 | Photo © Lawrence Living. |
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In contrast to some routes which seem to change every few years the 24 is one of the most stable routes in London. It started as Hampstead Heath to Victoria since on 5.5.1910, and was extended to Pimlico on 19.8.1912. It has run between the same two terminals by the same route ever since, give or take a couple of one-way systems and a slight change to the terminal working at Pimlico. Its conversion from crew RML to one persion operated Titans took place in autumn 86, but was lost to Grey Green from 05/11/88, making it the first central London route to pass to the private sector, the operator's grey and green Volvo Citybuses making a striking sight running down Whitehall past Downing Street hall of power.
Grey Green was the original bus operation of the Cowie group, which renamed itself Arriva in 1998. Grey Green's Stamford Hill base was subsequently closed with the allocation transferred to the expanded Tottenham garage of sister company Arriva London North (formerly Leaside). They however lost the route to Metroline in November 2002, using new Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President vehicles. Requirements for new vehicles elsewhere were consolidated with an allocation of new Enviro400 double deckers on the 24 in 2005, these being the first of their type into service in London. Those buses have now moved to their originally planned home on routes 4 and 186.
Further re-tendering saw the route awarded to London General – although it may seem odd for a south London operator to bid for a north London route, their Stockwell garage is actually no further from the south end of the route than Holloway is from the north end, and a good closer than the Grey Green or Arriva base. In fact crew changes are much simpler, using the Victoria Line from Stockwell to Pimlico station, although most buses start and finish their day's work at the Hampstead Heath end, meaning they trace most of the route out of service.
London General also specified Enviro400 double deckers for the 24, making this route also the first to have a second batch allocated new to it. Here E93 (LX57 CLY) is at Trafalgar Square taken on Saturday 17th November. In contrast to the then new era of tendering in the late 1980s, bus liveries are now firmly red once again, although the private operators are still allowed to put their stamp on in the form of a fleetname and a coloured skirt.
| Photo © Lawrence Living. |
Metroline’s performance on the route had latterly been poor, apparently mainly as a result of congestion caused by bendy buses on route 38 turning right at Cambridge Circus. Two extra buses were added to the schedule to try to combat this problem, but that was not enough to stop them losing the route. London General have the advantage of yet another bus added to the schedule, making 29 in all.
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