London Buses route 24
Encyclopedia
London Buses route 24 is a Transport for London
contracted bus route in London
, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London
.
and Victoria. The 24 was extended in August 1912 to Pimlico
and has continued in that form until the present day, making this the oldest unchanged bus route in London.
Originally, the route was operated by the London General Omnibus Company
(LGOC), and later the British Automobile Traction Co Ltd until September 1933 when the London Passenger Transport Board
(LPTB), later London Transport Executive
, was formed and ran under the name "London Transport".
During its life with London Transport, the 24 was operated mainly from Chalk Farm
Garage in Harmood Street (Nr Camden Town). It was also run at times from Victoria (Gillingham Street) garage. The route was selected to be the first London's red bus route to use front entrance, rear engined buses in 1965. The route was crew operated until 1986, apart from two short periods in 1965/1966 and 1975.
The route was the first in central London to be tendered following the introduction of contracted operation; it was won by Grey-Green
in 1988, using vehicles its own grey, green and orange livery from its garage in Stamford Hill. Grey-Green were at the time owned by Cowie Group, later Arriva
, and became part of Arriva London
following the company's acquisition of two other London operators.
In November 2002 the route was transferred from Arriva
to Metroline
run from Holloway Garage, and later in 2006 it was the first London bus route to be operated by Alexander Dennis Enviro400 double deckers. On 10 November 2007 operation of route 24 passed to London General, with 29 new buses replacing the Enviros.
Five hybrid buses
were introduced to the route in early 2009.
On the 11 February 2008, a bus on diversion due to the Camden Town
fires was deroofed, after the driver drove into the side rather than under the middle of an arch bridge
. Six people were injured, one seriously. TfL
said the diversion was safe if drivers followed instructions, and had been operating successfully for over 24 hours. This came just 3 months after another 24 lost its roof in the same place while out of service.
A night element to the route was introduced on 27 November 1999, in the form of route N24, to replace part of the withdrawn route N2 between Hampstead Heath and Pimlico. The N prefix was dropped during April 2004, thus making it a 24-hour route.
Bus 24 made it into the news in February 2010 when a Muslim bus driver, new to the country, pulled the bus over near Gospel Oak, locked passengers in and prayed to Mecca. The Sun newspaper had to pay out £30,000 after allegedly misrepresenting the incidents stating that the driver was a fanatic who had forced passengers off the bus.
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. 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
This route dates back to 1910, when it ran between Hampstead HeathHampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath is a large, ancient London park, covering . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band of London clay...
and Victoria. The 24 was extended in August 1912 to Pimlico
Pimlico
Pimlico is a small area of central London in the City of Westminster. Like Belgravia, to which it was built as a southern extension, Pimlico is known for its grand garden squares and impressive Regency architecture....
and has continued in that form until the present day, making this the oldest unchanged bus route in London.
Originally, the route was operated by the London General Omnibus Company
London General Omnibus Company
The London General Omnibus Company or LGOC, was the principal bus operator in London between 1855 and 1933. It was also, for a short period between 1909 and 1912, a motor bus manufacturer.- Overview :...
(LGOC), and later the British Automobile Traction Co Ltd until September 1933 when the London Passenger Transport Board
London Passenger Transport Board
The London Passenger Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1933 to 1948...
(LPTB), later London Transport Executive
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...
, was formed and ran under the name "London Transport".
During its life with London Transport, the 24 was operated mainly from Chalk Farm
Chalk Farm
Chalk Farm is an area of north London, England. It lies directly to the north of Camden Town and its underground station is the closest tube station to the nearby, upmarket neighbourhood of Primrose Hill....
Garage in Harmood Street (Nr Camden Town). It was also run at times from Victoria (Gillingham Street) garage. The route was selected to be the first London's red bus route to use front entrance, rear engined buses in 1965. The route was crew operated until 1986, apart from two short periods in 1965/1966 and 1975.
The route was the first in central London to be tendered following the introduction of contracted operation; it was won by Grey-Green
Grey-Green
Grey-Green was a coach and bus operator in the United Kingdom. It was based in Stamford Hill, and can trace its origins back over a century to the foundation of George Ewer’s horse carriage business in 1885.-History:...
in 1988, using vehicles its own grey, green and orange livery from its garage in Stamford Hill. Grey-Green were at the time owned by Cowie Group, later Arriva
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
, and became part of 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...
following the company's acquisition of two other London operators.
In November 2002 the route was transferred from Arriva
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...
to 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:...
run from Holloway Garage, and later in 2006 it was the first London bus route to be operated by Alexander Dennis Enviro400 double deckers. On 10 November 2007 operation of route 24 passed to London General, with 29 new buses replacing the Enviros.
Five hybrid buses
Hybrid buses in London
Hybrid buses are operated on a small number of bus services in London. The first were introduced in March 2006, and 56 are now used. Transport for London has stated that it intends to make all new buses delivered for use in London hybrids from 2012....
were introduced to the route in early 2009.
On the 11 February 2008, a bus on diversion due to the 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...
fires was deroofed, after the driver drove into the side rather than under the middle of an arch bridge
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
. Six people were injured, one seriously. TfL
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...
said the diversion was safe if drivers followed instructions, and had been operating successfully for over 24 hours. This came just 3 months after another 24 lost its roof in the same place while out of service.
A night element to the route was introduced on 27 November 1999, in the form of route N24, to replace part of the withdrawn route N2 between Hampstead Heath and Pimlico. The N prefix was dropped during April 2004, thus making it a 24-hour route.
Bus 24 made it into the news in February 2010 when a Muslim bus driver, new to the country, pulled the bus over near Gospel Oak, locked passengers in and prayed to Mecca. The Sun newspaper had to pay out £30,000 after allegedly misrepresenting the incidents stating that the driver was a fanatic who had forced passengers off the bus.
Current route
- PimlicoPimlicoPimlico is a small area of central London in the City of Westminster. Like Belgravia, to which it was built as a southern extension, Pimlico is known for its grand garden squares and impressive Regency architecture....
Grosvenor Road - St George's Square 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 StationVictoria station (London)Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. It is named after nearby Victoria Street and not Queen Victoria. It is the second busiest railway terminus in London after Waterloo, and includes an air terminal for passengers...
- Westminster StationWestminster tube stationWestminster is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster. It is served by the Circle, District and Jubilee lines. On the Circle and District lines, the station is between St. James's Park and Embankment and, on the Jubilee line it is between Green Park and Waterloo. It is in...
- Trafalgar SquareTrafalgar SquareTrafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
for Charing Cross StationCharing Cross tube stationCharing Cross tube station is a London Underground station at Charing Cross in the City of Westminster with entrances located in Trafalgar Square and The Strand. The station is served by the Northern and Bakerloo lines and provides an interchange with the National Rail network at station... - Leicester Square StationLeicester Square tube stationLeicester Square is a station on the London Underground, located on Charing Cross Road, a short distance to the east of Leicester Square itself....
- Tottenham Court Road StationTottenham Court Road tube stationTottenham Court Road is a London Underground station in central London. It is an interchange between the Central line and the branch of the Northern line.On the Central line it is between and , and on the Northern line it is between and...
- Goodge Street StationGoodge Street tube stationGoodge Street is a London Underground station on Tottenham Court Road. It is on the Northern Line between Tottenham Court Road and Warren Street, and is in Travelcard Zone 1.-History:...
- Warren Street StationWarren Street tube stationWarren Street tube station is a London Underground station, located at the intersection of Tottenham Court Road and Euston Road. It is on the branch of the Northern Line, between and , and the Victoria Line between and Euston. It is in Travelcard Zone 1 and is the nearest tube station to...
- Mornington Crescent StationMornington Crescent tube stationMornington Crescent is a London Underground station in Camden Town in north west London, named after the nearby street. The station is on the Charing Cross branch of the Northern Line, between and...
- Camden Town StationCamden Town tube stationCamden Town tube station is a major junction on the Northern Line and one of the busiest stations on the London Underground network...
- Chalk FarmChalk FarmChalk Farm is an area of north London, England. It lies directly to the north of Camden Town and its underground station is the closest tube station to the nearby, upmarket neighbourhood of Primrose Hill....
- Hampstead HeathHampstead HeathHampstead Heath is a large, ancient London park, covering . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band of London clay...
South End Green (for Hampstead Heath StationHampstead Heath railway stationHampstead Heath railway station is in London on the North London Line, between and stations. Since 11 November 2007 it and the service there have been run by London Overground.The typical service at the station in trains per hour is:...
and Royal Free HospitalRoyal Free HospitalThe Royal Free Hospital is a major teaching hospital in Hampstead, London, England and part of the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust....
)