From 2015, passengers will be able to take the Tube home at any hour of the night on Fridays and Saturdays.
Weekend services will run through the night on core parts of the system,..
initially the Piccadilly, Victoria, Central and Jubilee lines and parts of the Northern line.
Boris Johnson, the London Mayor, said the move would boost jobs and “our vibrant night-time economy.”
It would also “further cement London's reputation as the best big city on the planet to in which to live, work, visit and invest," he added.
The plan was among a number of changes announced, which will see 750 jobs cut.
Contactless bank card payment technology will be introduced from next year, Wi-Fi coverage at underground stations will be extended, ticket machines will be improved and staff will be based in ticket halls and on platforms rather than in ticket offices.
All Tube stations will continue to be staffed, and billions of pounds of investment will continue, Mr Johnson and Mike Brown, London Underground’s managing director, said.
But the plans will lead to a reduction of around four per cent of London Underground’s current total of 18,000 staff, which includes 5,500 station staff.
LU said it was committed to making the cut in staff numbers without any compulsory redundancies.
The plans will deliver savings of around £50 million a year.
Mr Johnson said: "For 150 years the Tube has been the beating heart of London, its tunnels and tracks providing the arteries that have transported millions of people and helped to drive the development and economic growth of our great city.
"Now it is time to take the Tube to the next level.”
Mr Brown added: "People are at the heart of this vision - our customers and staff. My commitment to London is that all Tube stations will continue to be staffed and controlled in future, with more staff visible and available to help customers buy the right ticket, plan their journey and keep them safe and secure.
“We will continue to make the Tube more accessible and provide assistance at stations for all our customers who need it.
“Our vision is for a Tube network and service that is truly fit for London and our customers in the 21st century - a better face-to-face service at our stations, a 24-hour service at weekends, with easier and more personalised ways to plan and pay for journeys, on and off our network."
But the initiatives were criticised by the TSSA rail union, which accused Mr Johnson of being the “hypocrite of the decade” and said the announcement would lead to the closure of all 268 Tube ticket offices by the end of next year.
Manuel Cortes, leader of the union, said: "It beggars belief that the Mayor who was elected in 2008 on a pledge to keep open every ticket office is now planning to close every single one, with all that means for safety and jobs.
"He will leave behind the most expensive Tube in the world and one of the most badly supervised.”
Shadow London minister Sadiq Khan said: "The mayor of London has today ripped up his manifesto promise to the people of London. As a result of his plans, Londoners will feel more anxious travelling at times when stations may be deserted.
"Commuters will have nowhere to turn when their Oyster card is lost, stolen or broken. It will make the daily commute more difficult for everyone but, more worryingly, there are serious concerns about whether there will be enough staff at London's busy stations to respond in emergency situations.”
Source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/10464978/London-to-have-24-hour-Tube-service-at-weekends.html
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