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New Years Eve on the Tube.

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Mugby

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Does LU still offer free travel on the tube on New Years Eve?

If so, what are the hours it is given please?
 
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MikeWh

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In past years it has been 2345 to end of service. No idea whether it'll run again this year.
 

londonboi198o5

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As stated in the TfL Website it is from 23:45 New Year’s Eve until 04.29 new days day morning
 

bluegoblin7

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I think Mike Wh is talking about the free travel.

you can’t have free travel to the end of traffic if there hasn’t been an end of traffic though!

It has always officially been until around 5/5.30 off the top of my head, although I’ve been off the stations for a while now.

I would be surprised if there wasn’t free travel this year; it happened last year without a ‘sponsor’ and is as much for practical as well as technical reasons.
 

Dstock7080

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posters appearing on stations:
49217193707_d4ab6a4dc3_c.jpg
 

simple simon

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Will ticket gates be open, or will passengers need to touch-in / out but just not be charged anything?

The latter scenario would make it easier to get around the 4.29 / 4.30 time threshold, with perhaps passengers who started their journey before 4.29am still benefitting from free travel, even if the journey ends during what in effect is the next day's fares period.
 

londonboi198o5

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Will ticket gates be open, or will passengers need to touch-in / out but just not be charged anything?

The latter scenario would make it easier to get around the 4.29 / 4.30 time threshold, with perhaps passengers who started their journey before 4.29am still benefitting from free travel, even if the journey ends during what in effect is the next day's fares period.

gates get left open. And staff will allow anyone out who started there journey before the free travel ended
 

Busaholic

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Only after 2345? We offer free travel after 1800!
I'd be pretty sure there'd be no intervention by TfL staff on ticketing/fare matters on New Year's Eve evening and all night thereafter, at least anything leading to prosecution or other sanctions, though this would probably never be admitted to the general public. The police, even the BTP, have more urgent things to be dealing with at this time.
 

DJCC

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Some questions that I've always been curious about re: NYE

- Are Night Tube drivers and station staff contracted to work NYE as well?
- How do they make sure that day drivers working on NYE doesn't mess up the schedule for the next few days - guessing they can't work NYD but can they work a day shift on 2nd Jan for example?
- I noticed the service was very reduced on the morning of NYD (trains every 10 mins on most lines) - was that because most drivers were in action overnight?
 

Dstock7080

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- most Lines operate a volunteer system for NYE night drivers because of the additional payment. If you worked last year, you go to the bottom of list.
- at least 12hr between shifts must be provided
- yes a heavily reduced service operated 0430-1100 NY Day because of the resources used during the night, the District reduced to 20min services to branches during that time, every 10min through the City. (although there were no overnight District services to Edgware Road).
 
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DJCC

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- most Lines operate a volunteer system for NYE night drivers because of the additional payment. If you worked last year, you go to the bottom of list.
- at least 12hr between shifts must be provided
- yes a heavily reduced service operated 0430-1100 NY Day because of the resources used during the night, the District reduced to 20min services to branches during that time, every 10min through the City. (although there were no overnight District services to Edgware Road).

Interesting, thank you. So someone who worked NYE could do morning peak on the 2nd? Are Night Tube staff allowed to volunteer for NYE shifts?
 

jon0844

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Will ticket gates be open, or will passengers need to touch-in / out but just not be charged anything?

The latter scenario would make it easier to get around the 4.29 / 4.30 time threshold, with perhaps passengers who started their journey before 4.29am still benefitting from free travel, even if the journey ends during what in effect is the next day's fares period.

I suspect the reality was that staff showed an awful lot of discretion. Given how packed King's Cross was on the morning of the 1st with people having been out all night (or missed the last trains home) I suspect they were allowed to travel even if they very likely had a day return ticket from the night before.
 

Dstock7080

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Interesting, thank you. So someone who worked NYE could do morning peak on the 2nd? Are Night Tube staff allowed to volunteer for NYE shifts?
Yes indeed they could work 2nd AM.
I don’t believe Night Tube drivers can volunteer because of their contractual hours
 

Lewlew

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Interesting, thank you. So someone who worked NYE could do morning peak on the 2nd? Are Night Tube staff allowed to volunteer for NYE shifts?
Night tube staff can and do work it if it falls on a Friday or Saturday
 

Mojo

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- Are Night Tube drivers and station staff contracted to work NYE as well?
Interesting, thank you. So someone who worked NYE could do morning peak on the 2nd? Are Night Tube staff allowed to volunteer for NYE shifts?
Night Tube drivers are only allowed to drive trains on Friday and Saturday nights, so can only work New Years Eve if it falls on a Friday or a Saturday. Train Operators of any type are not permitted to undertake voluntary overtime at any time.

Station staff are however allowed to do overtime, so Night Tube station staff can work shifts on New Years Eve, however this would be as rest day working unless obviously it is on a weekend they would ordinarily be working.

It’s worth pointing out that most lines already have night drivers on Sunday to Thursday nights (and 7 nights a week on those lines that don’t do Night Tube) and these are regular, full time drivers, that do nights as part of their roster, so the additional numbers needed can be quite small. For example, one depot already has 8 full-time drivers night duties, on New Years Eve they had 21 duties so only needed to find 13 more drivers.
 

yorksrob

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Travel may indeed be free, but that doesn't automatically mean that the stations will be open (as many prospective users of the Northern line found out).
 

DJCC

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It’s worth pointing out that most lines already have night drivers on Sunday to Thursday nights (and 7 nights a week on those lines that don’t do Night Tube) and these are regular, full time drivers, that do nights as part of their roster, so the additional numbers needed can be quite small. For example, one depot already has 8 full-time drivers night duties, on New Years Eve they had 21 duties so only needed to find 13 more drivers.

Thanks again - what do the night drivers do? Are they engineering trains?
 

Dstock7080

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Travel may indeed be free, but that doesn't automatically mean that the stations will be open (as many prospective users of the Northern line found out).
Chalk Farm, Leicester Square, Charing Cross, Embankment were all scheduled to close during the overnight period.
 

bluegoblin7

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Thanks again - what do the night drivers do? Are they engineering trains?
No. It differs from line to line, but they’ll generally cover first/last trains on some sections, potentially outstabling and remaining with a train overnight, or they’ll run sleet & snow workings during adverse weather. Other than that, they work to Duty Manager’s Instructions.

Engineering trains are staffed exclusively by Transplant Engineering Train Operators, or LUL Test Train Operators (depending on the “engineering” train).
 

Mojo

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Thanks again - what do the night drivers do? Are they engineering trains?
No, there is a separate department of drivers who operate engineering trains and a further department who do test trains.

Passenger Train Operators cannot book on before 04.45 or book off after 01.30, and there are still a number of trains that have still to reach depots or sidings by this time (let alone have adequate time to book off). In colder months, they will also operate slow and sleet trains to keep the rails clear of snow and ice overnight as to not disrupt the passenger service.
 

londonboi198o5

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Travel may indeed be free, but that doesn't automatically mean that the stations will be open (as many prospective users of the Northern line found out).

which got widely advertised before hand and is nothing new it happens every New Year’s Eve and gets promoted
 

packermac

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Chalk Farm, Leicester Square, Charing Cross, Embankment were all scheduled to close during the overnight period.
Not sure about Chalk Farm but I suspect the others may have been to do with potential overcrowding issues. Fireworks on the river Trafalgar Square revelers etc.
 

DJCC

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Chalk Falm was also overcrowding - people watching the fireworks on Primrose Hill
 
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