Route 207

Route 207
11 June 2005

West London trunk route 207 has recently been converted from conventional double deck operation to cashless articulated buses. There has long been talk of converting the service to tram operation, and bendy buses are perhaps a logical stepping stone on the way to that objective. The route is fairly wide and straight, so the tram scheme should be feasible, although current plans to divert motor traffic via residential roads at pinch points on the route seem likely, at best, seriously to undermine the West London Tram scheme’s credibility.

Prior to this, the 207 was selected for a trial of articulated buses in the latter part of 2001. FirstGroup loaned 6 Volvo two-door artics to the London operation, which operated a supplementary service between Hayes By-Pass and Acton, based at Greenford garage. Although popular on the continent, artics had not often found favour in the UK, their length making them unwieldy and slow. Or so it was generally believed, but the 207 experiment seemed to contradict this, with reports of buses whizzing ahead of the double deckers out there and yet carrying more than their fair share of the passengers!

The experiment was deemed a success, paving the way for approximately 500 articulated single deckers in London, beginning with the Red Arrow routes the following year. London’s models have been specified with 3 doors (4 was talked about), and all so far have been Mercedes Citaro Gs, apparently the only model able to meet TfL’s specifications, although a few demonstrators of other types have been tried from time to time.

Unsurprisingly, when the opportunity arose, the 207 was duly converted to bendy bus operation. The previous roster of 48 double deckers, shared between Uxbridge garage and the former Acton tram depot, was replaced by one of 25 artics on the Shepherd’s Bush to Southall section, with the former Acton to Uxbridge section being renumbered 427, using 22 Tridents now based at Acton.

The routes were offered for tender early, apparently because First were keen to get artics on the route. Unusually, TfL included a site in North Acton with the tender offer, which must have made it easier for other operators to bid, including possibly some with no current base in the area. Nonetheless First retained the route, and the gamble paid off.

Unfortunately, planning permission for the North Acton site was rejected, and the conversion had to be placed in abeyance for several months, with vehicles being stored until an alternative site (in Hayes) could be found. The route split and conversion finally took place on 9 April 2005.

Photo © John Nicholas Bennett.

Now into service at last is First London West EA 11060 (LK05 FCZ), at Hanwell Broadway on the first day. While I appreciate that I have included a disproportionaly high number of artics on the site already recently, here are a couple more, which are rather topical. EA 11064 (LK05 FCD) was seen the same day near Southall Park, with the Ironbridge just visible in the background – one junction that will change substantially if the WLT goes ahead.

Photo © John Nicholas Bennett.

This is included for the benefit of those who have never seen a wheelchair on a bus! Unfortunately, as is all too common, the ramp failed upon use. The passengers had to get off and most, if not all, got on the 427 that had pulled up behind. The photographer writes: “I don't know what was wrong, but I think it was the wheelchair ramp not returning back into the bus. The driver tried opening and closing the doors, kneeling and raising the bus. Some bloke tried pushing the thing back in (at least I assume that was what he was doing). Ah well, there are bound to be teething problems. At least it didn't catch fire.”

Meanwhile, First has been putting some thought into its blind displays recently. One common problem is that passengers do not check the final destination of the bus, and are often caught out if the bus is turned short due to late running. Stagecoach has tried using reversed colours, but that then creates confusion with the established Not In Service display. So here is a novel idea: put "Part route only" above the destination, where the via points would normally go. It would be interesting to know if this is effective, but regrettably it will be outlawed as new regulations on blind design from London Buses are expected to dictate that only the destination may be shown, with no use of reversed colours.

This time we have EA 11062 (LK05 FBZ) on a short working to Ealing Hospital, again on 9 April, heading westwards along the Uxbridge Road/Hanwell Broadway and crossing the junction with St. George's Road and Church Road.

The 207 has its roots in London United Tramways route 7, over much the same route from Uxbridge to Shepherd’s Bush and operated from Hanwell and well as Acton depot. This was replaced by trolleybus route 607 — still between the same terminals — one of the first such conversions on 15 November 1936, and operated from Hanwell. Like most trolleybuses, the 607 enjoyed a high degree of stability, finally succumbing to the diesel bus in 1960, becoming the 207. The 607 Express was launched in 1990.

From Trams to Bendy Barbies – an in-depth article on the Uxbridge Road corridor.

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Chronologically 382 X26

Numerically 202 208
See also routes 507, 521, 427, N207, 607

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