London Buses route 15
Encyclopedia
London Buses route 15 is a Transport for London
contracted bus route in London
, England
, United Kingdom
. The regular service on route 15 is currently contracted to Stagecoach London
and operated with modern double-decker buses. Heritage route 15
operates using traditional Routemaster
buses over a shortened version of the standard route.
and East Ham
. In 1914 it was extended to Putney Common, with a Sunday extension eastwards to Plaistow
. By 1921 the 15 had been cut back to Ladbroke Grove
, extending in the east to Barking
and North Woolwich
on weekdays. A Sunday extension from Ladbroke Grove to Acton Vale
was launched, and the North Woolwich journeys were diverted to Becontree Heath
.
By November 1949 the route ran on from Ladbroke Grove to Poplar
(Blackwall Tunnel), extending to East Ham during Monday to Friday peak hours and evenings, and all day on Saturdays and Sundays, with a further Sunday extension to Kew
. From January 1967 journeys to Kensal Rise were introduced, and in October 1969 the route was suspended between Acton and Kew, being reinstated in 1970. In May 1975 the Sunday service was rerouted to Richmond Bus Station.
In May 1985 the route was diverted between to serve Cannon Street
and the Tower of London
. In June 1987 the Sunday service was converted to one-man operation. July 1992 saw the Monday to Saturday service withdrawn between Ladbroke Grove and Paddington, being replaced by new route 23
. In May 1993 this section was withdrawn on Sundays, and in September 1999 the 15 was withdrawn between Poplar and Canning Town
, with buses diverted to serve Blackwall DLR Station. In August 2003 the route was withdrawn between Blackwall and East Ham.
Additional services on the route were operated on weekends in 2005 during the closure of the parallel Circle and District
underground lines. On 26 February 2006, it was announced that this route would be extended to the new developments in Paddington Basin
(North Wharf Road) over the reconstructed Bishop's Bridge; the previous bridge was not considered strong enough to take buses. Although the reconstructed bridge opened in June 2006, this extension was continuously deferred, with the extension eventually taking place on 13 October 2007, in order to free up stand space at Paddington for the newly introduced route 332.
Operation of the route passed to East London Bus Group in June 2006 following Macquarie Group
's purchase of Stagecoach London
. This move was reversed in October 2010.
From 27 June 2009, Route 15 including heritage services were transferred to West Ham (WH).
On 28 August 2010, the 15 and N15 was withdrawn between Paddington Basin
& Regent Street
, and replaced by an extension of the 159
from Marble Arch
to Paddington Basin. The aim of this is part of Transport for London
's policy of reducing the number of buses using Oxford Street
in order to ease congestion and pollution.
vehicles. The final twenty routes to be operated by Routemasters were established operations which had been served by the type both before and after the privatisation of London bus services
. Route 15 was the first of these to lose its Routemasters, which were replaced by new vehicles on 29 August 2003.
In November 2005 it was announced that route 15 had been selected as one of two heritage routes
to include short workings operated using Routemasters.
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...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The regular service on route 15 is currently contracted to Stagecoach London
Stagecoach London
Stagecoach London , is a bus company which principally operates services in the UK capital city of London, under contract to the London Buses arm of Transport for London. It was formed in 1989 as a subsidiary of London Buses. The company privatised in 1994 and acquired by the Stagecoach Group, but...
and operated with modern double-decker buses. Heritage route 15
London Buses route 15 (Heritage)
London Buses route 15 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Stagecoach London and is a short working of the standard route 15.-History:...
operates using traditional Routemaster
Routemaster
The AEC Routemaster is a model of double-decker bus that was built by Associated Equipment Company in 1954 and produced until 1968. Primarily front-engined, rear open-platform buses, a small number of variants were produced with doors and/or front entrances...
buses over a shortened version of the standard route.
History
Route 15 was introduced in November 1908 between Shepherd's BushShepherd's Bush
-Commerce:Commercial activity in Shepherd's Bush is now focused on the Westfield shopping centre next to Shepherd's Bush Central line station and on the many small shops which run along the northern side of the Green....
and East Ham
East Ham
East Ham is a suburban district of London, England, and part of the London Borough of Newham. It is a built-up district located 8 miles east-northeast of Charing Cross...
. In 1914 it was extended to Putney Common, with a Sunday extension eastwards to Plaistow
Plaistow, Newham
Plaistow is a place in the London Borough of Newham in east London. It formed part of the County Borough of West Ham in Essex until 1965.Plaistow is a mainly residential area, including several council estates; the main road is the A112 - Plaistow Road, High Street, Broadway, Greengate Street and...
. By 1921 the 15 had been cut back to Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove is a road in west London, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is also sometimes the name given informally to the immediate area surrounding the road. Running from Notting Hill in the south to Kensal Green in the north, it is located in North Kensington and straddles...
, extending in the east to Barking
Barking
Barking is a suburban town in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, in East London, England. A retail and commercial centre situated in the west of the borough, it lies east of Charing Cross. Barking was in the historic county of Essex until it was absorbed by Greater London. The area is...
and North Woolwich
North Woolwich
North Woolwich is a place in the London Borough of Newham. It is located north of Woolwich proper which is on the south bank of the River Thames. The two places are linked by the Woolwich Ferry and the Woolwich foot tunnel.-History:...
on weekdays. A Sunday extension from Ladbroke Grove to Acton Vale
Acton Vale, London
Acton Vale is a district in London, England. It lies between Acton to the west, and Shepherd's Bush to the east....
was launched, and the North Woolwich journeys were diverted to Becontree Heath
Becontree Heath
Becontree Heath is an open space in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. The name has also been unofficially applied to the local area, in particular to the RM8 postal district....
.
By November 1949 the route ran on from Ladbroke Grove to Poplar
Poplar
Populus is a genus of 25–35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar , aspen, and cottonwood....
(Blackwall Tunnel), extending to East Ham during Monday to Friday peak hours and evenings, and all day on Saturdays and Sundays, with a further Sunday extension to Kew
Kew
Kew is a place in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in South West London. Kew is best known for being the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens, now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace...
. From January 1967 journeys to Kensal Rise were introduced, and in October 1969 the route was suspended between Acton and Kew, being reinstated in 1970. In May 1975 the Sunday service was rerouted to Richmond Bus Station.
In May 1985 the route was diverted between to serve Cannon Street
Cannon Street
Cannon Street is a road in the south of the City of London. It runs roughly parallel with the River Thames, and about 250 metres north of it. It is the site of the ancient London Stone.-Etymology:...
and the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
. In June 1987 the Sunday service was converted to one-man operation. July 1992 saw the Monday to Saturday service withdrawn between Ladbroke Grove and Paddington, being replaced by new route 23
London Buses route 23
London Buses route 23 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to First Centrewest....
. In May 1993 this section was withdrawn on Sundays, and in September 1999 the 15 was withdrawn between Poplar and Canning Town
Canning Town
Canning Town is an area of east London, England. It is part of the London Borough of Newham and is situated in the area of the former London docks on the north side of the River Thames. It is the location of Rathbone Market...
, with buses diverted to serve Blackwall DLR Station. In August 2003 the route was withdrawn between Blackwall and East Ham.
Additional services on the route were operated on weekends in 2005 during the closure of the parallel Circle and District
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
underground lines. On 26 February 2006, it was announced that this route would be extended to the new developments in Paddington Basin
Paddington Basin
Paddington Basin is an area of Paddington, London named after the nearby canal basin.The junction of the Regent's Canal and the Grand Junction Canal is close to this point but the basin itself is the terminus of the Paddington Arm of the Grand Junction Canal. It was opened in 1801...
(North Wharf Road) over the reconstructed Bishop's Bridge; the previous bridge was not considered strong enough to take buses. Although the reconstructed bridge opened in June 2006, this extension was continuously deferred, with the extension eventually taking place on 13 October 2007, in order to free up stand space at Paddington for the newly introduced route 332.
Operation of the route passed to East London Bus Group in June 2006 following Macquarie Group
Macquarie Group
Macquarie Group Limited is a global investment banking and diversified financial services group, providing banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services to institutional, corporate and retail clients and counterparties around the world...
's purchase of Stagecoach London
Stagecoach London
Stagecoach London , is a bus company which principally operates services in the UK capital city of London, under contract to the London Buses arm of Transport for London. It was formed in 1989 as a subsidiary of London Buses. The company privatised in 1994 and acquired by the Stagecoach Group, but...
. This move was reversed in October 2010.
From 27 June 2009, Route 15 including heritage services were transferred to West Ham (WH).
On 28 August 2010, the 15 and N15 was withdrawn between Paddington Basin
Paddington Basin
Paddington Basin is an area of Paddington, London named after the nearby canal basin.The junction of the Regent's Canal and the Grand Junction Canal is close to this point but the basin itself is the terminus of the Paddington Arm of the Grand Junction Canal. It was opened in 1801...
& Regent Street
Regent Street
Regent Street is one of the major shopping streets in London's West End, well known to tourists and Londoners alike, and famous for its Christmas illuminations...
, and replaced by an extension of the 159
London Buses route 159
London Buses route 159 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Arriva London.-History:...
from Marble Arch
Marble Arch
Marble Arch is a white Carrara marble monument that now stands on a large traffic island at the junction of Oxford Street, Park Lane, and Edgware Road, almost directly opposite Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park in London, England...
to Paddington Basin. The aim of this is part of Transport for London
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...
's policy of reducing the number of buses using Oxford Street
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
in order to ease congestion and pollution.
Vehicles
The route was for several years operated by RoutemasterRoutemaster
The AEC Routemaster is a model of double-decker bus that was built by Associated Equipment Company in 1954 and produced until 1968. Primarily front-engined, rear open-platform buses, a small number of variants were produced with doors and/or front entrances...
vehicles. The final twenty routes to be operated by Routemasters were established operations which had been served by the type both before and after the privatisation of London bus services
Privatisation of London bus services
The privatisation of London bus services was the progressive process of the transfer of operation of London Buses from public bodies to private companies....
. Route 15 was the first of these to lose its Routemasters, which were replaced by new vehicles on 29 August 2003.
In November 2005 it was announced that route 15 had been selected as one of two heritage routes
London Buses route 15 (Heritage)
London Buses route 15 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Stagecoach London and is a short working of the standard route 15.-History:...
to include short workings operated using Routemasters.
Current route
- Blackwall StationBlackwall DLR stationBlackwall is a station on Docklands Light Railway in east London. The station is close to the northern entry to the Blackwall road tunnel under the Thames....
- PoplarPoplar, LondonPoplar is a historic, mainly residential area of the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is about east of Charing Cross. Historically a hamlet in the parish of Stepney, Middlesex, in 1817 Poplar became a civil parish. In 1855 the Poplar District of the Metropolis was...
(All Saints StationAll Saints DLR stationAll Saints DLR station is a station on the Docklands Light Railway in east London. It is named after the nearby All Saints, Poplar, a church dating from 1821-3. The station entrance is on the East India Dock Road, opposite Chrisp Street Market....
) - Limehouse StationLimehouse stationLimehouse station is a railway station located in the Limehouse district of east London. The station is in Travelcard Zone 2 and is served by Docklands Light Railway services and by National Rail services operated by c2c out of Fenchurch Street station...
- Aldgate East StationAldgate East tube stationAldgate East is a London Underground station located between Aldgate and Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.The station is in Travelcard Zone 1...
- Aldgate StationAldgate tube stationAldgate tube station is a London Underground station located at Aldgate in the City of London.The station is on the Circle Line between Tower Hill and Liverpool Street. It is also the eastern terminus of the Metropolitan Line...
- Tower Gateway StationTower Gateway DLR stationTower Gateway is a Docklands Light Railway station near the Tower of London. It is in Travelcard Zone 1. It adjoins the tracks to Fenchurch Street station and is on the site of the closed Minories railway station....
- Tower Hill StationTower Hill tube stationTower Hill is a London Underground station at Tower Hill in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.The station is in Travelcard Zone 1 and near the Tower of London...
- Monument StationBank and Monument stationsBank and Monument are interlinked London Underground and Docklands Light Railway stations that form a public transport complex spanning the length of King William Street in the City of London. Bank station, named after the Bank of England, opened in 1900 and is served by the Central, Northern and...
- Cannon Street StationCannon Street stationCannon Street station, also known as London Cannon Street, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. It is built on the site of the medieval Steelyard, the trading base in England of the Hanseatic League...
- Mansion House StationMansion House tube stationMansion House is a London Underground station in the City of London, near Mansion House . It is a sub-surface station served by trains on the Circle and District Lines. It is between Blackfriars and Cannon Street stations. The station is located at the junction of Queen Victoria Street and Cannon...
- St Paul'sSt Paul's CathedralSt Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
Churchyard - City Thameslink Station
- 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...
- Charing Cross StationCharing Cross stationCharing Cross station may refer to:In London, England:*Charing Cross railway station*Charing Cross tube station **Embankment tube station was previously named Charing CrossIn Glasgow, Scotland:...
- Trafalgar SquareTrafalgar SquareTrafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
- Piccadilly Circus StationPiccadilly Circus tube stationPiccadilly Circus tube station is the London Underground station located directly beneath Piccadilly Circus itself, with entrances at every corner...
- Regent StreetRegent StreetRegent Street is one of the major shopping streets in London's West End, well known to tourists and Londoners alike, and famous for its Christmas illuminations...
Conduit Street
See also
- List of bus routes in London
- London Buses route 15 (Heritage)London Buses route 15 (Heritage)London Buses route 15 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Stagecoach London and is a short working of the standard route 15.-History:...
- Stagecoach LondonStagecoach LondonStagecoach London , is a bus company which principally operates services in the UK capital city of London, under contract to the London Buses arm of Transport for London. It was formed in 1989 as a subsidiary of London Buses. The company privatised in 1994 and acquired by the Stagecoach Group, but...