Night bus services could be cut when parts of the tube start running all night, according to the transport union TSSA.
It's been expected for a while that Transport for London will run a public consultation around night buses, and the TSSA thinks nearly a third of routes could disappear. On the one hand, it would make sense for night buses which run similar routes to the tube to be scaled back on weekends — particularly as ITV London is reporting the 'night tube' will be running at a loss for 17 years — but last year TfL was telling us night bus use had risen so much since 2000 that the night tube was needed to help relieve pressure on the network.
The TSSA says 47 routes are under threat. We've asked for more detail on their analysis (which we're currently still awaiting), but we can all look at night bus maps and draw our own conclusions. The N20, for example, duplicates the High Barnet branch of the Northern line from Trafalgar Square. The N207 replicates the Central line for part of its route: maybe it will soon be starting at Ealing Broadway? Are the N91's nights numbered? Which other routes could be under threat? Right now, we're still in the dark.
Update: a TfL spokesman has scoffed at the idea the night tube will lose money, saying it's expected to generate £19m of revenue in its first year. TfL also questions the TSSA's basic numbers: the TSSA says 5,000 buses operate overnight, 1,000 of which are under threat, whereas TfL says it operates 1,000 buses full stop.
