Survey into late-night Tube

Residents and business leaders are to be asked if they want the Tube to stay open an extra hour on Friday and Saturday nights, Mayor Ken Livingstone announced today.

Market research published by the Mayor's newsletter, The Londoner, claims 140,000 extra passengers would use the late service. If the Tube ran later into the night, trains would have to start an hour later the next morning to allow essential maintenance to be carried out.

Although later closing of the network would benefit revellers, it would mean problems for other users. Trains normally start running between 6am and 6.30am on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Surveys show 55,000 people catch trains during the first hour of the weekend service, with almost 60 per cent of those travelling to and from work.

Mr Livingstone said: "We want Londoners to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of running the Tube later and we want to hear their views before a final decision is made."

Union chiefs pointed out that a deal, discussed for months, had still not been agreed. The agreement to extend late-night running is tied up with other demands, including a 35-hour week.

A bitter inter-union row is threatened which could halt plans to run all-night Tube services on New Year's Eve this year. Two of London Underground's most powerful unions - representing 10,000 operational staff - are on the point of agreeing a groundbreaking deal for a 35-hour week.

The third union, Aslef, which represents train drivers, is already on a 35-hour week, won as a result of taking a reduced pay rise. Aslef leaders are now seeking an extra nine days off a year to make up for the shorter working week won by the other two unions.

An LU spokesman said talks would continue.