Mizter T wrote:

Just seen this mentioned on the DD forum - a poster there has noticed
that the unofficial (but rather well informed) "London Bus Routes"
website shows that the ELC rail replacement bus service - the route
that runs from New Cross Gate via New Cross and Rotherhithe stations
to Canada Water and v.v. - is supposedly being discontinued from 26
September, see:
http://www.londonbusroutes.net/changes.htm#151

Eh?! Some mistake, surely? The extended East London Line isn't going
to open until some time next year (the most optimistic estimates were
for December this year, but that now seems unlikely) - to withdraw the
ELC bus service now would be rather premature, to say the least.

Unless they've changed it since the map, the south of the river service is
split between a regular route (381/N381) that serves Bermondsey,
Rotherhithe, Canada Water and Surrey Quays and the ELC that serves Canada
Water, Surrey Quays and both New Crosses. So all that's lost is a bus
connecting the two New Crosses (which you can walk between) and Surrey
Quays - presumably there's a existing bus route that covers this anyway?

My recollection of the ELL when it was operating is that most people used it
to cross the river rather than for local journeys on one side or the other
(give or take access to Wapping). I doubt there are many passengers on the
ELC that ca't be absorbed by regular services, especially as (as Paul notes)
rail replacement services have a reputation for being awful (long convoluted
routes to take in all the stations, getting stuck in suburban side roads
that just weren't planned for buses, old vehicles with horrible seats and
often awkward boarding arrangements with no middle doors) and many will seek
alterative routes.