London Buses route C11

Infobox London Bus
number=C11


operator=Metroline
garage=Perivale West (PA)
vehicle=Dennis Dart SLF/ Plaxton Pointer 2
pvr=20
start=Brent Cross Shopping Centre
via=North Cricklewood
Cricklewood
West Hampstead
Hampstead Heath
Gospel Oak
Parliament Hill Fields
end=Archway
length=8 miles (13 km)
level=Daily
frequency=About every 10-20 minutes
time=39-69 minutes
night=No night service
day=5:55am until 0:40am
ibus=yes

London Buses route C11 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.

History

The Greater London Council took control of London Transport in 1970, with a policy of providing bus services to all areas within the London area. Previously bus routing had been restricted in areas such as Hampstead and Highgate due to narrow residential roads being unsuitable for double deckers, but the rise in one man operation prompted the suggestion that small buses would be able to traverse these roads, without the intrusion a double deck brings.

Route C11 CamdenLink, the C standing for "Camden", began on 28 October 1972, from Highgate Bus Garage, running between Cricklewood Broadway and Archway Station, via Hampstead Heath and Parliament Hill Fields. The route initially ran with a flat fare of 10p, Monday to Friday peak hours and Saturday shopping hours. It was later extended, at different points in time, to Kings Cross and Willesden Green, and then withdrawn and finally extended to Brent Cross.

The C11 was initially operated by FS-class Ford Transit minibuses, based on the Ford Transit van chassis they became nicknamed 'breadvans'. The 'breadvans' only lasted until August 1975 when they were replaced by larger Bristol LH buses. There have been many type changes through the years, a mixture of Plaxton Pointer and Marshall Capital-bodied Dennis Dart SLFs are currently used.

In October 1976 the route was extended from Cricklewood Broadway to Willesden Green, this extension lasted until 4 September 1982 when the route was withdrawn between West Hampstead and Willesden Green, but to compensate was extended at the eastern end from Archway to Kings Cross, replacing the withdrawn route 239. Further route changes happened in 1984 when in March the West Hampstead to Cricklewood section was reinstated, running via Mill Lane, and in October the route was extended further to Brent Cross via Cricklewood Lane and the current route.

The route transferred from London Northern to R&I Coaches on 21 July 1990, and was converted to Dennis Dart. On the same day the settled route of Kings Cross to Brent Cross was split into two over-lapping services: C11 operating between Brent Cross and Archway and C12 operating between Swiss Cottage and Kings Cross. During July 1998, however, the C12 service was withdrawn and replaced by an extension of route 10 between Kings Cross and Archway, and some additional short workings between Archway and Finchley Road Station on the C11. These short workings were later extended to work the whole route from Archway to Brent Cross.

R&I Coaches were bought out by MTL on 24 October 1995, and MTL was bought out by Metroline in 1998. In November 2002 the route was moved from Holloway to Cricklewood Garage, but returned in July 2003. In February 2005 the route transferred to FE Thorpes, from Perivale Garage, but the later buy out saw the route return to Metroline within a year.

Current route

Route departing Brent Cross Shopping Centre

*Brent Cross Shopping Centre
*Prince Charles Drive
*Templehof Avenue
*Tilling Road
*North Cricklewood
*Claremont Road
*Cricklewood Station
*Lichfield Road
*Westberre Road
*Sarre Road
*Mill Lane
*West End Lane
*West Hampstead
*West Hampstead Underground Station
*West Hampstead National Rail Stations
*Broadhurst Gardens
*Canfield Gardens
*Finchley Road
*Finchley Road Station
*Swiss Cottage Station
*Avenue Road
*Primrose Hill Road
*England's Lane
*Belsize Park for "Belsize Park Station"
*Haverstock Hill
*Rosslyn Hill
*Pond Street
*Royal Free Hospital
*Hampstead Heath for "Hampstead Heath Station"
*Constantine Road
*Agincourt Road
*Mansfield Road
*Gospel Oak Station
*Gordon House Road
*Highgate Road
*Parliament Hill Fields
*Swain's Lane
*Chester Road
*Raydon Street
*Dartmouth Park Hill
*Magdala Avenue
*Highgate Hill
*Macdonald Road (for Archway Station)

Route departing Archway Station

*Archway Station
*Highgate Hill
*Magdala Avenue
*Dartmouth Park Hill
*Chester Road
*Swain's Lane
*Brookfield Park
*St Alban's Road
*Parliament Hill Fields
*Highgate Road
*Gordon House Road
*Gospel Oak Station
*Mansfield Road
*Fleet Road
*Hampstead Heath for "Hampstead Heath Station"
*Pond Street
*Royal Free Hospital
*Rosslyn Hill
*Haverstock Hill
*Belsize Park for "Belsize Park Station"
*England's Lane
*Primrose Hill Road
*Adelaide Road
*Finchley Road
*Swiss Cottage Station
*Goldhurst Terrace
*Broadhurst Gardens for "Finchley Road Station"
*Canfield Gardens
*Cleve Road
*West End Lane
*West Hampstead National Rail Stations
*West Hampstead Underground Station
*Mill Lane
*Sarre Road
*Westbere Road
*Lichfield Road
*Cricklewood Station
*Claremont Road
*North Cricklewood
*Tilling Road
*Templehof Avenue
*Prince Charles Drive
*Brent Cross Shopping Centre

ee also

* List of bus routes in London

External links

* [http://www.tfl.gov.uk Transport for London]
* [http://www.busesatwork.co.uk London Bus Routes]
* [http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/C11.pdf Full timetable (PDF)]