The NBfL or LT class will shortly go into service on route 24 but TfL have yesterday announced that the next route will be the 11.

Not quite a Routemaster issue but it does seem increasingly likely that the new Bus will herald the end of the heritage operations and the close of Routemasters in normal daily service in London.

Why? RMs are on 9 and 15.

My bus number (if any): RTL 960, RMC 1458 RM 1585, M 961, M 271 and several RTs

I think this may well indeed be the case.

My few remaining LTTfL sources have indicated that a run down of the Heritage fleet has been advocated and that the contracts will not be renewed.
The feeling is the LT type will be trumpeted in and the RMs will fade out quietly as they do not want the media to kick up a fuss.

All supposition at the moment but the Marshall refurbs are quite a few years out of overhaul and in normal RM terms would be well due for a heavy overhaul. Anyone who has ridden the 15 in particular, will know that almost the entire length of the H15 has an appalling road surface which must have taken it's toll. Also it is heavily used.
The 9 less so.

But I can see that the last thing TfL will want is for the RMs to usurp the latest bus in the same way as they have with everything else over the last 40 years.

Maybe someone knows a bit more.

I will say no more than that we cannot possibly have anything interfering with someone's ego trip. So they will quietly go and any announcement, if there is one, will be lost on a Big News Day. There will be a marvellous spin put on the reasons - which are in fact quite easy to predict, so don't let's go doing the job for them.

Considering what they cost to refurbish spread over more than 10 years they have been tremendous value for money.

Another refurb with euro 6 is easily possible and would give the same value yet again.

There's many good arguments for retention for at least another 8-10 years.