London Buses route 60
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60
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| Overview | |
| Operator | Arriva London |
| Garage | Croydon |
| Vehicle | DB250LF/ALX400 |
| Peak vehicle requirement | 14 |
| Nighttime | No night service |
| Route | |
| Start | Streatham |
| Via | Pollards Hill Croydon Purley |
| End | Old Coulsdon |
| Length | 12 miles (19 km) |
| Service | |
| Level | Daily |
| Frequency | About every 15 minutes |
| Journey time | 48-77 minutes |
| Operates | 5:00am until 12.00am |
| Transport for London • Performance |
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London Buses route 60 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Arriva London.
Contents |
[edit] History
Route 60 came into existence in September 1982, replacing route 130 between Croydon and Streatham Common via Streatham Vale, and route 118 from Streatham Vale and Streatham to Clapham Common via Poynders Road.
Several routes were due to be re-tendered from the summer of 1998, including route 60. The opportunity was taken to reorganise the routings as well; in particular, route 60 was extended south—replacing route 50 beyond South Croydon Garage to Purley, Coulsdon and Old Coulsdon in order to restore a link between Coulsdon and the Mayday Hospital off London Road. The section of route north of Streatham Common to Streatham and Clapham Common was transferred to a new route, the 255. The southwards extension of the 60 also partially replaced route 109, which was cut back from Purley to Croydon.
Capital Logistics was due to start operating route 60 from September 1998, however the new low floor buses specified were not ready in time. Stagecoach Selkent had lost work at the same time and was able to step in to operate most of the service. Blue Triangle of Rainham was subcontracted to provide the balance of four buses. This arrangement lasted until 25 January 1999, when Selkent had other commitments in the Bromley and Plumstead areas.[1]
It was intended that the route would then be taken on by Horsham-based Omnibus London, but two days before this could take place the company announced that it would not be able to cover most of its journeys. An emergency 15-minute frequency timetable was drawn up by Blue Triangle, and the duties were covered by whoever could supply buses and drivers. Companies operating on the route included Blue Triangle, Omnibus London, Stagecoach Selkent, Stagecoach East London, Capital Citybus, Nostalgiabus of Mitcham, Classic Coaches of High Wycombe and Sidney Road Travel of Potters Bar.[1]
This continued until 11 March 1999, when Capital Logistics was able to take the route over in full using low-floor DAF DB250 double-deckers; these were followed by further new buses of the same type later in the same month. Buses were operated from a new base in Commerce Way and the route's frequency restored to every 12 minutes.[2] Capital Logistics was bought by Status Group, owner of Tellings-Golden Miller, in mid-1999. The new owner was unhappy with the terms of the contract on the route, and withdrew from it in early 2000. The route passed back to Arriva London South.[3]
In 2001 route 60 came up for tender. The contract was won by Connex bus, who took over operation of the route on 1 September 2001. New Dennis Tridents were ordered for the route, but a slight delay in their delivery meant that similar buses were hired from Stagecoach Selkent for the first few weeeks of operation.[4] The route was then briefly operated by Connex's successor Travel London before being won again by Arriva London.
In April 2009 the reliability of the route was criticised by some residents in Coulsdon.[5] In October of the same year a bus operating on the route was involved in a minor accident in West Croydon.[6]
[edit] Current route
- Streatham Old Bus Garage
- Streatham High Road
- Greyhound Lane
- Streatham Common Station
- Streatham Vale
- Greyhound Terrace
- Rowan Road
- Wide Way
- Pollards Hil
- South Lodge Avenue
- Galpins Road
- London Road
- Thornton Heath Pond
- London Road
- West Croydon Station
- North End
- Poplar Walk (for West Croydon Bus Station and Tramlink)
- Wellesley Road
- Wellesley Road Tramlink
- Wellesley Road
- Park Street
- Croydon High Street
- South End
- South Croydon
- Brighton Road
- Riddlesdown Road
- Purley Downs Road
- Brighton Road
- Purley Road
- Purley Cross (for Purley Station)
- Brighton Road
- Reedham Station
- Brighton Road
- Coulsdon Town Station
- Brighton Road
- Coulsdon
- Brighton Road
- Coulsdon South Station
- Marlpit Lane
- Chaldon Way
- Meadway
- Tollers Lane
- The Crossways
- Coulsdon Road
- Old Coulsdon Tudor Rose
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Millar, Alan (May 1999). "Route 60: the highs and lows of a London fiasco". Buses (Ian Allan Publishing) (530): 32–33.
- ^ Aldridge, John (June 1999). "Presidents help stabilise route 60". Buses (Ian Allan Publishing) (531): 12.
- ^ Millar, Alan (June 2000). "Whatever happened to... London's route 60?". Buses (Ian Allan Publishing) (543): 16.
- ^ Aldridge, John (October 2001). "Guess what? There are some borrowed buses on route 60". Buses (Ian Allan Publishing) (559): 13.
- ^ Campaign for improvements to Coulsdon bus services returns Croydon Advertiser, 4 April 2009
- ^ Traffic halted as bus crashes in West Croydon Croydon Advertiser, 5 October 2009
