London Buses route 281 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Hounslow bus station and Tolworth station, it is operated by RATP Dev Transit London.
| 281 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Operator | RATP Dev Transit London |
| Garage | Fulwell |
| Vehicle | Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV Volvo B5LH Wright Gemini 3 |
| Peak vehicle requirement | Day: 19 Night: 4[1] |
| Began service | 9 May 1962 |
| Predecessors | Trolleybus Route 601 |
| Night-time | 24-hour service |
| Route | |
| Start | Hounslow bus station |
| Via | Whitton Twickenham Teddington Kingston Surbiton |
| End | Tolworth station |
| Length | 11 miles (18 km) |
| Service | |
| Level | 24-hour service |
| Frequency | About every 8 minutes |
| Journey time | 45-81 minutes |
| Operates | 24-hour service |
History
edit_1998_Volvo_Olympian_Alexander_RH-Type,_Hounslow,_route_281,_September_1998.jpg)
Route 281 was introduced between Twickenham and Tolworth on 9 May 1962 to replace trolleybus route 601, operating from Fulwell garage.[2][3][4] On 15 August 1981 it was converted from AEC Routemaster to MCW Metrobus operation.
In 2000, the route was identified as one of the most popular in London, with approximately 5.5 million passengers using the service that year.[5]
On 3 June 2006, route 281 became the 100th night bus service in London, when a 24-hour service introduced.[6] It replaced a portion of route N22, which was shortened to end at Fulwell.[7]
Since the privatisation of London bus services, it has always been operated by London United (now RATP Dev Transit London) out of Fulwell garage.[8][9][10]
Current route
editRoute 281 operates via these main locations:[11]
- Hounslow bus station
- Hounslow station
- Whitton Admiral Nelson
- Twickenham Stadium
- Twickenham station
- Twickenham King Street
- Twickenham Prince Albert
- Fulwell station
- Teddington High Street
- Hampton Wick station
- Kingston upon Thames Wood Street
- Cromwell Road bus station for Kingston station
- Kingston station
- Kingston University
- Surbiton station
- Tolworth station
Incidents
editIn July 2005, shortly after the 7 July 2005 London bombings, the route was the subject of a hoax bomb threat.[12]
References
edit- ^ Tender News Bus Talk issue 26 February 2014
- ^ Taylor, Hugh (1994). London TrolleybuBus Routes. Harrow Weald: Capital Transport Publishing. ISBN 9781854141552.
- ^ Fulwell The London Bus volume 4 2017 pages 68/69
- ^ Blake, Jim (30 June 2019). London Buses in the 1970s: 1975–1979: From Crisis to Recovery. Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1-4738-8718-3.
- ^ "Route 281 Bus Priority Measures" (PDF). 13 February 2003. p. 2.
- ^ "Mayor announces 100th night bus service in London". Transport for London. 30 May 2006. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
- ^ "Direct night bus service: Central London to Teddington". Mayor's Question Time. 3 November 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ Contract Routes Retained London United
- ^ TfL contract tender changes Coach & Bus Week issue 1115 27 November 2013 page 5
- ^ Latest tendered service awards Buses issue 789 December 2020 page 21
- ^ Route 281 Map Transport for London
- ^ "Bomb hoaxer called police after 7/7 attacks". This is Local London. 23 July 2005. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
External links
edit
Media related to London Buses route 281 at Wikimedia Commons