Night Tube Changes, But... (NBAD 8)

...no night Tube, obviously. TfL decided to increase the frequency of 53N and N68, give 24 hour weekend service to Routes 132, 486, 154 and permanent 24 hour service to Routes 222 and 238 (thus 222N and 238N). But two significant changes were:

Route N47 is rerouted via Route 199 between Canada Water and Lewisham, being renumbered N199.


Stagecoach London 10135 on Route N199, Trafalgar Square (© Aubrey)

This makes Route N199 one of the longest bus routes in London, in fact overtaking N9 and making it just as long as N89. However, the service is worsened for those who use it in the later times of the morning and at around midnight.


Stagecoach London 19842 on Route N199, London Bridge (CC Aubrey)
It isn't even 4:30am and this is the last N199 to St Mary Cray. Early morning journeys are curtailed to Bellingham afterwards, which gives people with early morning starts a very long journey via 208, 47 (and 15) instead of one direct N47. On Sundays, these journeys run to St Mary Cray (and the last bus northbound does another southbound journey). With N47, the last southbound bus was 5:27am on Saturdays (5:20am on Sundays) to St Mary Cray.


Stagecoach London 10132 on Route N199, London Bridge (CC Aubrey)

As seen by this bus, the last two journeys (Mon-Sat am) are shorts to Bellingham, leaving people that need to go further to trot along on slower day buses. This did not happen with the N47, with all buses on the N47 running full route.


Stagecoach 10203 on Route N199, Charing Cross Station (CC Aubrey)

This is 5am, and the last N199 arrives at Charing Cross. The last N47 every day was at least at around 6:20-6:30am arriving at Trafalgar Square.
The first N47 at any point was the 11:24/8pm service from Trafalgar Square (11:40pm on Mon-Fri), but the first N199 is the 12:56am from Lewisham to Trafalgar Square.
A heavy reduction of services on the fringes. NBADs will have to start earlier in the night, but think of the poor regulars whose latest N47s have been replaced by a 208-47 journey!

Route 47(N) (night service of Route 47) replaces part of Route N47:


Stagecoach London 18488 on Route 47N, London Bridge (© Aubrey)

Also, Route N133 is extended to Morden via the 118. Banditry ensures.


Arriva London T98 on Route N133, London Bridge (© Aubrey)

The route now has buses which start and finish slightly earlier, but otherwise the timetables do not have many differences, except the obvious extension to Morden.


Arriva London T88 on Route N133, London Bridge (© Aubrey)

And the obvious banditry.


Arriva London VLA1 on Route N133, London Bridge (© Aubrey)

In one direction only.

The TfL surveyors were at London Bridge and Morden (at least) doing the new changes. The N199 was emptier than the equivalent N47s which are pretty full as commented by them. Overall, the changes exist and slightly benefit a few. At least Shoreditch has another night bus service to relieve the N35 (the 47N).