Bexleybus

[buspete]

Prompted by danorak who said on the Roundabout thread, Bexleybus started 33 years today. I remember the Saturday very well and spent the whole day riding the new bus routes. Bexleybus was a low cost subsidiary of Selkent and a disaster. They operated 17 routes and Maidstone Boroline operated 3 routes.

My brain is quite hazy after 33 years, so a couple of these might not be correct.

96 -Dartford - Bexleyheath - Woolwich.
Operated by Selkent.
Every 10 minutes.

99 - Erith - Belvedere - Plumstead - Woolwich.
Operated by Selkent.
Not sure if it was every 10 minutes then?

132 - Bexleyheath - Bexley - Blackfen - Eltham.
Operated by Maidstone Boroline.
Every 15 minutes.
The section Blendon - Eltham lost 2bph, I used to catch it to school!!!
The section via Crook Log was kind of replaced by new route B13.

178 - Thamesmead Industrial Estate - Woolwich - Lewisham.
Operated by Selkent.
Think it was every 20 minutes?

228/328 - Eltham - Sidcup - Chistlehurst - Eltham
Operated by Maidstone Boroline.
Every 30 minutes.
Route reintroduced replacing 228A/228C

229 - Foots Cray - Bexleyheath - Erith
Operated by Selkent
Run every 20 minutes, Monday to Saturday, but not evenings.
Extended to Erith to replace the 269A.

233 - Eltham - Sidcup - Swanley.
Operated by Maidstone Boroline.
Operated every 30 minutes.

244 - Woolwich - Belmarsh Estate.
Operated by Selkent.
Converted to midibus and frequency increased from 20 minutes to 10 minutes.

269 - Bexleyheath - Sidcup - Bromley North
Operated by Selkent. Route shortened the north part of Bexleyheath to Woolwich was replaced by new route 469. Operated every 20 minutes.

272. - Woolwich - Thamesmead - Woolwich (Circular)
Operated by Selkent.
No change to service levels.

291 - Woolwich - Woodlands Estate.
Operated by Selkent
Converted to midibus and frequency increased from 20 minutes to 10 minutes.

401 - Bexleyheath - Belvedere - Thamesmead.
Monday to Friday peaks extended to Woolwich to replace 198.
School journeys to Dartford Heath to replace Kentish Bus 401.
Operated by Selkent.
New route that replaced the 486 over this section.

422 - Bexleyheath - Plumstead - Woolwich.
Operated by Selkent.
Replaced route 122 and 122A
Served new area north of Bexleyheath (Hythe Avenue area) controversial at the time.
Route lost 1bph and operated every 12 minutes

469 - Bexleyheath  - Erith - Plumstead- Woolwich.
Operated by Selkent.
Replaced 269/269A (North of Bexleyheath)
Run every 20 minutes.

472 Thamesmead - Woolwich.
Operated by Selkent.
Express bus
Operated infrequently on a Saturday only.
Replaced 198A
Forerunner to today’s 472.

492- Sidcup - Bexleyheath - Crayford - Dartford 
Operated by Selkent.
Replaced Kentish Bus 492 Between Sidcup Station and Bexleyheath and 486 between Bexleyheath and Dartford.
Service remained as it is today every 30 minutes.
Thames Road roundabout to Dartford lost a bus route.

B11 - Bexleyheath - Lodge Hill.
Operated by Selkent.
New Midibus Route.
Replaced bus route 122 to give a fast bus from the Lodge Hill/Long Lane area to Bexleyheath Station and Shopping Centre.
Served new area in the Lodge Hill area, so giving residents’ a new bus route.
Run every 20 minutes - Monday to Saturday.

B12 - Bexleyheath - Erith
Operated by Selkent
New Midibus Route.
Replaced 122A partially.
Served new areas North of Bexleyheath and South of Erith giving residents’ a new service close to their home. Also a new service to Erith and District Hospital.
Run every 20 minutes - Monday to Saturday.

B13 - Bexleyheath - Halfway Street
Operated by Selkent
New Midibus Route.
Replaced the Crook Log section of the 132 indirectly, however the B13 served Crook Log evenings and Sundays.
Monday to Saturday (Daytime) served new roads South of Bexleyheath
Served new roads in the Blackfen are daily.
Run every 15 minutes.

B14 - Bexleyheath - Slade Green - Erith
Operated by Selkent
New Midibus Route.
Replaced Kentish Bus route 492 Bexleyheath to Thames Road Roundabout. Replaced 122A Slade Green to Erith.
New link between Parkside Avenue and Slade Green.
Run every 20 minutes - Monday to Saturday.

B15 Welling - Bexleyheath - Joyden’s Wood
Operated by Selkent
New Midibus Route.
Replaced Kentish Bus 421 Bexleyheath - Joyden’s Wood and Kentish Bus 400/401 Bexleyheath - Dartford.
Served new area North of Bexleyheath/Welling giving residents’ a new bus service, before that buses were a very long walk in some parts.
It gave the Joyden’s Wood area a massive increase in bus service from 1bph to 3 bph.
However because of the withdraw of 400/401 residents in Wilmington lost their service sadly.

[buspete]

The Roundabout tread had spilled over to Bexleybus, which prompted me to do this thread and danarak saying that it started 33 years today.

So if the moderators feel they would be happy to move the content on Bexleybus to this thread, that would be awesome? We can start a whole new chat. I have lots to say.

[buspete]

I wonder why the bus route 89 wasn’t part of the Bexleybus scheme? And maybe the 180?

Also why the B16 (Kidnrooke - Bexleyheath) replacing the B1 Kidbrooke to Eltham and 160 Eltham to Bexleyheath. Why this route came later, roughly 18 months later?

[Deleted]

Jan 17, 2021 23:12:44 GMT buspete said:

I wonder why the bus route 89 wasn’t part of the Bexleybus scheme? And maybe the 180?

Also why the B16 (Kidnrooke - Bexleyheath) replacing the B1 Kidbrooke to Eltham and 160 Eltham to Bexleyheath. Why this route came later, roughly 18 months later?

Some routes were always left alone from these schemes. Like the 208 in Orpington.

[buspete]

North of Bexleyheath got a big lift with new buses routes, which were poorly served before. Thinking where the old 122 & 122A used to run. New roads served such as Hythe Avenue and Cumberland Drive (although controversial at the time). New bus route on the Lodge Hill Area. Bedonwell Road served by 401 & B12, which were served by a hotchpotch of buses before. Bexleyheath Station served by 4 buses routes, instead of 1.

Before Bexleybus the only bus route that run between Bexleyheath and Thamesmead was the 486 - every 30 minutes or 2 buses a week. Today it is served by 4 bus routes these are; 229, 301, 401 & B11. Now there 19 buses an hour, so roughly one every three minutes. Do you think this might be overbused?

[Dillon95]

Mar 7, 2021 0:58:11 GMT buspete said:

North of Bexleyheath got a big lift with new buses routes, which were poorly served before. Thinking where the old 122 & 122A used to run. New roads served such as Hythe Avenue and Cumberland Drive (although controversial at the time). New bus route on the Lodge Hill Area. Bedonwell Road served by 401 & B12, which were served by a hotchpotch of buses before. Bexleyheath Station served by 4 buses routes, instead of 1.

Before Bexleybus the only bus route that run between Bexleyheath and Thamesmead was the 486 - every 30 minutes or 2 buses a week. Today it is served by 4 bus routes these are; 229, 301, 401 & B11. Now there 19 buses an hour, so roughly one every three minutes. Do you think this might be overbused?

No everyone from Thamesmead goes to Bexleyheath, they are always busy. Especially when they chuck out the school kids.

[DT 11]

Mar 7, 2021 10:59:22 GMT Dillon95 said:

Mar 7, 2021 0:58:11 GMT buspete said:

North of Bexleyheath got a big lift with new buses routes, which were poorly served before. Thinking where the old 122 & 122A used to run. New roads served such as Hythe Avenue and Cumberland Drive (although controversial at the time). New bus route on the Lodge Hill Area. Bedonwell Road served by 401 & B12, which were served by a hotchpotch of buses before. Bexleyheath Station served by 4 buses routes, instead of 1.

Before Bexleybus the only bus route that run between Bexleyheath and Thamesmead was the 486 - every 30 minutes or 2 buses a week. Today it is served by 4 bus routes these are; 229, 301, 401 & B11. Now there 19 buses an hour, so roughly one every three minutes. Do you think this might be overbused?

No everyone from Thamesmead goes to Bexleyheath, they are always busy. Especially when they chuck out the school kids.

Not everyone from Thamesmead goes to Bexleyheath. Having done the 229 301 & 401. The 229 is actually the busiest all day long pretty much and pretty much every stop someone wants to get on or off between Thamesmead and Erith serves lots of residential area and linking them with train stations and shopping areas and schools. 229 most people from Erith and Northumberland Heath want to go to Bexleyheath. The 301 & 401 get very busy during the peaks... faster than the 229 to Bexleyheath.

People use stops
301
Boiler House (Also 401)
Abbey Wood Station
Abbey Wood Road
Hurst Lane (New Road)
Long Lane (Also 401)

401
Belvedere Station and Industrial Area
Belvedere Police Station
Yarnton Way

[Dillon95]

Mar 7, 2021 13:00:24 GMT DT 11 said:

Mar 7, 2021 10:59:22 GMT Dillon95 said:

No everyone from Thamesmead goes to Bexleyheath, they are always busy. Especially when they chuck out the school kids.

Not everyone from Thamesmead goes to Bexleyheath.

Erm, yes they do. It’s the closest half decent shopping centre. Not to mention all the school kids.

[DT 11]

Mar 8, 2021 17:57:46 GMT Dillon95 said:

Mar 7, 2021 13:00:24 GMT DT 11 said:

Not everyone from Thamesmead goes to Bexleyheath.

Erm, yes they do. It’s the closest half decent shopping centre. Not to mention all the school kids.

Big statement there... Not everyone does...

[twobellstogo]

Mar 8, 2021 17:57:46 GMT Dillon95 said:

Mar 7, 2021 13:00:24 GMT DT 11 said:

Not everyone from Thamesmead goes to Bexleyheath.

Erm, yes they do. It’s the closest half decent shopping centre. Not to mention all the school kids.

Certainly true that a lot of people go from Thamesmead to Bexleyheath - school flows are large and so are pax heading for the shops.
There’s still plenty who go Woolwich bound though - the shops aren’t that bad there, and plenty use Woolwich as a commuting hub, with the DLR in town.

[buspete]

The 301 hasn’t met its intended use and that being Crossrail operating.

It is amazing how buses have evolved from 2 buses an hour on the 486, which was an appalling service, things didn’t improve much with Bexleybus with the introduction of the 401, which only improved buses by one extra bus per hour.

Running times of buses between Thamesmead Town Centre and Bexleyheath.

229 Thamesmead - Bexleyheath- Sidcup (6 buses an hour) - 45 minutes.
301 Woolwich - Thamesmead - Bexleyheath - (5 buses an hour) - 26 minutes
401 Thamesmead - Belvedere - Bexleyheath - (4 buses an hour) - 35 minutes
B11 Thamesmead - Abbey Wood - Bexleyheath - (4 buses an hour) - 38 minutes

I guess if I was waiting at Thamesmead Town Centre and a 301 was schedule I would wait for that one, rather than the other buses for Bexleyheath. But it’s all relative to where you are going and final destination, if I wanted Erith I would use the 229, likewise waiting in the other side of Thamesmead I would use the 229.

The take away from this is how the service has vastly improved and gives a much improved service to different parts of the estate, when none existed before.

[stuckonthe486]

What was the route of the old London Country 486? I can just about remember green buses going to Thamesmead (quite far into Greater London as well) but can’t remember where it went at the other end.

[lonmark]

Mar 9, 2021 2:37:04 GMT stuckonthe486 said:

What was the route of the old London Country 486? I can just about remember green buses going to Thamesmead (quite far into Greater London as well) but can’t remember where it went at the other end.

it goes to Joyce Green Hospital in Dartford area. check out on here

[stuckonthe486]

Mar 9, 2021 5:40:56 GMT lonmark said:

Mar 9, 2021 2:37:04 GMT stuckonthe486 said:

What was the route of the old London Country 486? I can just about remember green buses going to Thamesmead (quite far into Greater London as well) but can’t remember where it went at the other end.

it goes to Joyce Green Hospital in Dartford area. check out on here

Thank you - gosh, I remember those timetables! Is there an index to that website? The front page just seems to point to working timetables.

[lonmark]

Mar 9, 2021 12:57:26 GMT stuckonthe486 said:

Mar 9, 2021 5:40:56 GMT lonmark said:

it goes to Joyce Green Hospital in Dartford area. check out on here

Thank you - gosh, I remember those timetables! Is there an index to that website? The front page just seems to point to working timetables.

www.timetablegraveyard.co.uk//st_index.html

This is only right up to 2000's.