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| Impossible |
The night tube bus routes ending was a shame as they brought more to the table than simply interchanging with a station of a Night Tube. For example Clapham Junction's nightlife effecting the 319 and Sutton's cries and woes for the loss of N213 into Croydon brought back in the form of the 154.
Can they be bettered?
Short answer: Yes
Long answer: Yes for the most part with some No's so read below as to how it could be made more useful than simply connecting to a Night Tube whose service has been suspended during the pandemic. Though truly that depends on if it's possible as everything can't be done under the same blanket thought because that failed with the likes of having double decks one size as if one shoe fits all which it doesn't and this is just filling in space so you just click 'read more' so just do that whilst I explain how I dislike random holes in an otherwise perfectly plain and simply done job since it's really just OCD, the same applies here because one logic applies to A but another logic for some reason applies to B and you have just express routes mainly down to decisions before TfL's existence and/or woes by Harrow and the need to save the quids.
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| the North |
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| humbler South |
Bold title I'll take the mantle of moving forward...
Simples first then.
Routes that may have no feasibility to change
W7
Stuff like the tube-line-that-never-happened between Muswell Hill and Finsbury Park, something whose every 3-4 peak frequency wouldn't exist had not for Northern Line electrification plans scrapped which too saw the Mill Hill East-Edgware section become nothing less than moss alleyways. In the same vein it's night time service, in spite of being short and requiring 2 buses at night for an every 20 frequency, you either fall short of converting it to single deck to extend from Finsbury Park, or involve areas already served by night with routes like 43, 102, 134 and N20 in the vicinity. Perhaps the best solution is to provide assistance to link with the night tube, if that existed today still, but some things are best left unchanged.
W3
I've added in for the simple matter of how can you do much use of it without involving N279's corridor by making it distinguished, and it has the same Finsbury Park issues as W7. Plus you'd end up with a 343 scenario where it'd be opportune to rid of it's prefix since an NP3 was deemed awkward. Which is a minor thing in fairness.
Though as a postscript to what I've said, keep your eyes out for the next few paragraphs.
486
Paralleled by 89/N89 but offering a quick way into the Underground via Jubilee as well as a link to Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Ideally the 96 would be nice to have a night route, though if you involve the 486 in this in order to give East Wickham some love, you'd have to use either the 244/386's route to get back to QEH before avoiding Woolwich twice in a row. Or, serve Woolwich then QEH but then Charlton via Blackheath Royal Standard.
Whilst N89 is the superstar, the O2's celebrity a la 486 has set itself into position. Would take some bleeding to rid of it. The pandemic could be a perfect excuse.
So in short: Let's not touch the W7 or the 486.
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Extensions of routes.
114 (Mill Hill Broadway - Ruislip) into N114 (Mill Hill Broadway - Mount Vernon Hospital)
183 (Golders Green - Pinner) into N183 (Golders Green - Uxbridge)
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| N N everywhere |
The latter is definitely based off the Uxbridge bus review where a potential night route idea was explored, covering the Uxbridge branch of the Metropolitan from Harrow. Better to have an extension of an existing night route than make a new one, and it's a nice idea to boot as a strong foothold to make 183 24/7.
The 114 is one of those suburban orbital routes that you'd think were 24-hour but you'd be wrong in thinking so, not the everyday 24-hour type. Being Ruislip's sole night route linking the lifeline of Harrow to connect with Queensbury and Burnt Oak. For goodness sake it has half of N365's usage whilst operating nearly a quarter as much.
The extension I've tried to justify further was by adding Northwood into the mix (not Norwood), my thought process was the same as N183, covering part of the Metropolitan, though I've missed out Pinner (if we ignore a N183 rerouted away from Pinner). Whilst there is a stand for one bus at Northwood Station, Mount Vernon Hospital is inside the London boundary and is a common terminus of 282/H11 anyway. So why avoid it?
Fun fact: The last night service to Ruislip was a bifurcation of a predecessor to N207, N89. From Ealing the E2, 282 then 114.
132 (North Greenwich - Bexleyheath, Shopping Centre) into N132 (North Greenwich - Thamesmead)
It won't make sense looking at the terminals with 472 existing but it'd make more sense if you consider this.
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| ...right to left to right to left to right to right to left to left... |
Since there is no Night Tube, to get from Bexleyheath to Woolwich by night you'd have to go Blackheath with the 53 via N89.
To get from Thamesmead to Bexleyheath in spite of 229/301/401/B11 all providing a day link, you still have to end up changing at Lewisham (N21/N89) to get a 108 to finally get either N1 or 472 into Thamesmead. Or try the 53 trick again involving 472.
Perhaps we can call a spade a spade and glorify 229 to 24-hour status instead, though with N3's cut back from Chislehurst they've lost their neighbour Bromley in trade for Lewisham with N136.
At least with the flexibility of not being a 229, it can deviate as a rebel, serving Long Lane and Hythe Avenue for one (to avoid N89's area of catchment really).
In any case, Belvedere without a night route can get one, Abbey Wood to Bexleyheath at night done easy.
As a side effect this would repeat N21 potentially being slaved off it's own roads, leaving Foots Cray with 321 going 24-hour. Perhaps Mottingham would be a nice via point for N21's next life.
154 (West Croydon - Morden) into N154 (Crystal Palace - Wimbledon)
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| Even more V than U |
One area that also lost it's night route to Croydon was South Norwood. The 75, whom traded it for an evening frequency boost and later finishing times.
Another area without a night service (but hasn't lost it...?) whilst we're at it, would be South Merton along the 164. Indeed the 93 links Morden with Wimbledon, South Merton (and 163's Lower Morden but I digress) do have quite the gap, with 57/N87 from Raynes Park and yes 93 being the closest ones.
All in all, it conveniently brings back 154's glory as the Crystal Palace - Morden route handed down from trolleybus 654, with it's other replacement being 157 which didn't get cut to West Croydon (ahem) but instead given a frequency boost for losing 154 as the support.
I do like reading ideas that make me want to draw it on a map, and the above was one such example.
296 (Ilford Broadway - Romford Station) into N296 (Ilford Broadway - Rainham, Abbey Wood Lane)
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| Red; option via Havering Park Green; option currentrouting via66 Purple; reroute + extension |
Two wrongs don't make a right but three lefts make a right, and that's the logic I'm applying here. By taking N365 with it's low usage and extending it further to Rainham by double running it both directions via Orchard Village and applying it to N296 which links to the Central Line, probably a recipe for something. There's wilder night routes you can find if not today but in history but, this is a stretch I admit.
Double running the N296 into King George's Hospital as per 396 terminating in. It's simple for two reasons, it's quiet during the night compared to the day so fusing 296/396 is out of question, and secondly a link to the hospital, neat. Either way, better having one than not having one if it's nearby I suppose. Plus the Queen's Hospital to King George's Hospital link erm, it's quirky more than it could possibly be useful but hey ho.
As well as that, I've been thinking of how to incorporate more of 165 into 365, though one; I've already added Rainham; two going to Emerson Park rids of the Queen's Hospital link, so no. No?
For starters there's the problem of how you deal with Havering Park, do you serve it or leave it to another route? Initially I was going for the latter and leave it to maybe a restructured N86 with a 24-hour 174 but I've focusing purely on the 24/2 routes to make 24/7 so, I've had to think otherwise for this. Go along Marks Gate via Havering Park then down Collier Row as per 365. Yes it'll add time as opposed to darting it along the A12, though, potentially it could jump N365 from being the weakest link. It's a hypothetical potential, I stress. You know, doing the 110+391 fusion dance. TfL were fond of it.
307 (Brimsdown - Barnet Hospital) into N307 (Brimsdown - Edgware)
I've definitely thought 384 wasn't enough so there's the short explanation.
Why?
It already passes two other night tube termination points at Cockfosters (bit of a walk) and High Barnet, add the other Northern Line branch for the win, giving Enfield an orbital night link if someone's daft enough to go Edgware at night.
319 (Streatham Hill Telford Avenue - Sloane Square) into N49 (Crystal Palace - White City)
I'd say it's is one that would benefit becoming part of the N19 or becoming it's own night route for two reasons.
1) Link more places as well as bringing a night service to roads that didn't, making connections easier
2) The overlap with N19 being ample opportunity to do something with/against
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| 49 returns by night |
As one man once said, the bus and rail should help each other, not be competing with another.
I'll see myself out for slyly wanting a night time link to my closest ASDA.
But really the N319 could be used to better advantage utilising Clapham Junction as the epicentre of it, just repeating the opening statement of this post, rather than a twice weekly gimmick for Tooting Bec that it links to the Northern Line with.
W3 (Finsbury Park - Northumberland Park) into N233 (Finsbury Park - Enfield Island Village)
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| by the River Lea |
The N233 part is because that was W3's number prior to being made flat-fare and join the Wood Green crew which mostly died since, it could fit in the N5xx series and nobody would bat an eye...
The reason I've had it in the 'best not changed' section is, why should the Greater Anglia have a partial parallel?
Perhaps give better reach to those living on the 191 as it creeps it's way, but also Enfield Lock with 121 whose proudly the latest finishing non-Heathrow route at just past 2AM, up there with 154 whose last three westbound trips turf off at Sutton Green.
Perhaps there is a case for a 24-hour 121 I'd have said, if not for N29's influence. Perhaps perhaps this could work.
E1 (Greenford Broadway - Ealing Broadway) into N112 (Greenford Broadway - Turnpike Lane)
If you thought I've lost the plot read the next idea.
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| Super 112 |
The 112's extension to North Finchley was initially a radical idea not particularly welcomed due to reliability concerns among us, though, there was an imposter. So that was quickly dealt with. Now it's a booming popularity with it's even elongated orbital routeing, returning some of the links it once had whilst diverted to North Finchley, creating some new ones.
As for the part involving 232, it's already in the vicinity of St Raphael's but not serving it (112 style) so give 232 some attention by going the full fantasy route. I mean, N199 is long. But can this be challenged? yes. But anyways.
H32 (Southall, Town Hall - Hounslow, Bus Station) into N232 (Northolt - Hounslow, Bus Station)
H37 (Hounslow, Blenheim Centre - Richmond, Manor Circus) into Nthing (Sunbury Village - Richmond, Manor Circus)
Yeah so the H32 part is mainly consoling for 120's lack of a night version even if N7 jumps in on the last leg from Greenford into Northolt.
H37 is tricky if you're tying to make sense of this permanently single deck route, as whilst Sunbury is outside London inside Surrey and thus automatically raises a brow, I've thought uselessly to come up with the idea of skirting around the boundary. So Beavers Farm estate which spawned 423's common runouts being double decks, to Bedfont Green then covering East Bedfont and part of Lower Feltham since Feltham is covered by 285, and to turn around somewhere close. Which is how I came up with Sunbury Village. Extending it further along 216 to Hampton Court doesn't seem justifiable and duplicating the 111 to Kingston which would be comically quicker to Hounslow is a weird case.
Even if N97 did enter Surrey, it's former comrade N67 was another accomplice.
If anything with either of these, I'd say it's a 1/10. Realism went out of the balloon a long time ago.
Last but not least:
N123/N145/N158
Yo dawg, I heard Beckton likes links to Stratford. How about give them a bunch of night routes?
Yeah I've lost the plot here so here's the image and have fun, and goodbye.
Okay so, there is some thought to it besides making Beckton a hotspot.
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| Beckton, gotta catch 'em all |
N123
With the N123 I was initially thinking of involving EL1, then thought again as one doesn't casually touch East London Transit casually like a pleb, so the 366 gave me an idea. It's Loxford Lane section already in close vicinity to 145 and probably not going to agree with a night route if double decks is a stretch so Ilford Lane it is, linking Walthamstow to Barking by night is just the baby step. Beckton is the maturing step, and as I mentioned 366 there's no way it's not going through the retail parks because it can and I've lost the plot so why should I make some excuses by trying to justify anything I've said?
N158
I've had one sense: Newham General Hospital, and Lonsdale Road since on the topic of Beckton that it apparently deserves two variations of 104 so why not. I've stopped at that since I have no other justification.
N145
The 173. That is it. Thanks for listening to my TED Talk.
...
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| London, from vanilla blue to gory pink |
So I've poked some areas of London as I slowly ran out of good idea steam and instead devolved it into a meme of a mess. Though if we talk realistically I'd not touch 145, H32 or H37. One's a canonical mess, the other is something I'm listless of, three single deck night routes have only been 24-hour. Whilst I've had N123 and N158 under the banner of messing around, something can be made use of, if not particularly those routes but entirely different ones. Take the N132, I did outline a 24-hour 229 might be a better choice. But still, this was how to improve the currently inactive dead-on-arrival Night Tube bus routes. With that I've seen myself out, stay safe.
I wonder what the next one in this new series is?
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