Did you know that London’s night tube is 10 years old today?

Can you believe it’s been 10 years since TfL introduced the night tube? A decade ago London finally launched a night-time tube service for Friday and Saturday nights, taking a step towards the capital becoming a true 24-hour city. Since then, TfL says a whopping 67 million people have used it and that the service cuts down average night-time journey times by around 20 minutes.

The night tube was announced back in 2013 by then-mayor Boris Johnson and began on August 19 2016 with the Central and Victoria lines. The Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines followed throughout that autumn, while the Overground service now known as the Windrush line began a night service in December 2017 (and expanded it in February 2018).

The night tube hasn’t been running constantly since then, having been suspended in March 2020 during the pandemic (and only fully restored in July 2022), but these days it’s hard to imagine the city without it. TfL says the night tube averages 81,000 journeys per night, with Saturdays tending to be busier than Fridays.

Commenting on the night tube’s first decade, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: ‘Travelling on the first-ever Night Tube is one of my favourite memories as Mayor. Through a decade of late nights and early starts, airport journeys and epic trips, morning shifts and nights out that go on for as long as you like, the night tube has become a defining feature of London as a world-leading 24/7 city.

‘Helping people travel safely and affordably at all hours provides a vital boost for our night-time economy, supporting local businesses across the capital and keeping London moving around the clock.’

Andy Lord, London’s Transport Commissioner, called the service ‘much more than a transport service’, adding:

‘For millions of people, it is a vital connection to work, leisure and home, while supporting businesses, venues and London's world-leading night-time economy, which attracts visitors from around the world. Behind every Night Tube journey is someone getting to or from work, returning home safely, or making the most of everything the capital has to offer after dark.’

So, what next for the night tube? Will it launch on more days, or more lines? Let’s see what the next decade has in store.

Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.

Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.