London Buses route 289

infobox London Bus
number=289


operator=Arriva London
garage=Thornton Heath
vehicle= Dennis Dart SLF 10.8m / Plaxton Pointer
VDL DB250 / Alexander ALX400
pvr=Monday to Friday: 10
Saturday to Sunday: 9
length=9 miles (15 km)
time=38-64 minutes
start=Purley Station
end= Elmers End
via=Purley Way
Croydon
Addiscombe
level=Daily
frequency=About every 15 minutes
night=No night service
day=5:30am until 1:00am
ibus=yes

London Buses route 289 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Arriva London.

History

The route 289 began in June 1968. The 289 was routed from Thornton Heath garage to the Addiscombe Black Horse Pub. The route ran on Monday to Friday and was operated by RT's. In 1970 a Saturday service commenced which partly replaced the withdrawn section of the 50. As as the route was expensive to run with double-deckers they decided to deploy SMS on the route - these being single deck buses - using four on weekdays and three on Saturdays.

During 1973 the route was extended from the Addiscombe Black Horse to Elmers End Green. The number of buses deployed was upgraded from four to five SMS, Monday to Friday and from three to four SMS on Saturdays.

In 1978 the route was again extended to Beckenham Junction and the route operation was transferred to Elmers End Garage. Later on that year the SMS buses were replaced by the LS. The service frequency was also went up to seven LS Monday to Saturday due to the numbers of passenger using the route.

When 1981 came the route was extended to Purley, Monday to Friday except evenings, so the evening and Saturday buses terminated at Croydon Airport. In 1985 the route was cut back from Beckenham Junction to Elmers End Green. A year later the operating garage was changed to TC South Croydon, and the Saturday buses decreased by two LS.

In early 1987 London Transport decided not to run the route so it was taken over by London and Country with the nearest operating garage at Chelsham Garage (CM). London and Country pushed for the 289 to be full time running to Purley and this permission was finally granted four years later.

In 1993 there was a timetable change which had a Sunday journey from Purley Way to West Croydon but this only ran in the afternoons. A year later it was decided decided to give the 289 a daily service from CN. In 1995 London Links started to operate the route from CN.

In and around 1999 Arriva London took the route from London Links. A few years later the 289 was allocated new long Dennis Darts (PDL) so wheelchair users could access the buses easily. Today the route is still operated by Arriva London and there are still seven left of the 10 PDL Darts that they bought for the route. Nowadays you can find the odd double-decker running on the route. Usually there are three Dennis/Wright buses (DWL or DW) and seven Dennis Darts (PDL). The frequency for Monday to Saturday is every 12-15 minutes and evening and Sunday buses run every 20-30 minutes. The running time is between 40 and 65 minutes. The route was operated by CN Beddington Farm Garage until March 2007 when it was transferred to Thornton Heath Garage - in a swap with route 450.

Current route

Route departing Purley

* Purley Station
* Croydon Airport "Croydon Colonades"
* Waddon
* Purley Way "Sainsburys"
* Thornton Heath "Pond"
* West Croydon
* Addiscombe
* Elmers End "Green"

Route departing Elmers End

* Addiscombe
* West Croydon
* Thornton Heath "Pond"
* Purley Way "Sainsburys"
* Waddon
* Croydon Airport "Croydon Colonades"
* Purley Station

ee also

*List of bus routes in London
*Arriva London

External links

* [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/289.pdf Full Timetable]