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London Buses route 507

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507
Go-Ahead London Alexander Dennis Enviro200EV at Victoria station
Overview
OperatorGo-Ahead London
GarageWaterloo
VehicleAlexander Dennis Enviro200EV
Peak vehicle requirement9
StatusDefunct
Began service7 September 1968 (1968-09-07)
Ended service29 April 2023 (2023-04-29)
PredecessorsRoute 46
Route 70
Night-timeNo night service
Route
StartWaterloo station
ViaSt Thomas' Hospital
Lambeth Bridge
Horseferry Road
EndVictoria bus station
Length2 miles (3.2 km)
Service
LevelDaily
FrequencyAbout every 6-12 minutes
Journey time11-21 minutes
Operates06:25 until 00:32

London Buses route 507 was a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. It ran between Waterloo station and Victoria bus station, and was operated by Go-Ahead London.

It was also one of two Red Arrow branded services. In 2016, it became the first battery electric bus route in London, along with route 521.[1]

History

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London General Leyland National Greenway as used on route 507 between 1992 and 2002
Go-Ahead London Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro at Waterloo station in 2009
See also: Red Arrow (London Buses)

Red Arrow route 507 commenced operating on 7 September 1968 as part of the Red Arrow network of flat fare bus routes aimed at commuters in Central London linking some of the capital's main railway termini.[2][3]

On 2 June 2002, along with route 521, the route was the first bus route in London to be converted to articulated bus operations with Mercedes-Benz O530G Citaros.[4]

During late 2003 and early 2004, a series of onboard fires on Mercedes-Benz O530Gs led to withdrawal of the entire fleet, while Mercedes-Benz made some modifications. During this period limited services operated using a variety of different buses on route 507, including double-deckers.[5]

On 25 July 2009, as part of the move to replace London's articulated buses, the O530Gs were replaced by Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaros.[6]

Another criticism of articulated buses was the low number of seats, with only 49 per vehicle. A standard rigid Citaro has 44 seats, however the new ones for route 507 have just 21, with room supposedly for up to 76 standees, leading to criticism the new buses were "cattle trucks" and even more crowded than the buses they replaced.[7]

In December 2013, two trial BYD electric buses were introduced.[8] In September 2016, Alexander Dennis Enviro200EV bodied BYD electric buses began to operate the route, making it and route 521 the first battery electric bus routes in London.[1][9][10] In September 2016, the buses on this route and the 521 received new digital route displays.[11]

In 2021, the peak time frequency was reduced from 18 buses per hour to 7.5.[12]

Route withdrawal

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On 23 November 2022, it was announced that route 507 would be withdrawn following a consultation, with route 11 being rerouted to Waterloo to compensate for its loss. These changes were implemented on 29 April 2023.[13][14]

Former route

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Route 507 operated via these primary locations:[15]

References

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  1. ^ a b Gillett, Francesca (12 September 2016). "First electric buses in central London 'by end of year' as two routes announced". Evening Standard. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  2. ^ Day, John (1973). The Story of the London Bus. London Regional Transport. ISBN 9780853290377.
  3. ^ Graeme Bruce, J; Curtis, Colin (1977). The London Motor Bus: Its Origins and Development. London Transport. p. 116. ISBN 0853290830.
  4. ^ London transport - with a twist BBC News 5 June 2002
  5. ^ "Bendy-buses withdrawn after fires". BBC News. 24 March 2004. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
  6. ^ "The beginning of the end for the bendy bus". Greater London Authority press release. 5 December 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
  7. ^ "Passengers call for the return of the bendy bus". The London Paper. 31 July 2009. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
  8. ^ Nichols, Will (19 December 2013). "Electric buses hit London roads". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  9. ^ Mayor unveils first fully electric bus routes for central London Transport for London 9 September 2016
  10. ^ "Debut for electrics and StreetDecks" Buses Magazine issue 739 October 2016 page 22
  11. ^ Powell, Tom (12 September 2016). "London buses introduce new 'Tube map-style' digital route displays". Evening Standard. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  12. ^ Mortimer, Josiah (21 December 2021). "The 41 London bus routes that have quietly been cut in 2021". MyLondon. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  13. ^ "Central London Bus Review 2022: Decision summary and next steps" (PDF). TfL Have Your Say. 23 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  14. ^ "Central London bus changes". TfL. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  15. ^ Route 507 Map Transport for London
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