London Buses Discussion

[Snow1964]

The last couple of days have seen a number of brand new electric buses on routes B14 and G1. so more routes converting to electric buses.

 

[Andyh82]

You’re right 3 and 53 no longer terminate at the Horse Guards but the N53 and N381 still do if you choose to count them.

The only destination that comes to mind for me is Paddington Basin but there are probably a few more.

Piccadilly Circus looks vulnerable only the 94 stands there and is a likely casualty to the Oxford Street pedestrianisation.

Covent Garden was one that was lost when the RV1 was withdrawn, as was Tower Gateway at the other end until recently when the 343 moved in

Also the 343 used to terminate at ‘City Hall’ near the south end of Tower Bridge as well, nothing terminates here anymore (and if it did they’d have to call it something else)

 

[MotCO]

The last couple of days have seen a number of brand new electric buses on routes B14 and G1. so more routes converting to electric buses.

Presumably ADL100s

 

[PGAT]

The last couple of days have seen a number of brand new electric buses on routes B14 and G1. so more routes converting to electric buses.

The number of conversions happening in the last few weeks have been immense. Notably the first BD11 entered service on the SL1 yesterday as well

 

[Wyrleybart]

Can't help with IDs I am afraid but we sailed out of Southampton on the Iona today and saw a number of buses which I believe are imports from China. There were four LT liveried dual door ADL BYDs abd a raft of green Yutong single deckers.

 

[Thirteen]

I assume Merton Garage still has charging issues as I noticed the 163 is using a diesel double decker bus and even the 57 has gone back to using a mix of electric and diesel.

The 485 is due to get the new electric buses, they went back to diesel when the contract changed from Go-Ahead to TUK

 

[Snow1964]

The number of conversions happening in the last few weeks have been immense. Notably the first BD11 entered service on the SL1 yesterday as well

Move new EV buses in London
New ADL 100ev numbered SEO1 etc have now appeared on route 233 (Eltham-Swanley)

 

[Edvid]

Apparently ADL product lines also make their official GAL debuts in twos as E400EV demo EO1 / SK25AKX appeared on the 106 today.

SK25 AKX

**FIRST TIME & DEMONSTRATOR** Go Ahead London EO1e SK25AKX Route 106

www.flickr.com

 

[kacper]

Is the 310 bus route staying or going? It launched on 1st September 2024 on a 12 month trial, which is completed tomorrow. I saw there was a consultation but couldn’t find its results, could someone advise me if they know?

 

[PGAT]

Is the 310 bus route staying or going? It launched on 1st September 2024 on a 12 month trial, which is completed tomorrow. I saw there was a consultation but couldn’t find its results, could someone advise me if they know?

Nothing has been published but also nothing to say it is going tomorrow. I reckon it will stay in its current form for another year and in the meantime we hold tight until the results come out

 

[Mikey C]

FOI request detail

FOI request detail

tfl.gov.uk

A freedom of information request to TfL in August confirmed the numbers using the 310. I've no idea whether they are good or bad.

Data for March 2025 shows that there are approximately 2,620 trips per weekday on route 310.
Of those trips, approximately 690 are made exclusively on the section between Stamford Hill and Finsbury Park; approximately 1,540 are made exclusively on the section between Finsbury Park and Golders Green; and approximately 390 are made between these two sections.

 

[PGAT]

FOI request detail

FOI request detail

tfl.gov.uk

A freedom of information request to TfL in August confirmed the numbers using the 310. I've no idea whether they are good or bad.

Overall patronage is pretty good for a route of that frequency, although 85% of it would be abstracted demand from the existing routes like the 210, 253 and 254, so maybe not

 

[Mikey C]

Overall patronage is pretty good for a route of that frequency, although 85% of it would be abstracted demand from the existing routes like the 210, 253 and 254, so maybe not

It's the end to end journeys that are the justification for the route. 390 per day. I imagine that these won't be spread evenly across the day, or even week.

 

[Snow1964]

With new school term starting, some of the 6xx school routes seem to have electric buses. Not sure if this is permanent or just an allocation today.

Following school routes seem to have electric buses :
606, 608, 612, 618, 639, 652, 657, 671, 675, 684,
possibly other routes too.

 

[PGAT]

612, 642, 663, 674 and 689 have full permanent electric allocations.

The rest appear to be odd strays or temporary allocations while other garages await power supply upgrades.

 

[DesDobramento]

Another cross-boundary route bites the dust ...........

Latest News - Arriva UK Bus

www.arrivabus.co.uk

 

[hassaanhc]

With new school term starting, some of the 6xx school routes seem to have electric buses. Not sure if this is permanent or just an allocation today.

Following school routes seem to have electric buses :
606, 608, 612, 618, 639, 652, 657, 671, 675, 684,
possibly other routes too.

Neither the 618 or 671 have used electric buses, they used mild hybrid E400 MMCs. In addition, Southall garage, where the 618 is, doesn't have electric double deckers.

 

[MotCO]

Another cross-boundary route bites the dust ...........

Latest News - Arriva UK Bus

www.arrivabus.co.uk

Arriva are blaming Go-Bus for threatening the viability of the route. Will Go-Bus extend their competing route to Orpington?

 

[Lynford1976]

Arriva are blaming Go-Bus for threatening the viability of the route. Will Go-Bus extend their competing route to Orpington?

Only if Kent CC are willing to pay for it!

 

[MotCO]

Only if Kent CC are willing to pay for it!

Did Arriva not run it commercially?

 

[duncombec]

Arriva are blaming Go-Bus for threatening the viability of the route. Will Go-Bus extend their competing route to Orpington?

Only if Kent CC are willing to pay for it!

Did Arriva not run it commercially?

This is one of those occasions where there is a lot of backstory to the story, and the parties to it only know their own side!

Arriva have been fiddling with the 477 for years, generally reducing the service (it was once essentially every 20 minutes between Bluewater and Swanley, if you include the longer 476 via Joydens Wood), reducing frequency, lopping off the Bluewater section, etc., etc., and has been revised "to protect the viability of the route" multiple times already.

Go-Coach recently lost tenders in the Thameside area (470, 479, 489), so this does seem to be "giving the buses something to do", over the busiest section. Naturally arguments will abound over the timing - only 5 minutes in front of Arriva, rather than a neat half-hourly), but there will no doubt be similar arguments that it works with other services, e.g. school services.

Arriva did operate the 477 commercially (at least that's what the registration says via bustimes), so whether or not KCC will be required to pay for the extension is as yet unknown, and in any case, unlikely to have reached a point of confirmation yet. Arguably usage south of Swanley is much reduced, and Crockenhill does fall within KCC's responsibility, but equally, with the full-length 477 "out of the way", Go-Coach may be able to provide some sort of service without additional funding, or with funding for certain aspects, e.g. to keep the service hourly, or between peaks.

Unfortunately, Arriva's customer service team "let slip" that the 477 was going to be withdrawn a week or so ago, before the official news item was announced. Arriva do seem to have moved somewhat quickly after the Go-Coach service was announced, which suggests it was already high on their list of Northfleet's "death by a thousand cuts".

Of course... Go-Coach could have expected a quick capitulation and have a plan in place already... such is what happens when MPs and the local paper get wind of the story and immediately roll out the little old ladies and gents who will be completely cut off if their bus service is withdrawn, etc., etc., etc. All of whom were notable by their absence when I rode the route a couple of months ago...

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

London bus driver and several people injured in Victoria Street

A bus driver is one of 17 people injured after the crash near Victoria Station in central London.

www.bbc.co.uk

Seventeen people have been injured after a bus mounted a pavement in central London.

Emergency services, including London's Air Ambulance, were called to Victoria Street, near Victoria Station, at about 08:20 BST.

Fifteen people were taken to hospital, including the bus driver, while two others were treated at the scene. None have life-threatening injuries, the Met Police said.

Nathan Cefai, 28, from Clapham, told the BBC he was walking to work when he spotted the bus, which had a "huge amount of black smoke" coming from its rear. He said the bus picked up speed, turned a corner, and then he heard "a massive bang".

The front of the route 24 bus, which was heading towards Hampstead Heath, was damaged, with its windscreen smashed.

A trail of diesel running down Allington Street has caused police to ban smoking in the area over fears of a fire.

Officers remain at the scene and the force has appealed for witnesses to contact them. No arrests have been made.

Another eyewitness Emit Suker, 47, said: "[The bus] was coming from Westminster – it was going really fast and came off the road.

"There were about 15, 16 people inside the bus. People were screaming – it was terrible."

Another eyewitness said: "I heard a massive crash, came outside and there was a woman on the floor with loads of people around her.

"Lots of people from the gym had run out to help her."

Rosie Trew, TfL's head of bus service delivery, said: "Our thoughts are with the people who have been injured following a bus incident at Victoria Street.

"We are working with the police and the operator, Transport UK, to urgently investigate this incident."

When asked if it was being investigated as a mechanical failure, TfL said the investigation was ongoing and they would not be able to add anything to their statement at this time.

Det Ch Supt Christina Jessah, who leads policing in the area, said: "We understand this incident will have been very distressing to all those involved and injured and we have begun an investigation.

"We are working closely with our partners to clear the scene but the road will remain closed for the next few hours so please seek alternative routes."

 

[sprunt]

It's the end to end journeys that are the justification for the route. 390 per day. I imagine that these won't be spread evenly across the day, or even week.

How do they count that given that there's no tapping off?

 

[telstarbox]

Just been on Superloop 4 (not 6). Nice inside the bus (sorry didn't get a reg.) Quite a scenic route with Canary Wharf, the O2, cable car, Silvertown Tunnel and Blackheath. The detour off and onto the roundabout to serve Leamouth doesn't feel that 'express' though.

 

[Lyle_Lanley]

Has it been confirmed what the new buses will be for the SL7? Will whatever is procured be single door and with luggage racking as now?

 

[PGAT]

Has it been confirmed what the new buses will be for the SL7? Will whatever is procured be single door and with luggage racking as now?

Will be BYD BD11s and yes they will have that specification

 

[Lyle_Lanley]

Will be BYD BD11s and yes they will have that specification

Thank you for that. They definitely can’t come soon enough, the existing fleet is starting to look very run down.

 

[MotCO]

Will be BYD BD11s and yes they will have that specification

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Sep 2025 ==

I thought that Go-Ahead had a deal with Wrightbus to provide most of their new buses. How come BYD still get some orders?

 

[PGAT]

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Sep 2025 ==

I thought that Go-Ahead had a deal with Wrightbus to provide most of their new buses. How come BYD still get some orders?

Majority of future orders are intended to be from Wright but they are still allowed to deviate. BYD is one of the cheapest on the market which is definitely a factor I can only speculate from here but there may have been more flexibility in providing the specification for the SL7 that TfL demand

 

[TRXsouth]

PGAT & Lyle_Lanley -
Certainly agree that the SL7 needs the new EVs quickly. Does any UK operator already run single door BYD BD11’s, or will the SL7 be the first route for this specification?