The Night Tube runs through the night on Friday and Saturday nights only, on five Underground lines (Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria) and on the London Overground's Windrush line. Fares are the normal off-peak fares, and your daily cap still applies. On other nights, and on the lines and branches that close, night buses take over.
On most nights, London's Underground stops running at around midnight and starts again early the next morning. On Friday and Saturday nights, selected lines keep going, so you can stay out late in the West End and still take the train back to your hotel. The Night Tube started in August 2016 and has become a normal part of London's weekend.
The key thing to understand is that the Night Tube does not cover the whole network. Only the main sections of certain lines run, and several branches, stations and airport terminals are left out. This guide sets out exactly which sections run, what the fares are, how to plan a late journey, and what to do when your line is not part of it.
Night Tube: the short version
- Nights
- Friday night into Saturday morning, and Saturday night into Sunday morning
- Tube lines
- Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria
- Overground
- Windrush line, Highbury & Islington to New Cross Gate
- Fares
- Off-peak pay as you go fares; daily caps apply
- Day Travelcards
- Valid for journeys starting before 04:30 the next morning
- Stations
- Staffed while trains run; step-free access as by day
- Other nights
- Night buses (most with route numbers starting with "N")
Which lines and sections run all night
The Night Tube uses only part of each line. The table below shows the sections that TfL runs through the night, based on TfL's own route data for night services.
| Line | Night section | Not served at night |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | The whole line, Brixton - Walthamstow Central | No gaps on the line |
| Jubilee | The whole line, Stanmore - Stratford | No gaps on the line |
| Central | Ealing Broadway - Hainault, and Ealing Broadway - Loughton | The West Ruislip branch, and the line beyond Loughton towards Epping |
| Northern | Morden - Edgware and Morden - High Barnet, via Charing Cross | The Bank branch, the Battersea branch and Mill Hill East |
| Piccadilly | Cockfosters - Heathrow Terminal 5, via Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 | Heathrow Terminal 4, and the branch to Uxbridge |
| Windrush (Overground) | Highbury & Islington - New Cross Gate | New Cross, the Clapham Junction branch, and the line beyond New Cross Gate to Crystal Palace and West Croydon |
For central London, this is good coverage. The Northern line's night route passes Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road, Euston and Camden Town. The Piccadilly line serves Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden, King's Cross and South Kensington. The Victoria line links Oxford Circus, Victoria and King's Cross, and the Central line runs along Oxford Street to the City and Stratford.
TfL publishes a dedicated Night Tube and London Overground map on its Tube maps page. It is worth saving on your phone before a night out.
The Northern line's Bank branch sleeps at night. Late on a Friday or Saturday, Northern line trains run only via Charing Cross. If your hotel is near Bank, London Bridge, Old Street or Angel on the Northern line, you will need another line, a night bus or a taxi for the last part of the journey.
Which nights the Night Tube runs
The Night Tube runs on Friday and Saturday nights. In practice, that means trains on the night lines keep running from Friday morning, through Friday night, all of Saturday and Saturday night, until the normal service winds down late on Sunday evening.
From Sunday night to Thursday night there is no all-night Tube. TfL uses those nights for track and maintenance work on the Night Tube lines where possible. If you are out late on a Wednesday, plan to catch a night bus or a taxi home.
Christmas, New Year and major events often bring special timetables, closures or extra services. TfL announces them in the weeks before, so check its Night Tube page and the live status before you rely on a night train over a holiday.
How often the trains run at night
Night trains run less often than daytime trains, so you will usually wait longer on the platform than you would during the day. The exact gap depends on the line and the section, and it can change. Check the next departures in TfL Go or on the platform screens rather than assuming a daytime frequency.
On lines with branches, night trains are divided between the branches, so the gap on each branch is longer than on the central section. On the Northern line, for example, night trains from the centre are shared between Edgware and High Barnet. Look at the destination before you board, especially after a late show when you are tired.
Our visitor's guide to the Tube explains how to read platform displays and branch destinations.
Night Tube fares and caps
All Night Tube journeys are charged at off-peak fares, and the London Overground night service is off-peak too. You pay with a contactless card, phone or Oyster card, exactly as by day. A trip from Oxford Circus to Brixton on the Victoria line, for example, costs £3.10 at night, and a Zone 1 journey costs £3.00. The Piccadilly line from central London to Heathrow costs £5.90 at any hour.
Daily caps apply as normal, and the travel day runs from 04:30 to 04:29 the next morning. This works in your favour: if you have already reached the £8.90 cap for Zones 1-2 during the day, your journey home at 02:00 is free, because it still belongs to the previous travel day. Our explainer on contactless, Oyster and daily capping covers the rules.
Paper Day Travelcards are valid on the day printed on the ticket and for journeys that start before 04:30 the following day. TfL's own example: a Day Travelcard bought at 11:00 on Friday can be used until 04:29 on Saturday.
A capped day makes the ride home after a show free. If you have used the Tube and buses enough to reach your daily cap before the curtain goes up, the Night Tube journey back to your hotel costs nothing extra. Use the same card or phone you used all day, or the system will treat you as a new customer.
Planning a late night out around the Night Tube
The Night Tube makes the West End much easier on weekends. After a performance at one of the West End theatres or a late evening in Soho, you can walk to Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road, Piccadilly Circus or Oxford Circus and take a train that runs all night.
A few tips help:
- Check your hotel's nearest night station. If your nearest station is on a branch or line that closes, find the closest station that stays open and how far you would walk.
- Charge your phone. A flat battery at the exit gate means a maximum fare if you touched in with your phone.
- Know your night bus as a backup. If you miss a train or a line is disrupted, a night bus usually covers the same corridor.
- Plan the whole route before you leave the bar. Mobile signal underground is still patchy on many sections.
For ideas on how to spend the evening, see our guides to London after dark and bars, clubs and nightlife.
Staying safe on the Night Tube
Night Tube stations are staffed while the trains run, and the network is generally safe late at night, with many people travelling on weekend nights. As by day, keep your phone and wallet out of sight near the doors, and move to another carriage if someone makes you uncomfortable.
If you need to report something, you can text British Transport Police on 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40. In an emergency, call 999. Our guides to safety in London and to travelling alone in the city have more advice.
Drinking alcohol, or carrying an open container of alcohol, is banned on TfL trains, buses and stations at all hours, including on the Night Tube.
Step-free access at night
Step-free access at Night Tube stations is the same as during the day. If a station is step-free by day, it is step-free at night too, and staff can help you board. Remember that a station that is closed at night on a non-running branch is not an option, so plan step-free night journeys with the accessibility settings in TfL Go or Journey Planner. Our guide to step-free travel in London explains how staff assistance works.
When the Night Tube isn't running: night buses and taxis
On weeknights, or if your line or branch is not part of the Night Tube, London's night buses are the main alternative. There is an extensive network of night routes, most numbered with an "N", and many connect with Night Tube stations. They charge the normal bus fare, which is £1.75 (rising to £1.85 on 1 November 2026), with the Hopper fare and daily cap. How to find and board them is covered in day and night buses.
Black cabs are the other safe option. All licensed London taxis must accept contactless card payment with no surcharge, and the minimum fare is £4.40. Night-time tariffs cost more than daytime ones. Minicabs, including app-based services, must always be booked in advance, never picked up on the street. TfL's advice is "Stay safe - always book your minicab". For prices, compare black cabs, minicabs and ride apps. TfL's Night Tube page also has a map showing which Night Tube stations have taxi ranks.
The Night Tube and airports
The Piccadilly line's night service reaches Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 and Terminal 5, but not Terminal 4. From central London it costs £5.90; by day the trip takes about 50 minutes from the West End, so allow at least that at night. For a Terminal 4 flight very early on a Saturday or Sunday, go to Terminals 2 & 3 and check how to reach Terminal 4 from there, or take a night bus or taxi.
On other nights, and for the other airports, you need different plans. The N9 night bus runs from Aldwych through the West End to Heathrow Central Bus Station and Terminal 5. Our guide to late-night and early-morning airport transport covers every London airport, including the Thameslink trains to Luton that run through the night.
For the east of the city, remember that the Windrush line is the only part of the Overground with a night service, and the DLR does not run all night. See the DLR and the Overground for how those networks work by day.
Frequently asked questions
Which Tube lines run 24 hours on weekends?
The Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines run through Friday and Saturday nights, together with the London Overground's Windrush line between Highbury & Islington and New Cross Gate. On the Central, Northern and Piccadilly lines, only the main sections run; some branches close as normal.
Does the Night Tube run every night?
No. The Night Tube runs only on Friday and Saturday nights. From Sunday night to Thursday night the Tube closes as usual, around midnight, and TfL uses the time for maintenance. Night buses run every night of the week and are the main alternative.
How much does the Night Tube cost?
Night Tube journeys are charged at normal off-peak pay as you go fares, for example £3.00 within Zone 1 or £3.10 from Oxford Circus to Brixton. Daily caps apply, and because the travel day runs until 04:29, a late journey home counts towards the previous day's cap.
Does the Night Tube go to Heathrow?
Yes, the Piccadilly line runs through the night on Friday and Saturday nights to Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 and Terminal 5. It does not serve Terminal 4 at night. The fare from central London is £5.90, and on other nights the N9 night bus serves the airport.
Does the Northern line run all night?
Partly. On Friday and Saturday nights the Northern line runs between Morden and both Edgware and High Barnet via Charing Cross. The Bank branch, the Battersea branch and Mill Hill East do not have a night service.
Sources
- Transport for London - The Night Tube (checked September 2026)
- Transport for London - Unified API, night route sections (checked September 2026)
- Transport for London - Tube and rail fares (checked September 2026)
- Transport for London - Fare capping (checked September 2026)
- Transport for London - Taxi fares (checked September 2026)
- Transport for London - Tube maps (checked September 2026)