London Buses route 117
Encyclopedia
London Buses route 117 is a Transport for London
contracted bus route in London
, United Kingdom
. The service is currently contracted to Abellio London
.
On 2 April 1920 the route was reintroduced on Sundays between Heston-Hounslow Station and Virginia Water, and on 30 June 1920 it began daily operation. From 14 July 1920 the Hounslow terminus was changed to the Bus Garage. The section between Egham and Virginia Water was withdrawn on 20 October 1920, but was reinstated in the summers of 1921 and 1922.
Between 27 July 1921 and 3 January 1922 the route had a long eastward extension: via Isleworth, St Margaret's, Richmond, Sheen, Putney, and Wandsworth to Clapham Common. On Saturdays and Sundays until 11 December 1921 route 117A ran between Clapham Common and Ascot.
On 4 January 1922 route 117 was reorganised to run daily from Hounslow Garage to Egham via Feltham, Ashford and Staines. From 31 May 1922 route 117A ran between Hounslow and Virginia Water daily via Bedfont, and on to Ascot at weekends. From 11 October 1922 route 117A ran between Hounslow Garage and Staines via Bedfont, and on to Ascot on summer Sundays.
On 12 November 1924 route 117 was extended daily from Egham via Englefield Green and Old Windsor to Windsor Castle.
On 1 December 1924 route 117A was renumbered 116A.
Between 11 July 1926 and 10 October 1926 the 117 had another venture eastwards. This time it was just on Sundays and went via London Road, Spur Road, Syon Lane, Great West Road, Chiswick High Road, and Hammersmith, to Shepherds Bush.
From 20 July 1927 to 24 January 1928 the route was cut back at Englefield Green because of road works. On 1 February 1928 the route was extended from Windsor to Slough via Eton. From 11 May 1932 on weekdays the route ran in two sections: Hounslow to Egham and Staines to Slough. On 19 February 1933 the Sunday service was withdrawn between Windsor and Slough. On 1 March 1933 the weekday section between Staines and Slough was renumbered 417 and became a "country" route.
From 14 August 1935 the route ran between Hounslow and Staines daily, and on to Windsor via Runnymede on Saturday pm and Sundays. On 30 September 1935 the extension beyond Staines was withdrawn. From 6 April 1936 to 21 November 1939 the route ran daily between Hounslow and Virginia Water. From 22 November 1939 to 1962 route 117 ran between Hounslow and Egham. An extension to Virginia Water (this time numbered 117A) ran on summer Sundays in 1946, 1947 and 1948, and on summer Saturday pm in 1946 and 1947. At its peak in the early 1950s, Saturday afternoon services ran 18 times an hour between Hounslow and Staines, with 6 an hour going on to Egham.1 On Mon-Fridays the service was much less intensive, with alternate buses running only as far as Lower Feltham.
The route was stable from 1948 until 1962, when trolleybus route 657, Hounslow to Shepherd's Bush, was withdrawn. Route 117 was doubled in length to run to Shepherd's Bush
on Mondays to Saturdays (the replacement on Sundays was route 81B). At the same time the Egham to Staines section was withdrawn on Sundays.
On 19 July 1975 the Egham to Staines section was withdrawn completely. The Brentford to Shepherd’s Bush section was transferred to route 237
on 28 January 1978 and route 117 was converted to driver-only operation. The Hounslow to Brentford section was not covered in the evenings or at weekends.
From 10 August 1981 the Saturday service was extended to Brentford. The Sunday service followed on 27 November 1993. From 31 August 1996 the service was withdrawn east of the London Road junction with Thornbury Road in Isleworth. Hounslow Bus Station had severe capacity constraints, and this was the first point east of there that buses could be reversed. On 1 September 2001 the route was extended further along London Road, then via St John's Road and Twickenham Road to West Middlesex Hospital
.
De-regulation and London competitive tendering saw several different operators. First was Westlink
from 1987, then in 1991 Tellings-Golden Miller
, using a fleet of ex-Midland Fox long Leyland National
s. Tellings pulled out of bus operations quickly, and the 117 (and 116
) passed to London & Country on 23 February 1992.
In 1996, using new Dennis Dart
s, Armchair took over operation of the route. Armchair retained the route on re-tendering from September 2001, with new low floor Dennis Dart
SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2s.
Armchair again retained the route in September 2006, specifying the same vehicles but refurbished. Soon after Armchair was taken over by Metroline
, and despite an earlier decision to keep the brands separate, the buses were repainted into standard Metroline livery, which they wear currently.
On 3 September 2011, Abellio London successfully gained the contract for route 117 and are operating it from their Fulwell (TF) garage using Alexander Dennis Enviro200s.
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
contracted bus route in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The service is currently contracted to Abellio London
Abellio (UK bus company)
Abellio London and Abellio Surrey operate buses in London and Surrey. They are part of the Abellio Group owned by the Nederlandse Spoorwegen.-History:...
.
History
Route 117 first started on 16 April 1916 as a Sunday-only service from Heston-Hounslow Station (now Hounslow Central) via Bedfont and Staines to Egham. (The section between Hounslow and Staines would later become route 116.) It was withdrawn after 9 July 1916. It ran again on Sundays from 13 April 1919, and was extended on 8 June 1919 to Virginia Water. This extension was withdrawn on 16 November and the whole route was withdrawn after 28 December 1919.On 2 April 1920 the route was reintroduced on Sundays between Heston-Hounslow Station and Virginia Water, and on 30 June 1920 it began daily operation. From 14 July 1920 the Hounslow terminus was changed to the Bus Garage. The section between Egham and Virginia Water was withdrawn on 20 October 1920, but was reinstated in the summers of 1921 and 1922.
Between 27 July 1921 and 3 January 1922 the route had a long eastward extension: via Isleworth, St Margaret's, Richmond, Sheen, Putney, and Wandsworth to Clapham Common. On Saturdays and Sundays until 11 December 1921 route 117A ran between Clapham Common and Ascot.
On 4 January 1922 route 117 was reorganised to run daily from Hounslow Garage to Egham via Feltham, Ashford and Staines. From 31 May 1922 route 117A ran between Hounslow and Virginia Water daily via Bedfont, and on to Ascot at weekends. From 11 October 1922 route 117A ran between Hounslow Garage and Staines via Bedfont, and on to Ascot on summer Sundays.
On 12 November 1924 route 117 was extended daily from Egham via Englefield Green and Old Windsor to Windsor Castle.
On 1 December 1924 route 117A was renumbered 116A.
Between 11 July 1926 and 10 October 1926 the 117 had another venture eastwards. This time it was just on Sundays and went via London Road, Spur Road, Syon Lane, Great West Road, Chiswick High Road, and Hammersmith, to Shepherds Bush.
From 20 July 1927 to 24 January 1928 the route was cut back at Englefield Green because of road works. On 1 February 1928 the route was extended from Windsor to Slough via Eton. From 11 May 1932 on weekdays the route ran in two sections: Hounslow to Egham and Staines to Slough. On 19 February 1933 the Sunday service was withdrawn between Windsor and Slough. On 1 March 1933 the weekday section between Staines and Slough was renumbered 417 and became a "country" route.
From 14 August 1935 the route ran between Hounslow and Staines daily, and on to Windsor via Runnymede on Saturday pm and Sundays. On 30 September 1935 the extension beyond Staines was withdrawn. From 6 April 1936 to 21 November 1939 the route ran daily between Hounslow and Virginia Water. From 22 November 1939 to 1962 route 117 ran between Hounslow and Egham. An extension to Virginia Water (this time numbered 117A) ran on summer Sundays in 1946, 1947 and 1948, and on summer Saturday pm in 1946 and 1947. At its peak in the early 1950s, Saturday afternoon services ran 18 times an hour between Hounslow and Staines, with 6 an hour going on to Egham.1 On Mon-Fridays the service was much less intensive, with alternate buses running only as far as Lower Feltham.
The route was stable from 1948 until 1962, when trolleybus route 657, Hounslow to Shepherd's Bush, was withdrawn. Route 117 was doubled in length to run to Shepherd's Bush
Shepherd's Bush
-Commerce:Commercial activity in Shepherd's Bush is now focused on the Westfield shopping centre next to Shepherd's Bush Central line station and on the many small shops which run along the northern side of the Green....
on Mondays to Saturdays (the replacement on Sundays was route 81B). At the same time the Egham to Staines section was withdrawn on Sundays.
On 19 July 1975 the Egham to Staines section was withdrawn completely. The Brentford to Shepherd’s Bush section was transferred to route 237
London Buses route 237
London Buses route 237 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. This route is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
on 28 January 1978 and route 117 was converted to driver-only operation. The Hounslow to Brentford section was not covered in the evenings or at weekends.
From 10 August 1981 the Saturday service was extended to Brentford. The Sunday service followed on 27 November 1993. From 31 August 1996 the service was withdrawn east of the London Road junction with Thornbury Road in Isleworth. Hounslow Bus Station had severe capacity constraints, and this was the first point east of there that buses could be reversed. On 1 September 2001 the route was extended further along London Road, then via St John's Road and Twickenham Road to West Middlesex Hospital
West Middlesex Hospital
The West Middlesex University Hospital is an acute NHS hospital in Isleworth, west London. It serves the London Boroughs of Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames...
.
De-regulation and London competitive tendering saw several different operators. First was Westlink
Westlink
Westlink or West-link could refer to:*Westlink M7, an urban freeway connecting the northern and southern suburbs of Sydney, Australia.*Westlink, the A12 dual-carriageway through Belfast, Northern Ireland....
from 1987, then in 1991 Tellings-Golden Miller
Tellings-Golden Miller
Tellings-Golden Miller , a subsidiary of Arriva, is a bus service and coach operator in the United Kingdom.-Golden Miller:Reputedly, Fred Varney began the Golden Miller company with the winnings from a bet made on the horse Golden Miller, which won the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National in...
, using a fleet of ex-Midland Fox long Leyland National
Leyland National
The Leyland National is a British single-deck bus built in large quantities between 1972 and 1985. It was developed as a joint project between two UK nationalised industries - the National Bus Company and British Leyland. Buses were constructed at a specially built factory at the Lillyhall...
s. Tellings pulled out of bus operations quickly, and the 117 (and 116
London Buses route 116
London Buses route 116 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to London United.-History:...
) passed to London & Country on 23 February 1992.
In 1996, using new Dennis Dart
Dennis Dart
The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
s, Armchair took over operation of the route. Armchair retained the route on re-tendering from September 2001, with new low floor Dennis Dart
Dennis Dart
The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2s.
Armchair again retained the route in September 2006, specifying the same vehicles but refurbished. Soon after Armchair was taken over by Metroline
Metroline
Metroline, owned by ComfortDelGro Corporation of Singapore, is one of many companies operating bus services in London under the management of London Buses.-Company history:...
, and despite an earlier decision to keep the brands separate, the buses were repainted into standard Metroline livery, which they wear currently.
On 3 September 2011, Abellio London successfully gained the contract for route 117 and are operating it from their Fulwell (TF) garage using Alexander Dennis Enviro200s.
Current route
- West Middlesex HospitalWest Middlesex HospitalThe West Middlesex University Hospital is an acute NHS hospital in Isleworth, west London. It serves the London Boroughs of Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames...
- St John's Road for Isleworth StationIsleworth railway stationIsleworth railway station is in the London Borough of Hounslow, in west London, and is in Travelcard Zone 4. It is 19 km south west of London Waterloo...
- HounslowHounslowHounslow is the principal town in the London Borough of Hounslow. It is a suburban development situated 10.6 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. It forms a post town in the TW postcode area.-Etymology:...
High Street - Hounslow HeathHounslow HeathHounslow Heath is a public open space and local nature reserve to the west of Hounslow, a London borough. It now covers about , the residue of the historic Hounslow Heath that covered over .-History:...
- North Feltham
- Feltham StationFeltham railway stationFeltham railway station is in Feltham, in the London Borough of Hounslow. It was opened in 1848 by the Windsor Staines and South Western Railway . It is in Travelcard Zone 6. A regular bus service runs from Feltham to Heathrow Airport.-Facilities:A footbridge in the station with lifts connects the...
- Ashford Station
- Staines StationStaines railway stationStaines railway station is in Staines, Surrey. South West Trains manage it and provide all services which are down to , and and up to London Waterloo....
- StainesStainesStaines is a Thames-side town in the Spelthorne borough of Surrey and Greater London Urban Area, as well as the London Commuter Belt of South East England. It is a suburban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in...
Bus Station