Request access to night-time bus and tube data from Transport for London for my research project on night-time public transport accessibility in London.
Request ID: FOI-0873-2324 Date published: 19 July 2023
You asked
I am a UCL student and am studying Urban Spatial Science.I am seeking access to night-time bus and tube data from Transport for London (TFL) for my research project titled "Towards Sustainable Night-Time Public Transport: An Analysis of Night-Time Accessibility in London." The objective of my study is to analyze the accessibility of public transport during the night-time hours in London, with a focus on understanding the characteristics and needs of night-time travel groups and identifying factors contributing to poor accessibility.
Specifically, I am requesting the following information:
Night-Time Bus Data: Timetables, schedules, passenger load statistics, and any additional relevant data for night bus routes operating within London.
Night-Time Tube Data: Timetables, schedules, information on station closures or disruptions during night-time hours, and any available data on passenger flows or utilization of night tube services.
By accessing this data, I will be able to conduct a comprehensive analysis of night-time public transport accessibility, compare daytime and night-time accessibility, and develop sustainable policy recommendations to enhance urban transport for night-time commuters.
I assure TFL that the provided data will be treated with strict confidentiality and used solely for academic research purposes. I am willing to comply with any data usage agreements or requirements set forth by TFL.
I kindly request TFL's support and cooperation in granting me access to the requested night-time bus and tube data. I am open to any associated costs or administrative procedures and will promptly comply with any necessary arrangements.
Thank you for considering my request, and I look forward to your positive response.
Clarification received 26/06/2023: Thank you for your prompt response. In reference to your email, I apologize for any lack of clarity in my initial request. Please find below the requested clarifications:
Regarding "passenger load statistics" for night-time bus routes, I kindly request data for the most recent available period within the past six months, broken down into hourly time slots.
For "additional relevant data" related to night-time bus services, I would appreciate any data that provides insights into the operational characteristics, frequency, reliability, or any other factors relevant to understanding night-time accessibility, also categorized into hourly time slots.
In regards to "information on station closures or disruptions during night-time hours" and "data on passenger flows and utilization of night tube services," I request data covering the past twelve months, disaggregated into hourly time slots, to capture seasonal variations and any longer-term trends.
I understand that the availability of specific data may be subject to exemptions or limitations, and I appreciate your efforts in providing the information within your capabilities.
Once again, I apologize for any confusion in my initial request, and I thank you for your attention to this matter. If there are any further questions or requirements, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-0873-2324
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 20th June 2023 asking for information about night buses and London Underground services.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
I can confirm that we hold the information you require.
The first spreadsheet attached provides the requested data regarding night bus usage. Please note:
The data contains the number of bus passengers using any of the 117 Night bus routes or 24-hour bus routes, who boarded the bus between 00:01am and 05:59am.
The demand is grouped into hours (i.e. hour 1 ranges from 01:00 to 01:59, hour 2 from 02:00 to 02:59 etc.) based on the time the passenger boarded the bus.
The data provided is the most recent available based on mid-June 2023, broken down by each individual night of the week.
Only passengers who travelled using an Oyster Card or Contactless Payment Card are captured in the figures.
The data is provided broken down by individual night route, as well as grouped together over all these routes for each hour of the night.
The requested information on timetables and schedules is published proactively on our website via the following link:
The second spreadsheet attached provides data on disruption on night services on the London Underground (between 00:00 and 05:00). Please also see the accompanying guidance notes in the pdf document. The requested timetable / schedule information can be found on our website via the same link above for buses.
The third spreadsheet attached provides data on passenger number on the London Underground at night. Please note that:
this covers the total of entry / exit in each hour of each LU station only, for Fri / Sat evenings
it covers 0000-0500 (referred to as 2400-2900, to indicate that they are the hours of the day after midnight, eg 2500-2600 of FRI is in fact 0100-0200 on a Saturday)
Some normal LU services still run after midnight, so not all demand is related to the Night Tube services
Any data fewer than 10 in each hour is shown as “small”, the value could be zero or anything up to but not including 10
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
