Route K1

Route K1
15 January 2009

Route K1 (in its current incarnation) started in 1987 as a partial replacement of route 152 between New Malden and Surbiton. The 152 had run from Mitcham to New Malden, then via Kingston By-Pass to Tolworth, Red Lion Road, Thornhill Road and Upper Brighton Road to Surbiton Station. It was diverted at New Malden to run to Kingston via Cambridge Road, and the K1 picked up the routeing to Surbiton. However, instead of running straight along Kingston By-Pass it was diverted to serve the local roads of Malden Manor and the Sunray Estate. Initial operation was by Westlink from Kingston garage, using new MCW Metroriders with "Kingston HOPPA" branding – a little inappropriate given that the route did not serve Kingston!

In 1990, the route was cut back a short distance in New Malden, from the "Adult Training Centre" in Burlington Road to the Fountain Roundabout. The route finally reached Kingston in 1993 when it was extended from Surbiton via Villiers Road, replacing route 71 which was then able to take the more direct route via Penrhyn Road. Unlike the rest of the route, this new section ran on Sundays.

Further significant changes took place in 1996 following purchase of Westlink by London United. Operation was transferred to Fulwell with larger Dennis Dart buses. A full Sunday service was introduced, and the service was extended in New Malden to New Malden Station, with buses unusually turning by swinging round the (largish) mini roundabout at the junction of High Street and Dukes Avenue. An additional schoolday return journey was introduced between New Malden and Southborough School in Hook (near the Ace of Spades roundabout on the A3). The morning journey has since been discontinued, but the afternoon one still runs.

Little has changed since then, though the route has had two new batches of buses on contract renewals in 2001 and 2008. The first set were the popular Mini Pointer Darts (the type was popular with operators anyway, if not their passengers!). The latest contract again specified new buses, and London United (now owned by Transdev) went for the MPD replacement in the short version of Enviro200Dart. The route could really do with larger buses, although some of the turns in the Sunray Estate are a bit tight. SDE4 (YX08 MDZ) reaches journey's end in Cromwell Road, Kingston (near Kingston station) shortly after introduction to service.

The route now runs from Tolworth garage, which opened to replace Kingston in 2001 – the route runs through Tolworth. The old Kingston garage was immediately to the left of this photograph, but it was a cramped site and, as a prime town centre location, was recquisitioned for redevelopment. The new Tolworth garage is on a former goods yard adjacent to the station – part of the site is now occupied by a new aggregates facility with freight trains thus reintroduced on the Chessington branch. There was a further short extension at the New Malden end, with buses extended to a new purpose-built terminal in Station Avenue.

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Chronologically Line 2 189

Numerically H91 K4
See also routes K4

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