London Buses route 25
Encyclopedia
London Buses route 25 is a Transport for London
contracted bus route in London
, United Kingdom
. The service is currently contracted to First Capital
.
. This was the second motor bus route in London to carry this number.
On 20 June 1912, routes 8 and 25 exchanged their eastern branches at Bank, with the 25 taking over what has become its traditional route from Victoria to Seven Kings (Seven Kings Hotel). By the end of the First World War, the 25 was working Daily between Victoria and Seven Kings Garage, with a Sunday 25A route from Victoria to Chadwell Heath (White Horse). During the 1920s, London's bus transport expanded rapidly, and the 25 soon had gained 25B, 25C and 25D suffixed routes.
On 1 December 1924 many routes in the group were renumbered, with 25A becoming 125, 25B changing to 26, 25C to 126 and the 25D becoming route 145.
This situation remained until 3 October 1934, when the newly constituted London Passenger Transport Board
instituted its own numbering system, which generally re-instated the situation previous to December 1924, apart for route 145, which by then had developed into a self-contained route, thereby keeping its route number. Each route ran every 6 minutes on Mondays to Fridays, providing 40 buses per hour on the common sections; the routes were operated from garages in Seven Kings, Forest Gate, Upton Park and Hammersmith (Riverside) on the 25.
Various parts have fallen by the wayside over the years, the 25B variant from Victoria to Becontree Heath eventually becoming the main service and losing its suffix in about 1950. By 1982 the route was running in two overlapping sections, Victoria to Ilford and Aldgate to Becontree Heath; in that year the latter section was renumbered 225, albeit running to Limehouse instead of Aldgate. Both routes were Routemaster
operated, but the 225 was soon converted to one-person operation using Leyland Titans
. The 225 also reverted to serving Aldgate
. In 1988, the 25 (now Victoria to Ilford) was also converted to one-person operation, and consequently the 225 was renumbered back to 25 to match. The combined 25 was operated from Bow garage. A weekend diversion via Tower Hill
was also introduced at this time.
The route was allocated to the East London
division of London Buses in April 1989. In 1992 the route was shortened when the Victoria to Oxford Circus section was handed over to route 8. In March 1993 the 25 was cut back to Ilford; new route 128 covered the section to Becontree Heath. However, this reduced the service between Ilford and Aldgate, being a precursor to recent overcrowding.
The route was awarded to Capital Citybus
on 26 June 1999; at 30 buses, it was the largest London route to change operator as a result of retendering. Capital Citybus proposed a reversion to sectional operation during the day on Mondays to Saturdays, with the sections being Ilford to Aldgate and Stratford to Oxford Circus. This was turned down on the grounds of service simplification. The route was initially operated from Dagenham garage, but
was later moved to Rainham.
The introduction of congestion charging
saw the route's peak vehicle requirement increase to 40 buses. On retender in 2004 the route was converted to articulated single deckers as a result of overcrowding. The contract was won back by East London, now owned by Stagecoach Group
, and became the first route to be run from a new Waterden Road garage. The Arctic conversion initially resulted in the withdrawal of three evening peak journeys and a consequent reduction in peak vehicle requirement from 40 to 37. The weekend diversion to Tower Hill was withdrawn. The 25 was the longest route in London to use articulated buses.
In 2004 the route was chosen for a two-year trial of hydrogen fuel cell powered buses. Three such vehicles ran on the route in addition to the regular articulated vehicles.
On 30 October 2010, the route was re-extended to Oxford Circus.
On 25 June 2011, First Capital successfully gained the contract for route 25 and are operating it from Lea Interchange (LI), using Volvo B9TL
10.4m/Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 double-decker buses. The service now runs approximately every 3-8 minutes at all times of the day and night. On Mondays to Saturdays, approximately half of all westbound buses terminate at Holborn Circus.
In October 2007, a man was killed when he became trapped under an articulated bus on the route having got off it in Ilford High Road.
In a three-day period in February 2010, 31 homeless people were discovered to be using route 25 overnight when a taskforce noticed a large number of call-outs by drivers on the route.
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 First Capital
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...
.
History
Route 25 began operation on 30 October 1910 between Victoria and Old Ford via Piccadilly, Oxford Circus, Holborn and Bank - the same routing as today's route 8London Buses route 8
London Buses route 8 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Stagecoach London.-History:...
. This was the second motor bus route in London to carry this number.
On 20 June 1912, routes 8 and 25 exchanged their eastern branches at Bank, with the 25 taking over what has become its traditional route from Victoria to Seven Kings (Seven Kings Hotel). By the end of the First World War, the 25 was working Daily between Victoria and Seven Kings Garage, with a Sunday 25A route from Victoria to Chadwell Heath (White Horse). During the 1920s, London's bus transport expanded rapidly, and the 25 soon had gained 25B, 25C and 25D suffixed routes.
On 1 December 1924 many routes in the group were renumbered, with 25A becoming 125, 25B changing to 26, 25C to 126 and the 25D becoming route 145.
This situation remained until 3 October 1934, when the newly constituted 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...
instituted its own numbering system, which generally re-instated the situation previous to December 1924, apart for route 145, which by then had developed into a self-contained route, thereby keeping its route number. Each route ran every 6 minutes on Mondays to Fridays, providing 40 buses per hour on the common sections; the routes were operated from garages in Seven Kings, Forest Gate, Upton Park and Hammersmith (Riverside) on the 25.
Various parts have fallen by the wayside over the years, the 25B variant from Victoria to Becontree Heath eventually becoming the main service and losing its suffix in about 1950. By 1982 the route was running in two overlapping sections, Victoria to Ilford and Aldgate to Becontree Heath; in that year the latter section was renumbered 225, albeit running to Limehouse instead of Aldgate. Both routes were Routemaster
Routemaster
The AEC Routemaster is a model of double-decker bus that was built by Associated Equipment Company in 1954 and produced until 1968. Primarily front-engined, rear open-platform buses, a small number of variants were produced with doors and/or front entrances...
operated, but the 225 was soon converted to one-person operation using Leyland 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:...
. The 225 also reverted to serving Aldgate
Aldgate
Aldgate was the eastern most gateway through London Wall leading from the City of London to Whitechapel and the east end of London. Aldgate gives its name to a ward of the City...
. In 1988, the 25 (now Victoria to Ilford) was also converted to one-person operation, and consequently the 225 was renumbered back to 25 to match. The combined 25 was operated from Bow garage. A weekend diversion via Tower Hill
Tower Hill
Tower Hill is an elevated spot northwest of the Tower of London, just outside the limits of the City of London, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Formerly it was part of the Tower Liberty under the direct administrative control of Tower...
was also introduced at this time.
The route was allocated to the East London
East London (bus company)
East London is one of many operators of bus services contracted to Transport for London, mainly in the east of the city. Its legal name is East London Bus & Coach Company Ltd, and it is currently owned largely by Stagecoach Group, as part of Stagecoach London.-History:East London was established in...
division of London Buses in April 1989. In 1992 the route was shortened when the Victoria to Oxford Circus section was handed over to route 8. In March 1993 the 25 was cut back to Ilford; new route 128 covered the section to Becontree Heath. However, this reduced the service between Ilford and Aldgate, being a precursor to recent overcrowding.
The route was awarded to Capital Citybus
Capital Citybus
Capital Citybus was a major bus operator for London Buses in North and East London. The company was eventually sold to First in 1998. Capital Citybus is not to be confused with the other former London bus and coach operator Capital Logistics, for whom in 1999 it provided amongst others relief buses...
on 26 June 1999; at 30 buses, it was the largest London route to change operator as a result of retendering. Capital Citybus proposed a reversion to sectional operation during the day on Mondays to Saturdays, with the sections being Ilford to Aldgate and Stratford to Oxford Circus. This was turned down on the grounds of service simplification. The route was initially operated from Dagenham garage, but
was later moved to Rainham.
The introduction of congestion charging
London congestion charge
The London congestion charge is a fee charged for some categories of motor vehicle to travel at certain times within the Congestion Charge Zone , a traffic area in London. The charge aims to reduce congestion, and raise investment funds for London's transport system...
saw the route's peak vehicle requirement increase to 40 buses. On retender in 2004 the route was converted to articulated single deckers as a result of overcrowding. The contract was won back by East London, now owned by Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
, and became the first route to be run from a new Waterden Road garage. The Arctic conversion initially resulted in the withdrawal of three evening peak journeys and a consequent reduction in peak vehicle requirement from 40 to 37. The weekend diversion to Tower Hill was withdrawn. The 25 was the longest route in London to use articulated buses.
In 2004 the route was chosen for a two-year trial of hydrogen fuel cell powered buses. Three such vehicles ran on the route in addition to the regular articulated vehicles.
On 30 October 2010, the route was re-extended to Oxford Circus.
On 25 June 2011, First Capital successfully gained the contract for route 25 and are operating it from Lea Interchange (LI), using Volvo B9TL
Volvo B9TL
The Volvo B9TL is a low-floor double-decker bus built by Volvo Buses since 2002. It superseded the older Volvo B10TL and the Volvo B7TL.-Chassis:...
10.4m/Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 double-decker buses. The service now runs approximately every 3-8 minutes at all times of the day and night. On Mondays to Saturdays, approximately half of all westbound buses terminate at Holborn Circus.
Incidents
In August 2006 it was revealed that the 25 was the most dangerous bus route in London over the preceding year, with staff on the route having made 471 emergency calls.In October 2007, a man was killed when he became trapped under an articulated bus on the route having got off it in Ilford High Road.
In a three-day period in February 2010, 31 homeless people were discovered to be using route 25 overnight when a taskforce noticed a large number of call-outs by drivers on the route.
Current route
- Ilford High RoadIlfordIlford is a large cosmopolitan town in East London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It forms a significant commercial and retail...
Hainault Street - IlfordIlfordIlford is a large cosmopolitan town in East London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It forms a significant commercial and retail...
High Road for Ilford StationIlford railway stationIlford railway station is a suburban National Rail station located in Ilford in the London Borough of Redbridge. Passenger services are operated by National Express East Anglia and most trains run between Shenfield and Liverpool Street... - Manor ParkManor ParkManor Park may refer to places:in Canada:*Manor Park, Nova Scotia, a neighborhood in Dartmouth*Manor Park , Canadain New Zealand:*Manor Park, New Zealand, a suburb of Lower Huttin the United Kingdom:*Manor Park, London...
- Woodgrange Park StationWoodgrange Park railway stationWoodgrange Park is a railway station in Manor Park, east London, England. The station is on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line 3 km west of . The station is in both zones 3 and 4. It was opened 9 July 1894....
- Forest GateForest GateForest Gate is a residential area in the London Borough of Newham, 7 miles northeast of Charing Cross. It is bordered by Manor Park to the east and and to the west lies Stratford town centre. The northern half of the busy Green Street runs through it.-History:...
- Stratford BroadwayStratford, LondonStratford is a place in the London Borough of Newham, England. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an agrarian settlement in the ancient parish of West Ham, which transformed into an industrial suburb...
for Stratford StationStratford stationStratford station is a large multilevel railway station in Stratford, east London. The station is served by the National Rail services National Express East Anglia, London Overground and c2c, by London Underground's Central and Jubilee lines, and by the Docklands Light Railway . Stratford is in... - Bow Church StationBow Church DLR stationBow Church station is a station on the Docklands Light Railway on Bow Road, in the Bow neighbourhood of east London. The station is located on the DLR's Stratford branch, between Devons Road and Pudding Mill Lane stations and is in Travelcard Zone 2. It is within 300 m walking distance of Bow...
- Bow Road StationBow Road tube stationBow Road tube station is on the District and Hammersmith & City lines of the London Underground. It is on Bow Road in Bow, east London, about 300 metres from Bow Church DLR station and is in fare zone 2...
- Mile End StationMile End tube stationMile End is a London Underground station in Tower Hamlets, East London, served by the Hammersmith & City, District and Central Lines. It is in Travelcard Zone 2.-History:...
- Stepney Green StationStepney Green tube stationStepney Green is a London Underground station on the District and Hammersmith and City lines, located on the junction of Globe Road and Mile End Road in the Stepney area of east London, United Kingdom.-History:...
- Whitechapel StationWhitechapel tube stationWhitechapel is a London Underground and London Overground station on Whitechapel Road in the Whitechapel neighbourhood of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in east London, England. The station is located on the east–west tracks shared by the District line and Hammersmith and City line and is on...
- Braham Street for Aldgate East StationAldgate East tube stationAldgate East is a London Underground station located between Aldgate and Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.The station is in Travelcard Zone 1...
- AldgateAldgateAldgate was the eastern most gateway through London Wall leading from the City of London to Whitechapel and the east end of London. Aldgate gives its name to a ward of the City...
High Street for Aldgate StationAldgate tube stationAldgate tube station is a London Underground station located at Aldgate in the City of London.The station is on the Circle Line between Tower Hill and Liverpool Street. It is also the eastern terminus of the Metropolitan Line... - Bank StationBank and Monument stationsBank and Monument are interlinked London Underground and Docklands Light Railway stations that form a public transport complex spanning the length of King William Street in the City of London. Bank station, named after the Bank of England, opened in 1900 and is served by the Central, Northern and...
- St Paul's StationSt. Paul's tube stationSt. Paul's tube station is a London Underground station in the City of London on the Central Line, between Bank and Chancery Lane stations, and is in Travelcard Zone 1....
- City Thameslink Station
- Chancery Lane StationChancery Lane tube stationChancery Lane is a London Underground station in central London. It is on the Central Line between St. Paul's and Holborn stations. The station is located at the junction of High Holborn, Hatton Garden and Gray's Inn Road with subway entrances giving access to the ticket office under the roadway...
- Holborn StationHolborn tube stationHolborn is a station of the London Underground in Holborn in London, located at the junction of High Holborn and Kingsway. Situated on the Piccadilly Line and on the Central Line , it is the only station common to the two lines, although the two lines cross each other three times elsewhere...
- 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...
- Oxford Circus StationOxford Circus tube station-External links:* ** ** * Plans of the station after the Victoria Line works , , *...
- Oxford CircusOxford CircusOxford Circus is the area of London at the busy intersection of Regent Street and Oxford Street, in the West End. It is served by Oxford Circus tube station, which is directly beneath the junction itself.- History :...
Holles Street