Welcome to London's N35

[RJ]

I'm writing a blog post on the N35, a route running between Tottenham Court Road and Clapham Junction. I used to drive the 35/N35 and loved it, especially at weekends. I had a ride on it the other night, the usual mix of death threats, people outside holding up the bus, fare evasion and crush loads with more people left behind were in full effect. What hacked me off was the bus operator decided to empty out the bus at London Bridge - it had picked up around 10 minutes of delay in Shoreditch. Rather than let it run, the choice was taken to run it empty from London Bridge to Brixton then run it in service, so it would trigger more on time reports than if it had continued with the passengers.

I videoed some of the journey, viewable here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZHrmf-fU0E

Alternative without music for those who see a message about copyright.

I think chucking people off a bus at almost 3am for this reason is deplorable...

 

[Nym]

Had a look at the tickets and passes video of yours, have to say the reaction of the guard was priceless...

"Which one's ya ticket?" heh

 

[user15681]

You've just summed up a night on the buses (almost) perfectly! Never done the N35 myself. Little bit surprised by the decision to empty after 10 minutes of delay? I've been on plenty of buses running more than 30 minutes delayed that haven't kicked out. Even more surprised at 3am.

As a driver, did you ever have to empty out during the early hours with drunk passengers?

*Off topic but I love hearing stories from London bus drivers. You're seen by millions as just that silent nobody at the front of the bus driving it, but many have brilliant stories to share*

 

[156441]

Video coming up blocked due to copyright??

 

[RJ]

Thanks for bringing that to my attention - I put some music in it to block out the sound of the people. I've uploaded an alternative without the music.

 

[cjp]

What would happen if people just stayed put?

OK perhaps BTP would attend but that would all take time. How much time is gained putting peopel out on the streets rather than running it as a "set down only" service to Brixton if such a thing could be done. (After all the bus still has to get there by road unless they have a magic "Beam me up Scotty " transporter system)

 

[RJ]

What would happen if people just stayed put?

OK perhaps BTP would attend but that would all take time. How much time is gained putting peopel out on the streets rather than running it as a "set down only" service to Brixton if such a thing could be done. (After all the bus still has to get there by road unless they have a magic "Beam me up Scotty " transporter system)

The N35 takes a circuitous route around London, faster routes are available between some of the key nodal points like Tottenham Court Road, Elephant & Castle and Brixton. The bus was able to make up its time by running dead direct through Kennington instead of winding around its line of route through Camberwell. That's exactly what it did and it overtook the N35 ahead just before returning to the line of route at Brixton. Although the other N35 (9006) never quite caught up, the controller instructed 9006's driver to dump the passengers at Clapham Common and turn around there. It was a 12 minute turnaround, during which time it could have gone to Clapham Junction and come back.

Londoners rarely stay put. I used to when the drivers were breaching the rules as written in TfL's Big Red Book, which said the driver must wait for the next bus and transfer the passengers with one transfer ticket. The rules were then changed so that each passenger is given a transfer ticket and left to their own devices, so I no longer bother. The operator of this route regularly tells its drivers to dump the passengers at very short notice and people accept it. There was a revolt recently, but it is the exception rather than the rule. In that case, it was a route run by the same operator and the passengers were fed up with the service. I wouldn't encourage people to do anything in contravention of the law but would urge them to make an official complaint through TfL whenever this happens.

 

[PermitToTravel]

In your OP you mention "on time reports". Forgive me if I'm being a bit slow, but does this mean that the operator took the decision to run the bus empty not just to make it on time for its return working, but also for some other dishonest reason? Does it constitute fraud?

 

[Be3G]

I recall coming back from the Proms last summer being on an N279 approaching Ponders End, a popular location for turning buses short because it's home to an Arriva garage. Just as we arrived at the Southbury Road bus stop (merrily thinking the bus was going to Waltham Cross), the ‘this bus terminates here’ message played, whilst an N279 in front pulled away from the bus stop. It was an every-20-minute service and the only night bus service in the area. I wasn't pleased!

 

[transmanche]

OK perhaps BTP would attend but that would all take time.

BTP don't police London Buses, it would be down to the Met.

 

[hassaanhc]

Once I made a complaint about when the last of three buses together on the 120 (London United who are usually a very good operator) was displaying a different route number in order to avoid picking up passengers. This one was the only one going the full route and was almost empty while the two curtailed ones (both to the same place) were packed to the windscreen. In the 2-3 weeks leading up to this I'd seen several instances of buses being sent empty to elsewhere on the route but still fully logged into the iBus system as "in service" (which resulted in them appearing on the public side of the Countdown system). Of course I mentioned this in my complaint regarding the above instance and this method of sending buses empty along the line of route suddenly stopped . This is a bus route that is notorious for being unreliable although in the last few years has usually been fine for most of the day (unpredictable traffic in Southall town centre causes issues, on the other hand around midday there is usually too much running time! :P)

 

[PermitToTravel]

I saw a 120 the other day near Northolt, with the blinds describing it as a number 8 to Hammersmith!

 

[RJ]

In your OP you mention "on time reports". Forgive me if I'm being a bit slow, but does this mean that the operator took the decision to run the bus empty not just to make it on time for its return working, but also for some other dishonest reason? Does it constitute fraud?

No, nothing to do with dishonesty. It might be to do with the way the quality incentive contract system works. When I drove the N35, there was one timing point at Tottenham Court Road, this is what the route's performance was based on. The controllers were very keen to ensure that each bus departed there on time. I did once lose mileage as I left Clapham Junction 20+ late due to a mechanical problem. The controller asked me how I could reach TCR on time and we worked out a plan - which was basically to cane the bus in service as far as Elephant & Castle then run out of service direct over Waterloo Bridge to TCR.

These days, there are several timing points on the route on which performance is judged, so the service is more tightly regulated. Last night there was a bit of traffic causing delays in Shoreditch. Lost in service mileage due to traffic delays is considered as non deductible from performance. So in some cases, the way to hit the highest number of en route timing points on time is to run buses out of service to a point where they can rejoin the route and continue in service on time.

I'm not saying this is what happened here, but it is a theory as to why that decision might have been made.

 

[hassaanhc]

I saw a 120 the other day near Northolt, with the blinds describing it as a number 8 to Hammersmith!

That might have been scheduled to run empty, some of their drivers love putting up random stuff in that case :P (and you mean 9 to Hammersmith )

 

[RJ]

I recall coming back from the Proms last summer being on an N279 approaching Ponders End, a popular location for turning buses short because it's home to an Arriva garage. Just as we arrived at the Southbury Road bus stop (merrily thinking the bus was going to Waltham Cross), the ‘this bus terminates here’ message played, whilst an N279 in front pulled away from the bus stop. It was an every-20-minute service and the only night bus service in the area. I wasn't pleased!

That's a nuisance, there should be coordination and cooperation between the controller and drivers in order to allow a transfer of passengers.

 

[transmanche]

Just as we arrived at the Southbury Road bus stop (merrily thinking the bus was going to Waltham Cross), the ‘this bus terminates here’ message played, whilst an N279 in front pulled away from the bus stop. It was an every-20-minute service and the only night bus service in the area. I wasn't pleased!

I think I'd have been asking the driver to get on the radio at that point - to get the bus in front to stop!

 

[Be3G]

I'd have liked to – Ponders End isn't the nicest of areas to hang around in after dark – but it was too late. By the time our bus had pulled in and made the termination announcement (we had no advance notice), the one in front had moved off. I'm not a frequent night bus user so I was rather surprised at the lack of consideration demonstrated.

 

[gage75]

Was on a 490 from 6th Cross rd to Hatton Cross and the automated voice kept saying there were seat available on the upper deck even though it was a s/d

 

[nicobobinus]

Have to say I enjoyed reading/watching your N35 experiences. As routes come it must be unique in the sheer number of separate nightlife districts it links up, and the way the route's service level has been ramped up reflects London's night economy expansion quite well. I see even on a 12 minute frequency it packs out at weekends - I can remember the Shoreditch area crowds routinely totally crippling it at weekends in the early/mid-2000s when it was on a half-hourly timetable. TfL really were behind the curve when it came to putting an adequate night service through that area.

 

[bicbasher]

I thought the 176 overnight was bad, but that's a party compared to this!

 

[user15681]

Of my night bus experience, the N29 was pretty bad for drunks, overcrowding etc. Was sometimes curtailed at Nags Head too instead of Wood Green.

 

[transmanche]

Of my night bus experience, the N29 was pretty bad for drunks, overcrowding etc. Was sometimes curtailed at Nags Head too instead of Wood Green.

At least on the N29, you might have only three minutes to wait until the next one!

 

[Statto]

At least on the N29, you might have only three minutes to wait until the next one!

That's only if you're going no further than Wood Green, if you want the Enfield extension at weekends then it's every 10 minutes. Quite odd the whole N29 route runs to Enfield Sunday to Thursday every 7-8 minutes, where as at weekends most of the service only goes to Wood Green with the Enfield extension every 10 minutes.

 

[transmanche]

That's only if you're going no further than Wood Green,

That's why I said "might"...

 

[RJ]

Have to say I enjoyed reading/watching your N35 experiences. As routes come it must be unique in the sheer number of separate nightlife districts it links up, and the way the route's service level has been ramped up reflects London's night economy expansion quite well. I see even on a 12 minute frequency it packs out at weekends - I can remember the Shoreditch area crowds routinely totally crippling it at weekends in the early/mid-2000s when it was on a half-hourly timetable. TfL really were behind the curve when it came to putting an adequate night service through that area.

Thanks. When I did drive that route I used to post my stories on The Bus Forum. An old colleague of mine who chose to drive that route after my tales of what went on during my shifts posted his own account of driving it - it made me laugh.

Usage on the N35 continues to increase on weekends. Several routes in the Shoreditch area have had frequency increases at night but as you say, the N35 offers unique links. It is the only bus at night from Shoreditch into South London, despite it having a number of buses during the day.

The cause of the crowding needs to be investigated - it'll either be a reliability or capacity issue. Sometimes there are enough buses, but reliability issues are caused by the service control, insufficient resource (number of buses on the route) or unsuitable schedules (resilience in running + turnaround times.) Any or all of these factors can lead to crowding. Other times, routes really do need an increase in capacity. Rest assured the crowding problem is known about, I've personally made sure that's the case.

I may come back with a second episode of life travelling on night buses at some point, been meaning to do a proper blog about them for years now.