 | Photo by Andrew Gronneberg. |
Home | Bus routes | Operational details | Service changes | Operators & Garages | Photo gallery
The D-series of Docklands local routes has been substantially reduced in recent years, largely in consequence of the full opening of the Docklands Light Railway and Jubilee Line. The three surviving routes and one new one (D3) are all now Dennis Dart-worked, the D6, D7 and D8 by First Capital using Marshall Capital bodied examples. Here DML 326 (V326 GBY), a 10.2m long version, pauses at the Crossharbour Asda terminus on the most adventurous of the D-routes, the D6 to Hackney where its D-number must seem a bit odd.
| Photo by Andrew Gronneberg. |
The D6 is the former southern leg of route 106, having replaced that route between Bethnal Green and Poplar in 1989, with an onward extension into the Isle of Dogs. Initially the D6 only ran on Mondays to Saturdays, the 106 retaining its old routing as far as Poplar on Sundays to cover, but otherwise being diverted at Bethnal Green to Mile End Gate.
The D6 routing has not been altered since then. However, in late 1991 or early 1992 the route was won on contract by Capital Citybus, and the 106 and D6 routings were standardised with the D6 introduced on Sundays, albeit only between Hackney and Poplar. A motley collection of double deckers was introduced with the route seeing quite a variety of different vehicle types over the next eight years — not an uncommon occurrence with that particular company.
A steadily higher proportion of the allocation became Dennis Arrows, first with four (413-416) acquired from dealer stock, then with further examples (from the 401-412) batch transferred from the ELX East London Line replacement service when that ceased. The route was one of the first batch moved into Capital Citybus’s new base in Hackney, Waterden Road, near Stagecoach East London’s existing base. Hackney has expanded considerably since then, proving quite a useful base for the operation of many routes.
When the D6 contract was renewed in 1999, it became subject to the then popular fad of converting it to smaller buses on a higher frequency. At least the variety — potentially confusing to passengers — was cleared as the Darts mentioned above swept all double deckers away. Ironically an earlier victim of the same fad was the 106 in 1996, which is now reverting to double deck operation!
Navigation
| Previous | Next | |
| Chronologically | E10 | 169 |
| Numerically | C3 | E2 |
Photo Gallery | Bus route list | Operational details | Service changes | Operators & Garages