London Buses route 157
Encyclopedia
London Buses route 157 is a Transport for London
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

Today's 157 commenced operation on 13 September 1926 as a daily service between Morden Station
Morden tube station
Morden is a London Underground station in Morden in the London Borough of Merton. The station is the southern terminus for the Northern line and is the most southerly station on the Underground network. The next station north is...

 and Wallington
Wallington, London
Wallington is a town in the London Borough of Sutton situated south south-west of Charing Cross. Prior to the merger of the Municipal Borough of Beddington and Wallington into the London Borough of Sutton, it was part of the county of Surrey.- History :...

 (Melbourne Hotel) via Morden Road, Bishopsford Road, Sutton
Sutton, London
Sutton is a large suburban town in southwest London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Sutton. It is located south-southwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. The town was connected to central London by...

 and Carshalton
Carshalton
Carshalton is a suburban area of the London Borough of Sutton, England. It is located 10 miles south-southwest of Charing Cross, situated in the valley of the River Wandle, one of the sources of which is Carshalton Ponds in the centre of the village. The combined population of the five wards...

. It was one of five new "Underground feeder" routes (155, 156
London Buses route 156
London Buses route 156 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Abellio London.-History:...

, 157, 164 & 165) that were introduced to connect to the new Northern Line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...

 station at Morden
Morden
Morden is a district in the London Borough of Merton. It is located approximately South-southwest of central London between Merton Park , Mitcham , Sutton and Worcester Park .- Origin of name :...

, which also opened on 13 September 1926. Three single-deck AEC K-type
AEC K-type
The AEC K-type was a type of bus chassis built by Associated Equipment Company from 1919 until 1926, mainly for use in London by the London General Omnibus Company ....

 buses were needed to provide the service. This was the third time that the route number 157 had been used on a motor-bus route in London. Just twelve days later on 25 September 1926, the 157 was re-routed to serve St Helier Avenue
St. Helier, London
St. Helier is a residential estate in the London boroughs of Merton and Sutton. The portion of the estate north of Green Lane and Bishopsford Road is in Merton, the rest is in Sutton.-History:...

. The route must have been well patronised as from 18 March 1927 it was double-decked with 3 AEC NS-type buses being allocated.

As from 1 April 1931 the 157 was again re-routed between Morden and Sutton, this time via the Sutton-by-Pass (today's Reigate Avenue) and Collingwood Road. This routing was changed again as from 28 February 1934 when the 157 was diverted to serve Angel Hill. Less than a month later, as from 25 March 1934, the 157 became a Monday to Saturday only route when the Sunday service was withdrawn. On 16 January 1935, the routing was again changed, this time the 157 was diverted at Rose Hill via Wrythe Lane and North Street to Carshalton, with the route becoming a daily service again, as well as being extended from Morden Station to Raynes Park
Raynes Park
Raynes Park is a suburb within the London Borough of Merton south-west London, centred around Raynes Park station and situated between Wimbledon and New Malden. It is 8.2 miles south-west of Charing Cross. The area is effectively divided into two by the Waterloo - Southampton mainline railway...

 via South Merton as from 27 February 1935.

In 1954 the RT
AEC Regent III RT
The AEC Regent III RT was a variant of the AEC Regent III. It was a double-decker bus produced jointly between AEC and London Transport. It was the standard red London bus during the 1950s.-Prototype:...

 buses replaced the D Type vehicles that had been allocated to the route since 1945. On 4 March 1959 in the first stage of London Transport
London Transport Executive
The London Transport Executive was the organisation responsible for public transport in the Greater London area, UK, between 1948-1962. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.-Creation:On 1...

's trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...

 replacement scheme the service was extended to Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace, London
Crystal Palace is a residential area in south London, England named from the former local landmark, The Crystal Palace, which occupied the area from 1854 to 1936. The area is located approximately 8 miles south east of Charing Cross, and offers impressive views over the capital...

, replacing trolleybus route 654. In 1964 Carshalton garage closed, and a new Saturday service was introduced. In 1970 a Sunday service was added to the route, but this didn't last long as later in the year the Sunday service between Morden and Raynes Park was terminated, as only Monday-Saturday and early Sunday morning services were still keeping the 'Original route'. The service was enhanced due to the withdrawal of the 154 between West Croydon
West Croydon station
West Croydon station is a transport interchange for National Rail and Tramlink services, as well as London Buses. It is in the London Borough of Croydon and Travelcard Zone 5...

 and Crystal Palace in 1981.

In 1987, Leyland ECW Olympians
Leyland Olympian
The Leyland Olympian was a double-decker bus built by British Leyland/Leyland Bus in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production before the demise of Leyland Bus.-Construction:...

 were introduced to the route. Near the end of 1988 Sutton Bus was awarded the contract to run the 157 and used MCW Metrobus
MCW Metrobus
The MCW Metrobus is a double decker bus model manufactured by MCW from 1977 until 1989, with over 4,000 examples built. The original MkI model was superseded by the MkII model in 1981/1982, although production of the original MkI continued for London Transport until 1985...

 types, until around 1997 when London General
London General
London General is a bus company operating in Surrey ang Greater London. It is owned by the Go-Ahead Group and operates most buses under contract to London Buses...

 got awarded an early Christmas present as London Buses
London Buses
London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...

 gave them the contract for the 157, which they used straight away changing the fleet to Volvo Olympian
Volvo Olympian
The Volvo Olympian was a rear-engine double decker bus built by Volvo at Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. It was first built in 1992 and entered production in March 1993, replacing the Leyland Olympian....

s. This carried on until 2001 when they lost the contract to Connex Bus, and as explained before they lost out to Travel London
Travel London
Travel London was a bus operator in London which was originally a subsidiary of the National Express Group. In May 2009 the company was sold to NedRailways, now called Abellio...

 in 2004 although there are still signs of Connex on the buses as the logo used still is inside of the buses.

Current route

  • Crystal Palace
    Crystal Palace, London
    Crystal Palace is a residential area in south London, England named from the former local landmark, The Crystal Palace, which occupied the area from 1854 to 1936. The area is located approximately 8 miles south east of Charing Cross, and offers impressive views over the capital...

     Parade
  • Crystal Palace Station
    Crystal Palace railway station
    Crystal Palace railway station is in the London Borough of Bromley in south London. It is located in the Anerley area between the town centres of Crystal Palace and Penge...

  • Anerley Hill
  • Anerley
    Anerley
    Anerley is a district of South London, England, located in the London Borough of Bromley. It is situated south south-east of Charing Cross. Anerley is geographically an outer lying area of London, although it is considered to have characteristics of an Inner city suburb...

     Madeline Road
  • Anerley Station
    Anerley railway station
    Anerley railway station is in the London Borough of Bromley in south London. The station is operated by London Overground, with London Overground and Southern trains serving the station. It is located in Travelcard Zone 4....

  • Anerley Road
  • Anerley
    Anerley
    Anerley is a district of South London, England, located in the London Borough of Bromley. It is situated south south-east of Charing Cross. Anerley is geographically an outer lying area of London, although it is considered to have characteristics of an Inner city suburb...

     Oak Grove Road
  • Croydon Road
  • Anerley
    Anerley
    Anerley is a district of South London, England, located in the London Borough of Bromley. It is situated south south-east of Charing Cross. Anerley is geographically an outer lying area of London, although it is considered to have characteristics of an Inner city suburb...

     Mitre
  • Penge Road Goat House
  • South Norwood
    South Norwood
    South Norwood is an urban town and in south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a suburban development 7.8 miles south-east of Charing Cross. South Norwood is an electoral with a resident population in 2001 of just over 14,000...

     High Street
  • Norwood Junction Station
    Norwood Junction railway station
    Norwood Junction railway station is in South Norwood in the London Borough of Croydon in south London, in Travelcard Zone 4.The station is managed by London Overground and trains operated by Southern and London Overground .-History:...

     Clocktower
  • South Norwood
    South Norwood
    South Norwood is an urban town and in south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a suburban development 7.8 miles south-east of Charing Cross. South Norwood is an electoral with a resident population in 2001 of just over 14,000...

     Tennison Road
  • Selhurst Station
    Selhurst railway station
    Selhurst railway station is in the London Borough of Croydon in south London from Victoria. The station is operated by Southern, who also provide the majority of services , and is in Travelcard Zone 4.- History :The Balham Hill and East Croydon line was constructed by the London Brighton...

  • Selhurst Road
    Selhurst Road
    Selhurst Road is a main road between South Norwood and Selhurst in the London Borough of Croydon, South London. It forms part of the A213 road which is a major A Road connecting both Sydenham and Croydon....

  • Northcote Road (for BRIT School
    BRIT School
    The London School for Performing Arts & Technology is a British school located in Selhurst, Croydon, in London, England, with a mandate to provide education and vocational training for the performing arts, media, art and design and the technologies that make performance possible...

    )
  • Whitehorse Road Windmill Road
  • Wellesley Road St. Mary's High School
  • West Croydon Station
    West Croydon station
    West Croydon station is a transport interchange for National Rail and Tramlink services, as well as London Buses. It is in the London Borough of Croydon and Travelcard Zone 5...

     Bus station
  • Croydon
    Croydon
    Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...

     Tamworth Road (for Centrale)
  • Reeves Corner tram stop
    Reeves Corner tram stop
    Reeves Corner tram stop is a halt on the Tramlink service in central Croydon.It is normally only served by trams coming from Wimbledon to Croydon; trams going in the opposite direction pass the station on the other side of the road without stopping....

     (for Church Street
    Church Street
    -Streets:* Church Street, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom* Church Street , New York City, New York, United States* Church Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia* Church Street , England, United Kingdom...

    )
  • Waddon New Road
  • Epsom Road
  • Waddon Station
    Waddon railway station
    Waddon railway station is in the London Borough of Croydon in south London. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southern. It is in Travelcard Zone 5....

     Stafford Road
  • Purley Way
    Purley Way
    Purley Way is a section of the A23 trunk road in the London Borough of Croydon, in the areas of Purley, Waddon and West Croydon, and has given its name to the out-of-town shopping area alongside it with a catchment area covering most of South London. It was designed as a bypass for Croydon and was...

     Fiveways Corner
  • Stafford Road
  • South Beddington
  • Wallington
    Wallington, London
    Wallington is a town in the London Borough of Sutton situated south south-west of Charing Cross. Prior to the merger of the Municipal Borough of Beddington and Wallington into the London Borough of Sutton, it was part of the county of Surrey.- History :...

     Mellows Park
  • Wallington Station
    Wallington railway station
    Wallington railway station is in the London Borough of Sutton in south London. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southern, and is in Travelcard Zone 5....

  • Manor Road
  • Carshalton
    Carshalton
    Carshalton is a suburban area of the London Borough of Sutton, England. It is located 10 miles south-southwest of Charing Cross, situated in the valley of the River Wandle, one of the sources of which is Carshalton Ponds in the centre of the village. The combined population of the five wards...

     High street
  • Carshalton Station
    Carshalton railway station
    Carshalton railway station is a railway station at Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton in South London.The station is served by First Capital Connect and Southern trains. It is in Travelcard Zone 5. From here you can catch a direct train to as far north as Luton in Bedfordshire and...

     West Street
  • Carshalton
    Carshalton
    Carshalton is a suburban area of the London Borough of Sutton, England. It is located 10 miles south-southwest of Charing Cross, situated in the valley of the River Wandle, one of the sources of which is Carshalton Ponds in the centre of the village. The combined population of the five wards...

     Wrythe Green
  • Wrythe Lane
  • St. Helier
    St. Helier, London
    St. Helier is a residential estate in the London boroughs of Merton and Sutton. The portion of the estate north of Green Lane and Bishopsford Road is in Merton, the rest is in Sutton.-History:...

     Hospital
  • St. Helier
    St. Helier, London
    St. Helier is a residential estate in the London boroughs of Merton and Sutton. The portion of the estate north of Green Lane and Bishopsford Road is in Merton, the rest is in Sutton.-History:...

     Rose Hill
    Rose Hill
    -People:* Rose Hill , British actress* Rose Hill , British wheelchair athlete-England:* Rose Hill, Derby, inner city suburb in Derby* Rose Hill, Oxfordshire, city council estate near Oxford...

  • St. Helier Avenue
  • Morden Hall Road
  • Morden
    Morden
    Morden is a district in the London Borough of Merton. It is located approximately South-southwest of central London between Merton Park , Mitcham , Sutton and Worcester Park .- Origin of name :...

     Town Centre
  • Morden Station
    Morden tube station
    Morden is a London Underground station in Morden in the London Borough of Merton. The station is the southern terminus for the Northern line and is the most southerly station on the Underground network. The next station north is...


Previous route 157s in London

The route number 157 had been used twice prior to its current use.
  • Between March 1914 and October 1914 for a Camden Town
    Camden Town
    -Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...

      Epping Forest
    Epping Forest
    Epping Forest is an area of ancient woodland in south-east England, straddling the border between north-east Greater London and Essex. It is a former royal forest, and is managed by the City of London Corporation....

     (High Beach) Sundays only route via Finsbury Park, Clapton
    Upper Clapton
    Upper Clapton is a district in the London Borough of Hackney. It is bounded by the Hackney districts of Stamford Hill to the west, Lower Clapton and Lea Bridge to the south and the Haringey district of South Tottenham to the north...

     and Leyton
    Leyton
    Leyton is an area of north-east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, located north east of Charing Cross. It borders Walthamstow and Leytonstone; Stratford in Newham; and Homerton and Lower Clapton in the London Borough of Hackney....

    .
  • Between April 1915 and October 1915 for a Finsbury Park
    Finsbury Park, London
    Finsbury Park is an area in north London, England which grew up around an important railway interchange at the junction of the London Boroughs of Islington, Haringey and Hackney...

    Epping Forest (High Beach) Sundays only route via Clapton and Leyton.

External links

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