Lack of demand - there aren't many people wanting to go by train after 1 am in the morning. At night is the best time to carry out minor engineering and maintenance works. Freight trains run at night making it hard to schedule services.
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“The costs of running a sleeper train are much higher, and revenue potential lower than any other train which makes their economics much more difficult,” explains Smith.
Sleeper trains run between London Euston and Scotland in both directions (The Calendonian Sleeper) and between London Paddington and Cornwall in both directions (Great Western Railway's Night Riviera Sleeper). Sleeper trains run nightly from Sunday to Friday.
The all too easy answer is to blame the unions. Obstructing changes in working practices (driverless and guard-free trains, drone usage in place of manual track inspections), insisting on following antiquated rulebooks dependent on overtime and going on strike – these are all laid at the door of the unions.
Five Tube lines run a 24-hour service on Fridays and Saturdays: Victoria, Central, Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines. The London Overground operates 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays between New Cross Gate and Highbury & Islington. Off-peak fares apply on the Night Tube.
While airlines pay no kerosene tax or VAT across Europe, train operators pay energy taxes, VAT and high rail tolls in most European countries. In the U.K., operators are relieved of VAT, but are notorious for imposing some of the highest ticket prices in Europe.
The longest UK train journey is Aberdeen to Penzance. Covering 785 miles, this train journey takes about 13 hours and 20 minutes to complete (give or take a few minutes). It has 36 stops and spends about two hours in total waiting for passengers to embark and disembark at each railway station along the way.
Ride a London bus no matter the time of nightMany of London's bus routes run all night. Several London bus routes run 24 hours, or look for the N in front of a bus number – this letter indicates a bus that covers the period between the close of the Tube and the start of daytime bus services.
The HS1 line is used by Eurostar services and Javelin commuter services from Kent, although the latter have a max speed of 140mph. Across the rest of the UK, trains have a maximum operational speed of 125mph, although many are capable of speeds of up to 140mph.
Here's how the 7pm rule worksIf your overnight train is leaving after 7pm then you can put in the following day's date on your rail pass and use one rather than two days of travel for the overnight trip. Simple!