Force aims to turn night into day for new ‘safe Tube service’

Extra officers will be drafted in to patrol stations and trains when the Night Tube launches this weekend.

British Transport Police (BTP) will “help customers travel with confidence” as the all-night service begins on the Central and Victoria lines on Friday and Saturday (August 19/20).

The deployment is part of an investment by Transport for London (TfL) of an extra £3.4 million towards policing for the Night Tube.

It will see around 100 officers out on the network when full services are under way, with at least as many officers out during the night as would be seen during the day.

And while the officer in charge of policing the London Underground admitted it would be a “challenge” to prevent higher crime levels – his aim is for the night-time service to be “as safe” as it is during the day.

BTP Superintendent Chris Horton said: “I don’t see anything stopping it from being a success.

“What we are really focused on is that people need to feel safe as well as be safe.

“The challenge for us is making sure there are not more people unlucky to be a victim of crime using the Night Tube.”

His reassurances come as the BTP has seen a spike in the number of violent and sex crimes on the London Underground network.

Latest figures showed 1,961 violent and sex crimes were recorded across the Tube and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) network in the first six months of this year.

The statistics represent a 41 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2015, when 1,389 were recorded.

And the number of crimes on the Underground and DLR increased year-on-year by 11.7 per cent in 2015/16 to 10,719 incidents, including 2,777 violent attacks, 894 sexual offences and 803 cases of serious public disorder. There are about 1.4 billion Tube journeys a year.

A BTP control centre is co-located with London Underground`s control centre, both of which operate 24-hours a day.

The new service will see officers supported by BTP rapid-response vehicles spread across London and by more than 12,000 CCTV cameras across the network.

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), responsible for policing beyond the Tube stations, will also be at key hubs and bus stations.

The first two Tube lines, Victoria and Central, will start operating services at 51 stations on Friday and Saturday nights.

The service – which was tested with a passenger-free trial last weekend – will be extended to the Piccadilly, Jubilee and Northern lines in the autumn.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “The opening of the Night Tube marks the start of an exciting new chapter in London`s life.

“Keeping Londoners safe is my number one priority. The extra investment in British Transport Police officers will ensure that all Londoners using the Night

Tube feel safe, whether getting back from work or going out at the weekend with friends.

“Passengers on the Night Tube must be able to travel with the same confidence they are used to during the day.

“That`s why we`re investing £3.4 million to ensure that dedicated officers are on hand to offer the support and visible reassurance Londoners expect.”

The Night Tube was first announced under former Mayor of London Boris Johnson in 2014, with a 2015 launch date. But due to a dispute over pay and work conditions with the Underground unions, including Aslef, RMT, TSSA and Unite, the project was delayed.

The service is expected to support 2,000 permanent jobs, boost the economy by £360 million and bring London in line with other major cities which run night time metro services, such as New York and Berlin.

A London Assembly report earlier this year revealed police had identified 12 “red stations” as being at risk of increased crime and anti-social behaviour as a result of the Night Tube.

The stations listed by BTP were Camden Town, London Bridge, North Greenwich, Vauxhall, Brixton, Waterloo, Oxford Circus, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, Charing Cross, Victoria and Hammersmith.

Chief Superintendent Martin Fry, BTP divisional commander for London, said: “We have