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| R.I.P. the third 48, (London Bridge - Walthamstow) 07/09/1968 - 11/10/2019 |
Let's start off with things not happening.
11: Remains as Fulham Broadway to Liverpool Street.
19: Remains as Battersea Bridge South Side to Finsbury Park
22: Remains as Putney Common to Oxford Circus
271: It's night service won't be withdrawn.
Clearly the people of Battersea and Chelsea including Highgate were vocal enough for TfL to settle down from the measure, good on them I must say. As much as the 11 could do with a split for traffic issues, the other changes weren't all that merciful for users.
Changes happening, but changed from plan.
Or, amended proposals.
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| EH171 on 171. Elephant & Castle. Actually on the One and only. |
Hardly a difference but better than no difference. This sacrifices the 468 which takes up standing on Borough Road instead. Still will inconvenience passengers into central for 171 as they're dropped off at Elephant. If it at least made it to Waterloo or Aldwych in place of 172 there'd be a difference, as both routes from the New Cross area are somewhat unique in even heading past Elephant in the Waterloo direction. Still, another change to happen in the name of cost cutting.
242: Reroute at Shoreditch to Aldgate going ahead. Night service extended from St. Paul's to Tottenham Court Road, renumbered N242, takes place 18 May.
388: Originally this was to be cut short at Liverpool Street from it's routeing all the way via Blackfriars and Southwark to Elephant & Castle, which combined with the frequency decrease would save at least 3 buses. Amended plan is to reroute it at Liverpool Street via the 149 to London Bridge in compensation for Hackney's loss of the 48.
476: Cut from Euston to King's Cross. Still the same thing, but it'd pick up at the same stop it serves now northbound.
Changes going ahead according to plan.
Unchanged proposals.
9/N9: Instead of going via Pall Mall, it goes back to serving Piccadilly Circus.
14: Rerouted at Tottenham Court Road via Great Russell Street to Russell Square.
134: Cut to Warren Street.
205/N205: Rerouted direct via Marylebone Road. No double running via Marylebone Station.
Would've been nicer if upon withdrawal of the 10 that the 14 was extended in placement if not a temporary move of 98 going back, the damage is done at this point. Though if I'm honest I'd have supported seeing 7 go back to it's rightful destination. As long as the link from Russell Square by bus to somewhere is there, it's okay.
The 9... it was routed down Pall Mall to save time, now reverting back to the longer route only adds time and doesn't add a bus... another route down Piccadilly I guess so not bad...traffic.
As for 205, now the 2's the closest to Marylebone Station and that virtually serves it at best, given it doesn't stop at a certain stop with it's tile on it.
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| Shoreditch and 48... to be no more. LT350 (LTZ1350) turning onto Hackney Road |
55: Fully extended from Leyton Bakers Arms to Walthamstow Central to replace 48.
26: Frequency increase to compensate 48's withdrawal.
388: Read above.
67: Withdrawal between Dalston Junction and Aldgate going ahead..
67: Withdrawal between Dalston Junction and Aldgate going ahead..
Hackney did not like these changes at all but unlike Battersea they didn't get TfL's incentive to not go with it, for lack of a better phrasing. One thing that'd make better sense, on TfL's half to save money and for reliability's sake is to have every 6 mins to Leyton as it is now but every 12 to Walthamstow. So one bus goes Leyton, next one to Walthamstow, next to Leyton, so on so forth. I estimate around 4/5 buses required for the extension but would be halved to about 2 if only half go through past Leyton.
3: Cut from Trafalgar Square to Whitehall Horse Guards.
Only saves one bus... a bus saved is one less 11.2m losing less money.
53: Cut from Whitehall Horse Guards to Lambeth North permanently.
You wonder when 22 isn't rerouted back to Piccadilly Circus (which the 3 uses to stand), that 53 could at least stay at Whitehall. That's where you're unfortunately wrong. It's going and it is practically final. Last time round everyone vocal enough said 'no', but now TfL is giving 'no' back. Unfortunate.
You wonder when 22 isn't rerouted back to Piccadilly Circus (which the 3 uses to stand), that 53 could at least stay at Whitehall. That's where you're unfortunately wrong. It's going and it is practically final. Last time round everyone vocal enough said 'no', but now TfL is giving 'no' back. Unfortunate.
59: Cut from King's Cross to Euston.
To think this was extended to give stand space to another route I believe, that or I'm mixing routes but the King's Cross link was great whilst it lasted, especially now forced on to the Victoria to make the Eurostar connection if you were cheap.
4: Rerouted as planned at St. Paul's to Blackfriars.
172: Withdrawn from Clerkenwell Green to Aldwych.
341: Rerouted via Farringdon Road and terminates at Waterloo Station.
My thoughts on 172 was expressed above on the 171 comment, I have little knowledge on 4/341 except one thing. 341's unique round the corner links in the form of an indirect single deck route in Central was rather interesting as an outsider but, moving on..
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| 2598 (YY67GZU), actually performing 345 to iron out these when new. |
40: Rerouted at Elephant & Castle to Clerkenwell Green via 45/172.
45: Cut to Elephant & Castle from King's Cross.
46: Extra AM peak bus to St Bart's.
100: Extended from London Wall to St. Paul's.
343: Extended from City Hall via Tower Gateway to Aldgate.
A lot to take in, and a lot to complain about. At least Aldgate keeps an Elephant link in the form of 343 which doesn't take the direct route but nonetheless a link is a link. As for my thoughts on 35/45 I believe I expressed enough in the previous blog post already linked at the top.
All the changes but 26/48/55/100/388 take place on 15 June, with the 26/48/55/100/388 changing on 12 October. The 388 will temporarily be curtailed at Liverpool Street until 48 is withdrawn.
All in all, still going with unpopular changes, with some that could've been executed better. If I were to give an example of my own... Though the only paths for 45 from now is withdrawal, extension westwards (possibly Wandsworth via Wandsworth Common or beyond or otherwise) or fused into another route.
All the changes but 26/
All in all, still going with unpopular changes, with some that could've been executed better. If I were to give an example of my own... Though the only paths for 45 from now is withdrawal, extension westwards (possibly Wandsworth via Wandsworth Common or beyond or otherwise) or fused into another route.
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| WVL299 (LX59CZS), North Greenwich |
The twist... a new route serving North Greenwich and it's a familiar proposal from long ago bearing the number 278. This same proposal was again revisited and ignited by the local residents after issues of 132 which is normally overcrowded upon leaving Eltham on it's way to North Greenwich. On the flip coin, the residents miss an opportunity on Ikea and Crossrail. This proposal involves Kidbrooke, the new route will bear the number 335.
I am not local but I have been in the area now and then, it is surprising Kidbrooke doesn't have a link to North Greenwich but not far down the line is 132/286, or jumping on 178/B16 to perform it by hopper or the likes, which go to Lewisham/Woolwich and Eltham/Bexleyheath respectively. This does give Kidbrooke their own link to IKEA which caused quite a nuisance to traffic there and happy buyers with their new furniture taking up chunks of space in the Jubilee. Not long until it happens with another bus route, and a new one.
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| Edited map of Kidbrooke, misses the double runs in Kidbrooke due to the way the map was made, so didn't want to make it look overly edited |
It'll be every 12 minutes with double deckers off the bat. Routeings are either;
- via the 286 to Blackheath and down Westcombe Hill
- express immediately on the A2 until the junction with Woolwich Road
Both are decent, low-cost and fast services from an outside perspective. Though people do want Charlton as well with more places to shop there such as the large Sainsbury's which moved from it's position on the busway. As well as other retails in the area which are only a short walk or along Woolwich Road. That part not served is a shame but an extra service is a blessing, so not to be taken without gratitude. The route going express on the A102 would only serve as a feeder to/from Kidbrooke and the O2 in the same way 132 does from Eltham. There are concerns such as residents that may object to another service down Westcombe Hill, but the less practicality of it zooming down the A102 is also there. On the plus side with serving Westcombe Hill is aiding the 108 and the 422 which takes a different approach to North Greenwich. This is best I could come up with as an outsider but who knows if this route will truly happen or not, normal stopper or an express route?
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I thought I should also cover Hammersmith Bridge although briefly. During weekly checks there was a crack spotted on the bridge itself, thus forced a closure for safety concerns. Don't quote me on this but there may have been more stress on the bridge during that week. Due to it's 132 year old age, it's listed as Grade II which by law means it can't really be demolished and rebuilt, as much as we'd like it to. Built in 1887 for the century of horse carts and the like fast forward to the 2000s and all sorts of one+-ton cars and 7.5 ton buses cross it daily, albeit buses only going one at a time in only one direction at a time.
For now until TfL can find the money, Hammersmith Bridge is 'indefinitely' closed. As for buses...
Initially, everything but the 72 terminating short at Castlenau (Lonsdale Road for 419). The 72 going on diversion via Mortlake High Street and Chiswick Bridge to Hammersmith and on line of route. The school 609 was withdrawn as a result.
As of today 13th April;
72 was cut short at the northern end so it runs Roehampton to Shepherd's Bush.
As far as future planning goes, from May the 209 will be routed from Barnes to Putney Bridge to retaining a tube link.
I thought I should also cover Hammersmith Bridge although briefly. During weekly checks there was a crack spotted on the bridge itself, thus forced a closure for safety concerns. Don't quote me on this but there may have been more stress on the bridge during that week. Due to it's 132 year old age, it's listed as Grade II which by law means it can't really be demolished and rebuilt, as much as we'd like it to. Built in 1887 for the century of horse carts and the like fast forward to the 2000s and all sorts of one+-ton cars and 7.5 ton buses cross it daily, albeit buses only going one at a time in only one direction at a time.
For now until TfL can find the money, Hammersmith Bridge is 'indefinitely' closed. As for buses...
Initially, everything but the 72 terminating short at Castlenau (Lonsdale Road for 419). The 72 going on diversion via Mortlake High Street and Chiswick Bridge to Hammersmith and on line of route. The school 609 was withdrawn as a result.
As of today 13th April;
72 was cut short at the northern end so it runs Roehampton to Shepherd's Bush.
As far as future planning goes, from May the 209 will be routed from Barnes to Putney Bridge to retaining a tube link.
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