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Post by route53 on Jun 22, 2019 10:14:26 GMT
Does anyone have any info on the X53, there seems to be zero references to the route online and on Ian Armstrong’s fabulous website.
Any leaflets, the exact stops it called at (I recall a time the route was non stop between Blackheath & Elephant & Castle)
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Post by danorak on Jun 22, 2019 10:48:14 GMT
Off the top of my head, the X53 has its roots in express journeys introduced on the 177 in 1983. The intention was to give Thamesmead a link to central London, being even more isolated at that time. I remember seeing an MD in an experimental 'Starsky & Hutch' style livery at the Aldenham open day. Two Leyland Titans were painted in a different version for the 177 Express service and given the code TE (112 & 113).
This did reasonably well and later, West Midlands PTE's small fleet of Titans was bought second hand, treated to coach seats and received a Selkent Travel livery (effectively a huge white band between decks with the company name in light blue). The last three ECW body Olympians had the same treatment.
When the 53 succumbed to one-person operation on 16 January 1988, using vehicles displaced by Bexleybus, there were concerns about it slowing the service. So express journeys were introduced, with flow in the peaks, numbered 53X. Leaving London, these used the Bricklayers Arms flyover which was a novelty then but is now part of the main 53.
In, I think 1993, the 53X and 177 Express were merged as the X53. This was mostly the old 53X but revised to run to Thamesmead. This continued quite happily until the Jubilee Line extension opened and the X53 was withdrawn.
I used the route a few times. It was useful but the express section along the Old Kent Road was never that much quicker than a normal 53. Because you were using the bus lane, when the bus in front stopped, you did as well!
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Post by Paul on Jun 22, 2019 10:50:41 GMT
My dad used to be a regular driver of the X53 so I’ll get some details from him next time I see him but there are a couple of little titbits I do recall him mentioning
The first was that if the bus was empty when they got to PD it was very rare for the trip down to Thamesmead to be completed on the basis no one was going to pay an express fare over that section when there were regular services going that way
The second was that people frequently asked to be let off along the Old Kent Road and he started telling them he would let them off if they could come up with an excuse he’d never heard before. He never let anyone off along that section......
Sadly, a lot of drivers did let people off which rather defeated the purpose of an express service and coupled with the JLE the route’s withdrawal was inevitable
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Post by route53 on Jun 22, 2019 11:32:49 GMT
Thanks for your replies.
It was very short sighted axing the X53, especially since it neither parallels the Jubilee or CrossRail lines, and in truth the 53 is still very busy, especially in the Plumstead to Deptford section, before the 453 starts.
I used the X53 as a child, and it was always busy, I don’t recall anyone being let off at OKR, though I remember one passenger was annoyed we skipped Deptford.
I vaguely recall the 177X that had an even longer non stop section between Woolwich & Waterloo, skipping Charlton, Greenwich, Deptford, NX, OKR & E&C!
Was there a difference between the 53X and X53
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Post by southlondonbus on Jun 22, 2019 19:00:59 GMT
So rather similar to the X68 structure with an express section in the middle. I'm guessing the X53 was more frequent then the X68?
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Post by southlondonbus on Jun 22, 2019 19:13:56 GMT
Iv dug out a 1997 out and about guide.
It has the X53 as serving all stops between Thamesmead/Newacres Library and Thamesmead/Carlyle Road and all 53 stops between Trafalgar Square and Oxford Circus. Between Carlyle Road and TSq it's only stops at the main points the first being Woolwich/Barage Road then Woolwich Arsenal, Charlton, Royal Standard, Blackheath Hill, New X Stn, NX Gate, Elephant, County Hall, Parliament Square. Freqs every 20 mins to Oxo mornings and from Oxo evenings.
Wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting a fast service from Blackheath to Elephant.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2019 19:30:23 GMT
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Post by danorak on Jun 22, 2019 22:08:08 GMT
Looking at that timetable, Blackheath to Westminster in about half an hour! I wonder if that was achieved?
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Post by route53 on Jun 22, 2019 22:57:40 GMT
Iv dug out a 1997 out and about guide. It has the X53 as serving all stops between Thamesmead/Newacres Library and Thamesmead/Carlyle Road and all 53 stops between Trafalgar Square and Oxford Circus. Between Carlyle Road and TSq it's only stops at the main points the first being Woolwich/Barage Road then Woolwich Arsenal, Charlton, Royal Standard, Blackheath Hill, New X Stn, NX Gate, Elephant, County Hall, Parliament Square. Freqs every 20 mins to Oxo mornings and from Oxo evenings. Wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting a fast service from Blackheath to Elephant. I think it was only super fast when it was packed. It wasn’t a regular journey, still though only two stops between Blackheath and Elephant was still good
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Post by route53 on Jun 23, 2019 3:38:12 GMT
So the 53X was much faster by the looks of things, interesting how much of an express route it was, its faster than its replacement the X53. The 607 could learn a thing or two from the 53X
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Post by southlondonbus on Jun 23, 2019 8:56:01 GMT
What was the 53X then. What was the routeing/stops it served?
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Post by route53 on Jun 23, 2019 9:31:32 GMT
What was the 53X then. What was the routeing/stops it served? The 53X started at Plumstead Common, and appeared to call at Woolwich, Blackheath, New Cross, OKR, E&C, County Hall then on to Oxford Street The X53, started at Thamesmead and called at slightly more stops.
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Post by southlondonbus on Jun 23, 2019 10:03:34 GMT
So the 53X was more like the 607 in that it served the same terminals like the 207 did but provider a faster alternative.
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Post by route53 on Jun 23, 2019 11:57:19 GMT
So the 53X was more like the 607 in that it served the same terminals like the 207 did but provider a faster alternative. Strange that it started at Plumstead Common, rather than Plumstead itself, I’m assuming the 53X ran down Griffin Road to Plumstead then took the direct route to Woolwich from there via the A206. I would say the the 53X achieved its objective more effectively than the 607 which is semi fast at best, the 53X appears not have called at Charlton, West Greenwich and Deptford and only one stop on the OKR The 53X seems more similar to the X68 and the X26
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Post by danorak on Jun 23, 2019 13:18:09 GMT
So the 53X was more like the 607 in that it served the same terminals like the 207 did but provider a faster alternative. Strange that it started at Plumstead Common, rather than Plumstead itself, I’m assuming the 53X ran down Griffin Road to Plumstead then took the direct route to Woolwich from there via the A206. I would say the the 53X achieved its objective more effectively than the 607 which is semi fast at best, the 53X appears not have called at Charlton, West Greenwich and Deptford and only one stop on the OKR The 53X seems more similar to the X68 and the X26 The 53X was in effect the standard 53 with stops missed out. At that point the main 53 started at Plumstead Common and only garage journeys served Griffin Road. There was a stop in Charlton (at the top of Victoria Way). Here's a list of the stops on the 53X: Plumstead Common, Warwick Terrace Plumstead Common, The Ship Plumstead, Bloomfield Road/Plumstead Common Road Woolwich, Plumstead Road/Burrage Road Woolwich, Beresford Square Charlton, Charlton Road/Victoria Way Blackheath, Royal Standard New Cross Station New Cross Garage Elephant & Castle, Cinemas Elephant & Castle, St George's Road Westminster, Parliament Street Trafalgar Square, Whitehall Trafalgar Square, Canada House all stops to Oxford Circus
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