London Buses route 185
Encyclopedia
London Buses route 185 is a Transport for London
contracted bus route in London
, United Kingdom
. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London
.
south side, via the current route and Greenwich
. This bus acted as a tram replacement route, at the time in which the government was trying to phase out the trams.
In 1982 the Lewisham to Blackwall Tunnel stretch was withdrawn, with the exception of peak services to Greenwich Church. In 1987 the part between Lewisham and Greenwich was completely scrapped, in favour of a shorter route. The route only had minor modifications between then and 2001, such as garage changes and the buses changing from RTLs to Titans
.
In January 2001 Stagecoach London
(Stagecoach Selkent at the time) operation was terminated in favour of London Easylink
. However because Easylink did not receive operators licences in time for their own buses, they hired in buses from Stagecoach for a few weeks. Ironically, these buses were the buses that ran on the previous tender. The operation of the 185 then ran smoothly until August 2002, when London Easylink went into liquidation. Blue Triangle was given the task of organising emergency cover at short notice.
A large number of operators were involved in providing replacement services, which operated every 15 minutes instead of every 10 as had been run prior to London Easylink's collapse. London Central
and London General
provided low-floor Volvo B7TL
double-deckers amongst older vehicles, and fellow Go-Ahead Group
subsidiary Metrobus also contributed. Independent operators Amber Lee, Carousel Buses
, Imperial Buses
, Redroute Buses and Sullivan Buses
all provided vehicles made spare during the break in school terms; none had previously operated a TfL contracted route. Arriva London
's tourist division The Original London Sightseeing Tour operated the route using closed-top MCW Metrobus
es. After a month of service, First London
and TfL subsidiary East Thames Buses
joined the operation, while Stagecoach London
operated additional journeys on route 53
, which parallels the 185 over the southern section of route.
In December 2002 it was revealed that the 185 was the fifth least reliable service in London. Shortly after this in 2003, East Thames Buses was awarded the contract. East Thames initially started operating with low floor Dennis Dart SLF/Caetano Compass buses, but these were soon replaced. Double-deckers were reintroduced; one was involved in a minor accident in November 2007.
On 3 October 2009, East Thames Buses was taken over by Go-Ahead London. Route 185 is now operated by Go-Ahead London, using former East Thames buses having gained a 5 year contract.
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 Go-Ahead London
Go-Ahead London
Go-Ahead London is the trading name used collectively for the London bus operations of the Go-Ahead Group. The name first appeared in August 2008, before which the company had traded under separate names and brands...
.
History
The original route 185 ran between Victoria and Blackwall TunnelBlackwall Tunnel
The Blackwall Tunnel is a pair of road tunnels underneath the River Thames in east London, linking the London Borough of Tower Hamlets with the London Borough of Greenwich, and part of the A102 road. The northern portal lies just south of the East India Dock Road in Blackwall; the southern...
south side, via the current route and Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
. This bus acted as a tram replacement route, at the time in which the government was trying to phase out the trams.
In 1982 the Lewisham to Blackwall Tunnel stretch was withdrawn, with the exception of peak services to Greenwich Church. In 1987 the part between Lewisham and Greenwich was completely scrapped, in favour of a shorter route. The route only had minor modifications between then and 2001, such as garage changes and the buses changing from RTLs to Titans
Leyland Titan (B15)
The Leyland Titan was a model of double-decker bus produced by the Leyland Truck & Bus division of British Leyland from 1977 until 1984, almost exclusively for London Transport.-Development:...
.
In January 2001 Stagecoach London
Stagecoach London
Stagecoach London , is a bus company which principally operates services in the UK capital city of London, under contract to the London Buses arm of Transport for London. It was formed in 1989 as a subsidiary of London Buses. The company privatised in 1994 and acquired by the Stagecoach Group, but...
(Stagecoach Selkent at the time) operation was terminated in favour of London Easylink
London Easylink
London Easylink was a short-lived bus operator located in London. Its base was at the Transco Gas station, on Old Kent Road. In late 2002, Easylink went into liquidation. They operated London Buses route 185 with Plaxton President-bodied Volvo B7TLs, and had just won London Buses route 42 with...
. However because Easylink did not receive operators licences in time for their own buses, they hired in buses from Stagecoach for a few weeks. Ironically, these buses were the buses that ran on the previous tender. The operation of the 185 then ran smoothly until August 2002, when London Easylink went into liquidation. Blue Triangle was given the task of organising emergency cover at short notice.
A large number of operators were involved in providing replacement services, which operated every 15 minutes instead of every 10 as had been run prior to London Easylink's collapse. London Central
London Central
London Central is one of many operators of London Buses. It was established in late 1988 as one of 12 operating subsidiaries of London Buses Limited , and was privatised to the Go-Ahead Group in September 1994...
and 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...
provided low-floor Volvo B7TL
Volvo B7TL
Volvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of Volvo Olympian...
double-deckers amongst older vehicles, and fellow Go-Ahead Group
Go-Ahead Group
The Go-Ahead Group plc is a rail and bus operating company that was created following the privatisation of the UK's train and bus industries. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-Early history:...
subsidiary Metrobus also contributed. Independent operators Amber Lee, Carousel Buses
Carousel Buses
Carousel Buses is an independent bus company based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England which operates a network of local and inter-urban bus services.-History:Carousel Buses was formed in 2000...
, Imperial Buses
Imperial Buses
Imperial Buses is a small bus company located in Romford, Essex who operate public transport services and private hire in Essex, Greater London and Thurrock.-Routes:...
, Redroute Buses and Sullivan Buses
Sullivan Buses
Sullivan Buses is a bus operating company based in South Mimms, Hertfordshire, England. Founded in 1999, it operates local bus services in and around Hertfordshire including school services; rail replacement bus services in and near London; bus links in Surrey to and from Thorpe Park; and vehicle...
all provided vehicles made spare during the break in school terms; none had previously operated a TfL contracted route. Arriva London
Arriva London
Arriva London is a division of Arriva which operates bus services in London, UK. It is made up of many previous bus operators including previously independent Grey Green...
's tourist division The Original London Sightseeing Tour operated the route using closed-top 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...
es. After a month of service, First London
First London
.First London is one of many operators of London Buses and owned by First Group. They did also run the Tramlink network, in a partnership with Tramtrack Croydon before June 2008. Their registered office is at Paddington station in London...
and TfL subsidiary East Thames Buses
East Thames Buses
East Thames Buses was the only government owned bus operator of London Buses. It was sold to London General in 2009.-History:East Thames Buses was formed in 1999 to take over the services operated by the failed Harris Bus Company...
joined the operation, while Stagecoach London
Stagecoach London
Stagecoach London , is a bus company which principally operates services in the UK capital city of London, under contract to the London Buses arm of Transport for London. It was formed in 1989 as a subsidiary of London Buses. The company privatised in 1994 and acquired by the Stagecoach Group, but...
operated additional journeys on route 53
London Buses route 53
London Buses route 53 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Stagecoach London.-History:...
, which parallels the 185 over the southern section of route.
In December 2002 it was revealed that the 185 was the fifth least reliable service in London. Shortly after this in 2003, East Thames Buses was awarded the contract. East Thames initially started operating with low floor Dennis Dart SLF/Caetano Compass buses, but these were soon replaced. Double-deckers were reintroduced; one was involved in a minor accident in November 2007.
On 3 October 2009, East Thames Buses was taken over by Go-Ahead London. Route 185 is now operated by Go-Ahead London, using former East Thames buses having gained a 5 year contract.
Current route
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- Forest Hill StationForest Hill railway stationForest Hill railway station is situated in Forest Hill, part of the London Borough of Lewisham. The station is located on the South Circular Road ....
- East Dulwich StationEast Dulwich railway stationEast Dulwich railway station is in the London Borough of Southwark in East Dulwich, south London. The station, and the trains which serve it are operated by Southern, and it is in Travelcard Zone 2. It is now inside the Oyster PAYG scheme and is not part of the planned extension to the London...
- Denmark Hill StationDenmark Hill railway stationDenmark Hill railway station is a railway station in the London Borough of Southwark in London, England, on the Inner South London Line. The station is managed by Southeastern and is served by trains of that company and Southern. It is in Travelcard Zone 2. It is located on Champion Park in the...
- Camberwell GreenCamberwell GreenCamberwell Green is a small area of common land in Camberwell, South London. It lies at the intersection of Camberwell Road and Camberwell New Road/Camberwell Church Street. At the North-East of the green is Camberwell Magistrate's Court, and at the North West is a home for the elderly...
- Oval StationOval tube stationOval tube station in Kennington is a station on the Northern line of the London Underground between Stockwell and Kennington stations. It is the only station on the Morden branch of the Northern line whose name begins with a vowel and is one of only two stations on the London Underground with only...
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- Vauxhall StationVauxhall stationVauxhall station is a National Rail, London Underground and London Buses interchange station in central London. It is at the Vauxhall Cross road junction opposite the southern approach to Vauxhall Bridge over the River Thames in the London district of Vauxhall...
- Bessborough Gardens for Pimlico StationPimlico tube stationPimlico is a London Underground station in Pimlico, City of Westminster. It is on the Victoria line between Victoria and Vauxhall in Zone 1. The station opened on 14 September 1972 more than a year after the rest of the line had become fully operational....
- Victoria Station Wilton Road