Is London's 24-hour Night Tube plan dying?

A 24-hour weekend night Tube service was first announced two years ago

Is London's weekend Night Tube plan dying?

With talks between London Underground (LU) and the unions at an impasse and showing little sign of progress, are there now further signs the idea of a Night Tube is withering?

Previously London Mayor Boris Johnson has said the Night Tube could not be at "any cost" and today he told LBC Radio the weekend service was not "absolutely critical".

Asked whether he could provide a date for the introduction of the 24-hour Tube, Mr Johnson said: "I've got to tell you this is something that the city of London has done without for 150 years. What I won't do is pay an unreasonable price for it, which Londoners would feel in their fares.

'Political apathy'

"There's a very good deal on the table. I just hope that members of the Tube unions will get a chance to look at it. No-one will work more hours than they do today. Drivers have the same number of weekends as now.

"I want you to know that this is something I think we should have but - I hope my attitude is clear - it is not something that I regard as absolutely critical."

That is arguably a further shift away from a policy announced with much fanfare alongside the closure of ticket offices two years ago.

Compared to the policy of closing ticket offices the differences are stark. LU forced those closures through even though the unions didn't want the changes.

With the Night Tube it depends on the agreement of those same unions, but it cannot force the changes through without drivers.

There also doesn't seem to be a sense of uproar from anyone that the plans for the Night Tube now seem to be in disarray; there is no start date and there seems to be political apathy around the whole idea.

Of course there is much bluff and bluster during these talks, but it does makes you wonder if it'll ever happen?