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The Night Tube service will see around 180 part-time jobs created for drivers, it has been announced.

The launch of the service was delayed amid a dispute with trade unions over pay and conditions.

But today Boris Johnson announced the problem would be solved with 300 new part-time drivers – a figure later corrected by Transport for London to around 180.

The Mayor of London told radio station LBC: “We're doing a new approach, which is a no-brainer. I can't see any way it would fall foul with our friends at the trades unions. We have 300 new part-time drivers for the night time.

"People who are existing drivers can of course apply for that, some of them have, and we've had 4,300 applications."

The weekend all-night service was due to start in September, but the Mayor has refused to put a date on when the 24-hour service will finally launch amid the ongoing row with union bosses.

He said: "What I won't do is pay an unreasonable price for it, which Londoners would feel in their fares."

Steve Griffiths, Chief Operating Officer of London Underground, said: “Following union feedback and in order to protect the work life balance of our staff, we are hiring part-time drivers specifically to run the Night Tube. The recruitment of these drivers does not impact our existing agreements with the unions, and these positions are open to both internal and external candidates.

"Recruiting part-time drivers will guarantee that no current driver will have to work the Night Tube, unless they choose to do so. We are now focused on the recruitment and training of these drivers in order to deliver the Night Tube for London as quickly as possible.”

The Night Tube will mean trains running overnight on Friday and Saturday on the Victoria and Jubilee lines as well as most of the Piccadilly, Northern and Central lines.