London's night tube plan suspended

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  • Transport chiefs and unions are yet to agree on terms of the service, which was due to start in September.
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  • The start of London's 24-hour weekend tube service has been suspended. On August 12th it was revealed that the service wouldn't meet its targeted September 12th start date. Now, it has been deferred, with the tube union still at odds with London Underground over the terms of the service for train drivers. "We have decided to defer the introduction of night tube to allow more time for those talks to conclude," Nick Brown, London Underground's managing director, is quoted as saying in The Guardian. "Our objective is to reach an agreement that ends this dispute and delivers the night tube for Londoners this autumn. Further to the progress made in recent days with the trade unions and the suspension of strike action, we believe we are not far from an agreement that protects the work-life balance of our employees and is affordable, sustainable and fair." Mick Cash, the general secretary of RMT, one of the tube-affiliated unions, said: "We warned repeatedly that it would be dangerous and foolish to press ahead with bodged night tube plans until the very basics in terms of staffing and safety had been agreed with the unions through the long-established frameworks. This move by TFL proves that our members were right to strike and were right to warn the public about the consequences of the mad rush to introduce the mayor’s night tube plans without agreement." There have been two tube strikes this summer, with further strikes scheduled for September 8th and 10th. The 24-hour service, when it eventually goes ahead, is expected to provide a boon to London's nighttime economy.
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