Night Overground services to New Cross are returning next month, having been suspended since March 2020.

Linking south London to night-time spots in Shoreditch, Hoxton and Upper Street at weekends, the night-time service was cancelled at the start of the pandemic.

From December 17, trains between Highbury & Islington and New Cross Gate will run every 15 minutes throughout the night on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am delighted we have managed to ensure that the Night Overground will be returning next month, linking up diverse and vibrant areas of London with all the nightlife they have to offer, just in time for the festive period.

“Coming only a few weeks after the return of the Victoria and Central Night Tube lines, this is another important milestone as London's vibrant night-time economy continues its recovery from the pandemic.

“I am determined to make the capital as safe as possible for all Londoners, especially women and girls, and the return of the Night Overground will make a huge difference to those who are travelling home late at night, offering another quick, easy and safe way for people to travel around the city.”

London Underground’s Night Tube will also resume on the Central and Victoria lines from November 27, having been suspended at the same time last year.

Tens of thousands of people signed a petition calling for its return to help protect women and girls travelling home.

TfL previously stated it lacked the resources to reopen all-night Friday and Saturday services on the all Tube and Overground lines until 2022.

The collapse in passenger numbers during the pandemic has decimated TfL’s finances, leading it to require Government bailouts to keep services running.

In recent months off-peak leisure travel has been recovering more quickly than other types of journeys, according to TfL, indicating strong demand for late services.

Overall TfL figures indicate that use of London's public transport network is at around 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

Ridership on the Overground is around 71 per cent, with weekends reaching even higher.

The Tube network on weekdays now regularly sees more than 60% of journeys compared to before the pandemic.

This has reached as high as 80 per cent at weekends, while ridership on buses is regularly at 75 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

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