Friday 2 September 2016

Tower Transit wins route 13 (re-numbered from 82) contract!



As we enter Sept we have new tender awards for the London Bus operators and we will see new changes to bus services coming in 2017.

From LOTS:

The following TfL contracts have been awarded:

Tranche 554
·         82 (becoming 24 hour, see note below) - awarded to Tower Transit (currently Metroline) with new Euro VI hybrid double deck. PVR 31 (currently 25). Start date 1 April 2017
·         113 - re-awarded to Metroline with new hybrid double deck, PVR 28 (currently 18) - 22 Euro V vehicles built 2013 plus 9 additional hybrids, details to be confirmed (includes 3 spares).
Routes 82 and 113/N113 are awarded as specified including the changes proposed as part of the inner north west London network review - 113 to Oxford Circus and 82 renumbered 13, subject to the outcome of consultation.

Let’s elaborate on the Inner North West London network proposals


Travel habits are changing though, and we want to make sure that our bus services can match future demand in the best way possible. We’ve carried out a review of routes to and from Abbey Road and Finchley Road serving the Baker Street corridor (routes 13, 82, 113, 139, 189, N13, and N113) and would like to hear your views on our proposals.

From September 2016 we will also welcome the introduction of a one-hour ‘Hopper’ fare. The ‘Hopper’ fare will automatically be given to anyone who uses pay as you go with Oyster cards or contactless payments, and will allow passengers to make an additional bus journey for free within one hour of touching in on the first bus.

Our review takes into account the number of passengers using each bus route, journey times, and where people are traveling to and from. It considers how improved services on the Tube and Overground, including the introduction of the Elizabeth Line (Crossrail), and the new one-hour ‘Hopper’ bus fares, will change the way our customers travel.

We have also considered the potential impact of new developments in the area and the aspirations of our stakeholders, for example the impact of bus traffic in the West End.

Reflecting this, we have reviewed bus services along Abbey Road and Finchley Road, including their links to Oxford Street and the wider West End area.

The full details of our proposals for routes 13, 82, 113, 139, 189, N13, and N113 are set out below and include changes to both day and night bus services

·         Route 13 would continue to run between Golders Green and Oxford Street serving Finchley Road. It would be extended to North Finchley and re-routed to Victoria. We propose a more frequent service with buses running, every six minutes during the day Monday to Saturdays, with additional journeys at peak times, and every 10 minutes Sundays and each evening. There would be a 24-hour service on this route, with buses running every 30 minutes on all nights. Route N13 would no longer run
·         Route 82 would no longer run, being replaced by route 13 between North Finchley and Victoria
·         Route 113 would be extended to Oxford Circus and offer a more frequent service with buses every seven to eight minutes during the day Monday to Saturdays and every 12 minutes on Sundays and each evening. This would give direct links between Finchley Road and Oxford Street
·         Night route N113 would continue to run every 30 minutes every night between Edgware and Trafalgar Square
·         Route 139 would be extended from West Hampstead to Golders Green and would continue to serve Abbey Road. Buses would continue to run every eight minutes during the day Monday to Saturdays, every 12 minutes on Sundays and each evening and every 30 minutes at night.  This would give direct links between Golders Green and stops between Oxford Circus and Waterloo via Strand
·         Route 189 would be re-routed to start and finish at Marble Arch instead of Oxford Circus. Buses would continue to run every eight minutes during the day Monday to Saturdays, every 12 minutes on Sundays and each evening and every 30 minutes at night
Routes 13, 139 and 189 would run 24 hours a day


Proposed bus frequencies

The map below sets out the current and proposed combined weekday daytime frequencies for particular sections of roads. It includes buses on route 328 between Golders Green and West Hampstead, Quex Road.

Golders Green – Childs Hill - Finchley Road (Fortune Green)
Bus frequencies during the day would increase from 23 to 25 buses per hour – a bus every two to three minutes

Finchley Road (Fortune Green) – Swiss Cottage – St John’s Wood – Park Road
To match current demand, peak hour frequencies on the Finchley Road would be reduced from 27 buses per hour to 22 buses per hour, which equates to a bus every two to three minutes, instead of just over every two minutes. This would reduce the number of buses in the Oxford Street and Baker Street areas and would enable us to reallocate resources to enhance bus services in other areas of  London. During the day Monday to Saturdays buses would be reduced from every two to three minutes to every three to four minutes.

West Hampstead (West End Green) – West Hampstead, Quex Road
Bus frequencies would remain unchanged at 15 buses every hour

Abbey Road – Grove End Road – Lisson Grove – Rossmore Road
Bus frequencies would remain unchanged at 15 buses every hour.


You can take part in the survey here and it will close on 30th September 2016.

Interestingly, what will happen to the Wright SRM Volvo B5LH? a two door one staircase variant of the New Routemaster bus which will be launching into service on route 13; it is due to arrive sometime this September (2016.) There will be six of these two door Volvo SRM’s on route 13 which have been purchased and are operated by RATP Dev.

In other news, London Vehicle Finder reports that route 253 sees the first New Routemaster (3 door 2 staircase hybrid bus) entering service on 1st September 2016, the first NRM is LT525.

A final reminder that today (2nd September 2016) is the very last day for the 2nd crew members and open platforms for New Routemaster for routes 9, 10, 11, 24, 38 and 390. The purpose of this is for TFL to save £10 million and divert the funds to other schemes such as the ‘one-hour hopper’ fare.

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