REUTERS
After all those false dawns, strikes and a year of delays, nothing now seems to be stopping the roll out of the Night Tube.
Tonight the Jubilee joins the Central and the Victoria line, with the Northern Line set to start on Friday 18 November.
There are plans to continue the roll out onto the Piccadilly Line and once the upgrades have been completed, one day perhaps onto most of the network.
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London Mayor Sadiq Khan is also looking at a 24-hour operation on the Elizabeth Line.
I've got some figures from London Underground (LU) that give some insight into how the Night Tube is being used.
On the Victoria and Central lines, after an initial surge, usage dipped but it has since picked up again:
- Week 1: 100,300 journeys
- Week 2: 96,500
- Week 3: 96,500
- Week 4: 107,700
- Week 5: 111,200
- Week 6: 113,400
- Week 7:117,000
LU said this was much higher than its predictions but it was confident it would pay for itself within three years.
And LU said it had noticed two peaks. Revellers at 01:30 BST and workers at 04:00.
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Also the use of contactless payment is higher (22%) compared to during the day (15%).
Presumably that reflects a younger demographic out and about after midnight.
That could also explain why Oxford Circus is by far the busiest entry station and Stratford is the busiest exit.
The top five popular stations are:
- 1. Oxford Circus
- 2. Liverpool Street
- 3. Brixton
- 4. Stratford
- 5. Tottenham Court Road
Crime seems to have been very low and the long established methods of getting home seems to be changing.
A spokesman for the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association said: "It is very early days with the Night Tube and up until now, with only two lines running, it is difficult to properly assess the impact it has had on our trade.
"Our initial anecdotal reports seem to suggest that the effect on longer journeys has been offset by people using taxis to move between venues in town.
"However we are aware of an increased demand for taxis in the suburbs, from the vicinity of Tube stations, what's become known as 'the last mile' where passengers value the guaranteed safety of a black cab to their door.
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"Once the Jubilee and other lines start running all night we will be better placed to comment. "
Minicab firms have also seen an increase in Night Tube station pickups.
Uber says journeys starting within 200m (650ft) of stations on the Central and Victoria lines during Night Tube operation has increased by 22%.
And that rises to 63% for journeys starting near Night Tube stations outside Zone 1.
They say Newbury Park, Woodford and North Acton are some of the stations that have seen an increase of pickups of more than 300%.
Of course not everyone welcomes the Night Tube. Those who live by it say they are being disturbed by the noise of the trains.
But as more lines get the Night Tube, London's transport will continue to change with i
