RMT strikes re: 4 day week

[BostonGeorge]

I have noticed thew RMT has become far more militant since the departure of Mick Lynch.

Would you care to explain what you mean by this? These strikes would be going ahead whether Dempsey, Lynch, Cash or Crow were at the helm.

 

[bramling]

I don't think that maintaining attention during long repetitive tasks can possibly be as draining as actually driving. I don't have any experience of train driving but driving cars is always much less draining if they have cruise control and I don't have to focus on maintaining speed constantly. Sure I still have to be ready to react if something unexpected happens but that level of concentration is still way easier than constantly doing feedback control.

Okay let’s take the Northern Line. End to end is about 30 stations, roughly a little over three quarters of the journey is in featureless tunnel. Most of the stations are about 2 minutes apart, give or take a little.

So your main task in that time is station duties, starting the train, and watching the monitors as the train departs each platform. Notwithstanding the repetitive nature of this, that still leaves you with about 2 minutes of very low workload between each pair of stations, multiply this by 30 and that’s an hour of low workload. Your duty might do this routine six times in the shift, so that’s six hours where you aren’t doing much, but yet are still required to maintain full focus for 100% of that time, and without being able to do anything that might otherwise aid stimulation (eg reading, using a mobile device, listening to music, etc), and of course sleeping is out of the question. Now imagine you’re on day 7 in a row of this and your kids woke you up the previous night so you’re a bit fatigued. You can also add to that the rocking motion as the ATO system drives the train in a not particularly comfortable fashion.

Then you get to Chalk Farm and lose your focus for a couple of seconds just as you close the doors, oops someone has stuck their coat in the doors and you’ve just dragged them. This is the nature of ATO work. There are some plus points, mainly not having to worry too much about passing a signal at danger, however from the driver’s point of view this is about the only real benefit.

 

[Blaine]

Thanks Mawkie, interesting viewpoint.

There's also a good short article on the strike (and the gap between Aslef and the RMT) on London Centric.

 

[Horizon22]

I agree with all this.

One thing to add, is I’m not convinced that the whole proposal will end up being particularly great for the end-user either. If one of LU’s arguments is “the TOCs work like this”, given the constant crewing issues on certain TOCs - especially at times like weekends or holiday periods - this isn’t a ringing endorsement of their aspirations.

Crewing issues on certain TOCs at "weekends or holiday periods" is due to a lack of Sunday in the working week, nothing to do with the four-day week.

 

[SHD]

Okay let’s take the Northern Line. End to end is about 30 stations, roughly a little over three quarters of the journey is in featureless tunnel. Most of the stations are about 2 minutes apart, give or take a little.

So your main task in that time is station duties, starting the train, and watching the monitors as the train departs each platform. Notwithstanding the repetitive nature of this, that still leaves you with about 2 minutes of very low workload between each pair of stations, multiply this by 30 and that’s an hour of low workload. Your duty might do this routine six times in the shift, so that’s six hours where you aren’t doing much, but yet are still required to maintain full focus for 100% of that time, and without being able to do anything that might otherwise aid stimulation (eg reading, using a mobile device, listening to music, etc), and of course sleeping is out of the question. Now imagine you’re on day 7 in a row of this and your kids woke you up the previous night so you’re a bit fatigued. You can also add to that the rocking motion as the ATO system drives the train in a not particularly comfortable fashion.

Then you get to Chalk Farm and lose your focus for a couple of seconds just as you close the doors, oops someone has stuck their coat in the doors and you’ve just dragged them. This is the nature of ATO work. There are some plus points, mainly not having to worry too much about passing a signal at danger, however from the driver’s point of view this is about the only real benefit.

In Paris, all Métro drivers must drive manually (with train protection obviously) at least one trip per shift. This was made mandatory after the Notre-dame-de-Lorette accident in 2000 (a driver oversped and derailed in a zone where automatic driving was temporarily out of service, it was found that he had let his driving skills fade away, although there were other causes identified). You don't have anything similar in London?

I'll be visiting from tomorrow to Saturday with my kids, I guess we'll enjoy the bus then!

 

[Horizon22]

It's a long post but I'll take some of them in turn. Of course this is just my opinion, but I am sure many other drivers wouldn't be too disappointed

Overall Offer
What I have:

• Established 5-day week with known conditions
• Stable, predictable working arrangements
• Existing protections and practices

What is changing:

• 4-day week is being “bought” through concessions, not a free gain​
• Paid meal break used to justify longer duties​
• “Voluntary” overtime may create pressure or expectation of over time​
• Entire model driven by cost-cutting and performance targets, not staff benefit​

I can appreciate if it was a like for like swap to move from 5-day week to 4-day week. A paid meal break seems like a good idea, regardless. And anywhere I have been "voluntary" overtime is just that; voluntary. You just say no. Not hard.

A lot of things you say are "established", "known" "existing" "predictable". Well sometimes, some change is warranted and those things alone I am afraid do not make the strongest case. I would add this appears to have been put through an AI LLM which is no issue, but it does read that way.

Duty Lengths & Parameters
What I have:

• Safer, shorter duty limits (won through past disputes)
• More manageable fatigue levels
• Greater consistency in shifts

What is changing:

• Longer and more intense shifts to compress hours into 4 days
• Return toward older (pre 1992) working conditions
• Increased fatigue risk despite management claims
• Less balance in duties = some shifts significantly longer

Of course shifts will be longer to compress into 4 days. Again, why are LU drivers so opposed to this and getting more days off as a result? I still haven't had a highly satisfactory answer (I do appreciate @bramling's response by the way) compared to other intense metro operations who I'm sure would fight tooth and nail to keep a 4 day week.

What are the "increased fatigue risks". Is there a conflicting fatigue matrix the union has done.

Start & Finish Times
What I have:

• Start/finish times broadly aligned with travel and lifestyle
• More night duties (which some rely on)

What is changing:

• Earlier starts + later finishes = longer day footprint
• Even small changes can break commuting arrangements, especially outside London
• Loss of night duties = loss of preferred work patterns and flexibility
• Standardisation ignores local realities of depots and travel

This is one area where I am sorry, I agree with the company. Just because people have moved out to the Home Counties and are reliant on the very first NR train, frankly yes you make a committment to be in for your earliest shift.

Booking-On Arrangements
What I have:

• Face-to-face booking-on with a manager present
• Clear structure and boundaries for starting work
• Defined workplace location

What is changing:

• Move to remote/tech-based booking-on
• Potential erosion of safety culture and oversight
• Risk of work creeping into unpaid time (walking, prep, etc.)
• Step toward depersonalised, less protected working practices

I do appreciate this point a little bit more and there is that loss of face-to-face response. But is this true for every single driver, at every depot on every line, every day? If so great, but also people can't deny there are some technological benefits to having remote book on, and again many metro rail operators have this and it works perfectly fine.

Also face-to-face book on doesn't necessarily flag up issues anyway. It's often a "yeah alright, mate" and sign in. For example, despite having traces of cocaine in his system and reportedly being highly fatigued, this wasn't noticed by the crew manager (item 20 and 63 onwards) and the driver booked on to then crash into the buffers at Enfield Town

Pool Arrangements
What I have:

• Duties fixed a week ahead = predictability
• Clear knowledge of where I’ll be working
• Better ability to plan life outside work

What is changing:

• Less notice (as little as 24 hours) for final duties
• Increased uncertainty about location and exact work
• Split pool system adds complexity and instability
• “Flexibility” mainly benefits the employer

I don't know enough about this, so I'll side with you on this one. These sort of pool workings and so on can get incredibly complicated.

Annual Leave
What I have:

• Extra leave via banked time
• Ability to build additional time off
• Strong expectation of summer block leave

What is changing:

• Loss of banked leave = real reduction in total leave
• Cannot rebuild that leave through extra hours
• Summer leave less guaranteed in exact periods
• “More rest days” replaces guaranteed leave with fragmented time off
• Move from 8 block weeks to 6 block weeks

This is surely banked into the move to a 4 day week? It's also probably one of those cumulative things that people don't notice (e.g. an extra 20 mins each week eventually adds up to 1 AL day) but is mathematically correct so it feels like a loss

Transfers & Tie-Ins
What I have:

• Flexibility to move depots/lines over time
• Ability to respond to life changes

What is changing:

• 5-year tie-in restricts mobility
• Harder to change location if circumstances change
• Could deter new entrants or trap staff in unwanted locations
• Management downplays impact, but locks people in structurally

This strike me a lot like internal politics around depot moves and actually very much an edge-case scenario.

Representation Levels
What I have:

• Ability to challenge through industrial action
• Representation linked to membership strength

What is changing:

• Push to move dispute into formal procedures (slower, controlled)
• Emphasis on delaying or avoiding industrial action
• Potential attempt to limit leverage during negotiations

Fair comment I suppose if there are concerns about LU/ASLEF disproprtionality.

I maintain the biggest fundamental issue is the shift to a 4-day week and how this has all been developed and communicated. Clearly the strength of feeling is strong and my viewpoint is probably a minority one as often times I can see clear justification for action. But other times it is more blurred.

 

[xtmw]

In Paris, all Métro drivers must drive manually (with train protection obviously) at least one trip per shift. This was made mandatory after the Notre-dame-de-Lorette accident in 2000 (a driver oversped and derailed in a zone where automatic driving was temporarily out of service, it was found that he had let his driving skills fade away, although there were other causes identified). You don't have anything similar in London?

I'll be visiting from tomorrow to Saturday with my kids, I guess we'll enjoy the bus then!

Central Line driving in manual (Coded Manual), Leytonstone - Hainault & Epping, White City - Ealing Broadway&West Ruislip on Sundays.

You generally are permitted to drive in Coded Manual during wet weather as ATO is notorious to fail during these conditions, however a courtesy call to the control centre is appreciated.

 

[Horizon22]

I don't think that maintaining attention during long repetitive tasks can possibly be as draining as actually driving.

It does depend - there is a real phenomenon called "task underload" in human factors and is a particularly acute issue when you are very suddenly (as opposed to gradually) dealt with a change in circumstances

 

[bramling]

Crewing issues on certain TOCs at "weekends or holiday periods" is due to a lack of Sunday in the working week, nothing to do with the four-day week.

LU wants to bring in RDW. Guess which days of the week already tend to have a higher proportion of uncovered duties on LU?! One of the good things about LU’s current (no planned OT) way of doing things is it generally gives smoother coverage than most TOCs.

Stations on LU do RDW, and coverage isn’t good. There’s plenty of instances of station closures or stations being left unstaffed on LU. Good luck finding staff at Burnt Oak in the evening…

 

[leonie13]

And anywhere I have been "voluntary" overtime is just that; voluntary. You just say no. Not hard.

Overtime isn't voluntary when you're stuck in the pipe, on your last rounder, 15/20+ mins late, and past your finish time. At least now, there is padding/buffer in most duties to prevent this. (eg: officially get off a train at 17:00 and duty finishes at 17:15)

These new proposals will undoubtedly squeeze this buffer time, and mean more/longer service disruption, with trains being reversed early on their penultimate journey. The Controllers will all be working harder with service recovery (and for longer) as a result.

 

[Horizon22]

LU wants to bring in RDW. Guess which days of the week already tend to have a higher proportion of uncovered duties on LU?! One of the good things about LU’s current (no planned OT) way of doing things is it generally gives smoother coverage than most TOCs.

Stations on LU do RDW, and coverage isn’t good. There’s plenty of instances of station closures or stations being left unstaffed on LU. Good luck finding staff at Burnt Oak in the evening…

Oh I'm fully aware of some of the staffing issues at stations, particularly early doors. Classic closures include Lancaster Gate, Chancery Lane, Great Portland Street (basically those without connections) as colleagues are shifted around to "core" stations (which are the ones that might be reporting the staffing issue).

Of course Saturday and Sunday are less likely to be popular. Normally they attract a higher RDW payment as a result (e.g. time and a half).

But I maintain that weekends on certain mainline TOCs have issues - particularly aforementioned warm Summer sundays or Easter or the football is on - because they don't have a robust Sunday rostering agreement. Which is mad as we're a quarter of the way into the 21st century. This primarily does could down to the DfT wanting to "have their cake and eat it too" when it comes to sorting the funding...

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Apr 2026 ==

Overtime isn't voluntary when you're stuck in the pipe, on your last rounder, 15/20+ mins late, and past your finish time.

No but that is part and parcel of being train crew, unfortunately. Sometimes you get unlucky and you get stuck on the running line for 30/45/60+ minutes because someone has decided to - for example - run in front of the tracks in front of you on your last job. It happens (rarely).

That is not - I think - what we are talking about when it comes to voluntary overtime, which would mainly manifest as RDW or extending to 12hrs to "help out". I personally take a dim view of people trying to pressure this sort of thing on people, with the exception of good-natured joking about it with a roster clerk/manager and staff who have a good rapport.

 

[leonie13]

No but that is part and parcel of being train crew, unfortunately. Sometimes you get unlucky and you get stuck on the running line for 30/45/60+ minutes because someone has decided to - for example - run in front of the tracks in front of you on your last job. It happens (rarely).

I don't necessarily disagree with the essence of your point, but it's not quite part and parcel for LU Train Ops now though, is it? So why should it be in the future? Why should Train Ops just 'give that up'?

 

[Horizon22]

I don't necessarily disagree with the essence of your point, but it's not quite part and parcel for LU Train Ops now though, is it? So why should it be in the future? Why should Train Ops just 'give that up'?

What are you giving up? If this situation occured today, you'd be in exactly the same position? Enforced overtime.

Anywhere here's the current running status of TFL today, after 1200. Sporadically running services, which I don't think you could rely on:

 

[bramling]

Oh I'm fully aware of some of the staffing issues at stations, particularly early doors. Classic closures include Lancaster Gate, Chancery Lane, Great Portland Street (basically those without connections) as colleagues are shifted around to "core" stations (which are the ones that might be reporting the staffing issue).

Of course Saturday and Sunday are less likely to be popular. Normally they attract a higher RDW payment as a result (e.g. time and a half).

But I maintain that weekends on certain mainline TOCs have issues - particularly aforementioned warm Summer sundays or Easter or the football is on - because they don't have a robust Sunday rostering agreement. Which is mad as we're a quarter of the way into the 21st century. This primarily does could down to the DfT wanting to "have their cake and eat it too" when it comes to sorting the funding...

At least on LU currently there is theoretically someone planned to cover every single rostered duty. Seeing how things have gone on the stations (and other areas of LU) I just don’t have confidence that this would continue.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Apr 2026 ==



No but that is part and parcel of being train crew, unfortunately. Sometimes you get unlucky and you get stuck on the running line for 30/45/60+ minutes because someone has decided to - for example - run in front of the tracks in front of you on your last job. It happens (rarely).

That is not - I think - what we are talking about when it comes to voluntary overtime, which would mainly manifest as RDW or extending to 12hrs to "help out". I personally take a dim view of people trying to pressure this sort of thing on people, with the exception of good-natured joking about it with a roster clerk/manager and staff who have a good rapport.

What I’d say is the big problem with OT/RDW is that you can quite easily end up arriving at a situation where people want to work the OT/RDW, but then don’t want to work their actual rostered ones (essentially cake and eat it). Add in a dose of poor management and you then get those people who are reliable but don’t wish to work overtime getting constantly caught in various ways to pick up the slack.

What a lot of this boils down to is poor quality of management. Frankly I just don’t have the confidence in the ability of LU’s management to be able to make any of this work. They have form - the stations modernisation has been a disaster, and there are issues within service control as well (control staff working 14-16 hour shifts on a regular basis).

Speaking from an informed position but not someone who is part of this, if it were me I would be striking over this. I wouldn’t be trusting LU’s management as far as I could throw them, and I’d definitely be wanting to stick to what is already established. In fact, frankly I think anyone would be mad to want to work at LU nowadays full-stop.

 

[Horizon22]

At least on LU currently there is theoretically someone planned to cover every single rostered duty. Seeing how things have gone on the stations (and other areas of LU) I just don’t have confidence that this would continue.

Fair enough. Although you have then said below "people want to work the OT/RDW", so it can't be both.

What I’d say is the big problem with OT/RDW is that you can quite easily end up arriving at a situation where people want to work the OT/RDW, but then don’t want to work their actual rostered ones (essentially cake and eat it). Add in a dose of poor management and you then get those people who are reliable but don’t wish to work overtime getting constantly caught in various ways to pick up the slack.

That's not how it works. What you have discussed doesn't happen in the real world. Generally willingness to do overtime goes on a sliding scale from "not over my dead body" <> "take any shift going that doesn't break Hidden" and everything in between.

Not wanting to do your shifts is very different to actually not doing them of course!

What a lot of this boils down to is poor quality of management. Frankly I just don’t have the confidence in the ability of LU’s management to be able to make any of this work. They have form - the stations modernisation has been a disaster, and there are issues within service control as well (control staff working 14-16 hour shifts on a regular basis).

Speaking from an informed position but not someone who is part of this, if it were me I would be striking over this. I wouldn’t be trusting LU’s management as far as I could throw them, and I’d definitely be wanting to stick to what is already established. In fact, frankly I think anyone would be mad to want to work at LU nowadays full-stop.

I appreciate you are highly critical of LU management - it comes across a lot in your posts! I think it may blind your judgment a bit though; for many a career in LU is incredibly sought after.

As always, the strike is often around the receptiveness and communication and the politics/PR around it even if there was an initial point.

Sticking to what is "already established" is OK, but at some point things can't remain static forever, which is probably my main gripe about the approach that a union(s) somtimes take in disputes - it reads as an unwillingness/inflexibility to look towards the future and support change. Of course if you have deep distrust in the management, your decision is already made for you.

 

[STINT47]

Looking at the journey status nearly all of the Underground is still running this afternoon. The strike appears to have failed.

 

[SteveHFC]

Looking at the journey status nearly all of the Underground is still running this afternoon. The strike appears to have failed.

I disagree (and whilst I work for LU I have no TU affiliation).

Whilst there is some service on most of the network, the status page on the TfL website suggests that there are severe delays on all lines that have some service with hugely reduced frequencies - just as TfL advised would happen.

Some sections only running every 20 minutes and all lines are advising that journeys should be completed by 20:00. A couple of examples: Acton Town to Heathrow is normally 12 trains per hour - that's been reduced to 3 trains per hour. Cockfosters to Arnos Grove is normally 18 trains per hour in the peak - that's also between reduced to 3. Harrow-on-the-Hill to Watford has 7-8 trains per hour in the peak - that's only running every 40 minutes so just 3 trains in 2 hours instead of 15.

The Circle line is suspended throughout, the Met Line is suspended between Baker Street & Aldgate, the Hammersmith & City is suspended between Barking & Liverpool Street, the Piccadilly is suspended throughout except between Acton Town and Heathrow T4 and Arnos Grove and Cockfosters.

I've been working from home today, but intend to be in the office tomorrow. Fortunately I don't use the underground for my commute, so am not expecting any major issues (Network Rail infrastructure permitting!)

 

[absolutelymilk]

No idea about the tube itself, but the roads in inner London are much less busy than the previous strike, but obviously unclear whether that's because the strike is less effective or people have not traveled, or a combination. Feels more like a standard busy day than a strike day!

 

[xtmw]

Looking at the journey status nearly all of the Underground is still running this afternoon. The strike appears to have failed.

Half the network is suspended, with services set to close at 8PM.

 

[bramling]

Fair enough. Although you have then said below "people want to work the OT/RDW", so it can't be both.

The problem is there’s no guarantee of it. So quite possibly a glut of people happy to work RDW on a dull Sunday in February, less likely in December. I don’t see this as offering an improvement to the end-user.

That's not how it works. What you have discussed doesn't happen in the real world.

It really does. People will take on a load of overtime, and then make up the time off by going sick at a time of their choosing.

for many a career in LU is incredibly sought after.

Doesn’t mean the reality matches the expectation, sadly. What is unfortunately all too common is people join LU full of enthusiasm, and within a short space of time find themselves demoralised. Something about LU’s management is absolutely responsible for this, though that’s probably for another discussion.

Sticking to what is "already established" is OK, but at some point things can't remain static forever, which is probably my main gripe about the approach that a union(s) somtimes take in disputes - it reads as an unwillingness/inflexibility to look towards the future and support change.

I suspect there would be some level more of willingness to support change if LU’s record of change management was a positive one. Unfortunately there’s a number of change programmes which have taken place over recent years which have led to very poor outcomes, indeed I can think of two just off the top of my head which have had to be partially reversed. Any change programme should deliver an end result which is better, not worse, yet unfortunately that’s what we seem to often see on LU. Cutting some slack to LU’s leadership, the organisation hasn’t been dealt the best hand of cards from the politicians for quite a few years now, but equally it’s also fair to say they haven’t made the best job of the cards they have been dealt.

 

[Class 317]

How quickly will services return to normal tomorrow based on previous strikes?

I'm asking as I have to travel through London tomorrow and have not done so on any previous strikes day. Thanks

 

[BostonGeorge]

How quickly will services return to normal tomorrow based on previous strikes?

If travelling before noon, you'll run into considerable trouble because RMT members will not be booking on until after 12pm, which means LU will have to cobble together a special service based on the number of ASLEF drivers crossing the picket lines in the morning. As previously mentioned, some lines are RMT member heavy, so expect almost no service on the Piccadilly line, for example.

As for when it will get back to something close to a normal service, that won't be until late afternoon/evening, if at all, because it's almost impossible for all trains to be in their correct positions. Everything will be a special service, but some lines will feel more like a normal service than others.

 

[Cesarcollie]

I don't really understand this. ATO removes certain aspects of the role during normal operations. Sure doors etc. may be the most stressful part of the job but those responsibilities all existed before ATO as well!

And surely the removal of the SPAD risk (other than in a small number of locations like depots) is a huge plus?

 

[Horizon22]

It really does. People will take on a load of overtime, and then make up the time off by going sick at a time of their choosing.

This honestly sounds like a stereotype, something you've made up, or a very particular individual you are thinking about.

 

[bramling]

And surely the removal of the SPAD risk (other than in a small number of locations like depots) is a huge plus?

Not really, most drivers have managed to go through their careers without having many. Indeed there’s plenty of people who have managed to go through a whole career without having any at all. It’s only an issue for a relatively small number of people.

It’s more beneficial for management as SPADs latterly resulted/result in a significant amount of paperwork.

 

[boiledbeans2]

But assuming a load of LU drivers did decide to transfer to mainline, you’ve then introduced the problem of a load of vacancies that now need filling. LU already has vacancies. Arguably LU is already in the position where they are struggling to fill vacancies with people who can carry out the role to a high standard, especially in terms of communications.

Really LU need to be making their work more attractive not less so, especially in terms of non-pay factors.

As I understand, LU driver vacancies are internal only, and are always over-subscribed such that they stop applications well before the deadline.

So there are plenty of people who are happy to fill the driver vacancies, even with the new 4-day conditions.

 

[Mawkie]

So there are plenty of people who are happy to fill the driver vacancies, even with the new 4-day conditions.

Sometimes it's a question of quality, not quantity.

 

[OscarH]

It’s more beneficial for management as SPADs latterly resulted/result in a significant amount of paperwork

Removing a class of safety incident surely benefits everyone

 

[Horizon22]

Sometimes it's a question of quality, not quantity.

Are you saying the internal candidates aren’t high enough quality? Considering this is the only route LU take, they must disagree as otherwise they’d open it up to wider pool.

 

[Mawkie]

Are you saying the internal candidates aren’t high enough quality? Considering this is the only route LU take, they must disagree as otherwise they’d open it up to wider pool.

TfL often paint themselves into a corner.

Firstly, some years ago they made a concerted effort to recruit people to the CSA role with proven experience of "customer service" and seemed to prioritise people from the higher quality retail environments. Excellent, and just what a company needs for a customer facing role.

The trouble with that policy is that people with good customer service skills are not always the kind of people who have the technical skills needed to operate a train on London Underground. This is no fault of the potential train operator applicants - some people are simply more suited to some roles and some more suited to other roles.

Secondly, more recently, there are a lot of candidates that are coming from office based roles around the business. Some of them have never worked in an operational area of the business, and for example, have no idea about the impact of shift work and the levels of fatigue it can generate. Again, this is not a fault of the staff applying, but more a comment regarding the recruitment process and filtering of applicants.

Obviously I am not generalising about these groups of people, and there will be a number of people who have all the skills required. Indeed, I have met people who have come from both of the above mentioned groups of people and have proven themselves to excellent train ops.

I think it's telling that LU have recently completely overhauled the recruitment process for train operators and brought in an external company to redesign the entire process from start to finish. Is this an admission that LU haven't been recruiting the right candidates for some time?

Relatedly, LU have similar issues recruiting quality applicants to the Customer Service Supervisor (CSS) role, with internal campaigns running almost endlessly. This is why they recently advertised this role externally.

For the avoidance of doubt, TfL do have the option to recruit externally and have done so on numerous occasions over the years - most recently when night tube started.