Metroline route 316: Cricklewood, Bus Garage - Harrow Road, Elgin Avenue (carnival service)
Approaching Queen's Park Station (H)
Cricklewood (W) were not shy to put MMCs on the 316 on both days of the Notting Hill Carnival this year. A sneaky few hours in the morning was all we got last year on the Sunday. As for the service, journeys used to continue to White City during carnival, heavily diverted, of course, but are now re-routed only to Harrow Road Elgin Avenue to form a partial loop between Kilburn Park Road and Elgin Avenue via Queen's Park, Kilburn Lane and Harrow Road.
Carlton Vale. I remember it used to have a footbridge and a mini-roundabout complex where the formerly fast and wide road crosses Kilburn Park Road. Cycleways, parking and speed humps have now narrowed and slowed it down. Annoyingly, I have barely seen cyclists here ... until I want to take a photo, of course, when two show up! Positioning was key in clearing the first; the second got in without messing this shot of TEH2086, which had been instructed approaching only the stop before to curtail to Queen's Park.
©London Bus Breh 2019.
Tags: Metroline Metroline Travel Metroline Travel Limited Alexander Dennis Alexander Dennis Alexander Dennis Limited ADL Alexander Dennis Enviro400H MMC Enviro400H MMC E40H MMC Hybrid Hybrid Bus Hybrid Technology TEH TEH2086 LK15 CUG 15-reg London Buses London Buses Bus London Buses route 316 Route 316 Queen's Park Carlton Vale Fernhead Road TfL Transport for London
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Tower Transit route RV1: Tower Gateway Station - Covent Garden, Catherine Street
Tooley Street / City Hall (M)
Route RV1 was withdrawn on 14 June 2019. No direct replacement has been put in place between Covent Garden and Tower Gateway, although route 381 provides an alternative between Waterloo and City Hall. What interests me now is on which route the hydrogen buses will find themselves a mainstay.
A word on the Van Hool type pictured: not the most attractive, but they otherwise boast excellent ride quality - a match for a 'New Routemaster' in electric mode. Only downside is the steering wheel ratio - too much rotation is required to get the bus turned.
©London Bus Breh 2019.
Tags: Transit Systems Tower Transit Van Hool Van Hool A330 Van Hool A330 FC Van Hool A330H Fuel Cell Bus Hydrogen Hydrogen bus Hydrogen Technology BH BH63101 LJ67 HTF 67-reg London Buses London Buses Bus London Buses route RV1 Route RV1 City Hall Tooley Street TfL Transport for London
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Tower Transit route N25: Oxford Circus, Holles Street - Ilford, Hainault Street
King Edward Street (ST)
Route 25 was cutback from Oxford Circus to City Thameslink on 1 December 2018. A new N25 service replaces the withdrawn link between Holborn Circus and Oxford Circus, although what use is that during the day?
The link is already addressed by route N8, which makes this compensation so false that I did not feel obliged to commit my photography to buses going towards Oxford Circus because the N25 as an "extension" of the 25 is really not one worth crediting.
©London Bus Breh 2018.
Tags: Transit Systems Tower Transit Manufacturing Commercial Vehicles MCV MCV Bus and Coach MCV EvoSeti EvoSeti Volvo Volvo Bus Volvo B5LH Volvo B5L Volvo B5L Hybrid Hybrid Hybrid Bus Hybrid Technology MV MV38242 LJ17 WTT 17-reg London Buses London Buses Bus London Buses route 25 Route 25 St. Paul's Newgate Street TfL Transport for London
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Tower Transit route 23: Westbourne Park - Hammersmith, Upper Bus Station
Bypassing Bishop's Bridge Road / Westbourne Terrace (M), towards Paddington Station (H)
And bypass most bus stops it seems as route 23 replaces the withdrawn route 10 between Marble Arch and Hammersmith, no longer serving the West End - what a farce.
I tell you what, though: while the 23 does its nonsense, it has actually redistributed to route 7 the demand it deserves after years of operational ridicule including its cutback from Russell Square and even more ludicrous hints of a withdrawal. Funny how one of the reasons for these cuts has been to reduce "empty" buses, yet this service change has in practice emptied the route of its demand. The 23 has now been made so unattractive it could use single-deckers!
©London Bus Breh 2018.
Tags: Transit Systems Tower Transit Manufacturing Commercial Vehicles MCV Bus and Coach MCV MCV EvoSeti EvoSeti Volvo Volvo Bus Volvo B5LH Volvo B5L Volvo B5L Hybrid Hybrid Hybrid Bus Hybrid Technology MV MV38206 LJ17 WRG 17-reg London Buses London Buses Bus London Buses route 23 Route 23 Paddington Bishop's Bridge Road Westbourne Terrace TfL Transport for London
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London Central route 12: Dulwich Library, Etherow Street - Oxford Circus, Margaret Street
Approaching Peckham Road / Southampton Way (T)
A new entry: the BCI Enterprise 2HD with Vantage Power supplying the hybrid tech. It is the first Australian-manufactured bus I have come across and the first tri-axle double-decker to enter service in London. Originally intended for route X68, TA1 (LX18 DGF) entered service on route 12 on 6 November 2018.
Other than the features advertised on the side of the bus, the Enterprise 2HD also includes Lazzerini seating with leather headrests and stop bells integrated behind them. The absence of handrails, however, only came to my realisation upon writing this review: a standard safety feature BCI should make agree with their design for future iterations.
For more are welcome: considering the weight of the bus, Vantage Power have done well as acceleration off the mark is exceptional and BCI have not done bad with the exterior design, either. It's been quite a while since I've enjoyed a new bus as much as this bus, one which highlights a good year for the type variety we want.
Curtailed to Whitehall, Horse Guards.
©London Bus Breh 2018.
Tags: Go-Ahead Go-Ahead Group Go-Ahead London London Central BCI BCI Enterprise 2HD Vantage Power Hybrid Hybrid Bus Hybrid Technology TA1 LX18 DGF 18-reg London Buses London Buses Bus London Buses route 12 Route 12 Peckham Peckham Road TfL Transport for London
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