The Night Overground makes a comeback this weekend despite ongoing underground strikes
Transport for London have announced that Night Overground services between Highbury & Islington and New Cross Gate will return this Friday.
Having been suspended in 2020 due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the Night Overground is set torun every 15 minutes throughout the night on Fridays and Saturdays providing an easy interchange with Night Tube services on the Victoria line at Highbury & Islington station and helping link key areas in the city’s night-time economy such as Shoreditch, Hoxton and Upper Street in Islington.
Restoring this service will help the 1.6 million people who work at night in London travel around, and will provide another safe transport option for all Londoners.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “As the Mayor who first opened the Night Overground in 2017, it’s great to see the Night Overground returning this weekend, which will make a huge difference for Londoners. Returning just in time for the key festive period, this is another milestone in London’s recovery, linking up diverse and vibrant areas of the city and offering a quick, easy and safe way to get around.”
Nonetheless, Night Tube services on the Central and Victoria lines are set to be disrupted by planned RMT strike action again this Friday night, as well as a planned 24-hour strike action on the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines from 04:30 this Saturday.
The RMT is taking this action over new rosters, which have been agreed by the other recognised union, and mean Tube drivers will be rostered to work up to four night-shift weekends every year, which they’ll be able to swap with colleagues as they wish.
Talks between TfL and the RMT have been ongoing for months, and TfL remains open to further talks in the hope that strike action at a crucial time for the capital can be called off.
Today’s announcement may signal TfL’s attempt to support the hospitality industry, like nightclubs and bars, who are already feeling the wrath of the new Omicron outbreak on their footfall.