Coronavirus Implications For London's Transport

A sensible decision for once. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see it never return, and to be quite honest it won’t be missed. A dumb idea in the first place, and a nuisance operationally on so many levels.

Massive costs and limited returns (even allowing for the 2 way journeys generated).

I think MoreToJack mentioned this above so apologies of this is repeating, but the vast majority of the merits of Night Tube operation could have been achieved by extending operating hours a bit each way on the days concerned.

I know from Heathrow’s perspective, Night Tube was a pain. Antisocial incidents sky rocketed as did other emergency call outs and staff usage was a trickle compared to what was being forecast mostly due to the well established bus network many of which provide 24hr links all week not just on two days.

Even as a student, all the journeys I did on Night Tube could have been done on the Night Bus network which pretty much stretches out to every developed area in this city not to mention being much more flexible as a transport operation infrastructure wise.

I see lots of people wearing gloves, unfortunately I've seen people wearing for prolonged periods. For gloves to be effective they need to be changed often; you wouldn't have sex with multiple partners wearing the same condom.

My private life IS, and will REMAIN, off-topic!

It won't be permitted unless it's too difficult to stop.

Face coverings to become mandatory on all public transport in England.

Face coverings to be mandatory on public transport

If so important, then why two weeks from now? Why not with immediate effect, or for that matter why hasn’t the measure been implemented to date?

I’m guessing it’s timed to coincide with non-essential shops opening up and thus a possible increase in demand. If so that’s going to work out just swimmingly on the day!

Presumably also an admission that 2 metre spacing just isn’t going to work. No one has yet explained what is supposed to happen when someone gets on a quiet train and then later in the journey someone else boards and encroaches upon the 2 metre bubble, especially if by this time there’s no more space available.

Has any other country made quite such a mess of all this as we have?

Night Tube drivers are contracted to work Friday and Saturday nights only, they aren't required to work any other time but it's probably cheaper to let them sit there during engineering hours than run Night Tube

Meanwhile

tfl.gov.uk/campaign/coronavirus-covid-

On the topic of how its affecting London's Transport...

A few days ago I visited Gants Hill station to collect a freebie newspaper (not been shopping in the Gants Hill area for a few weeks, as I went elsewhere) and I noticed that they now have a one-way system in to and out of the station.

All passengers exiting the station must turn left and exit via the nearby doorway.

Departing passengers must use the other entrance which sees them walking 'straight ahead' to the ticket gates.

There were also signs which suggested that at busy times passengers might have to queue before being allowed down the escalators. I have no idea if this has actually happened - this visit was at around 3pm when the place was almost deserted.

I also saw a 'hand sanitiser' station!

In due course I will share some photos here.

I agree that what is being done with the NT ops is probably making the best of a bad situation. I’m not quite persuaded by the sudden need for services first thing on a Sunday though - whilst Sunday morning first trains were always pretty busy, Sunday mornings - and this includes Night Tube - have always been very dead. At 0500 on a Sunday morning it’s been quite possible to get a NT train almost entirely to one’s self, especially heading in to London, whilst coming out would generally be the dregs from the night before, certainly not key workers. Ironically Sunday morning is actually the only time I’ve found the NT personally useful, however my travel patterns aren’t really typical.

Going forward ultimately some backbone is going to be needed in making a decision regarding Night Tube, although in reality we’ll probably simply see the can kicked down the road. I don’t think this will be a major problem in terms of what happens to the crews, as I suspect many would quite happily take a full-time post if offered. With the ONA situation on certain lines even before C19 and the current lack of training, an influx of ready-to-go train operators wouldn’t go amiss at all. Pity same can’t be done in service control - for example something like the Northern needs six extra controllers in order to provide the extra desk needed for Battersea, not to mention any retirements in the meantime - the clock is ticking away!