The 376 is not a route you would ride from end to end. It was introduced only in 1999, and is a complicated amalgam of bits of pieces of existing routes and some new territory, and several new links. Route 276 was being shortened to run only as far as the Newham General Hospital in Plaistow, and route 300 was altered to cover the section east of Canning Town. The 376, number no doubt being inspired by the 276 but not actually having much to do with it, then came in to replace some bits of the 300, but, primarily, to provide new links to the Hospital.

It is the Beckton end that replaces route 300, which ran along the section between Winsor Park Estate and West Beckton via Strait Road. However, the 300 started from Winsor Park and ran via West Beckton before doubling back along Tollgate Road to East Beckton and the Asda there, whereas the 376 starts from Asda and hence provides a much more direct route from Winsor Park. The 300 still covers West Beckton – Asda. From West Beckton the 376 runs directly to the Hospital, then covering the new access road before looping round Upton Park to East Ham, providing links for the local community.

The result is a C shaped route; from end to end it is only about 1·5 miles by the direct route. There is not much ground the 376 has to itself: as mentioned, just Winsor Park, Strait Road (serving little more than the District Park), and the Hospital access road. Otherwise, although the route uses roads already served by other routes, it rarely duplicates another route for more than a mile. Although running daily, it is not the most frequent of routes, running every 15 minutes during the day on Mondays to Saturdays.

Photo by Andrew Gronneberg.

A batch of 8 short dual door Darts, such as SLD 156 (V156 MVX) arriving at East Beckton, is allocated to Upton Park garage for the 376, which passes it. The 276 used to come here, all the way from Stoke Newington, but was curtailed at Newham General Hospital shortening this rather long route to make it easier to run. Links east of Canning Town have been maintained by diverting existing route 300.

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See also routes 276, 300