Do you support plans to run tube trains later on Friday and Saturday evenings?

Londoners are being asked for their verdict on proposals that would see the tube services run an hour later on Friday and Saturday nights.

The new plans would mean that the last trains would leave central London at around 1.30am, services from the west end currently depart at 12.30am.

But later night-time hours would shut the network for an extra hour on Saturday and Sunday mornings, which could hit weekend workers.

Transport for London (TfL) says this is because the same amount of time will be needed for overnight maintenance work.

A public consultation on the plan begins on Tuesday.

Ken Livingstone said:
"A later running Tube would help thousands of people to get home safely and conveniently after a Friday or Saturday night out.

"Many passengers say they would spend more evenings out in the capital if they could get home on the Tube.

"However, if we run the Tube an hour later on Friday and Saturday nights, we would have to make-up the time needed for maintenance and repairs by starting an hour later on Saturday and Sunday mornings."

If the idea gets the go-ahead the new times could come into force in December next year.

Londoners can make their views known at www.tfl.gov.uk or by completing a leaflet at London Underground stations. A freephone helpline has also been set up: 0800 10 60 22.

The consultation will end on April 22, 2005.

20,000 respond to late Tube poll - BBC News report

Late running tubes opposed - news story

Your views

Its when you get to outside london on the tube and need transport home that problems can happen, I am told that Harrow as a deal with London Black cabs to overcome this problem through TFL and it works very well,
and should be extended elsewere.
Ken Smith

I am MOST DEFINITELY in favour of later running tubes. I think that it is absolutely ludicrous that a major, international, cosmopolitan city like London pretty much shuts down by midnight, even on the weekends. At least now the pubs are opening later or at least have that option (which was also too long coming) but what good will it be if there is no way to get home afterwards?

The major opposition to this appears to be from the airport authority on behalf of travellers to Heathrow which I think is absolutely ridiculous as it isn't like there isn't any alternative way of getting to Heathrow - rather than depend on the Piccadilly line, one can always take the Heathrow Express (which in fact is easier and quicker than the Piccadilly line and the first train is at 5:10 am which is earlier than the Piccadilly line starts anyway), the airbus (which starts at 7:15am) or taxi. As for non-Heathrow travel, I very much doubt that the number of people who have to be at work by 7:00 or 8:00 in the morning on a Sat or Sun exceeds the number of people who would be out and about on a typical Sat or Sunday night, if there was cheap and convenient way of getting home. So far there is only talk of running the tubes later on the w/e. I do not think this is unreasonable and furthermore, I think it is highly desirable, attractive to locals and foreigners alike, and long overdue.

PLEASE RUN THE TUBES LATER!!!!
Eileen Mahoney

Late running of the tube on Friday and Saturday is long overdue. The demand is obvious by the fact that the last tubes out of the west end are often are completely full and people can be seen running to make the last train. It's absurd that in a leading capital city with a fantastic nightlife, that your night has to end at midnight if you want to get the tube home. Although night buses have improved markedly, it still takes a lot longer to get home and not all routes are available. This leaves the expensive option of taking a taxi which can easily add £20 to the cost of a night out. Also, when black cabs are sparse, you are often tempted to take an unlicensed minicab which are clearly dangerous as well as expensive. London has become one of the most, if not the most, expensive city in europe to travel around in, and we are entitled to a decent service for the price of our travelcards!

John Myatt
West Kensington

I oppose these changes to the tube times vehemently! I rely entirely upon the underground to get to and from work...even during its frequent signal failures and other various problems! I pay £96 a month for this privilege and feel that if anything the service should be extended. As a nurse my work starts early at 0745 every morning and I have to catch the tube at or before 0700hrs promptly if i am to be there on time. I frequently work weekends as part of my nursing unsocial hours duties. As it is I am often late for work on Sunday morning as the first tube only seems to arrive at Tooting after seven. If this is missed then the next train gets me to my connection at Stockwell even later to change onto the Victoria line.

Why is this an issue?? Surely the tube drivers are being payed more than enough to fulfill their basic duties to the capital??

N.C, London

I think it's an awful idea to start Tube services later on weekends. People coming home late at night are almost always there from their own choice having spent the night at parties, clubs and pubs.

People who use the Tube early on the weekends are almost always going to work. They should have the priority.

I think the Tube should run all night every night, but not at the cost to us poor slobs who have to get to work for 7am!

John

A better solution would be more night buses running through the West End and any other areas where cabs are especially busy on Friday and Saturday
nights. There is very little traffic late at night and so it would be
quick and convenient and would not affect maintenance work. (Obviously buses need some maintenance too, but only a fraction of the buses used during the day would also be used at night and they could be rotated.)

It would also involve more overtime for bus drivers, but it would probably be cheaper and certainly less disruptive to weekend workers than running the tubes later.
Stephen Franklin

Surely the emphasis and priority is to enable people to get to work at the weekends. I know many rely on this service early in the morning. Keeping stations open longer will just lead to more drunks, (who rarely purchase tickets anyway), more sick to clean up, more threats and violence to station staff.
Tony

I Think the Tube Should open later because theres so many people are living in London. Not only that the Tube need to keep on improving Repairs and keep on Extending some NEW lines. Not only in the Central zone. Also in the Suburbs as well Especially the Enfield area.
Marc Ricketts, Enfield

How stupid to give us an extra hour at night yet take it away in the morning.

This is London City, the tube should run 24/7.
I welcomed the move to run later as I often like to stay late in the city however am begging it don’t happen now or I will lose my job as I would not be able to get to work on time the following Saturday, well I would have to just use the car.

I feel many would ditch their cars and use the tube if it never closed as many drive due to the limitations of the service.

When are these tube workers going to stop moaning, if they don’t like the job, get a new one, at least you get a seat.

We want the service extended not reduced.

A City Worker

There is little traffic at night, so when party people are trying to get home, they are surely in less of a rush (nor do they care) about how they get home, and nor is it that important to them. Night buses could be increased to carry the load. Feel for the less fortunate of us who have to public transport to work on weekends, some to keep these trains going, surely the trip to work is of more importance.

Dave
Wimbledon

Frankly, I find the idea appalling. Take a look at the current service as it stands. Most workers are already faced with severe disruption over weekends with a lot of lines closing large sections and running some buses instead (not enough to provide a decent service, however).

This weekend, there are major disruptions on the Jubilee Line, Northern Line, Metropolitan Line. Last weekend, there was no Circle Line either.

Why should workers suffer yet more disruption for an already pitiful service, just so people can party a little later?
Steve Hawkins

In answer to Steve Hawkins: “Why should workers suffer yet more disruption for an already pitiful service, just so people can party a little later?” – the people who party later are served by workers as well, you know. Many waiters and service staff finish around midnight or half past and just miss the last tubes. Just because you work early does not make you any more or less entitled to a tube service than those who work late. I guess, in the context of this point, it boils down to a simple matter of numbers affected.

Jason Nathan

I don't support the idea of the tube running later on Fridays and Saturdays (or any other day). It will cause increased noise and disruption into the early hours of the morning when most people are trying to sleep. People who live near tube lines and stations will suffer extra noise and hassle. People who need to get into work early on Saturdays and/or Sundays won't be able to. Why should most people suffer loss of sleep, extra noise and travel disruption just so that a minority can prolong their binge drinking sessions?
Rod McEwan

Yes! It would make life in London so much more bearable. Please!!

Jo Wiltshire

The suggestion that an extra hour of travel in the evening equals one less hour of travel the following morning highlights just how out-of-touch the Tube systems operators are.

In every other industry on this planet, there is something called Continuous Improvement, Quality Management and Change Management.

This involves more and more stringent requirements from usually LESS capital and in a SHORTER period of time.

Why does London feel it can pull out of modern times and stay in the 18th century where the word “improvement” is unheard of ?

I can predict that an argument to this comment would be that they are already working on many improvements. But that’s life. You must not only meet must exceed the customers’ expectations. London Underground is barely on the horizon of basic requirements let alone even meeting ones’ expectations.
Chris Habberley

A later tube would make a fantastic difference to many Londoners. I have no
doubts as to the positive impact it would have, and it would certainly
encourage me to have more nights out in Central London.
Dave Bartlett

I'd definitely be happier about going out to the centre and would probably go out more as I wouldn't be faced with the option of waiting for a night bus that takes ages to get back to Ealing.
Richard Sherry

I am all in favour at the tube running late on Friday and Staurday nights but not at the expense of the early morning tube. My husband and I start work at 8am on weekends and we would have no means of getting to work if the tube didn't start until 8.30am in the mornings.
Christine Slattery

London is a Capital City of the world and should provide 24hr.Public
Transport free at the point of use just as Health Care end Education should
be.
Paul Beasley

It will be great to have trains and tubes running late on weekends, as me and my friends/family will be able to stay late in london and enjoy life more. Currently we have to leave by 12 midnight and that spoils the weekend.

Dr Amol Deshmukh

Yes I agree that they should close at 1.30am on underground, but I disagree that they close on Saturday and Sundays mornings.

I rather to have 24 hours opening on the underground which would be more safer and more easier to get home. Especially if someone go to airport to catch a plane at 3am they would need to get a train on underground to Heathrow ... but at the moment, would pay 30 to 40 pounds on a taxi to get to the airport. Too expensive!
John

Come on London! Catch up with the rest of the world by improving your overpriced transport systems for everyone, not just a few at the expensive of everyone else. What's so wrong with the entire tube system that it needs so much maintenance every single night! Proper maintenance should result in less downtime and improved service shouldn't it? More trains, more buses, reward people for using the system with lower prices, not hefty transport and congestion charges.

Teri, Archway

One of the best ways to increase public transport use is to encourage leisure travel, and not just focus on commuters. Because of this running the tube later on weekend nights is a very good idea. It makes far more sense to run full trains at 0130 on a Sunday morning than largely empty ones at 0730, six hours later. Of course workers should be catered for, but this could be achieved by running night buses until 0830 when the tube started running again. Night buses run much faster than day buses due to low traffic levels, and usually run parallel to tube lines all the way into Central London from the outer suburbs. Demand could easily be catered for by running more frequent buses if necessary.
Noam Bleicher

Late running tubes sound a great idea for those out clubbing and partying but for theses who have to get to work early on Saturdays and Sundays starting the tubes an hour later on those days can prove a pain.
My son has to be in work at 8am to start his job as a domestic in an old peoples residential home.
He is a very low paid worker with no other means of travelling to work. Yet he currently has problems on a Sunday as the Northern line does not start running till 8am. If the proposals go a head he will also have problems on Saturday.

He is trying to earn a living yet he will be inconvenienced so clubbers etc can get home after a night out. He earns so little that such luxuries as going to a club are out of his reach.

Sue Ashford

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