London Buses route 10

Infobox London Bus
number=10
ibus=yes


operator=First London
length= 7 miles (11 km)
time= 37-72 minutes
vehicle=Volvo B7TL/Alexander ALX400
garage=Westbourne Park
start=King's Cross
end=Hammersmith
via=Euston
Oxford Circus
Hyde Park Corner
Kensington
level=Daily
frequency=About every 7-8 minutes
night=Night Bus N10
pvr=25
day=5:30am until 1:30am

London Buses route 10 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to First London.

History

The present route 10 was introduced in 1988, essentially as a split of route 73, to preserve the link between Hammersmith and Kensington and the West End, route 73 being diverted away from these areas to run to Victoria instead. The 10 also parallels the 9 for a substantial section between Hammersmith and Hyde Park Corner, and so the choice of route number was quite natural. This was the second time that route number 10 has been used on a London bus route.

The initial route was over the 73 between Hammersmith and King's Cross, and was run by the London United division. However, as work was lost at sister company London Northern, from April 1989 an allocation was introduced from Holloway garage at the other end of the route. For operational convenience the 10 was extended to the back of Holloway garage, via the traditionally rather badly served York Way and Brecknock Road. Initially this section did not run during early mornings, late evenings or Sundays, but a Sunday service was later added, following which journeys were extended to Archway rather than terminating in the back of the garage in Tufnell Park (Monnery Road). The service was then altered to garage journeys only, leaving local passengers to the only other service, the Monday to Saturday C12 running every 20 minutes. The withdrawal of the C12 in 1998 saw the full service running through to Archway.

As part of Mayor of London Ken Livingstone’s plans to introduce congestion charging, it was proposed to split the 10 as it cut right across central London. After some confusion about the numbering, the outcome was that the 10 was shortened to run once again between Hammersmith and King's Cross, while the essentially local route between Archway and Kings Cross, and as far as Marble Arch, would be taken over by a new route 390. Surprisingly, it was the 390 that was to retain the Routemasters, while the 10 would gain new double deckers. It started using RMLs and MCW Metrobuses and when Metroline took over low floor Tridents were introduced.

Although most of the Routemasters were painted in Metroline livery, none of the Metrobuses were repainted, this may have been because they were going to Arriva London.

In late 2002 the contract was handed over to First and the previously mentioned vehicles were converted to the 390 and Alexander ALX 400s, Plaxton bodied Tridents and later Wright Eclipse Gemini-bodied Volvo B7TLs were introduced.

The 10 was put out to tender, the existing contract for the route, with Metroline, being renumbered 390. The "new" 10 was awarded to First London, who, as a temporary arrangement, were parking the buses in the White City lorry park, which is effectively acting as an outstation of Westbourne Park.

Current route

Route departing King's Cross

* Kings Cross Station
* Euston Road
* Euston Station
* Euston Road
* Euston Square Station (for Warren Street Station)
* Gower Street
* Bedford Square
* Bloomsbury Street
* New Oxford Street
* Tottenham Court Road Station
* Oxford Street
* Oxford Circus Station
* Oxford Street
* Bond Street Station
* Oxford Street
* Marble Arch Station
* Park Lane
* Duke of Wellington Place
* Grosvenor Place
* Hyde Park Corner Station
* Knightsbridge
* Knightsbridge Station
* Kensington Road
* Kensington Gore
* Kensington "High Street"
* High Street Kensington Station
* Kensington "High Street"
* Olympia Station
* Hammersmith Road
* Butterwick
* Talgarth Road
* Hammersmith Station (District/Piccadilly Lines) "Bus Station" (for Hammersmith Station (Hammersmith & City Line))

Route departing Hammersmith

* Hammersmith Station (District/Piccadilly Lines) "Bus Station" (for Hammersmith Station (Hammersmith & City Line))
* Hammersmith Broadway
* Hammersmith Road
* Olympia Station
* Kensington "High Street"
* High Street Kensington Station
* Kensington "High Street"
* Kensington Road
* Kensington Gore
* Kensington Road
* Knightsbridge Station
* Knightsbridge
* Hyde Park Corner Station
* Park Lane
* Cumberland Gate
* Tyburn Way
* Marble Arch Station
* Oxford Street
* Bond Street Station
* Oxford Street
* Oxford Circus Station
* Oxford Street
* Tottenham Court Road Station
* Tottenham Court Road
* Warren Street Station
* Euston Road
* Euston Square Station
* Euston Road
* Euston Grove
* Euston Station "Bus Station"
* Grafton Place
* Churchway
* Euston Road
* Kings Cross Station

Previous route 10's in London

The route number 10 had been used once prior to its current use.
*In 1908 - 1988 for a Victoria to Abridge route. * Termini varied.

There were also in London :-
*Between 1913 - 1951 a Tooting - Southwark Bridge via Elephant & Castle Tram route 10.
*Between 1913 - 1935 a Stratford - Forest Gate (Circular) via Green Street, Barking Road and Greengate Street Tram route 10.
*Between 1913 - 1920 a Stamford Hill - Edmonton via Tottenham Tram route 10.

ee also

* List of bus routes in London
* First London

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/010.pdf Timetable (PDF)]