The 24-hour routes could be better utilised to make more links.
Money can be saved by removing parallels (and reducing capacity on quiet sections of the night network, like Park Lane)
To provide cross-central London links, quite valuable at night and significantly reduces wait times in various interchanges as well as reduction in stands used in the centre of the city.
I have two daring suggestions.
Night time between 23:30 and 05:00:
- Speed limits on select roads increase from 20mph to 25mph (personally would go for 30mph)
- Change in all traffic signal timings, some quiet junctions being turned off or permanently blinking yellow during the hours listed above. Other junctions with reduced wait times, either a third or a half of daytime signal timing. Significantly reduces night travel times by over 15%.
And broadly, modifications to the network
The only remaining night routes with short workings are N8 and N207. Time to address them.
N508 Ealing Broadway - Stratford (replaces N8 and N207 shorts)
N188 Willesden - North Greenwich - Canning Town (replaces N98 shorts)
Entirely new routes bringing many links
N154 Wimbledon via 164 to Morden, via 154 to West Croydon, via 157 to Crystal Palace.
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Excuse the rather crude list, more examples.
N19 extended via 319 to Streatham Hill Station
(N)35 extended to Old Street. Contract awarded as 35/N35 and it was meant to happen but did not go into consultation. Perhaps no toilet facilities for it there, who knows.
(N)57 diverted at Streatham Hill via Kings Avenue (routes 50 and then 355) to Brixton. Numbered N57.
(N)105 extended via 95 to Shepherds Bush. Renumbered N105.
(N)119 extended to Purley. Numbered N119.
(N)264 extended to East Croydon (final stop Fairfield Halls, double runs like N250 currently). Numbered N264.
N472 extended via 301 to Bexleyheath. Links Thamesmead and Bexleyheath by night for the first time.
148 night service withdrawn, 12 and 94 night services merged into N12 to Turnham Green. Diverted between Marble Arch and Lambeth North via Wigmore Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Hyde Park Corner, Victoria, Westminster to line of route.
(N)222 double run via Heathrow Airport Central Bus Station. Links Uxbridge and various areas with the airport. Yes it does parallel N9 between Heathrow and Hounslow.
Exploring other A&E hospitals without night routes
486 night service withdrawn.
N122 North Greenwich via 486 to Queen Elizabeth Hospital but serves Woolwich then via 122 to Crystal Palace
158 night service withdrawn.
238 night service numbered N158 merged with 158 to Chingford Mount and extended from Barking via 287 to Dagenham
474 night service numbered N474 extended via Barking Road, Newham Hospital, Forest Gate Stn, Forest Lane to Stratford.
Some hospitals still lack night coverage.
Dagenham is a large hole in the night network.
Win-win.
6 night service merged with 297 night service, numbered N6. Diverted between Marble Arch and Victoria via Wigmore Street and Piccadilly Circus.
23 night service withdrawn
N7 extended to Aldwych, replacing 23
36 night service diverted at Harrow Road, Elgin Avenue via 23 to Ladbroke Grove Sainsbury's. Numbered N36.
N27 withdrawn
N3 extended to Chalk Farm. Rerouted in Bromley town centre via 358 serving Locksbottom Princess Royal Uni Hospital to Green Street Green.
N205 extended to Hammersmith, replacing N27. +17 minutes journey time as of current, much lower with changes to traffic signals. +2 PVR increase.
(N27 and N33 merged was my original plan)
N22 diverted at Twickenham to Feltham via 490
13 and 189 night services withdrawn.
N2 extended via 13 to Golders Green. 432 and N2 extended via Birkbeck to Elmers End.
(N)139 extended via 13 to North Finchley. Numbered N139. Frequency increase to every 20.
N32 frequency increase to every 20 to compensate withdrawn 189 night service.
N266 rerouted between Cricklewood and Brent Cross via 189. Rerouted between North Acton and Harlesden via 260 to serve Central Middlesex Hospital. Renumbered N506 to reduce confusion.
N2/189 merger and N102/N139 merger was my initial plan.
N83 and N102 merger.
Maximum 95 minute run time based on current times, much lower with changes to traffic signals.
The merger operated by operators of both 83 and 102.
52 and 390 night services withdrawn. Replaced by N52
N52 Willesden - Hyde Park Corner - Trafalgar Square - Tottenham Court Road - Kings Cross - Archway. Replaces 52 and 390.
N73 extended to Victoria replacing 390.
N21 frequency reduced to every 30 all nights
321 night service numbered N321 and extended via N21 to London Bridge or further to Trafalgar Square
Honestly I can't quite rationalise these set of night routes in a way I believe doesn't break many links so I added this comment and gave up.
My only new idea was repurposing N341 as a 141 night service with N41 extended via N341 to Meridian Water.
Stoke Newington corridor to Tottenham: 76 149 243
Angel to Tottenham: 341 N41.
Waterloo to Tottenham: 76 243 341
N365 extended from Havering Park via 296 to Gants Hill with double run at King George Hospital, 66 to Leytonstone, 257 to Stratford. N365 extended from Beam Park to Rainham.
24 and 134 night services withdrawn
N11 extended to Hampstead Heath, replacing 24
N20 extended to Pimlico, replacing 24. Contract joined with 134.
N263 renumbered back to N271 (or alternate number and then) rerouted between North Finchley and Archway via Muswell Hill to replace 134. Diverted at Old Street via Shoreditch to Liverpool Street.
I would go even further and remove 43 night service as well, extend N214 and N263 to London Bridge. Increase frequency of N263 to compensate.
Requires trimming of trees in an area populated by wealthier residents who may refuse it (again?)
(N)88 extended to Highgate Village replacing 214 night service. Day 214 converted to double deck.
N35 extended via Old Street and 214 to Camden Town.
N53 extended via Okehampton Crescent, Bedonwell Road and Belvedere Road then via 96 to Darent Valley Hospital
Despite it being a hospital outside London, there are London residents referred there and it is open 24 hours a day.
453 night service renumbered N453. Cut from Marylebone to Oxford Circus. N53 and N453 timetables interworked.
All New Cross night routes except N343 better timetable coordination spacing out intervals on parallel routes (N89 and N171 towards E&C, N53 and N453 both directions, N89 and N136 towards Lewisham, N36 and N136 both directions, etcetera)
(N)123 extended via EL1 to Barking Riverside. EL1 night service withdrawn.
Old PVR total:
New PVR total:
213 and 285 night services merged into one route N213 Heathrow to Sutton.
N74 withdrawn
Half of N14 frequency merged with 93 to become N93 Russell Square to North Cheam.
Half of N14 frequency extended via N74 to Roehampton and merged with 85 night service to become N14 Russell Square to Kingston.
N97 frequency increase to every 20. Contract merged with 74.
128 night service numbered N128 extended from Claybury Broadway via Fullwell Avenue then at Barkingside Fullwell Cross goes via 150 to Hainault.
Another upcoming post will detail why, whenever it is published.
64 159 and N250 all merged into one route N250 Oxford Circus to New Addington. N250 rerouted between Kennington and Brixton via 333.
Reduces two overlaps without breaking links (N109 covers links of diverted N250 via Stockwell) Maximum time of this new N250 is just shy of N89 and N207's large 103 minute run times, this large journey time number is significantly reduced after changes to traffic signals in addition to increasing speed limit from 20mph to 25mph.
119 night service withdrawn
N68 rerouted at South Croydon via 119 and 289 to Purley
N109 extended to Old Coulsdon replacing N68. East Croydon double run introduced.
N264 extended via 119 to Bromley North
Night ferry bus circular West Croydon - Beddington (to serve garages BC and C) - West Croydon.
There used to be a night bus route ferry for Thornton Heath (TH) and I believe another garage. This would be useful and not biased as it serves two different operator's garages. The other advantage of being in-service is getting non-staff passengers who will find it useful.
Similar adopted on other garages that lack night routes.
Withdrawal of N381.
(N)47 renumbered N47 and rerouted via 381's Rotherhithe section between Bermondsey and Canada Water. Extended from Catford via 75 to Croydon.
N343 extended via Westminster to Victoria
(N)345 to Canada Water via 381.
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Contracts
There are still a few standalone night routes. Surprisingly. I have already dealt with N20 by having it on 134's contract. Likewise N97 with 74.
N5.
Option 1 - Split 186 with 186 being Northwick Park Hospital to Broadfields and 288 being Queensbury via 186's route to Brent Cross then via 113 to Swiss Cottage (113 diverted via Brent Cross flyover).
Option 2 - Contract appended to route 204.
N20
Already merged it with 134 after having 134's night service withdrawn.
N97
Already merged it with 74 after withdrawing N74.
Hypothetically if I didn't the above changes, contract merged with 430 as it is already crosslinked from that route.
N550
Contract merged with 15
N551
Contract merged with 115
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Some of these long extensions of routes or mergers may be awkward to be operated only on one end. Thus the reasonable arrangement would be for the night routes operation to be split between two contracts. This does mean two operators on one route for many many routes but this should not be much of an issue.
I feel like I mentioned this in a previous post already. Extended night bus operation on Sundays to 8am and from 8pm. Sundays are quiet enough and there is juicy enough cost savings to be made with night routes that parallel at least two day routes. N63 and N109 are perfect.
I am not saying half-hourly services from 5am to 8am.
Instead, I am saying these 63s and 363s remain as 63s and 363s operationally (such as in schedules and driver shifts) but run in service as N63s. Operationally 63 from Kings Cross to Crystal Palace and operationally 363 Kings Cross to Crystal Palace but are both displaying N63 as far as the public is concerned.
Ditto the 109 159 with N109. Run these morning and early-evening N63 and N109 at every 10 and you have savings.
Do this network-wide, you have excellent savings.
So our examples here was 63/363 into N63 and 109/159 into N109
Other route pairs that can be done
2/432 with N2 (extended to Anerley)
5/15/115 and N15
7/23 with N7 and N36
14/85/93 with N14 and N93
19/319 with N19 (extended to Streatham Hill Stn)
29/329 with N29
44/280 with N44 (extended to Belmont)
47/75 with N47
64/159/250 with N250
65/71 with N65
68/468 with N68
119/264 with N119
137/417 with N137
253/254 with N253
259/279 with N279
296/365 with N365 (396 increased frequency)
Non-pair routes where the night version starts earlier at evening frequency of day route
11 with N11 (211 reduced frequency)
32 with N32
57 with N57 (333 reduced frequency)
60 runs at reduced frequency, N109 covers Croydon to Old Coulsdon
113 with N113
171 with N171 (172 reduced frequency)
222 with N222
277 with N277
321 with N321
Long night routes like N199 and N207 it is not palatable. Instead, having 199-208 and 207-427 function as one route is possible but it does require change of number and destinations mid-route (for example, a 199 at Lewisham southbound becomes 208 to Orpington and a 208 at Catford northbound becomes a 199 to Canada Water on this 199-208).
Not a genuine suggestion but something I would do to see if it works.
N63 throughout the entire Sunday.
Why? It would be confusing to have 63s to Crystal Palace specifically only on Sunday (but may still be fine and I would also do).
We have 102 to Brent Cross by day, but curtails to Golders Green for the night.
We used to have 65 to Chessington only at night, this experiment showed you could do this without confusion. This ended in 2016 on its new contract as this night 65 was renumbered back to N65.
Lastly.
The last efficiency utilisation, for day routes and night routes alike.
In-service dead runs.
For example, an N3 finishes at Bromley North. It runs to dead back to depot. Even in select day routes, there are last buses that dead run back towards the garage using the same line of route from the service they were on.
The last 302 departure from Mill Hill is at 0010. The last three 302s finish at Mill Hill at 0011 0023 and 0036. These three buses dead run mostly on the 302 route back to Willesden (AC) which the 302 passes. Instead, any one of these buses could have been in-service curtailed to Willesden Bus Garage.
Now you see where I am coming from. I would apply the same logic to the night routes.
Back to the N3 example.
I would have such a last bus as an N3 curtailed to Brixton, if the schedule allows the time for such a journey without going over driver hour limits.
In fact I would go even further, it doesn't have to be the same route either.
Neither should it be advertised in my opinion (or a note where it states 'additional buses operation short of destination may operate')
This time I will present to you 322 as an example. Drivers usually chose the 432 route to go Brixton on their way to Battersea (QB) or Stockwell (SW) whichever operator has the route. Awkward as it sounds, a single decker 432 to Brixton will still allow even a small amount of paying passengers on the way instead of absolutely zero.
There is no need for it to be every dead running bus, but the benefits should outweigh the time cost.
Benefits
- Recoups some cost of operation by having a paying passenger
- Reduced wait time for passenger
- Increased safety in evening by having reduced wait time
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So the list of night routes in Unorm London Night Bus Network 2026:
N1 Tottenham Court Road - Thamesmead (every 30 all nights)
N2 Golders Green - Crystal Palace (every 20 Fri/Sat nights, every 30 weekday nights)
N3 Chalk Farm - Green Street Green (every 20 Fri/Sat nights, every 30 weekday nights)
N5 Trafalgar Square - Edgware (every 30 all nights)
N6 Ealing Broadway - Victoria (every 30 all nights)
N7 Rayners Lane Stn - Aldwych (every 30 all nights)
N8 Oxford Circus - Hainault (every 30 all nights, coordinated with N508 to provide every 15)
N9 Heathrow Terminal 5 - Aldwych (every 30 Fri/Sat nights, every 20 weekday nights)
N11 Ealing Broadway - Hampstead Heath (every 30 all nights)
N12 Turnham Green - Dulwich (every 20 all nights)
N14 Russell Square - Kingston (every 30 all nights)
N15 Oxford Circus - Romford Market (every 8 Fri/Sat nights, every 10 all nights)
N18 Harrow Weald - Trafalgar Square (every 15 Fri/Sat nights, every 30 all nights)
N19 Streatham Station - Finsbury Park (every 30 all nights)
N20 Pimlico - Barnet Hospital (every 30 all nights)
N21 Trafalgar Square - Bexleyheath (every 30 all nights, coordinated with N321 to combined every 15)
N22 Oxford Circus - Feltham (every 30 all nights)
N25 Oxford Circus - Ilford (every 10 Fri/Sat nights, every 8 weekday nights)
N26 Victoria - Chingford (every 30 all nights)
N28 Wandsworth - Camden Town (every 30 all nights)
N29 Trafalgar Square - Enfield Town (every 10 all nights)
N31 Clapham Junction - Camden Town (every 30 all nights)
N32 Victoria - Edgware (every 20 all nights)
N35 Old Street - Clapham Junction (every 15 Fri/Sat nights, every 30 all nights)
N36 Ladbroke Grove Sainsbury's - New Cross Gate (every 30 all nights)
37 Putney Heath - Peckham (every 30 all nights)
N38 Victoria - Walthamstow Central (on Fri/Sat nights is every 15 Walthamstow-Piccadilly but every 30 full route, on weekday nights every 20 full route)
N41 Trafalgar Square - Tottenham Hale (every 30 all nights)
N44 Sutton - Aldwych (every 30 all nights)
N47 Shoreditch - Croydon Town Centre (every 30 all nights)
N52 Willesden Bus Garage - Hyde Park Corner - Trafalgar Square - Tottenham Court Road - Kings Cross - Archway (every 30 all nights)
N53 Whitehall - Darent Valley Hospital (every 15 Fri/Sat nights to Plumstead and 30 to Darent Valley Hospital, every 30 full route weekday nights)
N55 Oxford Circus - Woodford Wells - Loughton (every 30 all nights)
N57 Kingston - Brixton (every 30 all nights)
N63 Kings Cross - Crystal Palace (every 20 Fri/Sat nights, every 30 weekday nights)
N65 Ealing Broadway - Chessington (every 30 all nights)
N68 Tottenham Court Road - Purley (every 30 all nights)
N72 East Acton - Roehampton (every 30 all nights)
N73 Victoria - Walthamstow Central (every 15 Fri/Sat nights, every 30 weekday nights)
76 Waterloo - Tottenham Hale (every 30 all nights)
N83 Ealing Hospital - Edmonton Green (every 30 all nights)
N86 Stratford - Harold Hill (every 20 Fri/Sat nights, every 30 weekday nights)
N87 Kingston - Aldwych (every 15 all nights)
88 Parliament Hill Fields - Clapham Common (every 30 all nights)
N89 Trafalgar Square - Erith (every 30 all nights)
N91 Trafalgar Square - Cockfosters (every 30 all nights)
N93 Russell Square - North Cheam (every 30 all nights)
N97 Hammersmith - Aldwych (every 20 all nights)
N98 Stanmore - Holborn (every 30 all nights)
N105 Heathrow Airport Central - Shepherd's Bush (every 30 all nights)
108 Lewisham - Stratford International (every 30 all nights)
N109 Oxford Circus - Old Coulsdon (every 20 Fri/Sat nights, every 30 weekday nights)
111 Heathrow Airport Central - Kingston (every 30 all nights)
N113 Edgware - Trafalgar Square (every 30 all nights)
N118 Ruislip - Trafalgar Square (every 15 Fri/Sat nights, every 30 weekday nights)
N122 North Greenwich - Crystal Palace (every 30 all nights)
N123 Wood Green - Barking Riverside (every 30 all nights)
N128 Hainault - Romford (every 30 all nights)
N133 Morden - Liverpool Street (every 20 all nights)
N136 Oxford Circus - Chislehurst (every 30 all nights)
N137 Oxford Circus - Crystal Palace (every 20 all nights)
N139 North Finchley - Waterloo (every 20 Fri/Sat nights, every 30 all nights)
N140 Heathrow Airport Central - Edgware (every 30 all nights)
149 Edmonton Green - London Bridge (every 15 Fri/Sat nights, every 30 weekday nights)
N154 Wimbledon - Morden - Sutton - Roundshaw - West Croydon - Norwood Junction - Crystal Palace (every 30 all nights)
N155 Morden - Aldwych (every 20 all nights)
N158 Chingford Mount - Dagenham (every 30 all nights)
N171 Tottenham Court Road - Hither Green (every 30 all nights)
176 Tottenham Court Road - Penge (every 20 Fri/Sat nights, every 30 weekday nights)
N188 Willesden - Canning Town (every 30 all nights)
N199 Trafalgar Square - Orpington (every 30 all nights)
N205 Paddington - Leyton (every 20 Fri/Sat nights, every 30 weekday nights)
N207 Uxbridge - Holborn, Red Lion Sq (every 30 Fri/Sat nights, 20 weekday nights)
N213 Heathrow Airport - Sutton (every 30 all nights)
N214 London Bridge - Highgate Wood (every 12 Fri/Sat nights, every 30 weekday nights)
N220 Wembley, First Way - Wandsworth (every 30 all nights)
N222 Uxbridge - Heathrow Airport Central - Hounslow (every 30 all nights)
N238 Stratford - Dagenham, Marsh Way (every 30 all nights)
N242 Tottenham Court Road - Homerton Hospital
243 Waterloo - Wood Green (every 15 Fri/Sat nights, every 30 weekday nights)
N250 Oxford Circus - New Addington (every 30 all nights)
N253 (every 20 Fri/Sat nights, every 30 weekday nights)
N263 North Finchley - London Bridge (every 30 all nights)
N264 Tooting, St George's Hospital - West Croydon - East Croydon - Hayes - Bromley North (every 30 all nights)
N266 Brent Cross - Hammersmith (every 30 all nights)
N277 Islington - Crossharbour (every 30 all nights)
N279 Trafalgar Square - Waltham Cross (every 20 all nights)
281 Hounslow - Tolworth (every 30 all nights)
295
N321 London Bridge - Foots Cray (every 30 all nights)
341 Waterloo - Meridian Water (every 30 all nights)
N343 Victoria - New Cross Gate (every 30 all nights)
344 Liverpool Street - Clapham Junction (every 30 all nights)
N345 South Kensington - Peckham - St James's Road - Canada Water (every 30 all nights)
N365 Stratford - Leytonstone - Gants Hill - King George Hospital - Havering Park - Romford - Beam Park - Rainham (every 30 all nights)
N453 Oxford Circus - Deptford Bridge (every 15 Fri/Sat nights, every 30 weekday nights)
N472 North Greenwich - Thamesmead - Bexleyheath (every 30 all nights)
N474 Stratford - Forest Gate - Upton Park - Newham Hospital - Canning Town - London City Airport - East Ham - Manor Park (every 30 all nights)
N508 Ealing Broadway - Stratford (every 30 all nights, timed with N8 and N207)
N550 Trafalgar Square - Canning Town (every 30 all nights)
N551 Trafalgar Square - Gallions Reach (every 30 all nights)
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Thanks for reading. Stay safe, take care of yourself.
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