London Buses route 281

Last updated

281
BCE47156 at Cromwell Road Bus Station.jpg
Overview
Operator RATP Dev Transit London
Garage Fulwell
Vehicle Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV
Volvo B5LH Wright Gemini 3
Peak vehicle requirementDay: 19
Night: 4 [1]
Began service9 May 1962
Predecessors Trolleybus Route 601
Night-time24-hour service
Route
Start Hounslow bus station
Via Whitton
Twickenham
Teddington
Kingston
Surbiton
End Tolworth
Length11 miles (18 km)
Service
Level24-hour service
FrequencyAbout every 8 minutes
Journey time45-81 minutes
Operates24-hour service

London Buses route 281 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Hounslow bus station and Tolworth, it is operated by RATP Dev Transit London.

Contents

History

London United Alexander RH bodied Volvo Olympian in Hounslow in September 1998 London United bus VA43 (R943 YOV) 1998 Volvo Olympian Alexander RH-Type, Hounslow, route 281, September 1998.jpg
London United Alexander RH bodied Volvo Olympian in Hounslow in September 1998
Transdev London TransBus ALX400 bodied TransBus Trident in Kingston upon Thames in December 2008 Transdev London TA220.JPG
Transdev London TransBus ALX400 bodied TransBus Trident in Kingston upon Thames in December 2008

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

Route 281 operates via these main locations: [11]

Incidents

In July 2005, shortly after the 7 July 2005 London bombings, the route was the subject of a hoax bomb threat. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twickenham</span> Town in Greater London, England

Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames 9.9 miles (15.9 km) southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the borough council's administrative headquarters are located in the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twickenham railway station</span> Railway station in Greater London

Twickenham railway station is in Twickenham in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England, and is in Travelcard Zone 5. By track it is 11 miles 22 chains (18.1 km) from London Waterloo. Only one main street abuts the station – at its west end – London Road running between a trunk road south of Twickenham Stadium and the town centre to the south including the town's public section of riverside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fulwell railway station</span> National Rail station in London, England

Fulwell railway station on the Shepperton Branch Line serves Fulwell in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is in Travelcard Zone 6. It is 12 miles 75 chains (20.8 km) down the line from London Waterloo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travel London</span> Former bus operator in Greater London

Travel London was a bus company operating services in Greater London. It was a subsidiary of National Express before being sold in May 2009 to NedRailways. In October 2009, it was rebranded as Abellio London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London United Tramways</span> Tram and trolleybuse operator in western and southern London

London United Tramways Company Limited was an operator of trams and trolleybuses in the western and southern suburbs of London, UK, from 1894 to 1933, when it passed to the London Passenger Transport Board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fulwell bus garage</span> Public transport depot in west London

Fulwell Bus Garage is a Transport for London bus garage located in Twickenham in west London. It is north of Fulwell railway station and operates as two halves, with entrances on the A311 Wellington Road and B358 Stanley Road. It is currently operated by Transport UK London Bus and London United.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London United Busways</span> Bus company operating in west and south-west London

RATP Dev Transit London Limited, trading as RATP Dev Transit London, is a bus company operating mostly in west and south-west Greater London. The London United brand is a subsidiary of RATP Dev Transit London and operates services under contract to Transport for London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Buses route 27</span> London bus route

London Buses route 27 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Chalk Farm and Hammersmith Grove, it is operated by Transport UK London Bus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Country South West</span>

London Country South West (LCSW) was a bus operator in South East England and London. It was formed from the split of London Country Bus Services in 1986 and operated a fleet of around 415 buses from 10 garages, with its headquarters in Reigate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Buses route 65</span> London bus route

London Buses route 65 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Ealing Broadway station and Kingston upon Thames, it is operated by RATP Dev Transit London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Buses route 406</span> London bus route

London Buses route 406 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London and Surrey, England. Running between Kingston upon Thames and Epsom, it is operated by RATP Dev Transit London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fulwell, London</span> Suburb of south west London

Fulwell is a neighbourhood of outer South West London in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It straddles the west of the "ancient" parish and urban district borders of Twickenham and Teddington. The name is first known in documents of the fifteenth century. It may be from a reliably full well or a corruption of foul well. Until 1965, Fulwell was in the historic County of Middlesex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Buses route 81</span> London bus route

London Buses route 81 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London and Berkshire, England. Running between Slough and Hounslow bus station, it is operated by Metroline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Buses route 111</span> London bus route

London Buses route 111 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Heathrow Central bus station and Kingston upon Thames, it is operated by Transport UK London Bus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Buses route 465</span> London bus route

London Buses route 465 is a joint Transport for London and Surrey County Council contracted bus route in London and Surrey, England. Running between Kingston upon Thames and Dorking, it is operated by RATP Dev Transit London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Buses route 293</span> London bus route

London Buses route 293 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London and Surrey, England. Running between Morden station and Epsom Hospital, it is operated by RATP Dev Transit London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Buses route 117</span> London bus route

London Buses route 117 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London and Surrey, England. Running between West Middlesex University Hospital and Staines-upon-Thames, it is operated by RATP Dev Transit London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Buses route 152</span> London bus route

London Buses route 152 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between New Malden and Pollards Hill, it is operated by Go-Ahead London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Night buses in London</span> Series of night bus routes that serve Greater London

The London Night Bus network is a series of night bus routes that serve Greater London. Services broadly operate between the hours of 23:00 and 06:00.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolleybuses in London</span> Trolleybuses serving the London Passenger Transport Area

Trolleybuses served the London Passenger Transport Area from 1931 until 1962. For much of its existence, the London system was the largest in the world. It peaked at 68 routes, with a maximum fleet of 1,811 trolleybuses.

References

  1. Tender News Bus Talk issue 26 February 2014
  2. Taylor, Hugh (1994). London TrolleybuBus Routes. Harrow Weald: Capital Transport Publishing. ISBN   9781854141552.
  3. Fulwell The London Bus volume 4 2017 pages 68/69
  4. 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.
  5. "Route 281 Bus Priority Measures" (PDF). 13 February 2003. p. 2.
  6. "Mayor announces 100th night bus service in London". Transport for London. 30 May 2006. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
  7. "Direct night bus service: Central London to Teddington". Mayor's Question Time. 3 November 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  8. Contract Routes Retained London United
  9. TfL contract tender changes Coach & Bus Week issue 1115 27 November 2013 page 5
  10. Latest tendered service awards Buses issue 789 December 2020 page 21
  11. Route 281 Map Transport for London
  12. "Bomb hoaxer called police after 7/7 attacks". This is Local London. 23 July 2005. Retrieved 8 February 2011.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to London Buses route 281 at Wikimedia Commons