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Photographer Tarik Ahmet documents the first 24 hours on the London Underground

In his series 24 hours on the London Underground, local photographer Tarik Ahmet travelled on the Northern Line's first ever night service to photograph and document the lives and journeys of the capital's people.

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Person wearing glasses standing on an escalator in a London Underground station with curved white tiled walls and advertising posters

Catching the first train at 5.25am on 18 November 2016 and travelling right through to the following morning, Tariq discovered a whole host of interesting characters from sleepy early morning commuters to late night party animals. He also captured London Underground staff having to deal with all sorts of problems, such as tackling too many pigeons.

"The underground is a strange place. Volatile, yet quiet, and where it should feel uncomfortable at times – it can also be incredibly calming," explains Tarik. "You feel disconnected. Well, from station to station anyway. But sometimes I feel like it’s the only place I really get to think without any distractions.

"What I find the most fascinating is the people; I’ll sit on a train looking at every person, wondering what they’re thinking, where they’re going, if they’re happy, if they’re scared, if they’ve had enough, or if they aren’t thinking at all. Sometimes I’ll catch eyes with someone and smile to have the joy of them reciprocate, and for a brief moment, we’ve connected. It’s a nice feeling, a smile goes such a long way when things don’t quite make sense in your life. But other times I’ll quickly look away in fear that I’m invading their space."

Discover more of the project and Tarik's work at www.tarikahmet.co.uk.

Via Creative Boom submission | All images courtesy of Tarik Ahmet

Passengers stand inside a London Underground train carriage with illuminated advertising panels lining the curved walls and fluorescent ceiling lights overhead
Passengers sit inside a London Underground carriage, including a young boy eating and a man in a cap, captured in black and white
A lone figure stands centrally on a London Underground platform between two cylindrical ventilation units numbered 13 and 14, with curved ceiling architecture above in black and white
A man in a beanie and jacket sits on a night tube train, tilting his head back with his hand to his face in a contemplative pose
Commuters waiting on a Northern Line platform, with a train alongside and advertising posters lining the tunnel walls
Bright red Underground train carriage with passengers visible through two windows, one showing a man in a green jumper and the other two women wrapped in scarves
Silhouetted figure walking through a brightly lit tunnel on the London Underground during Tarik Ahmet's 24-hour documentation of the Northern Line's first night service
Passenger wearing headphones seated on a Northern Line train with blue patterned seats and handrails visible
An older man in a dark suit sits on a Northern Line train, looking contemplatively to the side, with other passengers visible in the background
A person in an orange high-visibility jacket releases a bird from Waterloo East station platform above the busy concourse below
A man wearing glasses, a light blue shirt and dark blazer stands in a London Underground station with curved white ceiling panels behind him
Passengers stand crowded inside a red and silver Northern Line train carriage during late night service
A silhouetted figure stands on an escalator beneath a geometric-patterned ceiling illuminated in purple light at a London Underground station
Two passengers on the Northern Line night tube, one wearing a grey beanie hat and the other in glasses, sit together in black and white
A musician plays guitar at a London Underground station platform whilst commuters wait nearby and a photographer documents the scene
Man wearing a black bowler hat and dark jacket speaking whilst standing on a London Underground train
Two people embrace on a London Underground platform, with commuters and advertising posters visible in the background
Woman with blonde curly hair in olive-green jacket standing at Moorgate Underground station with yellow way out signs visible behind her
Passengers seated inside a London Underground train car with blue handrails and illuminated destination displays visible above the windows
A hooded figure sits hunched on underground stairs next to wall-mounted information panels, head bowed in a contemplative pose
Woman with long blonde hair and dark sunglasses wearing a black coat on the London Underground, holding a cigarette near her mouth
Commuters wait on a London Underground platform as a train pulls in, with motion blur capturing the arriving vehicle
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