In 1998, TWM was successful in winning two London Transport routes, the 211 and C1. A separate subsidiary was set up, called Travel London. An interesting fleet of buses was obtained, with 21 short Optare Excels for the 211 and 10 Optare Solos for the C1. Despite being only 9.6m long, the Excels were dual door, and hence seated only 26.

However, Travel London failed to win any further routes, and additionally ran into planning difficulties with its base at Stewarts Lane rail depot (which is used by fellow National Express subsidiary Gatwick Express), so eventually National Express sold the small London operation to neighbouring operator Limebourne, who moved the buses into their own base nearby. Intriguingly, Limebourne’s own buses already had blinds for the 211 and C1, although for different reasons! However, Limebourne itself later sold out to Connex Bus. (Now, Connex is selling its London bus operation, due to a combination of further financial difficulties and having lost the contiguous South Central rail franchise, and it has been suggested, not without good reason, that National Express may be interested in buying the business ...)

This sets the scene for a Connex Bus Trident working the 211. Travel London had obtained rare 7 year contracts, so taking them to July 2005. Mid-term, it was at last realised that the tiny Excels were hopelessly inadequate for loadings, and would become even more so once congestion charging began in 2003, and additionally the Excels were still owned by National Express, so the result was to replace them with far more suitable Tridents. Here TA 89 (KV02 USE) crosses Victoria bound for Waterloo, in a scene that will presumably not be repeated as the area is redeveloped.

Photo by Lawrence Living.

The 211 route itself was formed, back in 1993, by linking the western end of the 11, which was cut back to Fulham Broadway, with the short lived (and handily numbered) Red Arrow 511 route between Victoria and Waterloo Station. In between the route uses a new alignment, providing useful links between the parallel Kings and Fulham Roads in Chelsea.

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See also routes C1, 11