Why so crowded on the London Buses X26 at 5am?

[GodAtum]

My family and I decided the best way to get for our morning flight was taking the X26 at 0517 from East Croydon. We all thought it'll be empty at that time in the morning with plenty of room to put a carry-on next to each of us on a pair of seats.

But we where shocked and horrified when the bus turned up there were no seats free! I can't understand why the whole of Croydon was travelling towards the airport! It seemed like most worked at the airport as there was no luggage in the luggage rack?

 

[Fleetmaster]

Shift workers, obviously. Cleaners, baggage handlers, etc.

 

[sammyg901]

Exactly that - plenty of people heading for early shifts. I lived in Kingston many years ago and just didn't bother with the X26 for my early shift as you couldn't board it (single decker back in those days)

 

[Mike99]

My family and I decided the best way to get for our morning flight was taking the X26 at 0517 from East Croydon. We all thought it'll be empty at that time in the morning with plenty of room to put a carry-on next to each of us on a pair of seats.

But we where shocked and horrified when the bus turned up there were no seats free! I can't understand why the whole of Croydon was travelling towards the airport! It seemed like most worked at the airport as there was no luggage in the luggage rack?

Do I understand this correctly? You were frustrated that the bus was busy but you were planning to take up 8 seats for the 4 people travelling?

 

[Statto]

Do I understand this correctly? You were frustrated that the bus was busy but you were planning to take up 8 seats for the 4 people travelling?

Yep, seems like a how dare the bus i intend to use at 5.15am was so full so we can't use up 4 seats for our luggage type of thread.

That the 05.15 X26 from West Croydon arrives at Heathrow just after 06.30 means it's perfect for Heathrow workers who's shift begins around 7am, the next X26 arrival at Heathrow is 07.12, which is too late for those who's shift starts at 7am.

 

[Geordie driver]

In fairness I think many people who work standard days have no idea how busy some very early buses can be, I have had full standing loads on buses that pass a post office sorting building.

 

[RJ]

Those buses are always that busy at that time of day, definitely not out of the ordinary! The frequency is being doubled.

 

[Segedunum]

I've done it in the opposite direction at a similar time and it's still ended up rammed full.

It's an express bus linking places not necessarily easy/quick to get between by other means (eg. Kingston to Heathrow).

 

[overthewater]

There is plenty of other e.gs of these early morning Airport runs all across the UK. In fact some of the runs at 3-5am can be some of the busiest.

 

[hassaanhc]

Night buses arriving in Central London for 0500 or later starts can get very busy. I used to live by the outer end of the N551 (Gallions Reach Shopping Park to Trafalgar Square) in the mid-2010s and occasionally took it to Central London. There was a big increase in passenger numbers once you got to what was the 0351 from Gallions Reach Shopping Park, as that reached to The City for 0445 or so and was well placed for any security or cleaning shifts starting at 0500. The route was half-hourly and this pattern remained for later arrivals into Central London. Even the last N551 at 0548, which ran after the DLR and Tube had started running, was extremely well used by the 0700 starters.

 

[Mikey C]

Night buses arriving in Central London for 0500 or later starts can get very busy. I used to live by the outer end of the N551 (Gallions Reach Shopping Park to Trafalgar Square) in the mid-2010s and occasionally took it to Central London. There was a big increase in passenger numbers once you got to what was the 0351 from Gallions Reach Shopping Park, as that reached to The City for 0445 or so and was well placed for any security or cleaning shifts starting at 0500. The route was half-hourly and this pattern remained for later arrivals into Central London. Even the last N551 at 0548, which ran after the DLR and Tube had started running, was extremely well used by the 0700 starters.

It's an easy mistake to forget that Night Buses don't just serve revellers leaving Central London to go home, but are also a crucial means of transport for many shift workers going in, as most people's experience of them is after a fun night out.

 

[Statto]

Night buses arriving in Central London for 0500 or later starts can get very busy. I used to live by the outer end of the N551 (Gallions Reach Shopping Park to Trafalgar Square) in the mid-2010s and occasionally took it to Central London. There was a big increase in passenger numbers once you got to what was the 0351 from Gallions Reach Shopping Park, as that reached to The City for 0445 or so and was well placed for any security or cleaning shifts starting at 0500. The route was half-hourly and this pattern remained for later arrivals into Central London. Even the last N551 at 0548, which ran after the DLR and Tube had started running, was extremely well used by the 0700 starters.

Indeed, i've been on the N15 around 3.20am departure from Romford that fills up after going through Barking, & is full by the time it reached Aldgate, so nothing new buses being full around 5am in London

 

[westcoaster]

We flew from Heathrow last year, we got on a bus along the Bath road around 0300. Every bus came along with people standing and seats taken, it was a mix of airport staff and passengers and cases (from the hotels), we let 3-4 buses go before we could get on one.

 

[darloscott]

We flew from Heathrow last year, we got on a bus along the Bath road around 0300. Every bus came along with people standing and seats taken, it was a mix of airport staff and passengers and cases (from the hotels), we let 3-4 buses go before we could get on one.

Yes the first few 423s in particular as they’re the only bus to Terminal 5 are ridiculous. Better since that became double deck but even still they’re full & standing!

 

[Mag_seven]

Yes the first few 423s in particular as they’re the only bus to Terminal 5 are ridiculous. Better since that became double deck but even still they’re full & standing!

I was staying in the T5 Premier Inn at Longford a few weeks ago and saw several airport bound travellers left behind at the 423 bus stop at about 05.10

 

[londonbridge]

I had a problem yesterday, was waiting for the 6:30 am bus at Carshalton High Street towards Heathrow along with three other people. When it arrived I could see it was just about full, driver opened the doors and two people got off then he went to close them again. Woman had her foot blocking the door pleading to be let on. I couldn’t see if there were any seats upstairs but downstairs I could see that no one was standing further back than the luggage rack. Window was open and I was shouting “move down”, there was room for people to do so but no one would, if they had done the four of us could have boarded. Driver told the woman to get off before driving off.

Two of the other three who had been waiting with me (including the woman) then left the stop. By the time the next one arrived five more people had arrived. I could see it was again pretty full, driver opened the door and the other five started barging past myself and the other chap who had been waiting with me in order to get on. We managed to squeeze on but the driver told the other guy who had been with me to get off. He refused, arguing that we had been queuing first. Driver conceded and we set off leaving one of the five behind. I was squeezed right up against the door, I couldn’t even reach the reader to tap in. When we got to Sutton post office the driver asked me to mind the door but my foot got caught when he tried to open it and I had to try and move so he could open it. Some passengers then had to get off to make space for those who were wanting to alight to get off, at least a dozen or so got off. I was then able to tap in and we were able to move down before setting off again.

What was ridiculous was that there was actually less room to board the second one than the first yet we were just about able to get on, whilst with the first one the driver refused to allow anyone to board, including not allowing two of us to board to replace the two who had got off, also as I said if those already on board had moved to the back the four of us waiting could have boarded.

 

[zero]

Things have changed... I lived in Croydon and from 2016 to 2018 I used to fly from Heathrow on early morning flights a lot, so I often got the first or second X26, and it was never that busy. I don't believe most journeys had any standing passengers, at least not in the initial stages, maybe there were standees from Kingston. It wouldn't really get busy at Hatton Cross even though the 285 would fill up from there, because the X26 wasn't part of the free Heathrow travel.

 

[Edsmith]

My family and I decided the best way to get for our morning flight was taking the X26 at 0517 from East Croydon. We all thought it'll be empty at that time in the morning with plenty of room to put a carry-on next to each of us on a pair of seats.

But we where shocked and horrified when the bus turned up there were no seats free! I can't understand why the whole of Croydon was travelling towards the airport! It seemed like most worked at the airport as there was no luggage in the luggage rack?

I've used it before early morning to Heathrow and it was busy although seats were available, everyone gets the same idea of a cheap and easy way to get to Heathrow although some people get off at intermediate stops.

 

[PGAT]

On Friday there were train strikes, so I decided to get the X26 to get home to Croydon. It was only ~3pm but there was a huge queue at Sutton Police Station and nobody was able to get on the bus because of how crowded it was. Another one showed up 5 mins later and the same thing happened, and again with the 407 after that...

 

[GodAtum]

I had a problem yesterday, was waiting for the 6:30 am bus at Carshalton High Street towards Heathrow along with three other people. When it arrived I could see it was just about full, driver opened the doors and two people got off then he went to close them again. Woman had her foot blocking the door pleading to be let on. I couldn’t see if there were any seats upstairs but downstairs I could see that no one was standing further back than the luggage rack. Window was open and I was shouting “move down”, there was room for people to do so but no one would, if they had done the four of us could have boarded. Driver told the woman to get off before driving off.

Two of the other three who had been waiting with me (including the woman) then left the stop. By the time the next one arrived five more people had arrived. I could see it was again pretty full, driver opened the door and the other five started barging past myself and the other chap who had been waiting with me in order to get on. We managed to squeeze on but the driver told the other guy who had been with me to get off. He refused, arguing that we had been queuing first. Driver conceded and we set off leaving one of the five behind. I was squeezed right up against the door, I couldn’t even reach the reader to tap in. When we got to Sutton post office the driver asked me to mind the door but my foot got caught when he tried to open it and I had to try and move so he could open it. Some passengers then had to get off to make space for those who were wanting to alight to get off, at least a dozen or so got off. I was then able to tap in and we were able to move down before setting off again.

What was ridiculous was that there was actually less room to board the second one than the first yet we were just about able to get on, whilst with the first one the driver refused to allow anyone to board, including not allowing two of us to board to replace the two who had got off, also as I said if those already on board had moved to the back the four of us waiting could have boarded.

We flew from Heathrow last year, we got on a bus along the Bath road around 0300. Every bus came along with people standing and seats taken, it was a mix of airport staff and passengers and cases (from the hotels), we let 3-4 buses go before we could get on one.

That's insane. What happens if a family miss their flight? This really puts people off travelling to the UK. If you can't even get a bus to the airport from your hotel!

 

[RT4038]

That's insane. What happens if a family miss their flight? This really puts people off travelling to the UK. If you can't even get a bus to the airport from your hotel!

Well, you could call a taxi?

 

[PGAT]

Well, you could call a taxi?

Taxis are really expensive

 

[Bletchleyite]

That's insane. What happens if a family miss their flight? This really puts people off travelling to the UK. If you can't even get a bus to the airport from your hotel!

This is one problem with the central terminals at Heathrow. They really need to reduce the car traffic significantly, e.g. by charging a hefty fee (say £20) to drive into the central terminal area or even banning private cars outright, and set up a decent transport interchange somewhere else e.g. Hatton Cross with free pick up and drop off, then they could reinstate the pedestrian access.

 

[Snow1964]

This is one problem with the central terminals at Heathrow. They really need to reduce the car traffic significantly, e.g. by charging a hefty fee (say £20) to drive into the central terminal area or even banning private cars outright, and set up a decent transport interchange somewhere else e.g. Hatton Cross with free pick up and drop off, then they could reinstate the pedestrian access.

The Heathrow masterplan seems to have some huge new multi storey car parks in SW section (but more to replace the car parks along Bath Road if extra taxi ways are built to northern runway.

But really needs to be a tram type system replacing the X26 bus, or some better orbital rail route. The X26 also suffers from London bus passes being cheaper than travelcards, so shift workers use them like workmen's trains. The day ticket starting at 04:30 might also be an influence in people travelling just after 5am

 

[Edsmith]

That's insane. What happens if a family miss their flight? This really puts people off travelling to the UK. If you can't even get a bus to the airport from your hotel!

So what do you suggest?

 

[GodAtum]

So what do you suggest?

As others have suggested pedestrian access or a tram.

 

[Deerfold]

As others have suggested pedestrian access or a tram.

There is pedestrian access to Terminal 5, from where you can access the other terminals by Underground or Heathrow Express/Elizabeth Line.

It's not ideal...

 

[Bletchleyite]

There is pedestrian access to Terminal 5, from where you can access the other terminals by underground or Heathrow Express/Elizabeth Line.

It's not ideal...

Particularly not if staying on a hotel on the Bath Road.

 

[MotCO]

Taxis are really expensive

But if you've paid for a hotel and holiday etc, can't you afford a few quid for a taxi?

Those buses are always that busy at that time of day, definitely not out of the ordinary! The frequency is being doubled.

What buses will be used? It took an age for the existing buses to be converted to single door and have luggage racks installed. And what ever became of the branding that was meant to have been applied?

 

[RJ]

But if you've paid for a hotel and holiday etc, can't you afford a few quid for a taxi?



What buses will be used? It took an age for the existing buses to be converted to single door and have luggage racks installed. And what ever became of the branding that was meant to have been applied?

If I had it my way, that triaxle bus which pootled around a high profile but stop-start Central London route with high passenger turnover would have been put on the busiest X26 return trip!