Night Tube Discussion

Looks like we have another 4 or 5 taking their road test next week. At Arnos Grove we have 17 running duties plus 5 spare duties and a roster with 26 places, 4 of those are annual leave covers. Having a quick look at the timetable (WTT57), there is a train leaving Cockfosters every 10 minutes. Down at the west end of the line, there will be trains leaving T5 and going into Northfields Depot for maintenance and trains coming out of there going west to maintain the 10 minute service to T5.

Having a quick look at Acton Town, they have 24 on the roster with 4 of those being annual leave covers. They have 16 running duties and 4 spares so it looks like overall there will be a maximum of 33 trains out on the line, but that will include an element of empty running. So with the amount of qualified drivers we have and with a few weeks to go, it looks like we may get a full service if nobody is either sick or on leave.

Has anyone seen any new Night Tube Pocket Maps at stations with the Northern Line added?

Is there any reason the west Ruislip branch of the central line was omitted? Particularly interesting as North West London gets no night tube. I can understand maybe West Ruislip doesn't warrant the demand but surely upto Northolt would?

I've been told by a few people that it was due to lack of demand for the branch. But the last trains are usually full and standing and they increased the buses over the weekend so not entirely sure for the reason.

Same for Epping, supposedly a lack of demand but each time I've been up at Loughton there's always someone asking when the next Epping train is. The taxis must be making a killing up there...

I believe the service to Loughton was a compromise with Epping forest DC, they wouldn't lift restrictions so initially planned to Woodford as that's the limits of London borough. Powerful passenger lobby groups in Epping who I assume only use central line during day mon-fri. As is life, people are only interested in what benefits them, if they believe it'll upset their peace, then they'll fight it.
In an off topic incident, but to prove the point, as the 2009 strikes for station staff job losses took place I was confronted by a passenger at Epping irate at the strikes and supporting the job losses. Fast forward a few months and I was confronted by the same passenger, irate because the ticket office was closed and there was no one on the station to help him. Be careful what you wish for........

If you want to travel the entirety of the Night Tube network during Night Tube hours then that boat sailed with the launch of the Northern line. It was possible with the Victoria, Central and Jubilee lines only on Saturday night/Sunday morning.

However, if you only want to use 'Night Tube trains', that is, trains that remain in service overnight, then it's doable, but still won't happen over the course of a signal night.

I am certain Epping Forest Dc were **not** involved in making Loughton the Night Tube railhead. Think that was a LU decision, probably based on the premise that the stabling / signing on point was at Loughton.
Yes, there is a demand for taxis at Loughton, and Sadler's must be making a killing. But bear in mind Essex County Council don't contribute to the Central Line in their territory at all and there would seem no incentive for the Mayor to run an extra ten miles per train in non-GLA territory.
By the way, Diamondgeezer has just (4 Dec) been up this neck of the Central (see diamondgeezer.blogspot.co.uk ; though he doesn't comment on night tube, he has one or two rail-related things to say as usual (is he a covert member of this forum, I wonder?!)

Melikepie, no; as ECC turn off all the street lights in Essex at 0100 anyway, so darkness reigns not just in TB!

Drainrat, they do, except in the main shopping centres, and one or two roads such as Old Station Rd and the Station Yard. It's pitch black in most of the town. By a special concession, they come on again at 0500, for those using the early trains (6am in the rest of the County!)
Can Sadlers and the barber park in the staff car park, then? I thought they had to find somewhere else...

Incredible.
Lights are off in most of Essex 12-5

Except on Mondays!

Who does? :-)

Doubt this is just an issue of areas under ECC, because ECC have started turning street lights back on in a number of areas locally, so turning on lights between Loughton and Epping probably wouldn't take much to organise.