Nearly 80,000 people have signed a petition calling on Transport for London (TfL) to reinstate the Night Tube in the wake of the murders of young women Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa.
The Night Tube, which serves several stations in Southwark on the Jubilee and Northern lines through the night on Fridays and Saturdays, has been suspended since early in the Covid-19 pandemic, with TfL forced to cut costs. Central London services end around 1am and start again about 5.30, leaving people reliant on taxis, night buses or walking.
But campaigners say a working Tube service late at night is important to protect women given that pubs and nightclubs have been able to open for months. “The rightful outcry at the recent murders of Sabina Nessa and Sarah Everard on London’s streets, epitomises the fear women face of walking alone or standing on the streets in the evening and at night,” petition organiser Ella Watson said.
She added: “Whilst it is important to recognize the tube itself, much like other public transport, is not perfect and more needs to be done to protect women when using it, the running of a well-lit and well-connected tube network, with platform CCTV and appropriately trained security staff serves as the best transport option to ensure millions of women across London can get home safely in the evenings and at night this coming winter.
“The reopening of the night economy after lockdown without this infrastructure is a disservice to women’s safety.”
Sadiq Khan has said he wants TfL to reopen “one or two” Night Tube lines this year and is committed to women’s safety.
Andy Lord, managing director of London Underground, added: “We are continuing to review how we might be able to reintroduce the full Friday and Saturday Night Tube in a safe and viable way as soon as possible.”
The Night Tube was first introduced in August 2016 and was suspended in March 2020.
The petition can be found here.