London Buses route 1
Encyclopedia
London Buses route 1 is a Transport for London
contracted bus route in London
, England
. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London
.
and Elephant & Castle.
Route 1 once ran from Willesden
to Lewisham
, and more recently part provided a service between Lewisham
and Bromley
. It has since been curtailed at both ends of the route. At one point, the terminus was the now-closed County Terrace Tavern pub on the New Kent Road
, until an accident in which a bus fell into the collapsed cellar of the pub. The night bus equivalent, route N1, terminated at Thamesmead
.
The contract for the service was won in late 1998 by First Capital
, a company based in North East London, and it was operated from distant Dagenham
depot. Later, the route was re-allocted nearer to Hackney
depot.
The Jubilee Line Extension
in 1999 saw route 199 withdrawn between Surrey Quays
and Elephant & Castle, causing route 1 to become the only route to serve South Bermondsey
from East to West. The route suffered severe overcrowding at peak times on this section of the route, requiring extra buses to be drafted in to cover. These vehicles were provided by a various operators, including Blue Triangle
. The extra workings were later absorbed by First.
A few years later, East Thames Buses
(owned by London Buses
) found themself needing to re-locate from its Ash Grove depot
to make way for new articulated buses on route 38
. A suitable base was found in Southwark
, but most of the Ash Grove routes were a long way from Southwark. This caused a swap of routes to occur with various other companies, with East Thames Buses taking over the 1/N1. The changes were introduced from 15 October 2005, with East Thames Buses using a new fleet of Wright Eclipse Gemini
bodied-Volvo B7TL
s.
On 3 October 2009, East Thames Buses was taken over by Go-Ahead London. Route 1 is now operated by Go-Ahead London, who have a 5 year contract to run the service using the existing buses.
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
contracted bus route in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London
Go-Ahead London
Go-Ahead London is the trading name used collectively for the London bus operations of the Go-Ahead Group. The name first appeared in August 2008, before which the company had traded under separate names and brands...
.
History
Route 1 was one of the first motorbus routes to be introduced in London. It was in operation by November 1908. Despite subsequent route changes, it continues to serve part of its original route, between AldwychAldwych
Aldwych is a place and road in the City of Westminster in London, England.-Description:Aldwych, the road, is a crescent, connected to the Strand at both ends. At its centre, it meets the Kingsway...
and Elephant & Castle.
Route 1 once ran from Willesden
Willesden
Willesden is an area in North West London which forms part of the London Borough of Brent. It is situated 5 miles north west of Charing Cross...
to Lewisham
Lewisham
Lewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, and more recently part provided a service between Lewisham
Lewisham
Lewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
and Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
. It has since been curtailed at both ends of the route. At one point, the terminus was the now-closed County Terrace Tavern pub on the New Kent Road
New Kent Road
New Kent Road is a road in the London Borough of Southwark. The road was created in 1751 when the Turnpike Trust upgraded a local footpath. This was done as part of the general road improvements associated with the creation of Westminster Bridge; in effect it was possible to travel from the West...
, until an accident in which a bus fell into the collapsed cellar of the pub. The night bus equivalent, route N1, terminated at Thamesmead
Thamesmead
Thamesmead is a district of south-east London, England, located in the London Boroughs of Greenwich and Bexley. It is situated east of Charing Cross....
.
The contract for the service was won in late 1998 by First Capital
First London
.First London is one of many operators of London Buses and owned by First Group. They did also run the Tramlink network, in a partnership with Tramtrack Croydon before June 2008. Their registered office is at Paddington station in London...
, a company based in North East London, and it was operated from distant Dagenham
Dagenham
Dagenham is a large suburb in East London, forming the eastern part of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and located east of Charing Cross. It was historically an agrarian village in the county of Essex and remained mostly undeveloped until 1921 when the London County Council began...
depot. Later, the route was re-allocted nearer to Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
depot.
The Jubilee Line Extension
Jubilee Line Extension
The Jubilee Line Extension is the extension of the London Underground Jubilee line from to through south and east London. An eastward extension of the Jubilee line was first proposed in the 1970s and a modified route was constructed during the 1990s...
in 1999 saw route 199 withdrawn between Surrey Quays
Surrey Quays
Surrey Quays is a name given to a largely residential area of Rotherhithe in south-east London, occupied until 1970 by the Surrey Commercial Docks...
and Elephant & Castle, causing route 1 to become the only route to serve South Bermondsey
South Bermondsey
South Bermondsey is an area of southeast London, England.It is a largely industrial area and has been the home of Millwall Football Club since 1993 when the club moved to its new stadium The Den in Zampa Road....
from East to West. The route suffered severe overcrowding at peak times on this section of the route, requiring extra buses to be drafted in to cover. These vehicles were provided by a various operators, including Blue Triangle
Blue Triangle
Blue Triangle is one of many operators of London Buses, it is based in Rainham and is part of Go-Ahead London. It is the operator of the East London Transit service.-History:...
. The extra workings were later absorbed by First.
A few years later, East Thames Buses
East Thames Buses
East Thames Buses was the only government owned bus operator of London Buses. It was sold to London General in 2009.-History:East Thames Buses was formed in 1999 to take over the services operated by the failed Harris Bus Company...
(owned by London Buses
London Buses
London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...
) found themself needing to re-locate from its Ash Grove depot
Ash Grove Bus Garage
Ash Grove Bus Garage is a bus garage in Hackney, east London. It is located on the A107 Mare Street, where it crosses the Regent's Canal. The depot is occupied by two companies, CT Plus and Arriva London, and holds around 30 buses. Opened in 1981 by London Buses, it was closed in 1991 following the...
to make way for new articulated buses on route 38
London Buses route 38
London Buses route 38 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Arriva London....
. A suitable base was found in Southwark
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
, but most of the Ash Grove routes were a long way from Southwark. This caused a swap of routes to occur with various other companies, with East Thames Buses taking over the 1/N1. The changes were introduced from 15 October 2005, with East Thames Buses using a new fleet of Wright Eclipse Gemini
Wright Eclipse Gemini
The Wright Eclipse Gemini is a type of double-decker bus body built for Volvo B7TL and later Volvo B9TL and Volvo B5L Hybrid for use in the United Kingdom....
bodied-Volvo B7TL
Volvo B7TL
Volvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of Volvo Olympian...
s.
On 3 October 2009, East Thames Buses was taken over by Go-Ahead London. Route 1 is now operated by Go-Ahead London, who have a 5 year contract to run the service using the existing buses.
Current route
- Canada Water StationCanada Water tube stationCanada Water station is a London Underground and London Overground station in Rotherhithe, in south London, UK. It takes its name from Canada Water, a lake which was created from a former dock in the London Docklands....
Bus Station - Surrey QuaysSurrey QuaysSurrey Quays is a name given to a largely residential area of Rotherhithe in south-east London, occupied until 1970 by the Surrey Commercial Docks...
Shopping Centre - Surrey Quays StationSurrey Quays tube stationSurrey Quays railway station is a railway station in Rotherhithe near Southwark Park. It is in Zone 2, on the East London Line. The next station to the north is , and to the south it splits into branches to and...
- South BermondseySouth BermondseySouth Bermondsey is an area of southeast London, England.It is a largely industrial area and has been the home of Millwall Football Club since 1993 when the club moved to its new stadium The Den in Zampa Road....
- Elephant & Castle StationElephant & Castle tube stationElephant & Castle tube station is a station on the London Underground system. It is located in the London Borough of Southwark and on the boundary of Travelcard Zone 1 and 2...
- Waterloo StationWaterloo stationWaterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
- AldwychAldwychAldwych is a place and road in the City of Westminster in London, England.-Description:Aldwych, the road, is a crescent, connected to the Strand at both ends. At its centre, it meets the Kingsway...
- Holborn Station
- Tottenham Court Road StationTottenham Court Road tube stationTottenham Court Road is a London Underground station in central London. It is an interchange between the Central line and the branch of the Northern line.On the Central line it is between and , and on the Northern line it is between and...