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Eight millionth journey expected on Night Tube anniversary

The service runs on weekends on five different lines

About 300,000 journeys are being made every weekend on London's Night Tube service, analysis reveals.

The service, which runs on Friday and Saturday nights, launched on 19 August last year with two lines running. It has run on five lines since December.

The eight millionth journey on the Night Tube is expected to take place this weekend as the service marks its one-year anniversary.

The mayor's office says 3,600 jobs are supported by the Night Tube.

Sadiq Khan said it had been a "huge success" which had "significantly" boosted the night time economy.

The most popular stations are Leicester Square, Oxford Circus, Brixton, Liverpool Street and Stratford.

Reuters Passengers pose for a photograph as they wait for the Night TubeReuters
The Central and Victoria lines were the first to run overnight

BBC London has analysed data from Transport for London (TfL) on how many people entered and exited each Tube station every half an hour between 19 August and 18 February.

It shows that:

  • Fairlop is the least used station, as it is used by fewer than five people 70% of the time
  • The most popular night was 17 December, with 226,641 movements - entries and exits
  • The least popular night was 30 December, with 84,837 entries and exits across all stations
  • Up until 18 February, there was an average 72,390 entrances a night and 80,860 exits
  • The most entries and exits happened between 00:30 and 01:00 while the fewest occurred between 05:30 and 06:00

The service cost £20.5m to run in the financial year of 2016-17.

It was first proposed in November 2013 by former mayor Boris Johnson and was due to begin in September 2015.

But it faced a difficult start as a series of strikes over pay delayed trains by nearly a year.

Getty Images Man sleeping on Night TubeGetty Images
The service runs on Fridays and Saturdays between 00:30 and 05:30
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Dates when the Night Tube opened on different lines:

  • Central and Victoria lines: 19 August
  • Jubilee: 7 October
  • Northern: 18 November
  • Piccadilly: 16 December
  • Overground: To start this December
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Mr Khan said: "No one could have predicted just how successful the Night Tube would be."

Val Shawcross, deputy mayor for transport, said City Hall were now looking "at how we can move ahead" including expanding to other lines.

The service is due to run on part of the Overground later this year, but Ms Shawcross suggested it could open on the Circle and District "when they've finished their upgrades in the 2020s".

The Night Tube has had some complaints over increased night noise near Tube lines but Ms Shawcross said TfL was "actively working" to reduce complaints.