London Buses route 323

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Introduced: September 14, 1991

Withdrawn: October 9, 1998

Operated by: Capital Citybus

Replaced by: Route 324 & Routes 348/373.

Route 323 commenced operation on September 14 1991, initially not as an official London bus route by Ensign Citybus. Originally, the route operated between South Hornchurch *Cherry Tree Lane* and Belhus *Derwent Parade* as an albeit identical version of Route 345, mainly created to replace the withdrawn Rainham-Wennington journeys of routes 165 & 365, which were withdrawn the same day the route was introduced. It was then extended to *Mardyke Estate* in 1992 when Ensign Citybus became Capital Citybus. It went via Rainham *Tesco* - Wennington *Lennards* - Aveley *Sandy Lane* - Aveley *Usk Road* - Aveley *Mill Road* - Aveley *High Street* - Belhus *Stifford Road* - Belhus *Foyle Drive* - Belhus *Gatehope Drive*. The route was originally a Monday-Friday shopping hour route only, and was one of the first routes in the Capital Citybus Rombus Network. On July 11 1994, the route had a revised timetable to allow an incorporated evening peak time service between Rainham Tesco and Belhus. During 1995, due to the Southall Bridge closure, which links Rainham and Wennington together, Route 323 was temporarily diverted via Upminster Road South and New Road, which allowed it to continue service during this time. Route 323 was extended from Belhus *Derwent Parade* to *Ockendon Station* via Arisdale Avenue once in each direction everyday from August 17 1995, but this special journey would soon be withdrawn by 1996, and was replaced by a rerouting of Route 373 to serve Belhus *Derwent Parade* as well as the 348 and 349 which both served *Ockendon Station* directly on their way to and from Romford/Lakeside. Route 323 officially became a London bus route on September 28 1996, the same date that Route 324 was introduced. On November 9 1996, the route became a Monday-Saturday shopping hour route, but terminated at Rainham *Tesco* on Saturdays, while *Mardyke Estate* stayed as a Monday-Friday terminus only. On July 28 1997, Route 323 was withdrawn between *Mardyke Estate* and South Hornchurch *Cherry Tree Lane*, but would be extended to Hornchurch *Madison Exchange* by following the 324. The route then had another change of timetable the same day, changing it from regular journeys during Monday-Saturday shopping hours to Monday-Saturday Special journeys only, and a through ticketing arrangement was created by Capital Citybus so that passengers wanting to travel between Belhus/Aveley and Rainham/Elm Park could make use of new daily routes 324 and 348 by changing at Lakeside, and would be available on all journeys on those routes without affecting cost of journeys. This new timetable made it so Route 323 only operated three times in each direction Monday-Friday, and once in each direction on Saturdays where it still started at Rainham *Tesco*, with no service on Sundays which was due to disappointing usage so several Route 323 journeys were withdrawn. Eventually on October 9 1998, Route 323 was withdrawn, being partly replaced by the 324 in the Aveley section of the route, and by 348/373 in the Belhus section of the route, although 324 did also had special journeys to Belhus *Derwent Parade* via Aveley *Usk Road* to compensate for 323's withdrawal even until its last days but it was a limited service.