By Jessica Frank-Keyes
Susan Hall has unveiled her plan to extend the Night Tube to the Hammersmith & City line, if elected mayor of London.
The Conservative candidate, who is vying with Sadiq Khan as he campaigns for a record third term, announced her plan today as part of a bid to revive London’s night-time economy.
At an event in Hammersmith on Monday evening, where she spoke to businesses, Hall toldCity A.M.: “It’s about getting people back home if they want to stay out late.
“I’m hearing women are feeling less and less safe so [with] the Night Tube – especially when I manage to put CCTV cameras in every carriage – I think women will feel much safer getting home.”
Labour stressed that Khan is also committed to securing the funding to expand the Night Tube and highlighted his record “delivering the Elizabeth line and Northern line extension”.
Hall also stressed that the policy – which would connect revellers with venues including Hammersmith Apollo, the Barbican, and Fabric – would boost businesses struggling to attract late-night customers and retain staff.
Hall also outlined her ambition to extend the service to the Circle, District and Metropolitan lines when feasible once remaining modernisation signalling upgrades are completed.
“The only way we’re going to get more business and the night-time economy back working is to be able to get people in and out of London and make sure they feel safe,” she added.
When asked about how she would fund the Night Tube extension to the Hammersmith & City line, Hall said: “It was one of the first things I looked at and Transport for London (TfL) have done their own assessment.
“For every pound that it costs it brings in £2.70… it’s already there – it’s a no-brainer.”
The claim is in a published report by economic consultants Volterra from 2014 – prior to the Night Tube being set up in 2015 – and states: “Standard business case shows that for each £1 spent on delivering the Night Tube, benefits will be £2.70.”
Hall has previously made campaign pledges including to boost policing in London and to appoint a Women’s Commissioner, and put CCTV on every new London Underground train.
She has also vowed to abolish the ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) expansion on her first day in City Hall – which raised around £26m in its first month in operation.
Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, welcomed Hall’s proposals and said: “What I would say is we want more, more frequent and more structured, and going later and into the early hours of the morning because that’s what going to make the market go out later and create a more sustainable and potentially – long-term – 24-hour economy.”
He added: “Funding is a big part of it… I have to work with the mayor’s office to progress that and make sure there is some sort of commitment. It’s not an overnight process, there’s a change in habit, but we’ve got to start that journey.”
A spokesperson for Sadiq Khan said: “Sadiq wants to do this – and if re-elected will work to secure the funding for expanding the Night Tube to these four lines.
“You can trust Sadiq to deliver – he got the Night Tube open when Boris Johnson couldn’t, as well as delivering the Elizabeth line and Northern line extension.
“By contrast the Tory candidate voted to block Sadiq’s TfL fares freeze and cheered on the Tory government imposing punitive funding deals on Transport for London.”
