line and parts of the Central line for now, while the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines will start operating in the autumn.
London Underground (LU) estimates that 200,000 people will use the all-night service each weekend once it is up and running on all five lines.
Night Tube services are expected to add £6.4bn to the London economy by 2030, creating 500,000 jobs, TfL said.
New bus services will coincide with the launch of the Night Tube this weekend.
The city’s Mayor Sadiq Khan, who was on board the first Victoria line service in the early hours of this morning, said you could feel “the buzz” and excitement as he met passengers.
The former mayor pledged that the service would begin in September 2015, with Transport for London (TfL) promoting the benefits for spectators attending games at last year’s Rugby World Cup.
The night-time service was scheduled to start in September previous year but was delayed by a dispute with trade unions over staff conditions and pay.
“London is such a vibrant and exciting place to live, work and visit and the night tube provides people with a great way to experience the city at a time that suits them best”, Tesco London convenience director Martin Smith said. It can’t be beyond the wit of a full-time mayor and TfL to make this work properly.
‘When I see the enthusiasm from employers in London, investors to London, tourists in London, about the Night Tube, it’s surprising it’s taken us this long to get it’.
The mayor has recorded welcome messages to be played out at Oxford Circus station in the heart of the capital. I’m really pleased and proud that finally the Night Tube is here.
“Our staff are highly trained and experienced to deliver the new services, every station will be fully staffed and controlled, and we have invested in a visible presence of 100 police officers and additional police community support officers to assist customers”.
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Barkingside-based charity Barnado’s has also appealed for both Tube staff and passengers to keep an eye out for vulnerable young people using the new service. It’s for the night-time economy: people working in hospitality, shift workers, nurses.
