London Buses Route 2

**London Buses route 2** is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between West Norwood and Marylebone, it is operated by Arriva London.

## History

Route 2 commenced operation on 27 March 1993 between Crystal Palace and Marylebone Station via Elder Road - Norwood Garage - Tulse Hill - Brixton - Stockwell - Vauxhall - Victoria - Hyde Park Corner - Marble Arch - Baker Street. The route was initially operated by South London Buses from their Norwood (N) garage using AEC Routemasters. The route is a renumbering of route 2B and evening and Sunday service on Route 2A. At the time, it only ran south of Norwood Garage on evenings and Sundays.

On 29 January 1994, the route was converted to one man operation with the AEC Routemasters replaced by ECW bodied Leyland Olympians and MCW Metrobuses. At the same time, the route was extended south to Crystal Palace at all times, replacing Route 2A.

On 27 January 1996, the route was converted to full ECW bodied Leyland Olympian operation.

On 1 April 2000, the route was retained by Arriva London.

On 15 February 2003, the route was withdrawn between Norwood (N) garage and Crystal Palace, this section was replaced by Route 432. At the same time, the northern terminus was cut back to Baker Street to make room for route 453.

On 30 August 2003, the route was converted to low floor operation using brand new Alexander ALX400 bodied Volvo B7TLs.

On 2 April 2005, the route was retained by Arriva London.

On 24 March 2007, the route was diverted at Gloucester Place via Dorset Square and Melcombe Street to Marylebone Station.

In January 2010, brand new Alexander Dennis Enviro 400s were introduced alongside the existing Alexander ALX400 bodied Volvo B7TLs.

On 3 April 2010, the route was retained by Arriva London.

From April 2016 until September 2016, Wright Gemini 2 bodied VDL DB300s were temporarily introduced.

On 1 April 2017, the route was retained by Arriva London with brand new Wright Eclipse Gemini 3 bodied Volvo B5LHs.

From October 2018 until March 2019, a brand new Wright StreetDeck demonstrator was trialled on the route.

## Current Route

Route 2 operates via these primary locations:

* West Norwood *Bus Garage*
* West Norwood Station
* Tulse Hill Station
* Brixton Station
* Stockwell Station
* Vauxhall *Bus Station*
* Bessborough Gardens *for Pimlico Station*
* Victoria Station
* Hyde Park Corner
* Marble Arch
* Baker Street Station
* Marylebone Station *Hayes Place*

## The old Route 2

The route number 2 had been used at least once prior to its current use.

The old route 2 ran from Crystal Palace to North Finchley, with additional Sunday service from Golders Green to Rosendale. On 4 January 1939, a peak-hour extension to Arnos Grove station via Whetstone was introduced on Monday to Saturday. The route was withdrawn north of Golders Green (except on Sundays) on 25 October 1939, and the additional service to Rosendale was withdrawn that day. Additional Sunday service from Golders Green to Victoria Coach Station was introduced that day. The additional Sunday service was cut back to Victoria Station forecourt on 20 March 1940, and was withdrawn altogether on 15 May 1940. On 13 November 1940, Sunday service was also withdrawn north of Golders Green. On 13 February 1946, the peak-hour extension to Arnos Grove was withdrawn and replaced by Route 251A.

Route 2 ran via Herne Hill and Railton Road south of Brixton. In the 1950s, the route was run using AEC Regent IIIs. On 19 May 1954 a Mondays to Saturdays service numbered 2A was introduced, which diverted from the north at West Norwood to the Rosendale area (as route 2 had in the 1930s) and running via Brixton Road, Effra Road and Dulwich Road rather than Railton Road. On 8 February 1956, the first prototype AEC Routemaster ran on route 2 between Golders Green and Crystal Palace and after undergoing modifications the following year, it passed to route 260.

On 17 October 1956, service 2B from Crystal Palace to Golders Green was introduced on Sundays, but via Tulse Hill to cover route 195 (Stockwell to Norwood Garage), which was withdrawn on Sunday. Route 186 took over Route 195 six months later. On 11 October 1961, route 2A lost Saturday service north of Swiss Cottage, and also lost Saturday pm service from Swiss Cottage to Victoria. On 2 January 1962, route 2 was restored to North Finchley replacing part of trolleybuses 645 and 660. On 1 July 1964, route 2B operated daily, replacing Route 186 (which was withdrawn completely), though it did not operate north of Swiss Cottage on Saturday. At the same time, Route 2A lost its Saturday service north of Victoria. Route 2A lost its remaining Saturday service on 31 December 1966.

The 2/2A/2B used London's first bus lane, southbound on Vauxhall Bridge, coming into operation on 26 February 1968. On 13 June 1970, Route 2B was withdrawn north of Swiss Cottage on Monday-Friday except peak hours, and Sunday service was extended north to North Finchley. That same day, Route 2 was withdrawn north of Golders Green (this section replaced by route 26) and was also withdrawn south of Norwood Garage (Route 2B covered that section). Two days later, Route 2A was withdrawn north of Stockwell except for peak-hour service to Victoria. The peak-hour service on Routes 2A and 2B was withdrawn on 8 January 1972; off-peak weekday service on Route 2 north of Baker Street Station was also withdrawn. Route 2A was withdrawn completely on 5 January 1974, as it was replaced by a Route 2B bifurcation to Rosendale; off-peak weekday service on Route 2 north of Baker Street Station was restored that day.

Route 2B, which was more direct, took on a more prominent role than route 2. On 28 October 1978, route 2B was extended north from Swiss Cottage to Golders Green at all times, but Route 2B Sunday service was withdrawn north of Golders Green. The saturday service on route 2 north of Swiss Cottage was withdrawn, and route 2 was diverted at West Norwood to Rosendale, replacing the route 2B bifurcation. Route 2 was withdrawn north of Baker Street on 4 September 1982. A summer Sundays extension from Baker Street to London Zoo on route 2 was introduced on 25 June 1983, but this extension was withdrawn on 4 November 1985. On 21 June 1986, route 2B was split with new route 82 and extra peak buses on route 13 replacing it between Baker Street and Golders Green. So route 2B's buses had room at Baker Street to lay up, route 2 was further cut to Victoria (service was further cut to Stockwell Station on evenings and Sundays). Route 2 lost its Sunday service on 22 November 1987. On 27 February 1988, route 2B service on Monday-Saturday evenings was renumbered as route 2A, which only from Crystal Palace to Brixton at other times from Monday-Saturday; at the same time, route 2 lost its Saturday evening service.

On 21 June 1990, route 2 was rerouted in Stockwell via Landsdowne Way. On 10 August 1991, route 2B lost its Sunday service, which was replaced by new Sunday service on route 2A, and route 2B was withdrawn south of Norwood Garage. Routes 2A/2B had become more logical than Route 2. On 24 October 1992 route 2 was withdrawn, with service south of Vauxhall replaced by new minibus London Buses Route 322. On 27 March 1993, route 2B was extended north to Marylebone station and renumbered as route 2, which also replaced evening and Sunday service on route 2A. The use of the number 2A was dropped completely on 29 January 1994.

## Other Route 2s in London

There were also in London :

* Between 1913–1951 a Wimbledon – Victoria Embankment Tram route 2.
* Between 1931–1935 a Tolworth (for two weeks in 1931) or The Dittons (after that) – Kingston Hill loop Trolleybus route 2.

## External links

* Full Timetable (PDF)
* London Bus Routes Gallery