London’s Night Tube will reopen on two lines in November – here’s how people are reacting

London’s Night Tube will partially return in November and people have taken to social media to respond to the news.

Transport for London (TfL) and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said services on the Central and Victoria lines will run through the night on Fridays and Saturdays from Saturday 27 November after it was suspended in March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Khan said: “The reason why I was so keen to be the first mayor in London’s history to start the Night Tube in 2016, and to restart it now, after the Covid pause, is because I know how important this is to London’s thriving night-time economy, to London’s recovery and to the confidence and safety of everyone travelling home at night, particularly women and girls.

“I am determined to make our city as safe as possible for all Londoners.

“That’s why I’m delighted to see the return of the Victoria and Central Night Tube lines next month, which will make a huge difference to people travelling around our city at night and making their way home, offering them an additional safe, reliable transport option.

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“I will continue to work with TfL and the Government to do everything we can to bring back the full Night Tube network as soon as possible.”

It comes after tens of thousands of people signed a petition calling for the Night Tube to resume to help protect women and girls in the wake of the awful deaths of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa.

TfL said the Central and Victoria lines were previously two of the busiest lines on the Night Tube network, providing connections between “large parts of London and the centre of the city”.

It added: “Restoring night running on these lines will help businesses like bars, clubs and restaurants as London’s night-time economy continues to recover following the pandemic.”

Responding to the announcement, some people were thrilled about the service returning:

Jace Tyrrell, chief executive at business group New West End Company, said: “West End businesses absolutely welcome the news that the Night Tube is returning, particularly ahead of our busy festive season when many businesses have later opening hours and we see a greater number of visitors at all hours across London.

“The safety of our customers and 150,000 colleagues is of paramount importance, and the Night Tube offers a much missed alternative for travelling around London safely.

“We hope that the reopening of the network will give Londoners confidence to travel around the capital in a safe, low-crime environment.”

But others said the service should return sooner than November:

Others wished it was available on other lines:

And others said it was a small move to ensure women are safe and that more needs to be done:

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), raised concerns about staff and said it is vital that TfL reaches an agreement with union reps on rosters which “don’t leave staff burnt out and exposed to intolerable pressures”.

He added: “We warned months ago that slashing 200 Night Tube train driver positions would create a staffing nightmare and London Underground need to start facing up to that reality.”

Lynch also claimed that prior to its suspension, the Night Tube was “a magnet for violent, abusive and anti-social behaviour”.