London Buses route 197

infobox London Bus
number=197


operator=Arriva London
length=10 miles (15 km)
time=41-71 minutes
vehicle=DAF DB250/Alexander ALX400
garage=South Croydon
start=Croydon
end=Peckham
via=Norwood Junction
Penge
Forest Hill
Dulwich
level=Daily
frequency=About every 12-15 minutes
night=No night service
pvr=14
day=4:45am until 12:40am
ibus=yes

London Buses route 197 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Arriva London. The service is currently operating out of Arriva's South Croydon Garage.

The route uses Alexander ALX400's. But when the new revised route started in 2005, it used newer Volvo B7TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini. Recently there has been numerous complaints to Arriva, about the state of the buses age, as said above the route used to use new Gemini's, but these were phased onto the 194.

The 197 in all its years has never had a move of garage or a change in operator. Late evening and Sunday buses run around every 20 minutes. The route has a very close relationship with another Arriva London bus, the 312, which shares the same garage and has changed numbers and routes in 2005 (More in History).

The route is notorious amongst passengers for its infrequency and its tendency to often have 2 and sometimes as many as 3 buses running one after another in the space of 10 minutes.

History

The 197 has been established as a very old route, dating back further than 1948. ST type buses were first used, but in 1948 RT Type buses were introduced on the 197 which was running from Norwood Junction to Caterham Valley, via Woodside Green, East Croydon, South Croydon, Purley, Kenley and Whyteleafe. The Sunday service was renumbered to 197B in 1971, but in 1974 this was scraped in favour of just having a daily 197 service. 1984 saw the part between Whyteleafe and Caterham stopped on evenings and all day Sunday. In 1986 London Country, a brand of the National Bus Company, took the contract and the part between Croydon and Caterham was replaced by the 197A and the 197B. In 1989 South London took over the contract. 1991 saw the route revised to operate at all times, at this point it was running from Norwood Junction to Croydon Katherine Street (home of the Croydon Clocktower and Croydon Town Hall). In 2001 it was changed a to low floor double deck service.

In 2005, (by now South London had been rebranded as Arriva London) the route saw a massive change as it almost completely transformed into the old 312 route, as it became a much longer route Central Croydon to Peckham, exactly the same destinations of the old 312, apart from Croydon was South Croydon. The only change was that the 312 took a left at the end of Portland Road and went to Woodside tram stop, instead of carring on like the 197 did (and still does) to Blackhorse Lane tram stop. The 197 completely replaced the old 312 from Norwood Junction to Peckham, without changing it a bit. Leaving people wandering what was the point of that?! (one possibility is because the 130 was re-routed to serve Norwood Junction, and the 197's route is a few minutes faster through Woodside rather than through Addiscombe, giving a benefit and purpose to the 197 with its longer route to Peckham) Due to this the 197 terminates in Central Croydon (Croydon High street/Flyover to be exact), and the 312 converted to single decker, even though the old 197 used 2 deckers.

Letter ending 197s

There were three letter prefixed numbers of the 197. Although two of them are the same numbers of different times and routes.

197A (1970-1978)

This route started in 1970 from Norwood Junction to Thornton Heath High Street, via Woodside, Addiscombe, East Croydon, Croydon Katherine Street and Thornton Heath Garage. The route changed little in its short lived lifetime. The only other real change was at Woodside it was diverted not to serve Addiscombe, and also serve Cherry Orchard Road.

197A (1986-1991)

This route started in 1986, and its route was West Croydon station "Bus station" to Caterham Valley, via Croydon Park Lane, South Croydon, Purley, Kenley and Whyteleafe, operated by London and Country the same company operating the original 197. The evening service was withdrawn in 1987 and the 197B served then instead. In 1989 Arriva South London took over the route and in 1991 the route was withdrawn.

197B

This service was introduced early 1971. And its route was Norwood Junction to Caterham Valley, via Woodside Green, Cherry Orchard Road, East Croydon, South Croydon, Purley, Kenley and Whyteleafe. This route was in fact exactly the same as the original 197, except being converted to OPO on Sunday but because of tight clearances in Addiscombe the route was diverted via Cherry Orchard Road instead of Dingwall Road and thus had to be renumbered 197B. In 1973 it was converted to double deck operation. And on the 5th day of 1974 the service was withdrawn.

In 1986 the service was reintroduced, and given another shot. Returning on exactly the same route, and given evening and early Saturday morning services, which replaced both the 197 and 197A at these times. London & Country used Leyland Titan's. Arriva South London was passed the contract in 1989, but like the 197A didn't last long as in 1991 it was withdrawn.

Current route

Route departing Croydon

*Croydon Katherine Street "Clocktower"
*Croydon "Fairfield Halls" (Croydon College)
*East Croydon station "Warehouse Theatre""'
*Cherry Orchard Road
*Addiscombe "Lower Addiscombe Road/Morland Road"
*Morland Road
*Blackhorse Lane tram stop
*Woodside Green
*Portland Road "Croydon Arena"
*Portland Road "Harrington Road"
*Norwood Junction railway station "Clifford Road"
*South Norwood "Goat House"
*Penge Road
*Anerley "Oak Grove Road"
*Croydon Road
*Penge "Pawleyne Arms"
*Penge High Street
*Penge West railway station
*Crystal Palace Park
*Lawrie Park Road "Springfield Road"
*Lawrie Park Road "Border Road""'
*Sydenham railway station "Cobbs Corner"
*Kirkdale "The Woodmnan"
*Sydenham "Police Station"
*Sydenham School
*Dartmouth Road "Forest Hill Library and Swimming Baths"
*Forest Hill railway station
*Forest Hill London Road
*London Road "Horniman Museum"
*Lordship Lane
*Dulwich Village
*Dulwich "Library"
*Dulwich "Plough"
*Barry Road
*Peckham Rye "Kings on the Rye"
*Peckham Rye railway station
*Peckham "The Aylesham Centre"
*Peckham "Bus Station"

Route departing Peckham

*Peckham "Bus Station"
*Peckham "The Aylesham Road"
*Rye Lane
*Peckham Rye railway station
*Peckham Rye Lane
*Peckham Rye "Kings of the Rye"
*Barry Road
*Dulwich "Plough"
*Dulwich "Library"
*Dulwich Village
*Lordship Lane
*London Road "Horniman Museum"
*Forest Hill London Road
*Forest Hill railway station
*Dartmouth Road "Forest Hill Library and Swimming Baths"
*Sydenham School
*Sydenham "Police Station"
*Kirkdale "The Woodmnan"
*Sydenham railway station "Cobbs Corner"
*Lawrie Park Road "Border Road""'
*Lawrie Park Road "Springfield Road"
*Crystal Palace Park
*Penge West railway station
*Penge High Street
*Penge "Pawleyne Arms"
*Croydon Road
*Anerley "Oak Grove Road"
*Penge Road
*South Norwood "Goat House"
*Norwood Junction railway station "Clifford Road"
*Portland Road "Harrington Road"
*Portland Road "Croydon Arena"
*Woodside Green
*Blackhorse Lane tram stop
*Morland Road
*Addiscombe "Lower Addiscombe Road/Morland Road"
*Cherry Orchard Road
*East Croydon station "Warehouse Theatre""'
*Croydon "Fairfield Halls" (Croydon College)
*Croydon Park Street
*Croydon "High Street/Flyover"

ee also

*List of bus routes in London
*Arriva London
*London Buses route 312

External links

* [http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses London Buses website]
* [http://www.tfl.gov.uk Transport for London]
* [http://www.busesatwork.co.uk London Bus Routes]
* [http://www.londonbusesbyadam.fotopic.net London Bus Routes Fotopic]
* [http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/197full.pdf Full timetable]