London’s night-time economy (and 4am post-club travellers) got a boost last month when Jubilee line Night Tube services returned, with the promise of a resumption of Northern and Piccadilly line services later this summer. Today, TfL have confirmed that the Northern line will be the next line to get its Night Tube services back, with overnight trains running once more from Saturday, July 2. AKA: this weekend!
This is a huge boost to anyone who likes the nightlife, especially since the likes of Camden Town, Leicester Square (for Soho), and Old Street (for Shoreditch) will now have Night Tube services once more. Beyond that, the TfL press release notes that “the restoration of further Night Tube services will allow Londoners and visitors to make the most of all the capital has to offer in the evenings and provide late night commuters another safe way to return home.”
With the return of the Northern line Night Tube, we’re tantalisingly close to the return of all pre-pandemic Night Tube services; the Victoria and Central lines resumed in November, the Overground from Highbury & Islington to New Cross Gate returned in December, and the Jubilee came back in May. We’re just waiting on the Piccadilly line now, with ‘this summer’ still given as the timeframe for adding it to the Night Tube network.
Also noted in TfL’s announcement of this news is the tidbit that ridership on the Tube is now at 72% of pre-pandemic levels, whilst that number rises to 80% for the buses. There’s still a ways to go before full normality is returned – TfL’s latest cash injection from the UK government indicates that the impacts are continuing to be felt – but this is another step closer to the norm for our city. Plus, the days of the Camden to Clapham pub crawl are back!