Free One Five

LT712 (LTZ1712), Brixton, towards Tulse Hill

At first it was nothing but a trial or so it seemed, given the route has some form of New Bus for London route where it goes. Starting bottom from Tulse Hill, the 68. Effra Road (Brixton), the 3. Brixton, the 59 and 159. Elephant & Castle, the 12, 453. Old Kent Road, the 21 and 168. A total of 8 LT routes it meets with on the same roads. Thus with the mind that existing users of those routes would already know how the LT functions...correct, for the most part. In any case, the 415 became the first route to convert re-using LTs from existing routes, albeit partially. The 27 did it fully first with the loss of the 10 plus curtail. Again with 87/176(partial)'s conversion from 88. The 267 may have been the last to receive brand new LTs but it won't stop other conversions.

Like grandparent like grandchild. Hardel Rise, Tulse Hill.
VLA22 (LJ53BFL) passes 2514 (YY64TZO) on a foggy afternoon

I briefly went over 415's past in 2015 and I'll do it again. Started on 8 March 2003 between Tulse Hill and Elephant as a two-bird one stone kill. Giving Brixton Hill a Stockwell link and enhancing Tulse Hill estate service from two routes to three routes. Only downside to this was a frequency reduction to 432 to source buses for 415, won by Arriva with existing [ageing] diesel DB250s. Contract transferred to Abellio on 7 March 2015 with brand new hybrids. The 415 is the crowned last Euro 2 double decker route converting from the lowest possible Euro 2 to highest possible Euro 6, hybrid.

In full sun.
2406 (SN61DFX), Hardel Rise, Tulse Hill.

The route starts from the interchange with Southern's Tulse Hill station you may think, it actually starts on Hardel Rise pictured above which is an extra stop's walk from the station, it does catch those unfamiliar to the area thinking Tulse Hill Station (for 2/432 to Brixton & 201/P13 to Streatham) is the first stop but is actually the last!
Onwards, on Tulse Hill, you're greeted by High Trees, the name of a bus stop, high tenements to your left and old small houses to your right, as well as a school. The sight of estates doesn't end until you've entered Brixton territory, when you see St Matthew's Church.

DLA273 (Y473UGC), Brixton

Brixton.
The Victoria Line's terminus, a bustling town centre. The route joins big-shots 3 59 133 159 along the relatively empty yet wide Brixton Road past higher value buildings as you edge closer to Zone 1. Kennington St. Mark's Church. You should see a wall of LTs blinded for 3 and 159. That's the changeover point. Ahead and eventually to your right, Kennington Park. To your left and eventually behind, Oval Station for the Northern as well as the road to the local Cricket Ground, The Oval, also known as Kia Oval.
The 3 59 159 turn left onto Kennington Road serving the local post office whilst we head dead straight towards the glass pyramid Shard in the distance. Typical green trees envelop the roads as we pass the aged-well Kennington Station as well as some tenements before joining the intersection with 196's Kennington Lane. The third and final time we cross paths with 196. The former southern roundabout which moved traffic well, now a set of traffic lights and a U-turn facility we pass as the large road with a fence inbetween leads us to Elephant & Castle station. A pink Elephant with a castle on it's back can be seen on your right on the top of the shopping mall...the Elephant.
Another roundabout, this time decimated from originality into a public realm, we go right into. In the opposite direction it covers 3 times the length that was once only a few several metres when it was a roundabout, not now as a roundabout with a quarter of it pedestrianised.
Regardless, it's the final straight on New Kent Road bypassing similar tenements, under the flyover and navigating the roundabout, past a Lidl until the large Tesco comes where it's the end.

An average of 39 minutes end-to-end, PVR of 9 satisfying the 5 mile route providing a 12 minute frequency, 20 on Sundays and evenings. The route carried 2.6 million passengers in the year 2017/8 and 530 thousand kilometres operated with an average speed of 8.5mph.

LT711 (LTZ1711) nearing end of route, Tulse Hill.

Now, to the main focus, Tulse Hill estate residents didn't quite catch at first and only boarded at the front. Those from the opposite end boarded from the other doors in conjunction, some with hesitation. All's well until you realise with every positive there's a negative. One can easily avoid tapping on the Oyster readers by mistake/on purpose. I won't stick fingers and say Brixton is/isn't notorious for it but there you go.

At the time of partial conversion the route had around 5 LTs spared from the cut of 3 from Regent Street to Trafalgar Square and 211's frequency reduction. This was until around October when it flat out stopped. No one knows why, but perhaps as it was a 'trial', it was pending conclusion like any other trial would. This didn't make sense as 207 required 415's YX15-reg Enviro400H MMCs on-time, with only a week from the loss of C2 to the start of 207 temporarily at Hayes (WS) whilst Southall (GW) is underway, to be operational from August. 

Though that one week didn't faze Abellio in the slightest and sent over the SN61-reg Enviro400H classics original to 188 (intended for 157) which went off-lease  back in London service to be the interim buses for C2 until it's withdrawal. C2's own 9527-43 SN12-reg diesel Enviro400 classics were sent for refurbishment and all returned sparkling fresh red for a fresh start on the 207 and other double deckers in the meantime.

As of 29 March the C2 said it's last bye byes, I have covered this if you'd like to read it.

2404 (SN61DFU), Old Kent Road
On day of changeover on 7/3/15.

With the loss of C2, 2401-13 were vacant. 13 buses. 415 is allocated 10 (2515-22/32/33). 207 has 9527-43 (17) 2001-5 (5), 2401 (extra bus for PVR of 29 from 28), it now requires 10 more to fit the bill. See where I'm going?

The un-needed and free 2402-6 transferred from Battersea (QB) to Walworth (WL) as the temporary allocation until 415 is fully converted with the cut of 159 (to Oxford Circus) and 3 (to Whitehall), LTs spared from both depots QB and WL have also been reused on 415 despite three of them being down from accidents, notably 628 632 & 693 as of writing. Not related but it is noteworthy that 207's drop in PVR from 35 to 28 is the reduction of peak frequency from every x5 to every x6. School day only journeys from Twyford School have also been withdrawn though only one extra bus is needed for the White City extension as TfL apparently forgot to consult on it's cut to Shepherd's Bush.

Regardless, that's one way of dealing with the scenario altogether, though for enthusiastic's sake, I'd prefer if 415 wasn't LT but hey. Also a late congratulations to Abellio for the extension of the contract for the next 2 years to 2022. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this short and quick post, until next time, stay safe!

Note: Usage of any photos on this blog isn't permitted where no name is present (meaning it's mine, ©Unorm), or an All Rights Reserved symbol © is present. If you desire to use a photo, you must contact the original author. In my case, you should contact my Flickr.

Allocations in the last 4 years:

2514 YY64TZO (*)     -     2402 SN61DFO (§)

2515 YX15OWD     -     2403 SN61DFP (§)

2516 YX15OWE     -     2404 SN61DFU (§)

2517 YX15OWF     -     2405 SN61DFV (§)

2518 YX15OWG     -     2406 SN61DFX (§)

2519 YX15OWH     -     LT709 LTZ1709

2520 YX15OWJ     -     LT710 LTZ1710

2521 YX15OWK     -     LT711 LTZ1711

2522 YX15OWM     -     LT712 LTZ1712

2532 YX15OXB     -     LT713 LTZ1713

2532 YX15OXC     -     LT714 LTZ1714

(§) Temporary.
Slotted in as an illustration, on the previous occasion the 415 did use some of the LTs from 3's batch (LT691-715) whilst a few came from 211's (out of LT768-88).

* - allocated to 407, but used on 415 temporarily whilst extra buses for extension to Old Kent Road, 2532/3 arrived.