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Post by borneobus on Sept 20, 2022 9:10:03 GMT
Hornchurch to Streatham – no sweat! – 248/86/25/205/59 and a 109 – there must be easier ways… LOCATION: STREATHAM St. Leonard’s Church at the intersection of A23 (Streatham High Road) / A216 (Mitcham Lane) / A214 (Tooting Bec Gardens) OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htmRoute / Operator / Garage / PVR / Frequency / Routing 50 / Arriva / BN / 15 / 12 / Croydon - Thornton Heath - Norbury - Streatham - Streatham Hill - Clapham Common - Stockwell 57 / Go-Ahead / AL / 24 / 10 / Kingston - Norbiton - Raynes Park - Wimbledon - Colliers Wood - Tooting - Streatham - Clapham Park 109 / Abellio / BC / 26 / 6 / Croydon - Norbury - Streatham - Brixton 118 / Go-Ahead / SW / 13 / 12 / Morden - Wandle Road - Mitcham - Streatham Vale - Streatham - Brixton 133 / Arriva / BN / 23 / 7.5 / Streatham - Brixton - Kennington - Elephant & Castle - London Bridge - Bank - Liverpool Street Station 159 / Abellio / QB / 20 / 8 / Streatham - Brixton - Kennington - Westminster - Trafalgar Square - Oxford Circus 201 / Abellio / BC / 10 / 15 / Morden - Mitcham - Streatham - Streatham Hill - Tulse Hill Station - Thurlow Park Road - Herne Hill 249 / Arriva / N / 15 / 10 / Anerley Station - Crystal Palace - Upper Norwood - Streatham - Balham - Clapham Common 250 / Arriva / TH / 22 / 7.5 / West Croydon - Croydon University Hospital - Thornton Heath - Norbury - Streatham - Brixton 255 / Arriva / TH / 9 / 12 / Pollards Hill - Norbury - Streatham - Streatham Hill - Radbourne Road - Balham 315 / Abellio / BC / 4 / 20 / West Norwood Station - York Hill - Gleneldon Road - Streatham - Bedford Hill - Balham 319 / Arriva / BN / 19 / 9 / Streatham Hill - Streatham - Wandsworth Common - Clapham Junction - Battersea - Chelsea - Sloane Square 333 / Arriva / BN / 16 / 10 / Tooting - Streatham - Brixton - Stockwell - Kennington - Elephant & Castle G1 / Go-Ahead / SW / 13 / 15 / Streatham - Tooting - Wandsworth Common - Clapham South - Clapham Junction - Shaftesbury Estate P13 / Abellio / WL / 12 / 15 / Streatham - Tulse Hill - Dulwich - Peckham - New Cross Gate Sainsbury's 15 Routes / 3 Operators / 8 Garages / Total PVR = 241 / Bus Departures per hour = 176 WHAT YOU’LL SEE Keeping abreast of forum updates is enough to appreciate that diesel double deckers are disappearing fast from London roads, so first a review of the three routes still operating them that serve St Leonard’s Church. Go-Ahead operate the 57 from AL, using Enviro 400s comprising E104-E126, WVNs (WVN26-WVN45) often make an appearance and it’s also common to see a hybrid WHVs operating the route. Stop Press: on the day of publishing I’ve checked the 57 and there are no fewer than five types operating: E/EHV/WHV/WVL/WVN. Staying with Go-Ahead SW operate E138-E150 on the 118 whilst Arriva’s sole double decker diesel route here is 250, operated again by Enviro 400s the oldest ‘survivor’ being 08 plate T7. Moving swiftly to the latest technology, the 319 has been electric for almost a year and continues to be operated from BN by EA1-EA22 including EA5 that thinks it’s a Routemaster (185 CLT). It’s unsurprising that the busiest route here, and overall, the ninth busiest route in London is Abellio’s 109 that trundles up and down the busy A23 / Streatham High Road that forum members will know as a key artery in and out of London. The 109 is operated by a dedicated batch of BC based hybrid Enviro 400H MMCs (2487-2514) whilst New Routemasters operating the 159 at the southern end of the route which provides variety here. Five single deck routes add further to the interest and include the G1 that takes a rather convoluted route north to Battersea and is operated by Go-Ahead from SW using SEs. The quietist route here (just falling inside the bottom 10% of TfL routes by passenger) is the short, broadly east-west 315 that links Balham and West Norwood operated by Abellio from BC using ‘short’ 8.9M Enviro 200s (often 8122-8126). ADDITIONAL INFORMATION No terminators at this busy intersection with lots of variety and it’s a pleasant enough location to spend a couple of hours. The last time I was there was on a Saturday afternoon and it was fairly quiet with not many pedestrians (the traffic anything but on the High Road) which is a good job as there’s not much space on the pavement. There’s no cover from the elements besides the church and no immediate facilities – there’s much more near Streatham Station, a 6-7 minute walk south where you’ll find a Tesco Extra and M&S Foodhall. GETTING THERE 1) By Bus! 2) By Rail – As mentioned, Streatham Station (STE) is a short walk away whilst Streatham Hill (SRH) is a 12-13 minute walk 3) By Car – Not the way I’d travel to Streatham but from Google Maps I note there’s a public Car Park at Tooting Bec Lido which is about a 10 minute walk from St. Leonard’s Church
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Post by borneobus on Sept 21, 2022 1:18:32 GMT
LOCATION: BRENT CROSS SHOPPING CENTRE At the Bus Station that’s outside the shopping centre’s main entrance. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htmRoute / Operator / Garage / PVR / Frequency / Routing 102 / Arriva / AD / 26 / 8 / Edmonton Green - Palmers Green - Muswell Hill - East Finchley - Golders Green - N Cricklewood - Brent Cross 112 / Metroline / W / 16 / 10 / Ealing - Hanger Lane - Stonebridge Park - Neasden - Brent Cross - North Finchley 142 / RATP / BT / 16 / 12 / Watford - Bushey - Stanmore - Edgware - Burnt Oak - Colindale - Brent Cross 143 / Metroline / W / 12 / 12 / Brent Cross - Hendon - Finchley - East Finchley - Highgate - Archway 182 / Metroline / HD / 23 / 8 / Uxbridge Road Oxhey Lane - Harrow Weald - Wealdstone - Harrow - Sudbury - Wembley - Neasden - Brent Cross 186 / Metroline / HD / 16 / 12 / Northwick Park Hospital - Harrow - Wealdstone - Belmont - Edgware - Edgware Way - Mill Hill - Brent Cross 189 / Metroline / W / 15 / 10 / Brent Cross - North Cricklewood - Cricklewood - Kilburn - St John's Wood - Baker Street - Marble Arch 210 / Metroline / W / 14 / 10 / Brent Cross - Golders Green - Hampstead Heath - Archway - Hornsey Rise - Finsbury Park 232 / Go-Ahead / NP / 16 / 12 / St Raphael's Est - Neasden - Brent Cross - North Circular Road - Arnos Grove - Wood Green Turnpike Lane Stn 266 / RATP / RP / 23 / 8 / Brent Cross - Cricklewood - Willesden - Harlesden - North Acton - Acton 324 / Metroline / W / 7 / 20 / Centennial Park - Stanmore - Queensbury - Kingsbury - Hendon Central - Brent Cross - Brent Cross Tesco 326 / RATP / BT / 15 / 12 / Barnet - New Barnet - East Barnet - Whetstone - Finchley - Hendon - Brent Cross C11 / Metroline / W / 16 / 10 / Brent Cross - N Cricklewood - W Hampstead - Swiss Cottage - Hampstead - Gospel Oak - Parl Hill - Archway 13 Routes / 4 Operators / 6 Garages / Total PVR = 215 / Bus Departures per hour = 88 WHAT YOU’LL SEE Metroline currently operate 55% of the PVR serving Brent Cross, including the 182 with Harrow Weald VWHs that is the busiest route operating to Brent Cross (and overall 16th busiest TfL route). W operate no fewer than six routes including four single deckers 143, 324 & C11 (all operated by DE) and 112 (DEL). The sole New Routemaster route here is 189, perfect for shoppers who after a morning at Brent Cross want to spend the afternoon browsing in Oxford Street! Go-Ahead’s sole route 232 is one of the longest single deck routes and is operated by StreetLites (WS) that in the rush hour have the dubious pleasure of fighting their way around the North Circular as they make their way to Turnpike Lane. Arriva operate the 102 from Palmers Green with three types: Enviro 400s (T), Gemini 2s (HV) and you may be lucky enough to see the odd Streetdeck (SW). RATP maintain a presence here with the busy 266 (ADE/ADH/VH) and the 326 which operates from Brent Cross Shopping Centre to The Spires in Barnet (another shopping centre – though obviously much smaller!) with single deck DE/DME. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 10 out of 13 routes are terminators at this important bus location that’s the only public transport serving Brent Cross Shopping Centre for both shoppers and employees. It easy to see all the action as all services (terminators or transitory) serve the Bus Station here. Obviously there are full facilities here re refreshments / WC etc. GETTING THERE 1) By Bus! 2) By Rail – LU Brent Cross (Northern Line) and a quick ride on the 210 3) By Car – Plenty of parking for shoppers
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Post by borneobus on Sept 22, 2022 0:55:53 GMT
A trip to Ponders End that included a sting in the tail… LOCATION: PONDERS END At the junction of A110 (Southbury Road / Nags Head Road) and A1010 (High Street) OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htmRoute / Operator / Garage / PVR / Frequency / Routing 121 / Arriva / E / 21 /10 / Enfield Lock - Ponders End - Enfield - Oakwood - Southgate - Palmers Green - Turnpike Lane Station 191 / Arriva / E / 19 /10 / Brimsdown - Enfield Wash - Forty Hill - Chase Side - Enfield - Ponders End Station - Edmonton Green 279 / Arriva / E / 29 /7 / Waltham Cross - Enfield Wash - Ponders End - Edmonton - Tottenham - Manor House 307 / Metroline / PB / 15 / 10 / Brimsdown - Ponders End - Enfield - Oakwood - East Barnet - New Barnet - Barnet - Barnet Hospital 313 / Arriva / E / 8 / 20 / Potters Bar - Botany Bay - Enfield - Ponders End - Chingford 349 / Arriva / E / 13 / 11 / Ponders End - Edmonton - Tottenham - Stamford Hill 377 / Arriva / E / 3 / 30 / Oakwood - Lonsdale Drive - Enfield - Bush Hill Park - Lincoln Road - Ponders End 491 / Metroline / PB / 9 / 20 / Waltham Cross - Enfield Island Village - Ponders End - Galliard Road - Edmonton Green - North Middx Hospital 9 Routes / 2 Operators / 2 Garages / Total PVR = 117 / Bus Departures per hour = 72 WHAT YOU’LL SEE Plenty of Arriva! The busiest route, with by far the biggest PVR is the 279 that’s a key north-south trunk route serving Tottenham and Edmonton and operated by Enfield based 61 plate Enviro 400s. The route is 4th overall in terms of passengers carried on TfL routes. Arriva Enfield also operate the 121 and 191, both with Gemini 2 (DW), and with New Routemasters (LT1-7/176-187/191-199) routes 313 and the under threat 349. Their sole single deck route is the low-frequency 377, worked by EN & ENN, that serves some of the quieter roads to the south and west of Enfield before terminating at Oakwood Station, the penultimate stop on the Piccadilly Line. Metroline are the other operator with diesel TE & VW on the 307 and DE/DEM on the 491 which is a second, but not most direct option to Waltham Cross from Ponders End (the 279 being the quickest). ADDITIONAL INFORMATION This is an Arriva stronghold: currently 79% (of PVR) is Arriva and that rises to 92% in December when Arriva commence operations of 307 “with 14 new electric double deckers”. There’s not much space for pedestrians at the intersection but that’s not an issue as there’s very little pedestrian traffic. Walk west from the intersection and you’ll immediately see the large Tesco Extra so there’s an option for a three quid ‘Meal Deal’ then the next building is Arriva’s garage that’s the terminus for the 349 and 377. Just further west is Southbury Station…and if you keep on walking you’ll eventually end up in Enfield Town. Then something happened on a grey non-descript Saturday morning. I was walking back north up High Street to the nearby residential road where I’d parked my car. I could see a gathering of people and saw that they were waiting outside a church. A little confused, I thought “It’s not Sunday?” then I realised that the queue was for a food bank. There were about twenty people patiently waiting including a couple of people on mobility scooters. I hurried past then saw a lady, probably in her early sixties walking slowly towards me and pulling a small shopping trolley. She looked defeated. I knew where she was headed. On my drive back home around the North Circular I tried to process how in a country that’s in the global top ten richest nations there’s a need for food banks. Many months later I’m still unsuccessfully trying to process this. GETTING THERE 1) By Bus! 2) By Rail – Southbury Station (SBU) 3) By Car – You may find a space in one of the nearby residential roads but hit and miss, and due to the proximity of Southbury Station many roads are parking controlled Mon-Fri
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Post by borneobus on Sept 22, 2022 23:17:44 GMT
Today I’ve travelled on one of the half-hourly direct London-Victoria (VIC) – Bromley-South (BMS) Southeastern services – the journey took just 16 minutes. LOCATION: BROMLEY SOUTH Just north of Bromley South Station where Ravensbourne Road meets High Street. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htmRoute / Operator / Garage / PVR / Frequency / Routing 61 / Stagecoach / TB / 9 / 15 / Chislehurst Gordon Arms - Orpington - Locksbottom - Bromley Common - Bromley 119 / Co-Ahead / C / 14 / 12 / Bromley - Hayes - West Wickham - Shirley - East Croydon - Warham Road - Purley Way The Colonnades 126 / Go-Ahead / MB / 11 / 10 / Eltham - Mottingham - Dunkery Road - Grove Park - Bromley 138 / Go-Ahead / MB / 3 / 21 / Coney Hall - Hayes - Bromley 146 / Stagecoach / TB / 1 / 60 / Downe - Keston - Bromley 162 / Go-Ahead / MB / 11 / 15 / Eltham Station - New Eltham - Chislehurst - Bromley - Park Langley - Beckenham Junction 208 / Go-Ahead / MB / 16 / 12 / Orpington - Petts Wood - Bromley - Downham - Bellingham - Catford - Lewisham 246 / Stagecoach / TB / 4 / 30 / Chartwell - Westerham - Biggin Hill - Keston - Hayes - Bromley 261 / Stagecoach / TB / 13 / 13 / Locksbottom Princess Royal University Hospital - Bromley Common - Bromley - Grove Park - Lee - Lewisham 314 / Stagecoach / TB / 15 / 12 / New Addington - Addington Interchange - Hayes - Bromley - Elmstead Woods - New Eltham - Eltham 320 / Go-Ahead / MB / 12 / 12 / Biggin Hill Valley - Leaves Green - Keston Mark - Bromley - Downham - Catford 336 / Stagecoach / TB / 11 / 15 / Locksbottom - Southborough - Bickley - Homesdale Road - Bromley - Southend - Bellingham - Catford 352 / Go-Ahead / MB / 6 / 20 / Lower Sydenham Sainsbury's - New Beckenham - Beckenham - Park Langley - Hayesford Park - Bromley 358 / Go-Ahead / MB / 17 / 12 / Orpington - Farnborough - Locksbottom - Bromley - Elmers End - Beckenham - Penge - Anerley - C Palace 367 / Abellio / BC / 10 / 20 / Bromley - Beckenham - Elmers End - The Glade - Shirley - Addiscombe - Croydon 15 Routes / 3 Operators / 4 Garages / Total PVR = 153 / Bus Departures per hour = 113 WHAT YOU’LL SEE It’s rare to go to a location where there’s more single-deck than double-deck activity but at Bromley South that’s the case by a ratio of 2:1 in terms of both routes and PVR in favour of single-decks. But let’s start with the five ‘decked’ routes. On some Go-Ahead decked routes such as the 5 & 57 we are treated to a variety of types and the 119 falls into that category with E/WHV/WVL/WVL all to be found on the route together with on most days Electroliner EL1 LY71 GHZ. Also Go-Ahead, but operated from Orpington is the 320 with a mix of nice ‘old’ E/EN and newer EH and the 208 operated by EH. The remaining two double decker routes are operated from Stagecoach’s local TB garage (61 & 261). Returning to Go-Ahead, MB operate five single-deck routes: 126, 138 & 162 with Enviro 200s, 352 with StreetLites and the 358, a long and interesting route that meanders from Orpington to Crystal Palace via places such as Anerley, Elmers End and Clock House Station that I never visit. I’m looking forward to an end-2-end ride on one of the new Spanish Irizar ie Trams that will operate the 358 but will it be this year or next? Will make mention of two Stagecoach routes: the hourly 146 serving Downe that’s one of the least used TfL routes and the 246 that enjoys a Sunday extension (eight journeys) from Westerham Green to Chartwell that was home for forty years to Winston Churchill. Mustn’t forget Abellio’s sole route, the 367 operated by Enviro 200s from BC. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION This is a really pleasant and relaxed location and if you’re wondering why I’m standing 100 metres north of Bromley South Station it’s to ensure that I don’t miss the 126 that terminates by turning off the High Street into Ravensbourne Road before turning into Ringer’s Road which is the first stop of the return to Eltham High Street. It’s a High Street so it’s easy to stay ‘fed and watered’. There are a further three routes serving Bromley that you won’t see (227, 269 & 354) but these will be covered in a future Bromley North report. 1) By Bus! 2) By Rail – as mentioned 3) By Car – There are public Car Parks in nearby St Mark’s Square but I’m on the train
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Post by borneobus on Sept 25, 2022 0:41:28 GMT
Time for another visit to Central London LOCATION: ALDWYCH At the junction of A4 (Strand / Aldwych) and A301 (Waterloo Bridge) OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htmRoute / Operator / Garage / PVR / Frequency / Routing 1 / Go-Ahead / MG / 15 / 10 / Canada Water - Surrey Quays - South Bermondsey - Elephant & Castle - Waterloo - TCR 6 / Metroline / AC / 23 / 7.5 / Willesden Garage - Kensal Rise - Queens Park - Marble Arch - HPC - Piccadilly Circus - Trafalgar Sq - Aldwych 9 / RATP / V / 14 / 10 / Hammersmith - Kensington - Hyde Park Corner - Piccadilly Circus - Aldwych 11 / Go-Ahead / SW / 18 / 12 / Fulham - Chelsea - Victoria - Westminster - Aldwych - St Paul's - Bank - Bishopsgate 15 / Go-Ahead / DS / 13 / 12 / Blackwall Station - Poplar - Limehouse - Aldgate - Tower Hill - Cannon Street - Aldwych - Trafalgar Square 26 / Stagecoach / HK / 21 / 7.5 / Hackney Wick - South Hackney - Shoreditch - Bank - St Paul's - Aldwych - Waterloo 59 / Arriva / BN / 21 / 7.5 / Streatham Hill - Brixton - Kennington - Waterloo - Aldwych - Holborn - Euston 68 / Abellio / WL / 21 / 10 / West Norwood - Herne Hill - Camberwell - Walworth - E&C - Waterloo - Aldwych - Holborn - Euston 76 / Go-Ahead / NP / 19 / 10 / Tottenham Hale - Stamford Hill - Stoke Newington - Hoxton - Moorgate - St Paul's - Aldwych - Waterloo 87 / Go-Ahead / SW / 18 / 7.5 / Wandsworth - Clapham Junction - Vauxhall - Westminster - Whitehall - Aldwych 91 / Metroline / HT / 17 / 10 / Crouch End - Holloway - King's Cross - Euston - Holborn - Aldwych - Trafalgar Square 139 / Metroline / W / 23 / 8 / Golders Green - West Hampstead - St John's Wood - Oxford Circus - Trafalgar Square - Aldwych - Waterloo 168 / Metroline / HT / 18 / 8.5 / Hampstead Heath - Camden Town - Euston - Holborn - Aldwych - Waterloo - E&C - Old Kent Road 172 / Go-Ahead / NX / 14 / 10 / Brockley Rise - Crofton Park - New Cross - Elephant & Castle - Waterloo - Aldwych 176 / Go-Ahead / Q / 22 / 10 / Penge - East Dulwich - Camberwell - E&C - Waterloo - Aldwych - Trafalgar Square - TCR 188 / Go-Ahead / Q / 21 / 8 / North Greenwich - Greenwich - Surrey Quays - Bermondsey - E&C - Waterloo - Aldwych - Holborn - Russell Sq 243 / Arriva / AR / 27/ 8 / Wood Green - Tottenham - Stoke Newington - Shoreditch - Clerkenwell - Holborn - Aldwych - Waterloo 341 / Arriva / AR / 19 / 12 / Lea Valley - Tottenham - Harringay - Manor House - Islington - Farringdon - Aldwych - Waterloo 521 / Go-Ahead / RA / 15 / 10 / Waterloo - Aldwych - Holborn - Holborn Circus - Cannon Street - London Bridge X68 / Go-Ahead / Q / 10 / 20 / West Croydon - Selhurst - Thornton Heath - South Norwood - Upper Norwood - West Norwood - Waterloo - Aldwych - Holborn - Russell Square 20 Routes / 6 Operators / 15 Garages / Total PVR = 369 / Bus Departures per hour = 224 WHAT YOU’LL SEE New Routemasters by the bucketload with five of the six major London operators operating the type on routes that serve Aldwych specifically: Abellio (68); Arriva (59); Go-Ahead (11, 15, 76, 87 & 176); Meroline (168) and RATP (9). In terms of non New Routemaster routes, Arriva’s Tottenham Garage operate the 243 & 341 to ‘North London” from Waterloo and both pass through Aldwych. Go-Ahead’s non NRM routes concentrate on destinations in South London specifically 1 towards Elephant & Castle and Bermondsey (MHV/WHV), 172 towards E&C and New Cross (EH) and 188 towards again E&C, then Rotherhithe & Greenwich (EH/MHV/WHV). The newest operator here is Stagecoach by virtue of their acquisition of HCT and thereby taking over the 26. I mistakenly thought that Barnet with six operators including Sullivan Buses and UNO was the location with the most operators (six) but Aldwych also has six. The token single-deck route is the 521 operated from RA by Go-Ahead with electric SEe and weekday morning rush-hour sees the X68 heading north from Croydon returning south in the evening rush-hour. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION You have a friend visiting Central London for the first time who apart from the touristy stuff wants to spend an afternoon looking at London buses. Where would you suggest? Hyde Park Corner? (busy but frustrating one-way); Marble Arch? (OK but ditto); Oxford Street (too many pedestrians). Personally, I’d suggest Aldwych. Why? 1) Loads of New Routemasters (PVR total here is 164, and some will be in special colours – hopefully should see either or both LT50 & LT60 in London General colours on 11 or 87), and even if you’re not a fan of them you won’t see them in Manchester, Leeds, or Birmingham 2) You’re close to the action with no frustrating one-way systems 3) it’s busy…but with the London PVR cuts not as busy as it was The best to enjoy the action is on the corner of Waterloo Bridge by Pret, ideally sitting at one of the al fresco tables outside Pret sipping a cappuccino. Now for the bad news. The termination of the 168 looks pretty much a done deal whilst the iconic 11 and 521 are also facing the axe. GETTING THERE 1) By Bus! 2) By Rail – Charing Cross (CHX) or LU Temple (Circle/District) or Covent Garden (Piccadilly) 3) By Car – Don’t think so…
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Post by borneobus on Sept 26, 2022 0:46:58 GMT
Another afternoon out in East London LOCATION: EAST HAM At the intersection of A124 (Barking Road) & High Street North / A117 (High Street South) adjacent to Newham Town Hall OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htmRoute / Operator / Garage / PVR / Frequency / Routing 5 / Go-Ahead / RR / 30 / 7 / Romford - Queen's Hospital - Becontree Heath - Longbridge Road - Barking - Plaistow - Canning Town 58 / Stagecoach / LI / 15 / 12 / East Ham - Upton Park - Forest Gate - Leyton - Markhouse Road - Walthamstow 101 / Go-Ahead / RR / 10 / 12 / Wanstead - Aldersbrook - Manor Park - East Ham - Beckton 115 / Go-Ahead / DS / 18 / 8 / East Ham - Plaistow - Canning Town - Poplar - Limehouse - Stepney 147 / Go-Ahead / RR / 21 / 8 / Ilford - East Ham - Upton Park - Prince Regent DLR station - Custom House - Canning Town Station 238 / Stagecoach / WH / 12 / 10 / Barking - East Ham - Plashet - Upton - Stratford 300 / Go-Ahead / SI / 10 / 15 / East Ham Wordsworth Avenue - Park Avenue - Beckton - West Beckton - Plaistow - Canning Town 304 / Go-Ahead / RR / 9 / 12 / Manor Park - East Ham - Newham Hospital - Prince Regent - Custom House 325 / Arriva / DX / 12 / 12 / Prince Regent Station - West Ham - Forest Gate - Katherine Road - East Ham - Beckton Sainsbury's 376 / Go-Ahead / SI / 10 / 12 / Beckton - Winsor Park Estate - West Beckton - Newham General Hospital - Upton Park - East Ham 474 / Stagecoach / WH / 14 / 12 / Manor Park - East Ham - Beckton - North Woolwich - London City Airport - Silvertown - Canning Town 11 Routes / 3 Operators / 6 Garages / Total PVR = 161 / Bus Departures per hour = 118 WHAT YOU’LL SEE 67%, or if you prefer two-thirds of the PVR is operated by Go-Ahead. The 5 is consistent as it’s the 5th busiest TfL route with just over 5 million passengers per annum and thanks to the River Road allocators, continues to have at least 5 types including E/EH/LT/WHV/WVL. Three other RR double deck routes are 101 (WVL), 147 (E), and the relatively new 304 (E/WHV). From Henley Road, the 115 is operated with hybrid Enviro 400H MMCs, whilst Silvertown operate two single deck routes with Enviro 200s (SE) 300 & 376 which after seeing how busy the roads are in East Ham, Plaistow, Newham and Upton Park must be at times tough to drive. Stagecoach of course recently gained the 58 as part of the Tower Transit acquisition and the route remains operated by LI with a mix of Gemini 2s and EvoSetis (169** / 131** in ‘new’ money, VN / MV in ‘old’ money) whilst Stagecoach legacy routes include the very busy 238 and the 474 that serves London City Airport (LCY). Arriva’s sole route is another single decker with a very convoluted route (325) operated by ENLs that take in much of Newham Borough including Plaistow, Forest Gate and East Ham. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Another busy intersection with just one terminator (376) with 58 & 115 terminating a couple of stops away at Central Park, just to the south. You can view some of the action at busy East Ham Station which is 7-8 minute walk north but it’s always extremely busy with pedestrians allied with narrow pavements so to watch the action by Newham Town Hall is much more relaxed, as there is much more space. Should mention that you will only see southbound 147s as northbound the route turns off the Barking Road early and heads up Ron Leighton Way. Within a five minute walk there’s a Wetherspoons, Fried Chicken take-aways, Best Turkish Kebab, Sainsbury’s, McDonald’s, Tesco Express, Hyderabad Wala Indian Restaurant, Rions Lebanese Restaurant etc. You really aren’t going to go hungry! GETTING THERE 1) By Bus! 2) By Rail – LU East Ham (District / Hammersmith & City) 3) By Car – Rather you than me!
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Post by borneobus on Sept 27, 2022 1:20:23 GMT
Wem-ber-lee today… LOCATION: WEMBLEY CENTRAL On the A404 (High Road) standing outside the front of Wembley Central Station OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htmRoute / Operator / Garage / PVR / Frequency / Routing 18 / RATP / RP / 35 / 5 / Sudbury - Wembley - Harlesden - Paddington Green - Euston 79 / RATP / BT / 11 / 12 / Edgware - Canons Park - Queensbury - Kingsbury - Preston - Wembley - Alperton 83 / Metroline / ON / 22 / 8 / Alperton - Wembley - Kingsbury Green - West Hendon - Hendon - Golders Green 92 / Metroline / G / 16 / 10 / Brent Park - Wembley Stadium - Wembley - Sudbury - Greenford - Ealing Hospital 182 / Metroline / HD / 23 / 8 / Uxbridge Road Oxhey Lane - Harrow Weald - Wealdstone - Greenhill Way - Harrow - Sudbury - Wembley - Neasden - Brent Cross 204 / Metroline / EW / 15 / 10 / Edgware - Burnt Oak - Lanacre Avenue - Colindale - Kingsbury - Preston - Wembley - Sudbury 223 / RATP / RP / 6 / 20 / Harrow - Kenton - Woodcock Hill - Windermere Avenue - Preston - The Avenue - Wembley 297 / Metroline / PV / 16 / 11 / Willesden Garage - Neasden - Wembley - Alperton - Perivale - Castlebar Hill - Ealing Haven Green 483 / Metroline / PV / 21 / 10 / Harrow - Northwick Park Hospital - North Wembley - Wembley - Alperton - Ealing - West Ealing - Hanwell - Ealing Hospital - Windmill Park 9 Routes / 2 Operators / 7 Garages / Total PVR = 165 / Bus Departures per hour = 114 WHAT YOU’LL SEE Just two operators and quite a Metroline stronghold with 68% of the PVR with the remaining 32% with RATP. The 92, 182 & 204 have been previously covered under Greenford, Brent Cross, and Edgware locations respectively and currently there’s nothing new to add. The 83 is the first, and currently only route operated (VW/VWH) by the new garage at Athlon Road that’s near to Alperton Sainsbury’s on the west side of the Ealing Road, just a seven minute walk from the old Alperton Garage. There has been debate as to how the new ‘garage’ has retained the ‘ON’ code – I think it’s perfectly reasonable for both AlpertON and AthlON Road to use the ON code! Sticking with Metroline both 297 (VW/VWH) and 483 (also VW/VWH) serve Wembley Central Station. Onto RATP and the 18, well-known as TfL’s busiest route commences its journey at Sudbury & Harrow Road Station west of Wembley before heading down the very busy A404 / Harrow Road before finally hitting the Marylebone Road and is often 100% operated by VH. Token single-deck route is the 223, a lowly 453rd busiest route but which I’m sure is valued by residents near Preston Road, South Kenton and Woodcock Park in Harrow where the DLE’s on the 223 are the only buses to operate. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION This part of Wembley is very busy with many pedestrians out and about whenever I visit, no doubt attracted by the shops and station. However, and fortunately, there’s some space in front of the station to view the action and for once the location is not by a junction. The roads hereare also very busy and pollution levels must be high. You’ll be standing outside a Costa that’s next door to a Wenzel’s so that’s refreshments sorted. Thanks to rif153 for yesterday mentioning the H17 that I almost forgot despite travelling Sudbury Golf Club–Wembley Central Station on board DLE30268 on my last visit! The route terminates just south of the station in Montrose Road and never touches the High Road despite serving Wembley Central Station hence why it's not included in the statistics above. Currently operated by RATP’s RP garage with a PVR of 7, the route transfers to Metroline in September 2023. GETTING THERE 1) By Bus! 2) By Rail – LO to Wembley Central (WMB) and LU (Bakerloo Line) 3) By Car – Public Car Park in nearby St John’s Road
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Post by borneobus on Sept 28, 2022 0:29:56 GMT
For today’s update I’ve visited Southgate Station and before I looked at any buses I stood back and took a minute to admire the station’s memorable façade. Designed by architect Charles Holden, this is one of the most famous of the many LU stations that Holden was commissioned to design that included Turnpike Lane, Rayners Lane and Sudbury Town (as well as St. James’s Park & 55 Broadway). When it opened nearly 90 years ago in 1933, Southgate Station must have looked positively futuristic with its ‘flying saucer’ design. I’m fascinated by this small piece of British social history as after the tube arrived, houses around Osidge Lane would have sprung up and the new commuters walking to their shiny new tube station and taking a Piccadilly Line train direct to the West End must have believed they were at the ‘cutting edge’ of a new modern age – and in 1935 they probably were. LOCATION: SOUTHGATE STATION By the Bus Stops, in circular Station Parade that wraps around Southgate Station. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htmRoute / Operator / Garage / PVR / Frequency / Routing 121 / Arriva / E / 21 / 10 / Enfield Lock - Ponders End - Enfield - Oakwood - Southgate - Palmers Green - Turnpike Lane Station 125 / RATP / BT / 17 / 10 / Winchmore Hill - Southgate - Whetstone - North Finchley - Finchley - Hendon - Colindale 298 / Sullivan Buses / SM / 5 / 20 / Potters Bar - Cockfosters - Southgate - Waterfall Road - Arnos Grove 299 / Sullivan Buses / SM / 7 / 15 / Cockfosters - Southgate - Bounds Green - Muswell Hill 382 / Metroline / PB / 9 / 15 / Millbrook Park - Finchley - Friern Barnet - New Southgate - Arnos Grove - Osidge - Southgate W6 / Arriva / E / 9 / 10 / Southgate - Palmers Green - Hedge Lane - Haselbury Road - Edmonton Green W9 / Sullivan Buses / SM / 7 / 15 / Chase Farm Hospital - Holtwhite's Hill - Enfield - Old Park - Winchmore Hill Station - Southgate 7 Routes / 4 Operators / 4 Garages / Total PVR = 75 / Bus Departures per hour = 52 WHAT YOU’LL SEE Currently four operators…but read on! Arriva’s routes are the 121 operated from Enfield with DW and W6, also from Enfield by single-deck ENS. RATP are a fairly new entrant to Southgate having recently gained the 125 from Metroline. The route is currently operated by RATP VH including former Tower Transit VH45081-VH45085. Gemini 3 BU16 UXC must be positively dizzy: in April 2021 it could be seen in Vauxhall operating the 452 for TT as VH38115; in July 2021 in Notting Hill operating the 328 for Metroline as VWH2731; in September 2021 in Catford operating the 160 for Stagecoach as 80115 and finally today operating the 125 in Southgate for RATP as VH45081! The big question is when will the 125 go ‘electric’? www.londonbusroutes.net states October 2021 but is that definite? Metroline’s sole remaining route is the terminator 382 operated by ‘shortish’ 9.6m Enviro 200s from Potters Bar. Sullivan Buses have a bit of a ‘hub’ here with three routes with Enviro 400s (E) on the 298, StreetLites (SL) on the 299 and Enviro 200s (AE) on the W9. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION I don’t normally complicate matters by including the School and Night routes but at Southgate I make an exception as they affect the number of operators. The 616 is operated by Stagecoach from the former HCT garage at Walthamstow Avenue so that makes five operators, whilst the 692 & 699 are operated from UNO’s Hatfield location in Gypsy Moth Avenue (where Gipsy is incorrectly spelt as Gypsy but that’s another story) and that makes six operators and thanks to VMH2537 who reminded us recently that when the N91 transfers to Go-Ahead in February 2023 it will be seven operators at Southgate! Come on Abellio! Back to the school routes and with the 616 (PVR 2); Sullivan Buses 628(1) & 688 (4) plus 692/699 (3) to equal a grand total of 10 – is this the location with the highest school route PVR? This is a very nice location, that I always enjoy visiting and it’s non stressful with all the action coming to you in a predictable way in this very pleasant part of North London. There’s lots of facilities on Chase Side which is effectively a ‘High Street’. GETTING THERE 1) By Bus! 2) By Rail – LU (Piccadilly Line) 3) By Car – There’s a car park near Asda on Chase Side
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Post by borneobus on Sept 28, 2022 23:34:50 GMT
A game of two halves, or more accurately a London Underground station with two exits that both require investigation… LOCATION: LEYTONSTONE STATION Initially at the small ‘Bus Station’ that’s located by the west entrance of Leytonstone Station literally above the A12. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htmRoute / Operator / Garage / PVR / Frequency / Routing 339 / Stagecoach / LI / 12 / 15 / Leytonstone Station - Stratford City - Marsgate Lane - Fish Island - Old Ford - Tredegar Road - Mile End - Stepney - Shadwell Station W15 / Go-Ahead / NP / 21 / 8 / Cogan Avenue Estate - Higham Hill - Walthamstow - Leyton Green - Whipps Cross Hospital - Leyton - Temple Mills - Homerton - Hackney W16 / Stagecoach / AW / 9 / 13 / Chingford Mount - Chingford Hatch - Highams Park - Wood Street - Shernhall Street - Leyton Green - Hainault Road - Leytonstone Station W19 / Stagecoach / AW / 18 / 10 / Ilford - Manor Park - Aldersbrook - Leytonstone - Whipps Cross Hospital - Leyton Green - Walthamstow - Argall Avenue Industrial Estate 4 Routes / 2 Operators / 3 Garages / Total PVR = 60 / Bus Departures per hour = 36 WHAT YOU’LL SEE Just single deckers! The W15 route, gained by Go-Ahead from Tower Transit earlier in 2022 is by my reckoning currently the busiest non decked route in London with >2 million passengers per annum and operated by new electric BYD Alexander Dennis Enviro 20EV MMCs. It’s a long and interesting route and along with the 308 stops at Spitalfields Market, just around the corner from the former TT Lea Interchange Garage now operated by Stagecoach that operates the 339 that terminates at Leytonstone, parking south of the station on Grove Green Road before heading south-west through the traffic to Shadwell. Two former HCT routes, operated from the garage by Crooked Billet roundabout on the North Circular are W16 and W19. There are no shops / facilities adjacent to the Bus Stops serving this ‘side’ of Leytonstone Station. I’ve now walked through the short tunnel that acts as the entrance to the station departing by the exit on the east side passing the stands on Kirkdale Road where the terminators park. It’s a short 150 metre walk along Church Lane to A106 / High Road Leytonstone. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htmRoute / Operator / Garage / PVR / Frequency / Routing 66 / Arriva / GY / 15 / 10 / Romford - Newbury Park - Gants Hill - Redbridge - Wanstead - Leytonstone 145 / Stagecoach / BK / 17 / 12 / Dagenham Asda - Orion Park - Dagenham Village - Becontree - South Park Drive - Ilford - Redbridge - Wanstead - Leytonstone 257 / Stagecoach / T / 16 / 7.5 / Walthamstow - Leyton Green - Whipps Cross - Leytonstone - Stratford W13 / Stagecoach / HK / 5 / 15 / Woodford Wells - Woodford Green - South Woodford - Hermon Hill - Wanstead - Leytonstone W14 / Stagecoach / LI / 10 / 15 / Woodford Bridge - St Barnabas Road - South Woodford - Snaresbrook - Wanstead - Leytonstone - Cathall Road - Leyton Asda 5 Routes / 2 Operators / 5 Garages / Total PVR = 63 / Bus Departures per hour = 39 WHAT YOU’LL SEE As mentioned, the terminators on the east side of the station park on stands visible as you depart the station. They are Arriva’s route 66 operated by DW from GY and Stagecoach’s 145 operated by Enviro 400s and Enviro 400 MMCs from BK. The single-decker terminator here is former HCT route H13, operated by Stagecoach from Ash Grove and surely a contender at some stage to move to AW if required. I’m standing on the High Road to ensure I also have the opportunity to see the shortish but very busy 257 that Stagecoach Leyton operate (Walthamstow-Stratford) and LI operated W14 with Enviro 200s as all their single-deck routes are (with the exception of the 236). To be pedantic you can view southbound 257/W14 at the station where the terminator stands are but northbound neither route deviates from the High Road. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION This isn’t the busiest location to view buses in London and you have to invest time in both locations to see everything properly but its pleasant enough and there are refreshments available on the High Road which is effectively a ‘High Street’. GETTING THERE 1) By Bus! 2) By Rail – LU (Central Line) 3) By Car – The LU Station as a car park and you may get lucky and find some uncontrolled residential road parking.
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Post by borneobus on Sept 30, 2022 0:44:35 GMT
Another location towards the outreaches of TfL’s bus (and tube) network LOCATION: UXBRIDGE Belmont Road by the junction of Bakers Road where buses turn in for Uxbridge Station and UX garage. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htmRoute / Operator / Garage / PVR / Frequency / Routing 222 / Metroline / UX / 17 / 10 / Uxbridge - Cowley - Yiewsley - West Drayton - Sipson - Cranford - Hounslow West - Hounslow 331 / Metroline / UX / 8 / 20 / Ruislip - Ladygate Lane - Northwood - Harefield - Denham - Uxbridge 427 / Abellio / GW / 24 / 8 / Uxbridge - Hayes End – Southall - Hanwell - Ealing - Acton 607 / Metroline / G / 20 / 10 / Uxbridge - Hayes End - Southall - Hanwell - Ealing - Acton - Shepherd's Bush - White City A10 / Metroline / UX / 4 / 20 / Uxbridge - Harlington Road - Stockley Park - Heathrow Airport Central U1 / Metroline / UX / 8 / 15 / West Drayton - Apple Tree Avenue - Colham Green - Uxbridge - Ickenham - West Ruislip - Ruislip U2 / Metroline / UX / 9 / 10 / Brunel University Kingston Lane - Hillingdon Hospital - Colham Green - Hillingdon -Uxbridge U3 / Metroline / UX / 11 / 12 / Heathrow Airport Central - Harmondsworth - West Drayton - Colham Green - Brunel University - Uxbridge U4 / Metroline / UX / 12 / 10 / Prologis Park - Hayes - Judge Heath Lane - Colham Green - Kingston Lane - Uxbridge U5 / Abellio / DH / 11 / 12 / Hayes - Stockley Park - Stockley Estate - West Drayton - Colham Green - Pield Heath - Cowley - Uxbridge U7 / Abellio / DH / 5 / 30 / Hayes Sainsbury's - Wood End - Charville Lane - Goulds Green - Colham Green - Kingston Lane - Uxbridge U9 / Abellio / DH / 3 / 20 / Harefield Hospital - Harefield West - Harefield - South Harefield - Harefield Road - Uxbridge U10 / Metroline / UX / 1 / 90 / Heathfield Rise - Ruislip - Kingsend - West Ruislip - Swakeleys - Harefield Road - Uxbridge 13 Routes / 2 Operators / 4 Garages / Total PVR = 133 / Bus Departures per hour = 74 WHAT YOU’LL SEE Let’s start with the routes operated by UX from the garage at the rear of the LU station: first the decked routes and the 222 is an important and valued local trunk route initially heading south linking Uxbridge with West Drayton and Heathrow (northside) before heading east to Hounslow West and Hounslow town centre / bus station. It’s 100% operated by Gemini 3s (VWHs) but over the last 2-3 years there have been very isolated cases of a TE covering 2-3 hours on the route. The other UX decked route is the U4 with TE and the odd VWH across to Hayes. Single deck routes 331/A10/U1/U2/U3/U10 are all operated by a mix of Enviro 200s (DE) and Enviro 200 MMCs (DEL) and as an aside there’s been a slow trickle of DELs transferring from AH this year (DEL2244-DEL2247 so far). 331 takes a scenic country route to Ruislip via Denham, Harefield, and Northwood; the A10 provides a fairly direct route to Heathrow Central but is only TFL’s 499th busiest route; the U1 is the only TfL operated through-route serving Uxbridge (West Drayton – Ruislip); U3 is a very useful, in fact an extremely useful (!) route to Heathrow Central that was decked during Covid but has now returned to a mix with TEs supplementing DE/DEL. The U10 is in the bottom 20 routes in terms of pax carried but is the only route to serve some roads north of the A40 towards Ickenham and again some unserved roads north-west of Ruislip – would it be unfair to suggest that it’s a useful ‘shopping’ service for seniors to travel to either Ruislip or Uxbridge? So that’s UX routes covered. Continuing with Metroline, the 607 is a good limited-stop way of travelling reasonably quickly along the Uxbridge Road using Greenford VMHs and staying with the Uxbridge Road but moving to Abellio the 427 is the 23rd busiest TfL route and fortunately you’ll still find some 12 plate Enviro 400s in the range 9523-9543 operating the route. The U5 is operated from the new Hayes garage with electric Alexander Dennis Enviro 40EV Citys 3431-3441 (3430 still not in service) and these in my humble opinion are excellent from a passenger perspective. The U9 is essentially a ‘country’ route operating up through Harefield to Harefield Hospital using 24 seat 9.0 metre Enviro 200 MMCs. Carousel Buses also operate to Uxbridge serving destinations such as Beaconsfield and High Wycombe and more locally thin services to nearby Iver and Denham whilst Arriva Southern Counties operate an hourly ‘Green Line’ 724 service between Heathrow Central and Harlow which stops in York Road. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Quite a Metroline town with 68% of the PVR with, as mentioned only just the one TfL through route. Many of the terminators final stop is Belmont Road before UX buses disappear into the ‘black hole’ of Uxbridge Garage before suddenly reappearing to re-commence work. Some of the routes terminate and park-up locally including 427 & U5 in nearby York Road. You’re right in the middle of the town centre, so there’s plenty of refreshment opportunities and by walking through the LU station you can see The Pavilions (in front) and The Chimes shopping centre (to the left). GETTING THERE 1) By Bus! 2) By Rail – LU (Metropolitan and Piccadilly line) 3) By Car – Multi-storey car parks in Pavilions and Chimes shopping centres
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Post by borneobus on Oct 1, 2022 0:34:59 GMT
Today we’re at Walthamstow Bus Station, an excellent location to enjoy London buses in service. LOCATION: WALTHAMSTOW BUS STATION At the entrance to the Bus Station that’s on the north side of Selbourne Road and opposite the London Underground / Overground station ‘Walthamstow Central’. OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htmRoute / Operator / Garage / PVR / Frequency / Routing 20 / Stagecoach / AW / 10 / 15 / Debden - Loughton - Woodford Green - Whipps Cross - Leyton Green - Walthamstow 34 / Arriva / AD/EC / 22 / 8 / Barnet - Whetstone - Arnos Grove - Upper Edmonton - Walthamstow 55 / Stagecoach / T / 34 / 6.5 / Walthamstow - Leyton Green - Clapton - Hackney - Shoreditch - Clerkenwell - Holborn - Oxford Circus 58 / Stagecoach / LI / 15 / 12 / East Ham - Upton Park - Forest Gate - Leyton - Markhouse Road - Walthamstow 69 / Go-Ahead / DS / 18 / 8 / Walthamstow - Leyton Green - Leyton - Maryland - Stratford - West Ham - Hermit Road - Canning Town 212 / Go-Ahead / NP / 12 / 8.5 / Chingford - Chingford Hatch - Highams Park - Prospect Hill - Walthamstow St James Street Station 215 / Stagecoach / T / 5 / 20 / Lee Valley Campsite - Yardley Lane Estate - Chingford Mount - Walthamstow 230 / Go-Ahead / NP / 11 / 15 / Upper Walthamstow - Leyton Green - Walthamstow - Tottenham Hale - Philip Lane - Wood Green Station 257 / Stagecoach / T / 16 / 7.5 / Walthamstow - Leyton Green - Whipps Cross - Leytonstone - Stratford 275 / Stagecoach / T / 13 / 12 / Barkingside Tesco - Woodford Bridge - Woodford - Hale End - Walthamstow St James Street Station W11 / Stagecoach / AW / 9 / 12 / Chingford Hall Estate - Priory Court Estate - Blackhorse Road - Walthamstow W12 / Stagecoach / AW / 5 / 30 / Wanstead - South Woodford - Snaresbrook - Whipps Cross Hospital - Walthamstow - Coppermill Lane W15 / Go-Ahead / NP / 21 / 8 / Cogan Avenue Estate - Higham Hill - Walthamstow - Leyton Green - Whipps Cross Hospital - Leyton - Temple Mills - Homerton – Hackney W19 / Stagecoach / AW / 18 / 10 / Ilford - Manor Park - Aldersbrook - Leytonstone - Whipps Cross Hospital - Leyton Green - Walthamstow - Argall Avenue Industrial Estate 14 Routes / 3 Operators / 7 Garages / Total PVR = 209 / Bus Departures per hour = 112 WHAT YOU’LL SEE Starting in numerical order with the 20, a trunk route starting in leafy Debden that’s semi-rural all the way to Whipps Cross that’s now operated by Stagecoach with former HCT hybrid Enviro 400Hs. For now, the HCT fleet numbers in the range 2539-2549 continue to be used but with Stagecoach numbers allocated, this cannot be for too much longer. What will be interesting is to see if 2548 & 2549 (E17 HCT & E20 HCT respectively) retain their cherished registrations in the medium term? The 34 has been covered under Chipping Barnet – from personal experience it’s not a route to be stuck on when the North Circular is gridlocked. The 55 is the busiest route serving Walthamstow and is 17th overall with New Routemasters plying their way through Leyton and Hackney before hitting Central London. The 58 was mentioned under the recent East Ham update and Walthamstow is the northern terminus. Formerly a Tower Transit route Stagecoach continue to operate former TT 10 plate Gemini 2s and hybrid EvoSetis on the route. Go-Ahead’s four (five routes including the 357 see below) are all electric: 69 is another trunk route heading down to Canning Town and operated from Henley Road whilst 215/230/257/W15 are all operated from Northumberland Park. Must mention the 215 as it’s the only TfL route to terminate at a camp site! There must be stories from Leyton drivers of campers boarding at Lee Valley Campsite carrying damp tents, sweaty rucksacks and even sweatier sleeping bags! But don’t knock it, London on a budget (215 to Walthamstow and Victoria Line to Oxford Circus…and the West End is yours). Pick of the remaining routes are the W12 operated by former HCT (1740-1745) single-door 7.8m Optare Solos that serves some of the quieter roads in Walthamstow, Snaresbrook and Wanstead. All of the above routes (both terminators and through routes) enter and depart the Bus Station via entrance and exit on Selbourne Road but walk two minutes east and you come to the A112 / Hoe Street which is the 'main drag' through Central Walthamstow. There are two further routes to be seen heading north and south here that don’t use the Bus Station – the 357 has been mentioned already but the 97 is very notable as after the loss of the 248 to Arriva it’s now the sole remaining Stagecoach dedicated Scania route. 97 / Stagecoach / WH / 21 / 8 / Chingford - Chingford Mount - Walthamstow - Leyton Green - Leyton - East Village - Stratford City 357 / Go-Ahead / NP / 7 / 15 / Chingford Hatch - Chingford Mount - Walthamstow - Leyton Green - Whipps Cross ADDITIONAL INFORMATION A great location to view London buses, very much now a Stagecoach town with the acquisition of Tower Transit and more recently HCT. In terms of catering, there’s a Tesco Express next to the Bus Station and just around the corner on Hoe Street is a branch of McDonald’s. GETTING THERE 1) By Bus! 2) By Rail – London Underground / Overground (Walthamstow Central) 3) By Car – There’s a car park at the station
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Post by borneobus on Oct 2, 2022 1:59:44 GMT
A spur of the moment decision to visit Canada Water after a morning in Peckham. LOCATION: CANADA WATER Canada Water Bus Station OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htmRoute / Operator / Garage / PVR / Frequency / Routing 1 / Go-Ahead / MG / 15 / 10 / Canada Water - Surrey Quays - South Bermondsey - Elephant & Castle - Waterloo - Tottenham Court Road Station 47 / Stagecoach / TL / 17 / 12 / Bellingham Catford Bus Garage - Catford - Lewisham - Deptford - Surrey Quays - Bermondsey - London Bridge - Shoreditch 188 / Go-Ahead / Q / 21 / 8 / North Greenwich - Greenwich - Surrey Quays - Bermondsey - Elephant & Castle - Waterloo - Aldwych - Holborn - Russell Square 199 / Stagecoach / TL / 12 / 12 / Bellingham Catford Bus Garage - Catford - Lewisham - Greenwich - Surrey Quays - Canada Water 225/ Go-Ahead / MG / 6 / 20 / Hither Green - Lewisham - Deptford - New Cross - Surrey Quays - Canada Water 381 / Abellio / WL / 17 / 11 / Peckham - South Bermondsey - Surrey Quays - Downtown - Bermondsey - London Bridge Station - Southwark - Waterloo County Hall C10 / Abellio / WL / 21 / 8 / Canada Water - Surrey Quays - Rotherhithe Street - Rotherhithe - Bermondsey - Long Lane - Elephant & Castle - County Hall - Lambeth Bridge - Pimlico - Sutherland Street - Victoria P12 / Go-Ahead / PM / 14 / 12 / Brockley Rise - Brenchley Gardens - Nunhead - Peckham - Asylum Road - Ilderton Road - South Bermondsey - Bermondsey - Surrey Quays 8 Routes / 3 Operators / 5 Garages / Total PVR = 123 / Bus Departures per hour = 67 WHAT YOU’LL SEE I rather like the 381 that’s an interesting ride from Peckham through Bermondsey on a Walworth based Abellio Enviro 400H which was my means of travel to Canada Water on my last trip – departure was via Abellio’s other route, C10 on a very busy Saturday lunchtime Caetano e.City Gold, another interesting ride – this time to Elephant & Castle. The C10 is one of four Canada Water terminators, the other three being Go-Ahead’s 1 operated from MG by MHV & WHV and 225 operated by Enviro 200s and Stagecoach’s 199 that heads back south to Catford Garage via Deptford and Lewisham. Pick of the remaining routes is the P12, operated by PM SEs that follows an interesting route taking in Peckham Rye, Nunhead and Honor Oak on its way to Brockley Rise. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Opened in 1998, the Bus Station was designed by Czech architect Eva Jiřičná is modern and reasonably spacious, and you’re not going to get wet here! I must admit I don’t find this the most inspiring of locations but may be that’s me… Full facilities at nearby Surrey Quays Shopping Centre that’s a 6-7 minute walk away. GETTING THERE 1) By Bus! 2) By Rail – Canada Water (ZCW) / LU (Jubilee Line) 3) By Car – Let us know how you get on!
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Post by borneobus on Oct 3, 2022 8:34:04 GMT
An excellent day starting with a journey on the Elizabeth Line to Liverpool Street followed by a walk north up Bishopsgate to spend the morning at the intersection. Then, after lunch, a fascinating afternoon exploring historic Shoreditch, now of course hip, trendy and gentrified with multi-million pound attic conversions before moving on to the equally fascinating and historic Brick Lane and Whitechapel returning home on the Elizabeth Line. LOCATION: SHOREDITCH Intersection of A501 (Great Eastern Road / Commercial Street) & A10 (Shoreditch High Street / Bishopsgate) OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htmRoute / Operator / Garage / PVR / Frequency / Routing 8 / Stagecoach / BW / 22 / 7.5 / Bow - Old Ford - Bethnal Green - Shoreditch - Bank - Holborn - Tottenham Court Road Station 26 / Stagecoach / HK / 21 / 7.5 / Hackney Wick - South Hackney - Shoreditch - Bank - St Paul's - Aldwych – Waterloo35 35 / Go-Ahead / Q / 27 / 7.5 / Clapham Junction - Brixton - Camberwell - Walworth - Elephant & Castle - London Bridge - Shoreditch 47 / Stagecoach / TL / 17 / 12 / Bellingham Catford Bus Garage - Catford - Lewisham - Deptford - Surrey Quays - Bermondsey - London Bridge - Shoreditch 78 / Arriva / AE / 16 / 10 / Nunhead - Peckham - Dunton Road - Tower Bridge - Aldgate - Shoreditch 135 / Stagecoach / LI / 15 / 10 / Crossharbour Asda - Cubitt Town - Millwall - Canary Wharf - Limehouse - Aldgate - Liverpool St Stn - Old St Stn 149 / Arriva / AR / 29 / 8 / Edmonton Green - Stamford Hill - Stoke Newington - Dalston - Shoreditch - London Bridge 205 / Stagecoach / BW / 21 / 10 / Bow - Mile End - Whitechapel - Aldgate - Liverpool Street Station - Shoreditch - Angel - King's Cross - Euston - Marylebone – Paddington 242 / Arriva / CT / 14 / 10 / Homerton Hospital - Clapton Park - Hackney - Dalston - Shoreditch - Commercial Street - Aldgate 388 / Stagecoach HK / 12 / 12 / Stratford City - Hackney Wick - Victoria Park - Cambridge Heath - Bethnal Green - Shoreditch - London Bridge 10 Routes / 3 Operators / 8 Garages / Total PVR = 194 / Bus Departures per hour = 131 WHAT YOU’LL SEE From memory this is the first location reviewed where all routes are ‘decked’. Three operators here and just three months ago, there would have been five but Stagecoach have taken over 26 & 399 from HCT and 135 from Tower Transit. Go-Ahead’s sole route 35 has the most variety so we’ll start there with the route that’s operated from Camberwell by Enviro 400 MMCs (EH), MCV EvoSetis (MHV) and Gemini 3s (WHV). It’s Central London so you’re never far from a New Routemaster and the 8 heads out to Bow and occasionally has the odd Enviro 400 MMC operating and the 149 heads north through Tottenham to Edmonton Green Bus Station. The remaining two Arriva routes (78 with HA and the more local 242 with HV) are both under threat of the axe: we all await the publishing of the results of the TfL consultation with interest. The remaining routes are Stagecoach and I have extolled the virtues of the 205 elsewhere and must mention the 47 as Bellingham (Catford Bus Garage) feels a heck of a long way from Shoreditch. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION This is a busy intersection for buses but with the recent Central London PVR cuts and with the axe hanging over the 78 and 242 I wonder what the route structure and corresponding PVR / frequency serving Shoreditch will look like in twelve months? In terms of standing at this intersection there’s not much cover from the elements and the traffic is very busy here – but on the plus side few pedestrians. Walk five minutes north on Shoreditch High Street and there’s a Pret and Tesco Express. GETTING THERE 1) By Bus! 2) By Rail – London Overground (Shoreditch High Street) is a five minute walk from the intersection
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Post by borneobus on Oct 4, 2022 23:12:32 GMT
LOCATION: TWICKENHAM By the junction of the A305 (Heath Road / King Street) and A310 (Cross Deep) OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htmRoute / Operator / Garage / PVR / Frequency / Routing 33 / RATP / FW / 22 / 8 / Fulwell Garage - Teddington - Twickenham - Richmond - East Sheen - Barnes Common - Castelnau 267 / Abellio / TF / 17 / 11 / Fulwell Garage - Twickenham - Isleworth - Brentford - Turnham Green - Hammersmith 281 / RATP / FW / 19 / 10 / Tolworth - Surbiton - Kingston - Teddington - Fulwell - Twickenham - Whitton - Hounslow 290 / RATP / FW / 7 / 20 / Staines - Ashford - Sunbury Cross - Fulwell - Twickenham 490 / Abellio / TF / 18 / 12 / LHR Airport Terminal 5 - LHR Airport Cargo Area - LHR Airport Terminal 4 - Hatton Cross - Feltham - Twickenham - Richmond - Richmond Pools on the Park H22 / RATP / AV / 12 / 12 / Hounslow - Hall Road - Whitton - Twickenham - Isleworth - West Middlesex Hospital R68 / Abellio / TF / 10 / 15 / Hampton Court - Hampton - Hampton Hill - Teddington - Strawberry Vale - Twickenham - Richmond - Kew Retail Park R70 / Abellio / TF / 11 / 10 / Hanworth/Nurserylands (circular) - Hampton Hill - Fulwell - Twickenham - Richmond - Richmond Homebase 8 Routes / 2 Operators / 3 Garages / Total PVR = 116 / Bus Departures per hour = 84 WHAT YOU’LL SEE With the exception of H22, all routes serving Twickenham are operated by buses based at either the front or rear of the former London United Tramways tram depot at nearby Fulwell. Belated thanks to RATP and to the FW GM and his team for organising an excellent open day several months back to celebrate the return of electrification to Fulwell after around 60 years. Their electric routes that travel through Twickenham include the decked 281 and single-deck 33 (that turns in the Abellio half of the garage) and 290 that operates to Staines (upon Thames!) on the edge of the TfL network. Meanwhile from TF the 267 operates from the garage with some of the last New Routemasters built but not currently LT1000 that’s been VOR since December. Abellio’s three current single-deck routes serving Twickenham are the 490, R68 & R70 and all operated by the ubiquitous Enviro 200. RATP’s sole route, H22 is operated by DLEs from Hounslow ADDITIONAL INFORMATION A very pleasant location, not particularly busy but the FW electrics are new and notable. In terms of comfort there’s even a nice public bench in the perfect place – another High Street environment so loads of facilities. GETTING THERE 1) By Bus! 2) By Rail to Twickenham (TWI) is an 8 minute walk 3) By Car (Car Park in Arragon Road)
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Post by borneobus on Oct 6, 2022 23:22:49 GMT
Moving forward, the source data for any passenger stats is the recently updated 2021/2022 TfL data available here tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/buses-performance-data Also refer excellent Green Kitten post/analysis tangytango.proboards.com/thread/12471/london-route-usage-2021-2022?page=1&scrollTo=716990In Stratford today starting with Stratford Bus Station’s little brother. LOCATION: STRATFORD CITY BUS STATION On Montfichet Road at the entrance of Stratford City Bus Station OPERATIONAL DETAILS MON-FRI DAYTIME courtesy of www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htmRoute / Operator / Garage / PVR / Frequency / Routing 97 / Stagecoach / WH / 21 / 8 / Chingford - Chingford Mount - Walthamstow - Leyton Green - Leyton - East Village - Stratford City 108 / Go-Ahead / MG/NX / 18 / 10 / Lewisham - Blackheath - North Greenwich - Bow - Stratford City - Stratford Int Stn 241 / Stagecoach / WH / 10 / 10 / Stratford City - Stratford - West Ham - Balaam Street - Custom House - Keir Hardie Estate - Canning Town 308 / Stagecoach / LI / 13 / 12 / Wanstead - Forest Lane - Stratford - Stratford City - Stratford International - Homerton - Clapton 339 / Stagecoach / LI / 12 / 15 / Leytonstone Station - Stratford City - Marsgate Lane - Fish Island - Old Ford - Tredegar Road - Mile End - Stepney - Shadwell Station 388 / Stagecoach HK / 12 / 12 / Stratford City - Hackney Wick - Victoria Park - Cambridge Heath - Bethnal Green - Shoreditch - London Bridge 6 Routes / 2 Operators / 5 Garages / Total PVR = 86 / Bus Departures per hour = 39 WHAT YOU’LL SEE Three terminators are the 97 that’s notable as it’s the sole remaining Stagecoach TfL route with Scanias allocated – and long may they continue! WH often supplement the route the 2-3 diesel Enviro 400s. Also operated by WH is the 241 that’s notable as the only service that serves both Stratford Bus Stations in both directions and the 388 was part of the recent Stagecoach takeover of HCT. In terms of single decks the former Tower Transit 339 can only be seen southbound at Stratford City and ditto for the Go-Ahead / Mercedes Citaro operated 108 as it heads south towards the Blackwall Tunnel. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION No real reason to make a special visit here apart from it’s another Bus Station so interesting to see the modern layout and how all the routes fit together. There are facilities of course in the massive Westfield Stratford City shopping centre that adjoins the Bus Station. GETTING THERE 1) By Bus! 2) By Rail – Stratford International rail and DLR stations are about a 10 minute walk away 3) By Car – There is a public car park at Westfield Stratford City but public transport is a much better option
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