London Buses route 347

347
Blue Triangle Plaxton Pointer at Romford station
Overview
Operator	Arriva London
Garage	Grays
Vehicle	Alexander Dennis Enviro200
Peak vehicle requirement	1
Status	Defunct
Began service	6 November 2004 (2004-11-06)
Ended service	18 January 2025 (2025-01-18)
Night-time	No night service
Route
Start	Romford station
Via	Gallows Corner Harold Wood Upminster Cranham North Ockendon
End	Ockendon station
Length	12 miles (19 km)
Service
Level	Monday to Saturday
Frequency	Every 120 minutes
Journey time	42-47 minutes
Operates	09:00 until 16:50

London Buses route 347 was a Transport for London contracted bus route in London and Essex, England. It ran between Romford and Ockendon stations, and was last operated by Arriva London.

History

Route 347 commenced operations on 6 November 2004, replacing mobility route 952. ^[1]

On 15 October 2005, the contract for the route passed from First London to Blue Triangle. ^[2] The route was retained by Blue Triangle on 16 October 2010. ^[3]

On 17 October 2015, the route passed to Arriva Kent Thameside before transferring to Arriva London in January 2016 following a restructure of bus operations by Arriva. ^{[4] [5]}

In March 2023, Transport for London launched a public consultation on proposals to withdraw the route, being partially replaced by an extension of route 497. ^[6] In January 2024, it was confirmed that the route would not be withdrawn, instead continuing to operate under review. ^[7]

In December 2024, following the extension of route 346 and further review, it was confirmed that the route would be withdrawn. Route 347 was withdrawn on 18 January 2025. ^{[8] [9]}

Former route

Route 347 operated via these primary locations: ^[10]

• Romford station
• Gallows Corner
• Harold Wood station
• Upminster station
• Cranham
• North Ockendon
• South Ockendon
• Ockendon station

Frequency

The route was notable for being the least frequent regular bus route in London (excluding school and mobility routes). ^[11] The route operated four journeys in each direction every two hours on weekdays and Saturdays only with no Sunday service. ^[12]

References

1. "London Bus route 347". London Bus Routes. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
2. "Bus tender results: Route 347 - January 2005". Transport for London . Retrieved 10 January 2025.
3. "Bus tender results: Route 347 - April 2010". Transport for London . Retrieved 10 January 2025.
4. "Bus tender results: Route 347 - May 2015". Transport for London . Retrieved 10 January 2025.
5. "Arriva London adds four more garages to its business". Arriva London. 10 January 2025. Archived from the original on 8 June 2016.
6. "Harold Wood and Upminster - proposed changes to bus routes 346, 347 and 497". Transport for London . Retrieved 10 January 2025.
7. "TfL: Romford, Upminster 347 bus route 'still under review'". Romford Recorder . Retrieved 10 January 2025.
8. "TfL: 347 bus connecting Romford and Upminster to be scrapped". Romford Recorder . Retrieved 10 January 2025.
9. "TfL Announce Withdrawal Of 347 Bus Route That Runs From Romford Station To Ockendon". The Havering Daily. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
10. "Route 347 map". Transport for London. 10 January 2025. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024.
11. "The London Bus Route Where Everyone Thanks The Driver". Londonist. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
12. "Route 347 timetable". Transport for London. 10 January 2025. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024.

External links

Media related to London Buses route 347 at Wikimedia Commons