What is happening to Route 8?

London Bus Route 8, as many are aware, has recently all of a sudden been changed here and there for some unexplained reason.

Route 8 has been shortened at both of its terminus ends.

Route 8 seems to no longer display 'Bow Church' as its destination and instead curtails to 'Old Ford', I am guessing this is due to the section that the 8 serves between Old Ford & Bow via the A12, yet I see no problem in that vicinity as Route 339 (Leytonstone-Shadwell) uses the same section of the A12 that the Route 8 does, so i'm guessing the problem isn't there.

Trident 17407 (Y407NHK) on Route 8 to Old Ford

Also Route 8 seems to be curtailed to Tottenham Court Road Station, instead of stopping all the way to Oxford Circus, Holles Street, yet it is not a permanent withdraw of the route as the bus stops along the section of Oxford Street between Tottenham Court Road & Oxford Circus, still display the number, instead with a red X over it, if anyone has an answer to this please let me know.

Trident 18212 (LX04EWZ) at Holborn operating a curtailed 8 to Tottenham Court Road

Willesden Bus Garage Open Day

As the title suggest, Metroline's Willesden Bus Garage (AC) decided to host an open day, which featured many old vintage buses such as the RM and the RT, whilst the new buses, namely the VP & VWH also stood there as well. Enough talk, more pictures

RM349 (WLT349) seen blinded for Route 19 to Battersea

RT3775 (NLE882) seen blinded for Route 154 to Sutton

RML2731 (SMK371F) blinded for Route 390 to Marble Arch

RF433 (MXX410) blinded for Route 236 to Finsbury Park

RT1702 (KYY529) blinded for Route 1 to Willesden Bus Garage

VWH1417 (LK62DWY) seen blinded on Route 6 (Very Rare), to none other than Willesden
Bus Garage

Rear View of VWH1417 (LK62DWY) blinded for Route 6 

VWH1417 Cab

VWH1417 interior, bottom deck - facing forwards 

VWH1413 (LK13BHZ) blinded for Route 52

VPL191 (Y191NLK) blinded for Route 460

Side Shot of VPL191

Rear Shot of VPL191

Interior of VPL191, bottom deck, facing forwards

Interior of VPL191, bottom deck, facing the back

Interior of VPL191, upper deck, facing forwards

Interior of VPL191, upper deck, facing the back

Former Metroline Volvo Olympian AV37 (S137RLE) seen painted in westbus colours

Interior furnishings of  Former Metroline AV37 

Above is a video of a bus blind scroll filmed from an unidentified VPL

Upcoming Bus Route changes in and around Stratford

Due to the massive legacy that has been left behind by the London 2012 Olympic Games (or so Boris Johnson says), the extensive Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has been opened at Stratford, and in order to get more people there, London Buses have henceforth been re-routed, extended, and adapted in and around the new QE Olympic Park.

The following Routes have been affected by the changes:

97:

No longer serves Penny Brookes Street, instead diverted via Temple Mills Lane, Celebration Avenue past the new-founded Chobham Academy, International Way, Westfield Avenue  to terminate at Stratford City Bus Station

339:

Extended from Stratford City Bus Station to Stratford International Station, Celebration Avenue, Liberty Bridge Road, Leyton Road,  Temple Mills Lane, Crownfield Road, Leytonstone High Road, Cathall Road, Grove Green Road to terminate at Leytonstone Station

388:

Extended from Hackney Wick Chapman Road to Eastway, Lee Conservancy Road, Homerton Road, Temple Mills Lane, Waterden Road, Westfield Avenue to terminate at Stratford City Bus Station

D8:

Extended from Stratford City Bus Station up to Stratford International Station

N205:

New Route established, which follows day Route 205 from Paddington Station to Bow Church, before moving up Warton Road to Stratford City Bus Station, past the Chobham Academy, before terminating at Leyton, Downsell Road, at the terminus point formally belonging to Route 97 when is terminated at Leyton

Scania OmniCity 15124 (LX09FZW) operating new found Route N205 which runs between
Paddington Station & Leyton, Downsell Road, seen here along City Road in Islington

 

Goodbye First, Route gains in East London

As anyone may be aware, First London were slowly selling off their stagecoach operations, Go Ahead London took Northumberland Park & Dagenham Garages, closing the latter down and shifting all of the operations over to Rainham. Alperton, Greenford, Hayes, Uxbridge & Willesden Junction were taken over my Metroline West, with Atlas Road, Lea Interchange and Westbourne Park taken over by Australian newcomers Tower Transit. However until recently, only four routes were held by First.

Route 165: Rainham, Abbey Wood Lane - Romford, The Brewery
Route 179: Ilford Town Centre - Chingford Station
Route 252: Hornchurch Town Centre - Collier Row Roundabout
Route 365: Havering Park - Dagenham, Orchard Village

Well now, Stagecoach pinched the lot of them, knocking First out of London for good. Stagecoach transferred the 165, 252 & 365 over to Rainham Garage, (the night service provided by Romford North Street), whilst the 179 is taken care of over at Leyton Garage. Not only that but Stagecoach fought a tender battle with Arriva over Route 256, and guess what? they won the 256 as well.

Stagecoach also ordered some brand-new 63 reg Enviro200 Darts for the 165 & 256, while also ordering some 63 reg Enviro 400's for the 179, 252 & 365, with a mix between Enviro400 & refurbished Rainham Scania OmniCity's.

Enough talk, enjoy the photos

Before:

TNA33380 (LK53EYZ) on Route 165 to Romford Brewery, it was very rare then
to see a Double Decker on the 165, it was mostly Enviro200 Darts with the
occasional VNW being thrown into the mix.

First Plaxton President TN33042 (LN51DWG) on Route 179

DN33554 (SN58CGE) on Route 252 in Romford Town Centre

6112 (LJ05BMO) seen on Route 256 at Emerson Park, for a route that was
mainly operated by Wright Cadets, it seems odd to see an ALX400 on it

DN33559 (SN58CGU) operting Route 365

 After:

New Bus 36578 (LX13CZW) operating Route 165 in Hornchurch

New Enviro400 10177 (SN63JWD) on Route 179 at Ilford 

Scania OmniCity 15010 (LX58CEU) starting the trek up to the Collier Row
Roundabout from the starting point: Hornchurch Town Centre

New Bus 36580 (LX13CZZ) operating Route 256 at Hornchurch

Recently Refurbished 15021 (LX58CFM) on Route 365 at Mercury Gardens

Tuesday 1st October: Observations at Canary Wharf

Well today, I had that day off, so I decided to head down to Canary Wharf to take a couple of pics. I should point out, I got eight photographs, and quite a lot of funny looks for drivers and people in the area.

WVL426 (LX11FJA) on Route D7 operating to Mile End Station

SE151 (YX61DTY) on operation of Route D8 to the
recent extension to Sratford International Station
from Stratford City Bus Station

WVL419 (LX11CXB) operating Route D7 to Poplar, All Saints

T26 (LJ08CVA) on Route 135 to Crossharbour or the Isle of Dogs Asda 

18202 (LX04FWM) on Route 277 to Leamouth, Saffron Avenue,
not far from Canary Wharf itself

WVL424 (LX11FHY) operating Route D7 to Poplar, All Saints