LTs on the N/Free (inc NBAD 10)

Well, the next bus routes to convert to LT are the 3/N3.

Abellio London LT626 on Route N3, Trafalgar Square (© Aubrey)


Abellio London LT712 on Route 3, Westminster (© Aubrey)

Route 159/N and N/3 batches interwork, based at Battersea Garage (QB). This, along with the 68 and the 59, show the latest expansion of LT buses towards the south of London.


Abellio London LT624 on Route 3, Lambeth Bridge (© Aubrey)

Route 3 has been with Abellio/Travel London/Connex since February 2000, initially at Beddington Cross until February 2012 when it moved to Battersea, where it is today.


Abellio London LT700 on Route 3, Westminster (© Aubrey)

The batch for the 3 is LT691-715, albeit as seen, earlier LTs can be seen on the route as well as it is intermixed with the 159 batch. Route 3 in itself hasn't really changed too much in route, always running at least between Oxford Circus and Crystal Palace, initially also running to Camden Town. It was subject for the Optare Spectras when it was with London Central.


Abellio London LT611 on Route N3, Trafalgar Square (© Aubrey)

This also means that LTs are going as far as Bromley, which is pretty much the furthest an LT does usually go from Central London. Route N3 has gone to Bromley North at its current extent since February 2000, although it did go to Chislehurst prior to that. The route itself started in October 1989 running between Oxford Circus and Beckenham Junction.

Overall, the new blinds are, predictably there. Also, the LT conversions are coming thick and fast yet again, with a ton of LTs ready probably for the 211. It already has had an LT on the route!

Night Tower (inc NBAD 10)

Route N97, or now ^N97 is one of the original N-prefixed routes that was renumbered from 2xx numbers, the 297 originally being a Liverpool Street-Turnham Green service duplicating the Piccadilly line at night between Piccadilly Circus and Hammersmith. It still does that function today, albeit shorter now than it was originally, and certainly shorter than its longest length it took.

London United TLA27 on Route N97, Hyde Park Corner (© Aubrey)

Route N97, since privatisation, has been with London United from either AV (Hounslow) or S (Shepherd's Bush). However, on 5th March 2016, that all changed as London United lost the N97 to Tower Transit from Westbourne Park (X).


Tower Transit VN37993 on Route N97, Trafalgar Square (© Aubrey)

That is the first ever westbound journey of an N97 under Tower Transit. Currently it is mixed VN, WN and DNH operation. The first night however was just VNs and WNs.


Tower Transit WN35002 on Route N97, Hyde Park Corner (© Aubrey)

Freshly refurbished VDL DB300s were used with unrefurbished VNs from the first night. The N97 also somehow managed to bunch on the first night.


Tower Transit VN37993 on Route N97, Trafalgar Square (© Aubrey)

The N97 also ran with no iBus, predictable from the first night.


Tower Transit VN37995 on Route N97, Hammersmith (© Anthony)

Since then, the DNHs and even a few new VHs have strayed onto the route, and it seems that eventually, things should be getting better. And for the blinds? I still think that the "N" should be in line with the lower line, not the upper line, like how it used to be.


Tower Transit VN37995 on Route N97, Hammersmith (© Aubrey)

This was the last bus of the night. A fairly early night finish nowadays.

The N97 has devolved from being the main western route out of London at night to a mere short stump it is today. It used to go to Heathrow and Sunbury Village in the 90s, before being replaced by the N9 for Heathrow. It's closer to its original length (Liverpool Street-Turnham Green) nowadays. It's still a pretty good route.

Picture Archive Post 45

Docklands Buses SOC6 on Route N551, Trafalgar Square, 10/06/12 (© Aubrey)

Route N551 is a relatively recent route, being introduced in August 2008, operated by Docklands Buses. It replaced a slightly older route, the N50, which started in 1995, running between Oxford Circus and Ilford via most of the current N550 and then most of the current N551 up to East Beckton, then Ilford. This was operated by Stagecoach East London from Upton Park (U). In August 1998, the route was revised to run via Bank and Aldgate instead of Tower, and Kier Hardie Estate instead of Newham Way, as well as being curtailed to East Beckton. The route moved to Northumberland Park (NP) with Capital Citybus (later First Capital) at the same time. In March 2001, the route was rerouted via Victoria Embankment instead of Aldwych. In August 2003, the route returned to Stagecoach London and extended in East Beckton from Asda to Tesco. Supermarket sweep? In December 2005, the route was extended to Gallions Reach Shopping Park, and stayed until August 2008 where the route was split. The route itself was curtailed to Canning Town and renumbered N550. The remains was picked up by the new N551, which was awarded to Docklands Buses. This is where it stayed with its various double deckers until August 2013, where relatively new operator Tower Transit took both the N550 and the N551 from Stagecoach and Docklands Buses using the existing buses from the recent gain of 425 for the two routes. Both routes now interwork with each other.

The bus, a Scania Omnicity DD, was bought for the new route 425, which was a part-replacement of Route S2. This bus stayed with Docklands Buses until 2013, when the 425 was lost to Tower Transit. The buses were deemed surplus to requirements as it was different to the rest of the buses on the 425, therefore they were sold. This example ended up with NIBS Buses, serving Essex. Not too far from East London. It is now also a one-doored bus.