London Buses route 24

Infobox London Bus
number=24


operator=London General
length=7 miles (11 km)
time=35-56 minutes
vehicle=Dennis Trident 2/Alexander Dennis Enviro400
garage=Stockwell
start=Pimlico
end=Hampstead Heath
via=Victoria
Trafalgar Square
Camden Town
level=24-hour service
frequency=About every 5-10 minutes
night=24-hour service
pvr=29
day=24-hour service
ibus=yes

London Buses route 24 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to London General. [ [http://www.londonbusroutes.net/changes.htm#5 Service contract to London General] ]

History

This route dates back to 1910, when it ran between Hampstead Heath 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 and most stable bus route in London.

Originally, the route was operated by the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC), and later the British Automobile Traction Co Ltd (aka "British") 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 (on & off) from Victoria (Gillingham Street) garage. Amongst the bus types operated were STLs, SRTs, RTLs, RTWs, RMs, RMLs and XAs. In fact 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.

Privatisation saw the 24 being operated by Grey-Green, later sold to Arriva, in 1988 - with its own grey, green and orange livery; a far cry from the red London buses that had run the route for many years before.

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.

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. [ [http://search.bbc.co.uk/click/p/5/ds/news/t/In%2520Pictures%253A%2520Camden%2520bus%2520crash/id/17231391216050120283456998935580000/-/http%253A%252F%252Fnews%252Ebbc%252Eco%252Euk%252F1%252Fhi%252Fin%255Fpictures%252F7238972%252Estm BBC News - "In pictures: Camden Bus Crash] Retrieved 12 February 2008] Six people were injured, one seriously. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7238711.stm BBC News - "Six hurt as roof ripped from bus"] Retrieved 12 February 2008] TfL said the diversion was safe if drivers followed instructions, and had been operating successfully for over 24 hours.

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.

Current route

Route departing Pimlico

* Pimlico "Grosvenor Road"
* Claverton Street
* Lupus Street
* St George's Square (for Pimlico Station)
* Belgrave Road
* Denbigh Street
* Wilton Road
* Victoria Station
* Allington Street
* Bressenden Place
* Victoria Street
* Broad Sanctuary
* Parliament Square
* Westminster Station
* Parliament Street
* Whitehall
* Trafalgar Square (for Charing Cross Station)
* St Martin's Place
* Charing Cross Road
* Leicester Square Station
* Charing Cross Road
* Tottenham Court Road Station
* Tottenham Court Road
* Goodge Street Station
* Tottenham Court Road
* Warren Street Station
* Hampstead Road
* Mornington Crescent Station
* Camden "High Street"
* Camden Town Station
* Camden "High Street"
* Chalk Farm Road
* Chalk Farm
* Ferdinand Street
* Malden Crescent
* Malden Road
* Southampton Road
* Fleet Road
* Hampstead Heath "South End Green" (for Station and Royal Free Hospital)

Route departing Hampstead Heath

* Hampstead Heath "South End Green" (for Station and Royal Free Hospital)
* Constantine Road
* Agincourt Road
* Southampton Road
* Malden Road
* Malden Crescent
* Ferdinand Street
* Chalk Farm
* Chalk Farm Road
* Castlehaven Road
* Hawley Road
* Camden Street
* Camden Road
* Camden Town Station
* Bayham Street
* Crowndale Road
* Mornington Crescent Station
* Hampstead Road
* Harrington Square
* Hampstead Road
* Warren Street Station
* Euston Road
* Euston Square Station
* Gower Street
* Bloomsbury Street
* New Oxford Street
* Tottenham Court Road Station
* Charing Cross Road
* Leicester Square Station
* Charing Cross Road
* St Martin's Place
* Trafalgar Square (for Charing Cross Station)
* Charing Cross
* Whitehall
* Parliament Street
* Westminster Station
* Parliament Square
* Broad Sanctuary
* Victoria Street
* Victoria Station
* Vauxhall Bridge Road
* Neathouse Place
* Wilton Road
* Denbigh Street
* Belgrave Road
* St George's Square (for Pimlico Station)
* Lupus Street
* Grosvenor Road
* Pimlico "Grosvenor Road"

See also

* List of bus routes in London
* London General

References

External links

* [http://www.tfl.gov.uk Transport for London]
* [http://www.londonbusesbyadam.fotopic.net London Bus Routes Fotopic]
* [http://www.busesatwork.co.uk London Bus Routes]
* [http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/024.pdf Full timetable]