Boost for businesses and venues as Night Tube comes to Northern line

• Northern line Night Tube services launch tonight, with the Piccadilly line set to follow on Friday 16 December

• Almost 1.5 million Night Tube journeys have already been made on the Central, Victoria and Jubilee lines, surpassing expectations

• Night Tube is cutting journeys by an average of 20 minutes, with some cut by more than an hour

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has joined London’s business community in welcoming tonight’s launch of the Night Tube on the Northern line.

The line, the busiest of all London Underground lines, is the fourth to join the Night Tube network, following successful introductions on the Central, Victoria and Jubilee lines. Next month, the Piccadilly line will become the fifth to run services – fulfilling the Mayor’s pledge to have five lines running by the end of the year.

From tonight, Northern line Night Tube services will run from High Barnet and Edgware to Morden via the Charing Cross branch, providing another boost to the Capital’s burgeoning night-time economy and making it easier for Londoners to travel to and from work. It will support the iconic music venues in Camden, world-class theatres in the West End, the buzzing bar and restaurant scene in Clapham and numerous businesses in between.

The Night Tube will play a key role in opening up London's night-time economy, boosting it by £77m a year and supporting around 2,000 permanent jobs.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “As a Tooting boy, it gives me particular delight to see the Night Tube start on the Northern line tonight. Londoners have really taken these new services to their hearts, with nearly one and half million journeys made already. The Night Tube is helping tens of thousands of passengers get safely to and from work or home from their evenings out every weekend, and it’s great news that even more of the capital will be opened up with the addition of the Northern line tonight, and the Piccadilly line next month.”

Mark Wild, London Underground’s Managing Director, said: “The Northern line Night Tube will be a game-changer for London. Overnight weekend services on our busiest line will provide more opportunities for millions of Londoners to make the most of our world-famous nightlife, from Camden to Clapham and beyond. At the same time, our new services will simplify night-time journeys for many people to get to and from work. We’re looking forward to completing the picture with the Piccadilly line Night Tube launch next month, just in time for the festive season.”

Steve Sherwood, Director of Operations and Infrastructure at PwC, said: “As a major employer with several thousand people living in and around London, we support initiatives which bring more flexible access to the capital for work or leisure. London recently retained the top slot as a centre for business, commerce and culture in PwC’s latest Cities of Opportunity Index of 30 major global cities. London stands out for the diversity of its cultural offering. The Night Tube promises to make it easier for people to enjoy the 24-hour attractions the city offers.”

Simon Pitkeathley, Chief Executive, Camden Town Unlimited and Euston Town BID, said: “Camden Town has so much to offer: the creative quarter, innovative start-ups, an independent business community and iconic music venues. The Night Tube will help reflect Camden Town’s prominent position in London’s night-time economy. We can’t wait to see businesses across the board flourish from the improved transport.”

Marcus Davey, Chief Executive and Artistic Director, at the Roundhouse, said: “Camden has played a huge role in making London’s nightlife world-famous. From music to fashion, theatre and the market people of all ages enjoy a 24-hour lifetime here. Making it easier to get around throughout the night will only cement Camden’s position as a great night-time destination.”

Philip Dodson, Founder of @Work Hubs, a 24/7 London coworking community near Euston station, said: "Having the Night Tube will be a huge bonus for freelancers, start-ups and creatives, who do not work regular 9 – 5 hours and are a key element of London's economic success. Many of them work when they feel creative, or if they’re a start-up, they often work late into the night/early hours. The Night Tube will give our community more flexibility to work when it suits their needs."

Dan Joines, Director of The Manor, Clapham, said: "We are delighted with the introduction of the Night Tube on the Northern line. Although we are sure it will be great for business and convenient for customers, we are even more pleased that the service will be in place for our teams. We work hard in hospitality and the hours are long, so to be able to get home more quickly, safely and reliably is essential."

Heinz Richardson, Board Director, Jestico + Whiles Architects, said: “The addition of the Northern line to the Night Tube service will be of enormous benefit to our business. As architects and designers, we often work late on submissions and the Night Tube will ease the journey home for 35 per cent of our staff who use the Tube.”

Steve Ball, Owner of the Jazz Café, said: “Camden is an area that’s long been valued as a hub for nightlife in our city. It’s fantastic the Night Tube will be serving the area and we’re looking forward to the positive impact it will have.”

Jimmy Garcia, chef and owner of The Lodge, Clapham, said: “We're delighted to know that our customers can now get home safely on the Tube all night, which will make this winter’s nights longer, busier and more fun for all.”

Mike Hamer, Operations Manager at KOKO, said: “We are over the moon with the launch of the Night Tube. It will be fantastic not only for our staff getting home at night, but also for dispersal of our customers after gigs and events, many of whom have had to leave before the end of a concert to ensure they can get home.”

British Transport Police Chief Superintendent Martin Fry said: “Since the launch in August this year, we have recorded very few crimes on the Night Tube. This success confirms what we already knew and what we expected to see: crime on the Underground is low and is in line with evidence from 24-hour metros around the world, where similar low levels of crime on night services are the norm. We will continue to work closely with Transport for London, the Metropolitan Police and other agencies to ensure the Northern line Night Tube is a safe and pleasant service for everyone who travels and works on it.”

Transport for London is also introducing two new night bus services to complement the Northern line Night Tube.

Route 307 buses will now run every 30 minutes throughout Friday and Saturday nights between Brimsdown station and Barnet Hospital. This will connect with the Northern line at High Barnet and then with the Piccadilly line at Oakwood when it launches next month.

Route 319 buses will also run a 24-hour service at weekends, connecting with the Northern line at Tooting Bec. Buses will run every 30 minutes on Friday and Saturday nights between Streatham Hill and Sloane Square station.