Where Do London Underground Trains Go at Night?

London's vast and intricate public transport network comes to life in the hours and days gone by with the Night Tube service. However, during the night, the Underground trains do not run. This article delves into the details of where these trains go and the processes they undergo during their downtime.

London Underground Night Tube

The Night Tube operates only on Fridays and Saturdays, covering key lines such as the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, and Victoria lines. While these lines typically run 24/7 during the week, they shut down around midnight and resume operations at 5 AM the following morning.

The Nightly Journey to Depots

During the night, the trains are not in active service, and the London Underground system takes advantage of this time for maintenance and servicing. Depots located throughout the city are crucial in ensuring that trains are ready for the next day. These depots include:

Acton Town Depot: Serving the Piccadilly Line Northfields Depot: Also serving the Piccadilly Line Morden Depot: Serving the Northern Line Barking Depot: Serving several lines Willesden Depot: Serving the Bakerloo Line

Trains are taken to these depots for cleaning, repair, and service, which helps to ensure they are in good condition for the following day's operations. Some lines, such as the Piccadilly and Central Lines, require specific maintenance and storage facilities that are located in depots away from the mainline stations.

Night Time Maintenance and Engineering Works

During the night, some trains may also be involved in engineering works, which can include tasks such as track maintenance, upgrades, and other essential repairs that require the trains to be taken out of service.

Some lines, particularly the Victoria Line and the Bakerloo Line, have a few trains stored in tunnels at the end of the lines. These trains are often left in these locations for maintenance or as a reserve, ensuring that there is always a pool of functioning trains available in case of emergencies or unexpected breakdowns.

Rest and Readiness

Once the trains have completed their maintenance or engineering works, they are stored and rested in dedicated facilities until the morning. The depots serve as the 'train dormitories,' where the trains are cleaned, checked, and prepared for the day's operations.

They all retire to the great TFL train dormitory at the end of the Northern Line, where they rest up until the morning before returning to where they are needed.

Visualizing the Journey to Depots

A French gentleman has created an incredibly detailed map of the London Underground, showcasing the locations of the depots for each line. The map provides a visual guide to the locations of these essential maintenance facilities, allowing commuters to understand where their trains go during the night.

At the moment they go home to bed because otherwise they would spread the imaginary virus. In normal times they operate the Night Tube

Most trains are cleaned and serviced overnight at dedicated depots, while some are stored or stabled in sidings near to the terminals or in a few cases, right at the terminals themselves.

Click the map to make it big enough to read.