Night bus to Loughton?

[Deleted]

Bit of a non-story this, but thought some of you would be interested in having a look:


Loughton Town Council could ask Transport for London to extend a night bus into Loughton
www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/efnews/10961271.Late_night_bus_service_could_return/

"A night bus service between Loughton and central London could return. Loughton Town Council will next week discuss whether to ask Transport for London to reinstate the service, which began terminating at Woodford Wells in 1996. A decision is set to be made on Wednesday."

I can't see this happening at all, especially seeing as the only night bus which operates outside of the London boundary is the N279 at Waltham Cross.

Some people may use a night bus to Loughton, especially as the locals seem to go clubbing every night, and there probably are some late-night workers, but I doubt it would be enough to justify a service. I can't see Loughton Town Council having much influence over TfL somehow, and I'm guessing TfL would expect some funding from Loughton Town Council/Essex County Council, but I think there are other priorities to spend transport money on at the moment!

For those who don't know, the N96 was extended to Loughton and Debden from the late Eighties (can't remember exactly when) until 1995 when the whole route was withdrawn. The article suggests it was the N55 which went to Loughton, but that's not true. If this unlikely idea would go ahead, I presume it would be the N55 which would be extended.

[jrussa]

Thanks for the info Alex!
I lived in Woodford for 14 years, (and will be returning next year), so Loughton is a place which I am familiar with. I would see more advantages if Route N8 was extended to Loughton, based on places where it serves
- Central London
- Bethnal Green
- Stratford
- Gants Hill (The club known as Faces)

If Route N8 is a potential candidate, I would still maintain it serving Hainault The Lowe. The only solution to this is if it went via Route 150 to Chigwell Row, left onto Manor Road and right onto Hainault Road following Route 167 to Buckhurst Hill Station and then 549 to Loughton. But the big question is whether a severe extension like this is feasible? Whereas N55 would only be extended by roughly 5 minutes. I see more good in the N8 than N55.

The other solution may result in the N8 and N55 switching destinations. I must say that I preferred when N8 had two branches (purely from a biased point of view) because it only required me to pay one fare to Stratford. Then again I see Route N8 being more purposeful in terms of connections than Route N55 (But I understand around 2004 that TFL was getting rid of branched night routes)