London Buses route 19
Encyclopedia
London Buses route 19 is a Transport for London
contracted bus route in London
, England
, United Kingdom
. The service is currently contracted to Arriva London
.
and terminates at Battersea Bus Garage, however the night version of the 19, the N19 travels further south and terminates at Clapham
.
This route used to run as far south as Tooting Bec, with a Sunday extension to Streatham Common. By 17 October 1956 the Sunday extension had been withdrawn between Streatham and Tooting, although it was reintroduced the following year on 1 May 1957 for a short period until its withdrawal on 16 October 1957.
On 23 January 1966 the route was one again given a Sunday extension, this time to Streatham Bus Garage and by 15 February 1969 the Sunday route was renumbered 19A, which was reverted to 19 by March 1971. The Sunday extension was finally withdrawn on 8 January 1972, the route now running between Finsbury Park and Tooting Bec Station. Later that year, on 15 July, the Sunday service was cut back to Clapham Junction. This was to provide work for the OPO drivers from route 39 at Battersea Garage on a new route 19A (running between Battersea and Tooting Bec).
During August 1972, the route received Routemaster
buses, replacing RTs
which had worked the route previously. It was not until 5 October 1974 that the Sunday service reverted back to Tooting Bec, following the withdrawal of route 19A.
During 1975 garage journeys were extended to Tufnell Park, with the whole route being extended further to Archway by 1984. The following year, on 3 August 1985, the route was withdrawn between Finsbury Park and Archway (except for garage journeys terminating at Tufnell Park). Battersea Garage (B - Hester Road) closed in November 1985, and the allocation was transferred to Victoria Garage (GM). The Sunday service was converted to One Person Operation on 14 June 1987.
The service was withdrawn between Tooting Bec and Clapham Junction (Monday to Saturday) following the introduction of a new route 219 on 21 November 1987. The route was withdrawn between Tufnell Park and Finsbury Park on 15 April 1989, following the Holloway Garage allocation being withdrawn. Following the introduction of a Sunday allocation from Merton Garage during February 1990, some garage journeys were extended from Tooting Bec to Merton Garage. The route was standardised on 25 May 1991 running at all times between Finsbury Park and Battersea Bridge South Side, with all buses running from Victoria Garage (GM). Repair works to Battersea Bridge during 1992/1993 saw buses being diverted to Chelsea Worlds End between 21 April 1992 and 7 February 1993.
On 24 April 1993 Route 19 became the first Routemaster operated service to be awarded to a company that was not a subsidiary of London Buses Limited - Kentish Bus. Kentish Bus painted their RMLs in a cream and maroon livery with route branding. Following nearly 5 years with Kentish Bus, operation transferred to Arriva London South during February 1998, with the Sunday service contracted to Grey Green, at their Stamford Hill base. The a departure from the striking cream and maroon livery saw a return to the traditional London Bus red following a decision that buses operating within Central London has to be at least 80% red, apart from the Sunday allocation which was operated using Alexander-bodied Volvo Citybus (VAs) in Grey Green's grey, green ,and orange livery. On 25 March 2000 Stamford Hill Garage closed, and Tottenham Garage took the Sunday allocation of route 19. A month later, on 29 April, the Sunday allocation moved south to Brixton, using Metrobus
es.
A little over a year later, and after a period of 14 years, the Sunday allocation reverted to crew operation using RMLs from Battersea. The Brixton allocation was retained for some early and late journeys run off the N19. Later in 2002, in preparation for the Congestion Charing Zone, the service was increased from 18 RMLs to 26. The extra buses were released from route 13
which gained Marshall-refurbished RMs.
On 2 April 2005, the route lost its Routemasters, and gained 28 new VDL DB250
/Wright Pulsar Gemini
s. To mark the event, several preserved vehicles including an STL class AEC Regent ran journeys on the route.
Although Battersea was able to house all of the Routemasters needed to run the route, the newer and longer buses presented capacity problems, forcing seven buses being outstationed at Norwood Garage. On 28 November 2009, Battersea (BN) was shut down and the 19 was transferred to Brixton.
London General has successfully gained the contract for route 19 and from 31 March 2012. they will be operating it from Stockwell (SW), Volvo B5L
Hybrid 10.4 / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2s and Volvo B9TL
10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2s will be introduced.
song "Wild West End" (about the London area of the same name) contains the line "And my conductress on the number 19...". The route is also referenced in the first line of "Rudie Can't Fail" by The Clash
. In November 2007, the route was featured in Vogue
as "one of the 14 most stylish locations in Britain"
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 service is currently contracted to Arriva London
Arriva London
Arriva London is a division of Arriva which operates bus services in London, UK. It is made up of many previous bus operators including previously independent Grey Green...
.
History
The route starts at Finsbury Park stationFinsbury Park station
Finsbury Park Station is a busy transport interchange in North London. The interchange consists of an interconnected National Rail station, London Underground station and two bus stations. The main entrances are by the eastern bus station on Station Place...
and terminates at Battersea Bus Garage, however the night version of the 19, the N19 travels further south and terminates at Clapham
Clapham
Clapham is a district in south London, England, within the London Borough of Lambeth.Clapham covers the postcodes of SW4 and parts of SW9, SW8 and SW12. Clapham Common is shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth, although Lambeth has responsibility for running the common as a whole. According...
.
This route used to run as far south as Tooting Bec, with a Sunday extension to Streatham Common. By 17 October 1956 the Sunday extension had been withdrawn between Streatham and Tooting, although it was reintroduced the following year on 1 May 1957 for a short period until its withdrawal on 16 October 1957.
On 23 January 1966 the route was one again given a Sunday extension, this time to Streatham Bus Garage and by 15 February 1969 the Sunday route was renumbered 19A, which was reverted to 19 by March 1971. The Sunday extension was finally withdrawn on 8 January 1972, the route now running between Finsbury Park and Tooting Bec Station. Later that year, on 15 July, the Sunday service was cut back to Clapham Junction. This was to provide work for the OPO drivers from route 39 at Battersea Garage on a new route 19A (running between Battersea and Tooting Bec).
During August 1972, the route received 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, replacing RTs
AEC Regent III RT
The AEC Regent III RT was a variant of the AEC Regent III. It was a double-decker bus produced jointly between AEC and London Transport. It was the standard red London bus during the 1950s.-Prototype:...
which had worked the route previously. It was not until 5 October 1974 that the Sunday service reverted back to Tooting Bec, following the withdrawal of route 19A.
During 1975 garage journeys were extended to Tufnell Park, with the whole route being extended further to Archway by 1984. The following year, on 3 August 1985, the route was withdrawn between Finsbury Park and Archway (except for garage journeys terminating at Tufnell Park). Battersea Garage (B - Hester Road) closed in November 1985, and the allocation was transferred to Victoria Garage (GM). The Sunday service was converted to One Person Operation on 14 June 1987.
The service was withdrawn between Tooting Bec and Clapham Junction (Monday to Saturday) following the introduction of a new route 219 on 21 November 1987. The route was withdrawn between Tufnell Park and Finsbury Park on 15 April 1989, following the Holloway Garage allocation being withdrawn. Following the introduction of a Sunday allocation from Merton Garage during February 1990, some garage journeys were extended from Tooting Bec to Merton Garage. The route was standardised on 25 May 1991 running at all times between Finsbury Park and Battersea Bridge South Side, with all buses running from Victoria Garage (GM). Repair works to Battersea Bridge during 1992/1993 saw buses being diverted to Chelsea Worlds End between 21 April 1992 and 7 February 1993.
On 24 April 1993 Route 19 became the first Routemaster operated service to be awarded to a company that was not a subsidiary of London Buses Limited - Kentish Bus. Kentish Bus painted their RMLs in a cream and maroon livery with route branding. Following nearly 5 years with Kentish Bus, operation transferred to Arriva London South during February 1998, with the Sunday service contracted to Grey Green, at their Stamford Hill base. The a departure from the striking cream and maroon livery saw a return to the traditional London Bus red following a decision that buses operating within Central London has to be at least 80% red, apart from the Sunday allocation which was operated using Alexander-bodied Volvo Citybus (VAs) in Grey Green's grey, green ,and orange livery. On 25 March 2000 Stamford Hill Garage closed, and Tottenham Garage took the Sunday allocation of route 19. A month later, on 29 April, the Sunday allocation moved south to Brixton, using Metrobus
MCW Metrobus
The MCW Metrobus is a double decker bus model manufactured by MCW from 1977 until 1989, with over 4,000 examples built. The original MkI model was superseded by the MkII model in 1981/1982, although production of the original MkI continued for London Transport until 1985...
es.
A little over a year later, and after a period of 14 years, the Sunday allocation reverted to crew operation using RMLs from Battersea. The Brixton allocation was retained for some early and late journeys run off the N19. Later in 2002, in preparation for the Congestion Charing Zone, the service was increased from 18 RMLs to 26. The extra buses were released from route 13
London Buses route 13
London Buses route 13 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. The service is currently contracted to London Sovereign.-History:...
which gained Marshall-refurbished RMs.
On 2 April 2005, the route lost its Routemasters, and gained 28 new VDL DB250
VDL DB250
The VDL DB250 is a double-decker bus sold in the UK through VDL Bus International's UK dealer Arriva Bus & Coach. A small number of DB250s have also been exported to Istanbul, Turkey.-DB250:...
/Wright Pulsar Gemini
Wright Pulsar Gemini
The Wright Pulsar Gemini is a type of double-decker bus body built for VDL DB250 and used in the United Kingdom since 2003.It has been ordered almost exclusively by Arriva and largely in London, although several batches were ordered for use by Arriva subsidiaries outside London, and by smaller...
s. To mark the event, several preserved vehicles including an STL class AEC Regent ran journeys on the route.
Although Battersea was able to house all of the Routemasters needed to run the route, the newer and longer buses presented capacity problems, forcing seven buses being outstationed at Norwood Garage. On 28 November 2009, Battersea (BN) was shut down and the 19 was transferred to Brixton.
London General has successfully gained the contract for route 19 and from 31 March 2012. they will be operating it from Stockwell (SW), Volvo B5L
Volvo B5L
The Volvo B5L is a hybrid-electric powered bus built by Volvo since 2008.The design of the chassis is similar to that of the Volvo B7L...
Hybrid 10.4 / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2s and Volvo B9TL
Volvo B9TL
The Volvo B9TL is a low-floor double-decker bus built by Volvo Buses since 2002. It superseded the older Volvo B10TL and the Volvo B7TL.-Chassis:...
10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2s will be introduced.
Culture
Route 19 has been mentioned at various points in popular culture. The 1978 Dire StraitsDire Straits
Dire Straits were a British rock band active from 1977 to 1995, composed of Mark Knopfler , his younger brother David Knopfler , John Illsley , and Pick Withers .Dire Straits' sound drew from a variety of musical influences, including jazz, folk, blues, and came closest...
song "Wild West End" (about the London area of the same name) contains the line "And my conductress on the number 19...". The route is also referenced in the first line of "Rudie Can't Fail" by The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
. In November 2007, the route was featured in Vogue
Vogue (British magazine)
The British edition of Vogue is a fashion magazine that has been published since 1916.When British Vogue was launched, it was the first overseas edition of an existing fashion magazine. Under the magazine's first editor, Elspeth Champcommunal, the magazine was essentially the same as the American...
as "one of the 14 most stylish locations in Britain"
Current route
- Finsbury Park StationFinsbury Park stationFinsbury Park Station is a busy transport interchange in North London. The interchange consists of an interconnected National Rail station, London Underground station and two bus stations. The main entrances are by the eastern bus station on Station Place...
Station Place - Stroud Green Road
- Blackstock RoadBlackstock RoadBlackstock Road is a major road in north London, England, running from Seven Sisters Road south westerly to Highbury. It runs along the border between the London Borough of Hackney and the London Borough of Islington...
- Highbury ParkHighbury- Early Highbury :The area now known as Islington was part of the larger manor of Tolentone, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Tolentone was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Road. The manor house was situated by what is now...
- Highbury Grove
- St Paul's Road
- Highbury & Islington StationHighbury & Islington stationHighbury & Islington station is a London Underground and National Rail station in the London Borough of Islington in north London. It is served by the Victoria line, London Overground's East and North London Lines and First Capital Connect's Northern City Line....
- Upper Street
- IslingtonIslingtonIslington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
High Street - Angel StationAngel tube stationAngel tube station is a London Underground station in The Angel, Islington. It is on the Bank branch of the Northern Line, between Old Street and King's Cross St. Pancras stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 1. The tube stop serves as a portal to several Off West End, or fringe theatre, venues,...
- St John Street
- Rosebery Avenue
- Clerkenwell Road
- Theobald's Road
- Vernon Place for Holborn StationHolborn tube stationHolborn is a station of the London Underground in Holborn in London, located at the junction of High Holborn and Kingsway. Situated on the Piccadilly Line and on the Central Line , it is the only station common to the two lines, although the two lines cross each other three times elsewhere...
- Bloomsbury Way
- New Oxford Street
- Shaftesbury AvenueShaftesbury AvenueShaftesbury Avenue is a major street in central London, England, named after Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, that runs in a north-easterly direction from Piccadilly Circus to New Oxford Street, crossing Charing Cross Road at Cambridge Circus....
- 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...
- Windmill Street
- The HaymarketThe HaymarketHaymarket is a street in the St. James's district of the City of Westminster, London. It runs from Piccadilly Circus at the north to Pall Mall at the south...
- Jermyn StreetJermyn StreetJermyn Street is a street in the City of Westminster, central London, to the south, parallel and adjacent to Piccadilly.It is well known as a street where the shops are almost exclusively aimed at the Gentleman's market and is famous for its resident shirtmakers Jermyn Street is a street in the...
- 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...
- PiccadillyPiccadillyPiccadilly is a major street in central London, running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is completely within the city of Westminster. The street is part of the A4 road, London's second most important western artery. St...
- Green Park StationGreen Park tube stationGreen Park tube station is a London Underground station located on the north side of Green Park, close to the intersection of Piccadilly and the pedestrian Queen's Walk...
- PiccadillyPiccadillyPiccadilly is a major street in central London, running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is completely within the city of Westminster. The street is part of the A4 road, London's second most important western artery. St...
- Duke of Wellington Place
- Grosvenor Place
- Hyde Park Corner StationHyde Park Corner tube stationHyde Park Corner is a London Underground station near Hyde Park Corner in Hyde Park. It is in Travelcard Zone 1, between Knightsbridge and Green Park on the Piccadilly Line.-History:...
- KnightsbridgeKnightsbridgeKnightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of central London. The road runs along the south side of Hyde Park, west from Hyde Park Corner, spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
- Sloane StreetSloane StreetSloane Street is a major London street which runs north to south, from Knightsbridge to Sloane Square, crossing Pont Street about half way along, entirely in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Sloane Street takes its name from Sir Hans Sloane, who purchased the surrounding area in 1712...
- Sloane Square StationSloane Square tube stationSloane Square is a London Underground station in Sloane Square, in the Chelsea district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is served by the District and Circle Lines and is between South Kensington and Victoria. It is in Travelcard Zone 1....
- King's Road
- ChelseaChelsea, LondonChelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
- Beaufort Street
- Battersea BridgeBattersea BridgeBattersea Bridge is a cast-iron and granite five-span cantilever bridge crossing the River Thames in London, England. It is situated on a sharp bend in the river, and links Battersea south of the river with Chelsea to the north...
South Side