Agenda item

Keith Foley to be heard.

The Chairman introduced Mr Keith FoleyHead of the Night Tube Programme

for Transport for London (TfL) who gave the Committee a brief presentation on plans for the introduction of a Night Tube Service across London.

The presentation covered the following points:

·        Travel in London today and current late night demand on both the Tube and Night Buses;

·        Friday and Saturday night plans for late night tube running – service design and parameters including the proposed frequency of night time services which would make London world leading in this area;

·        Safety for staff and customers;

·        Station staffing and Policing – Members were informed that TfL had worked alongside the City Police, Metropolitan Police and the British Transport Police sharing information and looking at the implications of an extended weekend service ; and

·        Changes/additions to the Night Bus Network in order to provide an integrated night time transport service.

In response to a question regarding maintenance works and when these would be carried out with the proposed extended hours of service on the tube each weekend, Mr Foley explained that maintenance currently took place 5 days per week and that whilst this would still be the case, the maintenance rosta would need to be re-cast. He reminded the Committee that some lines would not be running a Night Tube service and that there was therefore no anticipated change to the maintenance arrangements already in place for these lines.

In response to further questions around staffing, Mr Foley referred to the recent and forthcoming strikes by underground workers. He clarified that the introduction of the Night Tube would require existing staff to work an additional seven nights per annum. He added that the staff concerned were already working through the night and that their shifts would not be changed but would be added to. Members were also informed that TfL complied with fatigue guidelines when assigning duties to staff and that they had been working alongside several Universities to look at the health and safety implications associated with those who work ‘shifts’.

In response to a question regarding the costs associated with the introduction of the Night Tube, Mr Foley reported that, following the initial costs, it was anticipated that the service would be cost neutral by 2018.

In response to a question concerning the consumption of alcohol on the underground, Mr Foley reported that, whilst it was not possible to police each individual tube for this, police were able to stop those who were found to be doing this. He stated that TfL did not expect incidences of this to increase at all as a result of the introduction of the Night Tube.

In response to a final question on the views of taxi trade on the introduction of the Night Tube at weekends, Mr Foley reported that TfL had been informed that the they were neutral on this as it was anticipated that the number of short trips to stations operating the Night Tube would increase and that there would be more opportunity for trade in the suburbs with people travelling to stations near home later into the evening.

The Chairman underlined that, as far as the City Corporation were concerned, the main issues would be around the extension of the Central Line services at St. Paul’s, Bank, and Liverpool Street stations on Fridays and Saturdays and any rise in antisocial behaviour or an increase in licence applications/extensions from premises located around the stations concerned. Mr Foley stated that all stations which the Night Tube ran through would have taxi ranks in order to encourage people leaving nearby premises or exiting the underground to vacate the area as quickly and as safely as possible. He added that Liverpool Street station would also have a permanent British Transport Police base.

The Chairman thanked Mr Foley for an extremely interesting and informative presentation.