London Buses route 96

Last updated

96
Stagecoach 12347 (SN64OGW) Bexleyheath 18.04.2024.jpg
Overview
Operator Stagecoach London
Garage Plumstead
Vehicle Alexander Dennis Enviro400H
Peak vehicle requirement24
Began service4 March 1959
Predecessors Trolleybus Route 696
Former operator(s) Kentish Bus
Bexleybus
London Regional Transport
London Transport Executive
Night-timeNo night service
Route
Start Woolwich
Via Plumstead
East Wickham
Welling
Bexleyheath
Crayford
Dartford
End Bluewater Shopping Centre
Length13 miles (21 km)
Service
LevelDaily
FrequencyAbout every 8-15 minutes
Journey time40-77 minutes
Operates04:30 until 01:08

London Buses route 96 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London and Kent, England. Running between Woolwich and Bluewater Shopping Centre, it is operated by Stagecoach London.

Contents

History

A Dennis Trident 2 double-decker bus operated on route 96 at Bluewater bus station, November 2002 DA9 9SX 151102 V220MEV filtered.jpg
A Dennis Trident 2 double-decker bus operated on route 96 at Bluewater bus station, November 2002

Route 96 was a tram line running between Woolwich and Dartford. On 10 November 1935, it was replaced, along with several other tram routes, by trolleybus route 696 operating out of Bexleyheath garage. [1] Route 696 was replaced by motor bus route 96 on 4 March 1959. [2] [3] It was extended from Dartford to Bluewater Shopping Centre on 16 March 1999. Because this stretch is outside Greater London, it runs express between these points, only stopping at Darent Valley Hospital in between. [4]

On 31 July 2006, a vehicle operating route 96 bound for Bluewater caught fire in Dartford. [5] In 2013, a report from the London Assembly found the route to be among the ten most crowded in London. [6]

There were proposals as early as 2011 to alter the route to run via Darent Valley Hospital. [7] However, this change was delayed as it was deemed necessary to use the Fastrack Bus Lanes, and Kent County Council had refused to allow route 96 to use it. [8] [9] The route alteration was finally implemented on 16 December 2017. [10] [11] [12] [13]

Having been operated by Bexleybus and Kentish Bus, it has been operated by Selkent out of Plumstead garage since January 1999. [14] [15]

Current route

Route 96 operates via these primary locations: [16]

Between Dartford and Bluewater, route 96 operates as an express service, only stopping at Darent Valley Hospital in between. [17]

Previous use

The 96 route number has also been used for a non-related route in Chelsea. This route was withdrawn in the late 1950s. [18] [19]

Related Research Articles

Welling is a town in South East London, England, in the London Borough of Bexley, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Bexleyheath, 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Woolwich and 10.5 miles (16.9 km) of Charing Cross. It was part of Kent prior to the creation of Greater London in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woolwich Arsenal station</span> Docklands Light Railway and National Rail station

Woolwich Arsenal station is an interchange station in the heart of Woolwich in the Royal Borough of Greenwich for Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and National Rail services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woolwich Ferry</span> Ferry across the River Thames in east London

The Woolwich Ferry is a free vehicle and pedestrian ferry across the River Thames in East London, connecting Woolwich on the south bank with North Woolwich on the north. It is licensed and financed by London River Services, the maritime arm of Transport for London (TfL). Around two million passengers use the ferry each year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dartford railway station</span> Railway station in Kent, England

Dartford railway station serves the town of Dartford in Kent, England. It is 17 miles 12 chains (27.6 km) down the line from London Charing Cross. Train services from the station are operated by Southeastern and Thameslink. Southeastern also manages the station. Dartford is a major interchange station in the North Kent region of the Southeastern network. Ticket barriers control access to the platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dartford</span> Human settlement in England

Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located 18 mi (29 km) south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames estuary, is Thurrock in Essex, which can be reached via the Dartford Crossing. To its east lies the Borough of Gravesham and to the south the district of Sevenoaks. It had a population of 51,240.

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

Barnehurst railway station serves Barnehurst, Northumberland Heath and northern parts of Bexleyheath in the London Borough of Bexley; it is 13 miles 71 chains (22.3 km) from Charing Cross on the Bexleyheath line. The station stands in a cutting: the small brick-built ticket office is above the up platform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Kent Line</span> British railway line

The North Kent Line is a railway line which branches off the South East Main Line at St Johns junction west of Lewisham station in Greater London and runs to Rochester Bridge Junction near Strood, Medway where it links to the Chatham Main Line.

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

Bexleyheath railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley in southeast London, and is in Travelcard Zone 5. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by Southeastern. There are ticket barriers at both entrances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenhithe railway station</span> Railway station in Kent, England

Greenhithe railway station serves the village of Greenhithe in north Kent and Bluewater Shopping Centre. It is 19 miles 69 chains (32 km) down the line from London Charing Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arriva Southern Counties</span> Bus operator in East Sussex, Kent and Essex

Arriva Southern Counties Limited, trading as Arriva Southern Counties, is a bus operator in Kent, Essex, Hemel Hempstead, and Watford in England. It is a subsidiary of Arriva UK Bus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Central</span> Bus operator in London

London General Transport Services Limited, trading as Go-Ahead London, is a bus company operating in South London. The London Central brand is a subsidiary of Go-Ahead London and operates services under contract to Transport for London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbey Wood</span> Neighbourhood of London, England

Abbey Wood is an area in southeast London, England, straddling the border between the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Bexley. It is located 10.6 miles (17 km) east of Charing Cross. According to the 2021 census, Abbey Wood has a population of 17,700.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arriva Kent Thameside</span>

Arriva Kent Thameside Limited, trading as Arriva Kent Thameside, is a bus operator based in north-west Kent, England. It is a subsidiary of Arriva UK Bus. The company operates services in Northfleet, Gravesend & Dartford as part of the Arriva Southern Counties division from their Northfleet depot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Buses route 53</span> London bus route

London Buses route 53 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Plumstead station and Lower Marsh, it is operated by Stagecoach London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Wickham</span> Human settlement in England

East Wickham is a district in south-east London, England, within the London Borough of Bexley. It is situated north of Welling, east of Shooter's Hill, south of Plumstead, south-west of Abbey Wood and west of West Heath, and 10.5 miles (16.9 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross. Prior to the creation of Greater London in 1965, East Wickham was in the administrative county of Kent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fastrack (bus)</span> Bus Rapid Transit network in Kent, England

Fastrack is a bus rapid transit scheme in the Thames Gateway area of Kent. It consists of three routes, operated by Arriva Southern Counties on behalf of Kent County Council with Prologis and Amazon respectively. Measures used to allow buses to avoid traffic include signal priority, reserved lanes, and dedicated busways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Go-Ahead London</span> London bus operator

Go-Ahead London is a major bus operator in Greater London. The name first appeared in August 2008, before which the company had traded under separate names and brands. It is currently the largest bus operator in Greater London, operating a total of 153 bus routes mainly in South and Central London as well as some services into North and East London with a fleet size of over 3,200 vehicles under contract to Transport for London.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Go-Coach</span> Bus operator in the South of England

Go-Coachhire Limited, trading as Go-Coach, is a bus operator running a total of 40 bus services across Kent and Sussex. The majority of these services are operated on behalf of Kent County Council from their depot in Swanley.

References

  1. "60 miles of trolleybus routes". Daily Mirror . 26 October 1935. p. 6. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  2. "Routes 696 & 698". Trolleybus. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  3. The London Bus (5 ed.). Stamford: Key Publishing. 2018. p. 116.
  4. Moth, David (2019), Buses in Outer London Since 1990, Amberley Publishing, ISBN   9781445687858
  5. Teenagers wanted over bus blaze News Shopper 1 August 2006
  6. "Overcrowding on London's buses set to get worse". ITV News . 30 October 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  7. "Councillors, democracy and elections". Dartford Borough Council . 30 June 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  8. "Rescheduling bus route 96 to include Darent Valley Hospital". Mayor's Question Time. 16 January 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  9. TfL to serve Fastrack for first time Buses issue 752 November 2017 page 23
  10. Improving route 96 Transport for London 11 December 2017
  11. Porter, Toby (20 December 2017). "96 bus route to serve hospital". South London News. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  12. Bull, Tom (19 December 2017). "Bus route 96 to run to Darent Valley Hospital". News Shopper. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  13. Bus service changes Transport for London 1 December 2017 page 7
  14. Large TfL tender round sees Arriva scoop new service Coach & Bus Week issue 1357 28 August 2018 page 7
  15. Latest tendered service awards Buses issue 763 October 2018 page 23
  16. Route 96 Map Transport for London
  17. Marius, Callum (12 August 2021). "The 19 London bus routes that take you outside the M25". MyLondon. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  18. "Council protest over bus services". Chelsea News and General Advertiser. 6 March 1959. p. 2. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  19. "'Waiters'". Fulham Chronicle . 12 June 1959. p. 6. Retrieved 18 August 2021.

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