London’s Night Overground service set to resume

Night Overground services will be returning next month in time for the festive season.

Transport for London (TfL) originally suspended the services; which link areas such as Shoreditch, Hoxton and Upper Street in Islington; in March 2020 because of the pandemic.

From Friday, 17 December, the Night Overground services between Highbury & Islington and New Cross Gate will run every 15 minutes throughout the night on Fridays and Saturdays.

TfL says that the service will not only help people reach nightspots as winter celebrations get underway, but help an estimated 1.6 million people who work at night in the capital.

The operator said these services will complement the returning Night Tube, which comes back on 27 November, providing an interchange with the Victoria line at Highbury & Islington. This, along with access to the Night Tube on the Central line, via a walk between Shoreditch High Street and Liverpool Street stations, will open up large parts of London and the city centre for all-night rail travel.

TfL has said that off-peak leisure travel has been recovering more quickly than other types of journeys, indicating a strong demand for services that run later into the night at the weekend. Ridership on London Overground is around 71 per cent, with weekends reaching even higher. The Tube network on weekdays now regularly sees more than 60 per cent of journeys compared to before the pandemic, but this has reached as high as 80 per cent at weekends, while ridership on buses is regularly at 75 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

Its figures, overall, indicate use of London’s public transport network is at around 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels and millions of Londoners are returning to the transport network.

Rory O’Neill, TfL’s general manager of London Overground, said: “I’m pleased that the Night Overground will closely follow the return of the Night Tube and deliver a huge boost to the night-time economy and help our customers get around during the busy pre-Christmas period. An extra safe, green and affordable transport option for those working late or enjoying London at night will help ensure that London’s recovery is strong and sustainable.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am delighted we have managed to ensure that the Night Overground will be returning next month, linking up diverse and vibrant areas of London with all the nightlife they have to offer, just in time for the festive period. Coming only a few weeks after the return of the Victoria and Central Night Tube lines, this is another important milestone as London’s vibrant night-time economy continues its recovery from the pandemic. I am determined to make the capital as safe as possible for all Londoners, especially women and girls, and the return of the Night Overground will make a huge difference to those who are travelling home late at night, offering another quick, easy and safe way for people to travel around the city.”

Night Czar for London, Amy Lamé, said: “Our incredible culture and hospitality businesses are gearing up for their busiest period of the year, so it really is great news that the Night Overground is on the way back. From our award-winning restaurants, bars and clubs to our magnificent grassroots live music venues, London’s night life is unrivalled all over the world. The return of the Night Overground is a great festive boost to our night time economy, not only for those who want to have a great night out, but for those who work in this vital sector too.”

Security and customer safety, TfL said, remain its top priority. In addition to more than 2,500 police and police community support officers, all stations along the route are staffed at all times while trains are running, with CCTV, lighting and help points available across the network to assist customers.

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