London Buses route C1
Encyclopedia
London Buses route C1 is a Transport for London
contracted bus route in London
, United Kingdom
. The service is currently contracted to London United.
operation. The route was previously operated by Connex bus
using Optare Solo
s.
The route started on 25 October 1986 running between the Embankment to Kensington weekdays, via Victoria, Sloane Square and South Kensington using OV class Optare City Pacer minibuses from Victoria Bus Garage.
The following year, on 1 August 1987 the route was extended to Waterloo, and renamed Central Hoppa C1. The route also gained a Saturday service, and early evening journeys between Victoria and Waterloo Stations. The Victoria to Waterloo section was transferred to Red Arrow route 511
in 1991 (now route 211
). In February 1993, the route was diverted between South Kensington and Kensington High Street via Earl’s Court. In July 1998, the route was awarded to Travel London
, having previously been operated by London General
.
The route was extended from Kensington to Shepherd's Bush on 6 January 2007. This extension caused a lot of controversy as it was intended to run through previously unserved roads, although the extension went ahead, but with the buses not serving the originally planned route via Blythe Road, and difficulties with the narrow roads mean the route is currently running direct via Holland Road.
The extension required extra new buses, these are Enviro200 Darts, operating in addition to the Dennis Dart SLFs on the route. For a short while the buses had to circumnavigate Shepherd's Bush Green twice to get to and from the bus stand, although at certain times of day buses were permitted to stand in Transdev's Shepherd's Bush garage. This has now been resolved since the route was diverted at Shepherd's Bush Green via the Westfield Complex to serve the new White City Bus Station on 29 November 2008.
From 3rd July 2010, Transdev London
successfully gained the contract of route C1.
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...
, 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 London United.
History
The route has always been operated by minibuses since London TransportLondon Regional Transport
London Regional Transport was the organisation responsible for the public transport network in Greater London, UK from 1984-2000. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.The organisation was...
operation. The route was previously operated by Connex bus
Connex bus
Connex bus refers to the bus company branded Connex that operated in the United Kingdom from its creation in 1996. Connex was a brand name of Veolia Environnement, used in train and bus operating companies...
using Optare Solo
Optare Solo
The Optare Solo is a low-floor midibus manufactured by Optare in Leeds, UK since 1997. The name "Solo" is a play on the low-floor status of the bus, the manufacturer believing its vehicle having an entrance that is "so low" from the floor, namely 200 mm with kneeling suspension.The innovative...
s.
The following year, on 1 August 1987 the route was extended to Waterloo, and renamed Central Hoppa C1. The route also gained a Saturday service, and early evening journeys between Victoria and Waterloo Stations. The Victoria to Waterloo section was transferred to Red Arrow route 511
Red Arrow (bus)
Red Arrow was branding given to two current and several former London bus limited stop routes used as high frequency commuter services in central London...
in 1991 (now route 211
London Buses route 211
London Buses route 211 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Abellio London.-History:...
). In February 1993, the route was diverted between South Kensington and Kensington High Street via Earl’s Court. In July 1998, the route was awarded to Travel London
Travel London
Travel London was a bus operator in London which was originally a subsidiary of the National Express Group. In May 2009 the company was sold to NedRailways, now called Abellio...
, having previously been operated by London General
London General
London General is a bus company operating in Surrey ang Greater London. It is owned by the Go-Ahead Group and operates most buses under contract to London Buses...
.
The route was extended from Kensington to Shepherd's Bush on 6 January 2007. This extension caused a lot of controversy as it was intended to run through previously unserved roads, although the extension went ahead, but with the buses not serving the originally planned route via Blythe Road, and difficulties with the narrow roads mean the route is currently running direct via Holland Road.
From 3rd July 2010, Transdev London
Transdev London
London United is one of many operators of London Buses and is owned by the RATP Group, an international public transport operator owned by the government of France...
successfully gained the contract of route C1.
Current route
- White City Bus StationWestfield LondonWestfield London is a shopping centre in White City in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. The centre was developed by the Westfield Group at a cost of £1.6bn,...
- Shepherd's Bush InterchangeShepherd's Bush stationsShepherd's Bush is an area of west London, United Kingdom, which has been served by a number of London Underground and commuter rail stations over past 150 years, many of which have had similar names...
London Underground and London Overground and SouthernShepherd's Bush railway stationShepherd's Bush station is a railway station located in the district of Shepherd's Bush in west London, England, UK. It opened in 2008 on the West London Line and is served by London Overground and Southern rail services... - KensingtonKensingtonKensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
High Street - Earl's Court StationEarl's Court tube stationEarl's Court tube station is a London Underground station in Earls Court. The station is located between Earls Court Road and Warwick Road . It is on the boundary of Travelcard Zone 1 and 2 and is in both zones....
- South Kensington StationSouth Kensington tube stationSouth Kensington is a London Underground station in Kensington, west London. It is served by the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines. On the District and Circle lines, the station is between Gloucester Road and Sloane Square, and on the Piccadilly Line, it is between Gloucester Road and...
- HarrodsHarrodsHarrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
- Knightsbridge StationKnightsbridge tube stationKnightsbridge tube station is a London Underground station in Knightsbridge , The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is on the Piccadilly Line between South Kensington and Hyde Park Corner, and is in Travelcard Zone 1.-History:...
- 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....
- Victoria Coach StationVictoria Coach StationVictoria Coach Station is the largest and most significant coach station in London. It serves long distance coach services and is also the departure point for many countryside coach tours originating from London. It should not be confused with the nearby Green Line Coach Station serving Green Line...
- Victoria Station Terminus Place