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Post by enviroPB on Jan 4, 2020 15:23:26 GMT
That's quite a shame if the Royal Mail centre is shut. Those early and late journeys were justified, the 01:30 bus from Canning Town often saw a dozen passengers or more. Rather sad at the timetable trimming as I'm partial to a 323 at that time of night, but the 309 does finish at 01:25 so there is an alternative for passengers for the very short 323 route. I think it closed a few years ago and is now occupied by Sainsburys and used as a home delivery centre? Thought Sainsbury's had their own warehouse separate to Royal Mail's depot. Articles online give an estimate of 2012 to the closure which if true, means that other shift workers in the business park were thoroughly utilising the 323's late journeys.
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Post by enviroPB on Jan 4, 2020 14:48:25 GMT
Those journeys are very early or very late for a non trunk route. It serves the Royal Mail Centre at Twelvetrees Crescent which might have originally explained their purpose. Perhaps a change of shift times has occurred so that they are no longer needed. I believe that Royal Mail centre was closed down which would probably explain the reason behind these journey withdrawals That's quite a shame if the Royal Mail centre is shut. Those early and late journeys were justified, the 01:30 bus from Canning Town often saw a dozen passengers or more. Rather sad at the timetable trimming as I'm partial to a 323 at that time of night, but the 309 does finish at 01:25 so there is an alternative for passengers for the very short 323 route.
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Post by enviroPB on Jan 2, 2020 3:10:34 GMT
I'm not too sure about Europe, but First Caledonia is the biggest garage in the UK with 390 buses at my time of searching a couple years ago. Another poster has suggested the capacity is over 400 now, I'm not surprised if this is indeed the case now. I can go one better and tell you the biggest temporary bus garage was in China in 2008, where over 1,000 buses were held close to Beijing for Olympic duties. If we are going on the biggest garage in London I would say WH would be one of them followed by LI,X and possibly W. Wasn't LI moved slightly to make way for the Olympic stadium? West Ham is definitely first with up to 350 buses fitting on the compound. I believe RR is actually second with something upwards of 230 buses. After that, it's a close contest between LI, HT, SW and W. Unfortunately I won't know for sure as info on garage capacity is very much non-existent online, unless publicity like 'One of the biggest garages ever built...' encases such information online if/when the media report on it. Almost forgot the history lesson lool: Stagecoach's SD garage and First's H garage, which were both on Waterden Way, was demolished to make way for the Olympic Park in 2007. LI as a replacement was relocated somewhat close to its original site whereas Stagecoach's WH was a little farther away. One of the routes to run from SD was the 276, which was the only route then to run on Waterden Way had changeovers right outside the garage. After that closed the 276 moved to WH where it had changeovers on Manor Road, where it was also the only route serving most of that road! No escape for passengers
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Post by enviroPB on Jan 2, 2020 0:26:18 GMT
Second biggest if I'm right with space for 300 buses, WH edges ahead with space for 320 buses. Isn't WH the biggest not just in London but in Europe? I'm not too sure about Europe, but First Caledonia is the biggest garage in the UK with 390 buses at my time of searching a couple years ago. Another poster has suggested the capacity is over 400 now, I'm not surprised if this is indeed the case now. I can go one better and tell you the biggest temporary bus garage was in China in 2008, where over 1,000 buses were held close to Beijing for Olympic duties.
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Post by enviroPB on Dec 27, 2019 21:54:35 GMT
I was rather surprised to see the 474 around 04:17 when I was cycling on High Street South earlier this morning. TT's 36104 was also on the White Horse stand undergoing a 25 minute wait to depart the 58. Likely because TfL doesn't make it clear, but I was under the assumption that all buses would start around 6am. Now I understand that rule is generally said for most bus routes starting late with their Sunday timetables. I wonder if the 474 was running early because of early flights at City Airport. From memory departing Manor Park only; the first night service is 00:40 and the first day service at 04:10 where the 474 goes up to 3bph. Between December 2005 and November 2007, the last and first journeys on the then day route was 01:40 and 04:10 respectively. In hindsight, I shouldn't have been so surprised to see the 474 run so early.
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Post by enviroPB on Dec 26, 2019 14:03:42 GMT
I was rather surprised to see the 474 around 04:17 when I was cycling on High Street South earlier this morning. TT's 36104 was also on the White Horse stand undergoing a 25 minute wait to depart the 58. Likely because TfL doesn't make it clear, but I was under the assumption that all buses would start around 6am. Now I understand that rule is generally said for most bus routes starting late with their Sunday timetables.
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Post by enviroPB on Dec 18, 2019 10:42:33 GMT
I live in Welling and visit Bluewater occasionally using route 96. I have made a couple of trips recently , once on a school holiday day and once during term time which indicate the need for the 428 to continue serving Darenth Valley Hospital and Bluewater. on the school holiday day I got to Welling corner and just missed a 96 which seemed to be pretty full. Fortunately another was just behind but was also full downstairs and fairly full upstairs. By the time we reached Bexleyheath several people got of but more got on. By Crayford the bus was full and people were left waiting at the stop although fortunately there was a 428 just behind. If the 428 had been cut back to Crayford there would be even more people left to wait for the next 96. on the term day the 96 was full downstairs by the time we reached Crayford , with some room still available upstairs. A fair number of the passengers were elderly either travelling to Bluewater or to attend vital appointments at Darenth Valley Hospital, and unable to cope with the stairs. There are also mothers with young children in buggies going shopping in Bluewater and on occasions they have to be left behind . And then of course there are wheelchair passengers trying to get to the hospital or Bluewater. Thua there may seem to be some spare capacity on th 96 but this is only available to healthy people able to manage the stairs. By curtailing the 428 at Crayford an important direct link to the Hospital and Bluewater is lost to people living in the Erith and Slade Green areas.Elderly patients are faced with having to change buses and possibly face a long wait ( bad enough in fine weather but hardly likely to improve their health on a cold winters day), before they can get on a 96. But then of course every journey matters unless you are elderly and trying to get to a vital hospital appointment This comes back to the problem mentioned on here recently about the 65, a lot of people being unable or unwilling to go upstairs. Maybe the 96 would be better with 12m single deckers or even bendy buses? Maybe if we got a bendy bus and wrote 'Not for London' on the side of it, the Prime Minister will probably leave it alone! If capacity is needed up to Darnet Valley Hospital, then surely the 428 should terminate there? I've never been to the site in question so don't know how feasible this is.
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Post by enviroPB on Nov 19, 2019 23:57:04 GMT
Volvo I just wanted to say that it was very noble and professional how you handled that horrible passenger the other day. The mere fact you offered her a transfer voucher suggests you weren't out to vilify her but took appropriate actions to remedy her rudeness. I think you handled it quite well, I've seen drivers do worse for far less. It doesn't tie in with this story but I was once on a 474 and the driver sussed a college kid using a child's oyster. He asked to see it, took it immediately and said "it's not yours so I'm keeping it. If you complain you can get off right now, I'm being nice by still allowing you to travel." The person complied. It's nice to see that a person like yourself can still be respectful and not lower yourself to the standards of a silly person. Brava sir.
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Post by enviroPB on Nov 15, 2019 17:42:25 GMT
I believe someone said a long time ago that LTs are banned in the Paddington area due to left turn onto Pread Street from Norfolk Place. Obviously now that the 27 has converted to LT operation, maybe this proposed 15 159 reinstatement to Paddington will be feasible. I'd wait till the Crossrail works are fully done personally, the only reason why the 15 was extended to Paddington Basin when it went there was a result of the Elizabeth line works reducing stand space at Paddington station. Talking of Crossrail, I find it lamentable that TfL's 2017 Central London changes were all in preparation for Crossrail. For instance, the 23 cutback from Liverpool Street to Aldwych was in preparation for the opening of Crossrail. I think that bus links from Paddington are very poor at the moment, and that's why I would favour extending the 7 to Trafalgar Square to at least maintain some links to the West End from Paddington which were lost when the 23 was vandalised. Its a shame the 15 doesn't even go up Regent Street these days, and as much as it hurts me to say this, I think a bus route connecting Paddington to the City would be a nightmare as it would have so much congestion to battle with, but the lack of bus links between Oxford Circus and the City for instace are a joke. The south-east London route introduced for Crossrail still is a mystery to me as to why it was introduced early. It's as if having the 301 makes up for the savage cuts to the 25, and various 'temporary' curtailments made permanent such as the 3 and 53. If the full Crossrail service is expected to start at 2022 at the earliest, surely you'd think TfL would postpone these changes. However that's not the case and cross central bus links are being slashed for the sake of saving resources.
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Post by enviroPB on Nov 15, 2019 17:29:58 GMT
I believe someone said a long time ago that LTs are banned in the Paddington area due to left turn onto Pread Street from Norfolk Place. Obviously now that the 27 has converted to LT operation, maybe this proposed 15 159 reinstatement to Paddington will be feasible. I'd wait till the Crossrail works are fully done personally, the only reason why the 15 was extended to Paddington Basin when it went there was a result of the Elizabeth line works reducing stand space at Paddington station. I was under the impression that the problematic turn was from Praed Street into Edgware Road due to how the traffic island is situated? I had a little lookey loo on Street View and it doesn't seem to hamper a bus's turning given the spacing. In any case, the two lanes on Pread Street at the junction with Edgware Road can be reduced to one to better facilitate the turn for an LT. Or LT drivers can use (guard) both lanes to make the turn as a cost-free solution to this problem.
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Post by enviroPB on Nov 15, 2019 14:50:51 GMT
Agree with this. The 159 provided a popular link to and from Paddington Basin, providing a connection between Paddington and the West End beyond OC. It also assisted the 23 in its previous form which was consistently busy (and much more useful than it is now). I would reinstate the 159 back to Paddington Basin, seeing as it would be the only link between Paddington and the West End beyond OC it would prove useful. The allocated LTs wouldn't be able to make a certain left turn between Marble Arch and Paddington, however the 159 could do an 88¹ and swap buses with another route to then make it possible. ¹ - vehicle swapped with the 87/N87 I believe someone said a long time ago that LTs are banned in the Paddington area due to left turn onto Pread Street from Norfolk Place. Obviously now that the 27 has converted to LT operation, maybe this proposed 15 159 reinstatement to Paddington will be feasible. I'd wait till the Crossrail works are fully done personally, the only reason why the 15 was extended to Paddington Basin when it went there was a result of the Elizabeth line works reducing stand space at Paddington station.
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Post by enviroPB on Nov 9, 2019 11:18:51 GMT
A few from me
325 - A very long way round (Almost full circle) from Prince Regent Station to Beckton. Travels through so very busy tight roads via busy shopping areas such as Forest Gate and East Ham.
5 - Again a long route picking up non stop. The 5 is almost like two routes seems to takes a huge number of passengers from Romford to Barking then picks up more local passengers from Barking to Canning Town. Some short routes must be tedious simply for the fact you bust do so many rounders. I am thinking a route like the 323 which takes about 15 mins from Mile End to Canning Town.
The 5 is two routes in effect - Romford and Canning Town were never directly connected by any day route since WW2, and probably for very good reason. The creation of the present-day 5 owes as much to the desire (obsession?) of some then high up in TfL to use the number 87 to re-number the last suffix route, the 77A. If the sensible thing were done and the 5 was split into two overlapping routes for much of the day, then it might operate better, but orthodoxy precludes this, to the detriment of the general public. Though the 5 empties out at Barking to be immediately filled up again for the rest of its journey, the through route does help so is kinda pointless splitting up the 5. If you compare it to the similar trunk route 86, you see a noticeably more amount of passengers heading past Ilford, but is akin to how people decant en masse in Barking for the 5. The 86 though will naturally have more people going through Ilford heading to Seven Kings in particular as there is no other route in the area.
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Post by enviroPB on Nov 7, 2019 2:06:16 GMT
I don't believe some of you have done an end to end on the 111 at any time of day and enjoyed it! After doing the 111 whilst being in the Heathrow area one evening, I've never regretted a decision more in my life!! Way too long winded and I genuinely mean this, it's an hour of my life I won't ever get back. Gotta give my 'not a driver' warning but I suspect routes like the 69, 169, 287 and EL1 are not fondly appreciated during the daytime; particularly the peaks and the 474 probably isn't liked during the evenings because of a thin recovery time at stands. I'm tempted to throw the 145 in there but I've spoken to a BK driver who says when the A12 isn't acting up, it's a joyous route to drive. I did enjoy my end to end trip on the 111 during one Saturday afternoon especially as it was a V or W reg VA I had Glad your bones wasn't crushed for an hour!
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Post by enviroPB on Nov 7, 2019 1:58:46 GMT
I don't believe some of you have done an end to end on the 111 at any time of day and enjoyed it! After doing the 111 whilst being in the Heathrow area one evening, I've never regretted a decision more in my life!! Way too long winded and I genuinely mean this, it's an hour of my life I won't ever get back. Gotta give my 'not a driver' warning but I suspect routes like the 69, 169, 287 and EL1 are not fondly appreciated during the daytime; particularly the peaks and the 474 probably isn't liked during the evenings because of a thin recovery time at stands. I'm tempted to throw the 145 in there but I've spoken to a BK driver who says when the A12 isn't acting up, it's a joyous route to drive.
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Post by enviroPB on Nov 4, 2019 13:44:50 GMT
As someone who doesn't live in the area can anyone tell me why the 357 has a Sunday extension? I know years back Sunday extensions used to quite common. Looking at it from an outside point of view I can't help but think that either you extend the route the other days of the week or drop the Sunday extension all together. Guess I'll have a go at this one. There's enough capacity for the 357 to operate at 2bph on Sundays, so why not put single deckers on for one day and extend it to the hospital grounds at Whipps Cross if passenger flows dictate it? I overheard a couple elderly passengers a few months aback saying they'd use the link for over 5 years to either have visits or check ups on Sundays and they were actually complaining that the 357 wasn't extended there daily! The 357 extension may shift a small amount of passengers to the hospital grounds directly but it's those very same passengers that can't be begotten with using the Hopper Fare as an excuse. Sometimes every journey does matter
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