The announcement by Transport for London that they would be running a Night Tube service provoked much excitement about the prospect that London can finally compete with the likes of New York, Berlin and Tokyo as thriving 24-hour metropolises. For many, the move marked a natural extension of the same process which drove the liberalisation of licensing restrictions in 2003, and a further boon to the capital’s thriving £66 billion night-time economy. Furthermore, it is hoped, the changes could generate potentially significant social changes, with theatres and restaurants able to open later and even small businesses such as gyms and cafes able to offer more flexible opening hours with workers able to commute more easily at all hours.

Yet despite a seeming consensus from commuters and business alike that such a move was long overdue, its introduction has been beset with problems. Industrial action from tube workers objecting to the terms of the service provoked a series of strikes which potentially delayed its introduction. More remarkably, the Night Tube’s introduction has coincided with concern from business-owners that the night-time economy is being increasingly restricted by tough regulations imposed by local authorities aimed at curbing anti-social behaviour and other associated problems of late-opening venues. The Forward Into The Night report commissioned by the newly formed Night Time Industries Association points to a string of closures of otherwise successful bars and clubs as evidence that nightlife is seriously threatened by such measures. Councils insist, however, that a careful balance needs to be struck between the opportunities of night-time revelry and the needs of an increasingly densely populated inner city.

Does the Night Tube offer a unique opportunity to transform London life, or will its benefits offer more marginal gains to night-time commuters? Is London too crowded and developed to effectively implement large-scale changes, or is it the challenge for infrastructure catching up to inevitable demands of modern city-living? How should regulators balance the challenges of burgeoning nightlife with the needs of local communities? Does opposition to the night-time city jeopardise London’s reputation as a genuinely global, cosmopolitan centre?