126 The London Bus
numbers, and the EvoSetis
have gone, leaving just a few
Gemini 3-bodied Volvos to share
occasional duties with the
Enviro400s. Definitely a case of
back to the future.Altered routes and
frequencies
After changes in vehicle type,
the most visible alterations in
bus services involve the actual
routes. One of our featured
services, the 3 (Volume 1)
between Crystal Palace and
central London, has been
shortened since we wrote
about it.
Back in 2013 it continued
north from Trafalgar Square to
Piccadilly Circus and Regent
Street, terminating at Oxford
Circus. In June 2017 the section
beyond Trafalgar Square was
lopped off.
However, if all goes to plan,
from December 2018 route
3 will gain a new northerly
extension, taking it back up to
Oxford Street via Charing Cross
Road, but now terminating at
its easternmost extremity. It will
then wend its way over to Russell
Square in Bloomsbury, ending up
slightly longer than when Oxford
Circus was the turning point.
Another of our routes has
already been extended. When
we followed the 148 (Volume
4 ) between Camberwell and
Shepherds Bush in 2017, thenorth-western terminus was
Shepherds Bush Green. However,
between 2008 and 2015 the
service had continued half a
mile north to White City. Then
that section was withdrawn, but
now that building works on the
old BBC Television Centre and
Westfield shopping centre are
well advanced, the 148 has beenextended again to the adjacent
White City bus station.
Changes in frequency are
perhaps less obvious than
changes in route, though they
will certainly affect regular
users. There have been
reductions in various routes
from our original list, including
the 1, 11, 25 and 205 (Volume 3).London by Bus
RIGHT & BELOW:
Also allocated
to route 14
are Wright
Gemini 3-bodied
Volvo B5LHs like
WHV121, which
together with the
Enviro400H MMCs
have replaced
Eclipse Gemini-
bodied Volvo B7TLs
like WVL171.