London Buses route 345

Infobox London Bus
number=345


operator=London General
garage=Stockwell
vehicle= Volvo B7TL 10m / Wright Eclipse Gemini
Dennis Trident 2 / Plaxton President
pvr=Day: 25
Night: 4
start=South Kensington
via=Chelsea
Battersea
Clapham Junction
Clapham Common
Stockwell
Camberwell Green
end=Peckham
length=9 miles (14 km)
level=24-hour service
frequency=About every 7-30 minutes
time= 41-81 minutes
night=24-hour service
day=24-hour service
ibus=yes

London Buses route 345 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to London General.

History

The 345 was a renumbering of a previous route 45A, and although the route has not changed much since its inception, the allocation has seen a large number of garage changes.

Route 45A began on 10 November 1990, formed from part of route 45 which was diverted away from South Kensington on this date. The route initially ran from South Kensington to Elephant and Castle, by London Central, from Camberwell (Sunday to Friday) and New Cross (Saturday and Sunday) Garages using Titans. This arrangement was changed to Camberwell (Monday to Sunday) and New Cross (Sunday only) during April 1991, and Camberwell (Monday to Sunday) and New Cross (Sunday to Friday) during March 1992, although this arrangement only lasted until 19 June 1993 when it reverted back to Camberwell (Monday to Sunday) and New Cross (Sunday only). The New Cross Garage allocation was withdrawn completely on 12 March 1994, and the route was diverted at Camberwell Green to terminate at the newly opened Peckham Garage, instead of Elephant and Castle.

On 2 September 1995 the route was renumbered 345. Further allocation changes took place in April 1997, with New Cross Garage gaining part of the allocation with Camberwell. During September 1997, the route was converted to low floor, but at the expense of using single deck Dennis Dart SLF / Plaxton Pointers.

The loss of route 49 to London United, and route 344 to Limebourne (now Travel London) from Stockwell Garage on 29 May 1999 saw the Camberwell allocation of route 345 transferred to Stockwell to compensate for the loss of the routes 49 and 344. This arrangement reverted on 5 February 2000 to compensate for the loss of route 3 and Night route N3 to Travel London from Camberwell Garage. The Camberwell allocation was reduced on 29 April 2000 due to driver shortages, with a peak allocation from Stockwell also introduced.

The loss of routes 200 and 201 to Mitcham Belle from Merton Garage on 17 June 2000, resulted in route 155 being transferred from Stockwell to Merton, making room for the Camberwell part allocation to pass to Stockwell. During September 2000, the Camberwell allocation was reintroduced, working along with Stockwell and New Cross Garages, due to route 88's extension to Camden Town requiring 4 extra buses at Stockwell. Driver shortages at New Cross also saw a one bus Monday to Friday peak Peckham allocation introduced in late September, and the complete withdrawal of New Cross allocation on 28 October 2000, with room being made at Stockwell from the loss of route 295 to First London. The New Cross allocation was once again reintroduced on 2 December 2000, as the gain of route 188 from Arriva required room to be made at Stockwell, and New Cross has just had a reduction in pvr on the Millennium routes M1 and M2.

The Peckham allocation was withdrawn during February 2001, and the New Cross allocation was withdrawn during March 2001, with a new route 486 (which replaced route M1) and the gain of route 225, both into New Cross. The allocation at Camberwell was reduced on September 2001, to make room for the gain of route C10.

Tendering saw the contract being retained by London General, with the route converting back to double deck, using Volvo B7TL / Wright Eclipse Geminis, with the whole allocation moving to Stockwell - the first time the route has been operated by only one garage. The N prefix of the night service N345 was dropped on 30 August 2003, making it a 24-hour service.

Current route

Route departing South Kensington

*South Kensington Station "for The Museums"
*Thurloe Street
*Onslow Square
*Sydney Place
*Fulham Road
*Royal Marsden Hospital
*Beaufort Street
*Battersea Bridge
*Battersea Bridge Road
*Prince of Wales
*Cambridge Road
*Battersea Park Road
*Falcon Road
*Clapham Junction Station
*Lavender Hill
*Cedars Road
*Clapham Common North Side
*Long Road
*Clapham Common Station
*Clapham High Street
*Clapham North Station "for Clapham High Street Station "
*Clapham Road
*Stockwell Station
*Stockwell Road
*Stockwell Park Walk
*Brixton Road
*Brixton Underground Station
*Brixton National Rail Station
*Gresham Road
*Coldharbour Lane
*Loughborough Junction Station
*Denmark Hill
*Camberwell Green
*Camberwell Church Street
*Peckham Road
*Peckham High Road
*Peckham "Bus Station"

Route departing Peckham

* Peckham "Bus Station"
* Peckham High Street
* Camberwell Church Street
* Camberwell Green
* Denmark Hill
* Coldharbour Lane
* Loughborough Junction Station
* Gresham Road
* Brixton Underground Station
* Brixton National Rail Station
* Stockwell Road
* Stockwell Station
* Clapham Road
* Clapham North Station "for Clapham High Street Station "
* Clapham High Street
* Clapham Common Station
* Long Road
* Clapham Common North Side
* Cedars Road
* Lavender Hill
* Clapham Junction Station
* Falcon Road
* Battersea Park Road
* Battersea Bridge Road
* Battersea Bridge
* Beaufort Street
* Chelsea
* Fulham Road
* Royal Marsden Hospital
* Syney Place
* Onslow Square
* Old Brompton Road
* Bute Street
* Harrington Road
* South Kensington Station "for The Museums"

See also

* List of bus routes in London
* London General

External links

* [http://www.tfl.gov.uk Transport for London]
* [http://www.busesatwork.co.uk London Bus Routes]
* [http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/345.pdf Full timetable (PDF)]