 | Photo © John Bennett. |
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Route C1 is operated by Travel London using a mixture of Enviro200Darts and slightly older Mini Pointer Dart SLFs, all from Walworth garage, which was re-opened a couple of years ago having been mothballed for nearly a decade. The latter type is represented by what was ES3 (LJ56 VSU) setting down passengers at the last stop at Victoria on 7 March 2007. The fleet has now been renumbered into the Travel West Midlands sequence and this bus is 8103.
| Photo © John Bennett. |
The older vehicles are represented by DP38 (BU05 HFY) (now 8038). These vehicles replaced Optare Solos when the current contract in 2005; the Enviro200Darts were added for a later service increase.
 | Photo © James Fullick. |
Finally, although officially allocated to route 100, these slightly longer dual door Dart/Pointers can also be used on the C1. DP 110 (BX54 DKY, 8310) sets off from Shepherd's Bush Green in Uxbridge Road shortly after the route was extended there, seen on a wet Monday 22 January 2007.
 | Photo © John Bennett. |
The route has changed considerably since its introduction 20 years ago. The route started on 25 October 1986 running from Embankment to Kensington via Buckingham Gate, Victoria, Elizabeth Street, Sloane Square, Knightsbridge, South Kensington and Queen’s Gate. 19 new OV class Optare City Pacers provided an intensive service during the day on Mondays to Fridays. During the evenings the buses were used on circular services C20/C21 between Victoria and London's theatreland, although these only lasted until the following July. From 1 August 1987 the C1 was extended to Waterloo and named Central Hoppa C1, gaining a Saturday service and early evening journeys between Waterloo and Victoria.
The City Pacer, based on a Volkswagen LT55 chassis, broke new ground for the time by having a purpose built style of bus bodywork, rather than the usual cheap parcel van conversion. Regrettably the Volkswagen chassis were not up to the task and the vehicles only lasted a few years. The vehicles for the C1 were specified with high backed seats and piped music, and were operated from the basement of Victoria garage.
The diversion via Buckingham Gate was withdrawn in 1989, and the Waterloo to Victoria section was transferred to new Red Arrow route 511 in 1991; this section is now covered by the 211. Before long proposals were drawn up to withdraw the route, but London General, the operator, was determined to keep it. They persuaded LRT to let them continue to run it on a cash basis, with a Travelcard-holders’ special fare of 50p. Complaints from passengers about the arrangement, and the fast-approaching privatisation, forced LRT to bring it inside the ordinary network – a rare example of the operator getting its own way! More modern Metroriders subsequently replaced the OVs.
In February 1993, the route was diverted between South Kensington and Kensington High Street via Earl’s Court, covering the Old Brompton Road section of withdrawn route 349 – the main part of the 349 was covered by route 319, while route 70 was diverted from Kensington High Street to South Kensington to serve Queen’s Gate. The route was, along with route 211, awarded as a 7 year contract to National Express to start in July 1998. They set up a division called Travel London, initially based at the Stewart's Lane rail depot where their Gatwick Express rail franchise operates from.
After a couple of years it was discovered that using railway premises for an operational bus operation breached the relevant planned use regulations, and Wandsworth council declined to grant planning permission. Not having won any further routes National Express decided to dispose of the operation, selling it to Limebourne who had a (legitimate!) base next door. Subsequently, Limebourne sold their bus operation to Connex. Connex in turn, having lost its two rail franchises, decided to pull out of the UK altogether, and sold the operation on to ... National Express! Thus Travel London has been re-born, and indeed re-acquired the C1 and the Solos that were still running it, which were still in the original Travel London livery!
As mentioned earlier the route has had an extension from Kensington to Shepherd's Bush, starting from 6 January 2007. This is technically a diversion as some stops in Kensington High Street are no longer served. The purpose of the extension was to serve the Blythe Road area, but difficulties with the narrow roads mean the route is currently running direct via Holland Road. Whether this can be resolved remains to be seen. The route is also supposed to be extended to White City when the bus station opens in the new shopping complex; the current terminal arrangements are less than ideal, with buses having to circumnavigate Shepherd's Bush Green twice to get to and from the bus stand, although at certain times of day buses are permitted to stand in Transdev's Shepherd's Bush garage.
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