Enfolding Enfield & Educing Edmonton

Continuing to move around the TfL Bus Map, I reach North London and ride new and older vehicles in the Waltham Cross, Enfield and Edmonton areas.

The 279 was RM operated from when it replaced Trolleybus 679 in 1961 through to 1987. RM2135 of Enfield (E) Garage prepares to pull away from Waltham Cross Bus Station in the dying days of Routemaster operation.

At this time, the route still ran through to Smithfield, long before it was cut back to Manor House. The 279/A were the last crew operated services at Enfield Garage.

Route 279: Waltham Cross - Manor House

Waltham Cross Bus Station at the end of the morning peak on a hot day, where the under-cover waiting area provided some respite from the sun. Bus rides in the heat are fine provided a seat is chosen behind an open window giving a breeze, so I was hoping not to become stuck in traffic!

My first route was the 279, which was retained by Arriva on retender in late 2023. New electrics were due to replace diesels, although as is frequently the case with these things, there was a long delay, in this instance over a year, before the ordered Wright StreetDeck Electroliners actually entered service. The exercise is now complete, with the displaced Ts largely moving to Grays for DW replacement, as covered in the previous article.

I boarded ES63, one of the new batch for the 279, although these are now freely mixed with the earlier examples ordered for the 307. Even on a 7-8 min M-S daytime frequency, the 279 is busy and a good crowd joined me for the long straight run south along the Hertford Road. This was never a fast run, even back in crew days, but I was struck by the number of changes to road layouts including 20mph limits, cycle lanes, extra traffic lights and so-called “urban realm improvements”, which all slow down the bus service even more. Therefore, a slow trundle down through Freezywater and Enfield Highway to Ponders End, where we paused for a driver change just past Southbury Road, the nearest stop to Enfield (E) Garage. Onwards to Lower Edmonton, with temporary lights due to roadworks causing a short delay near to Tramway Avenue, site of the former Edmonton (EM) Garage and Trolleybus Depot.

We made it through to Edmonton Green Bus Station, where there was an exchange of passengers, before we continued to Angel Corner and then over the border from Enfield to Harringey. At White Hart Lane, the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a huge contrast with the old football ground that used to be a feature of this site. It was then through more traditional territory, past Bruce Grove to Tottenham High Road, passing close to Tottenham Garage, another premises in the hands of Arriva. Unusually, we emptied out by Seven Sisters Station and I had the lower deck to myself as we continued along Seven Sisters Road to Manor House, finally making use of the electric acceleration and picking up a bit of speed on the final section.

Arrival at the terminus was after a run of 1h 15m. Interestingly, looking at a timetable from 1964, the scheduled time from Waltham Cross to Manor House back then was 43 mins, with the whole route through to Smithfield only taking 1h 6m. How times have changed - and not for the better!

The 279 was the direct replacement for Trolleybus 679 in 1961 between Waltham Cross & Smithfield using RMs, although there was a Sats extension at the northern end to Flamstead End. In 1963, the 279 was projected to Hammond St on Sats, with a 279A covering this section on M-F and running to Tottenham Hale at the other end. In consequence, the 205 was reduced to Suns only. Further changes in 1970 saw the 279 operating M-S to Hammond St with the 279A variant withdrawn.

At the Central London end of the route, Sunday changes in the early 70s saw first a rerouteing to West Smithfield and then to Liverpool Street, although the southern section was hived off to route 279A in 1973, with a cut back of the parent route to Finsbury Park on that day. In 1976, the 205/A Sunday routes were withdrawn and the 279 finally became a daily operation to Hammond St. As part of the massive “Busplan” changes in 1978, a new 283 took over the Hammond St - Lower Edmonton section, with the 279 retracted back to Waltham Cross, although this was obviously unsuccessful as the 279 reverted back to its Hammond St destination less than 2 years later! However, this was only on M-S, as the 279A provided the Sunday service. A different way of serving Hammond St was found in 1985, when the 259 was extended there and the 279 once again reverted to Waltham Cross as its northern terminus.

OPO came to the 279 in 1987 with M operation, with the southern terminus being cut back to Holloway in 1996. The turn of the century saw low floor conversion with DLP / DLA operation and in 2004 the route shrank back to its current Manor House destination. Conversion to T type Enviro400s occurred in 2011, which continued until the recent replacement with electrics, bringing the route almost full circle to its previous incarnation with Trolleybuses. Whilst the route changes were decidedly complex over the years, the route has remained with Arriva and its predecessors all this time, being operated mainly from Edmonton and Enfield Garages.

Nearly 40 years on from the previous photo and the 279 is operated with Wright StreetDeck Electroliners, including ES63, of Arriva’s Enfield (E) Garage, seen at Manor House after my ride on it.

In one sense, things have come full circle, as the 279 replaced Trolleybus 679 in 1961, so it is a return to electric operation after more than 60 years!

Part Route 29: Manor House - Turnpike Lane

At Manor House, I crossed via the subway through the Tube Station to Green Lanes, where it was a short wait for Arriva HV111 of Wood Green (WN) Garage on the 29 up through Harringay to Turnpike Lane Station.

Route 121: Turnpike Lane - Enfield Island Village

Crossing the road to the Bus Station, I was just in time to jump on DW559, another Arriva vehicle from Enfield Garage, which was coming off the stand to depart on Route 121. This route is one of a number which have been retained recently on short term (3 year) contracts using existing diesels, giving time for garages to prepare electrification infrastructure in readiness for the “zero emission deadline” of 2030.

Only a few on board at first, although we soon filled up at Wood Green Shopping City. A reasonable run up Jolly Butchers Hill, past Wood Green Garage, and along Green Lanes until a traffic queue on approach to the North Circ slowed us down. Once over the lights, we shot past Palmers Green Garage and up to The Triangle, where we swung a left over the railway and beside leafy Broomfield Park, barely stopping all the way to Southgate, until we reached the famous circular Art Deco edifice of the Piccadilly Line Station, designed by Charles Holden and opened in 1933. Upon continuing into Chase Road, we received an instruction to pause for a couple of minutes due to early running, after which it was a more sedate pace up to Oakwood and then onto the countrified hilly section beside Trent Park, famous as the location where enemy spies were housed and interrogated during WW2, with hidden microphones picking up many secrets in unguarded moments!

We caught up with a 307 on this section, which we pursued through Enfield Chase and into Enfield Town, where the traffic was heavy but moving. Then a straight run down Southbury Road and across the Great Cambridge Road to Ponders End, where we caught up with the 121 in front, which appeared to have had a delayed driver change. After hanging back 2 or 3 mins to let the preceding bus get ahead, we followed slowly along the Hertford Road to Ordnance Road, where we turned right, catching the other bus up again at Enfield Lock Station level crossing. Unfortunately, we then sat there for a good 6 or 7 mins whilst a procession of 2 up and 3 down trains passed, eventually making our way to the terminus at Enfield Island Village, on the site of the old Royal Small Arms Factory. 1h25m in total from Turnpike Lane.

The 121 is one of those routes which has contorted out of all recognition since I first remember it, with only the short Enfield Town to Ponders End section in common with its original course. Today’s 121 follows what was in the 1970s the 298A between Turnpike Lane & Oakwood and the 107A between Oakwood & Enfield Lock.

In the early 70s, the 121 was a short route between Enfield Town & Chingford Station with RFs, the only route with the class at Enfield Garage. It was converted to DMS double deck in 1976 and in 1980 received a long extension from Enfield to Turnpike Lane via Oakwood over part of the 107 and replacing the 298/A. After M conversion in 1981, the following year saw the re-routeing at the other end to Enfield Lock replacing the 107, with the 313 taking over the Chingford leg. It was in 2000 that the Enfield Lock terminus moved across the river to the (then) new Enfield Island Village.

The early noughties saw the Ms replaced by low floor DLAs, although other types such as DLP and VLW appeared over the years. The current DWs became the standard type in 2013, with the odd T in support until these were lost from the 279 in recent months.

Not the example I rode on the route, but just ahead on the stand at Enfield Island Village was similar VDL DB300 Wright Eclipse Gemini DW526 of Enfield Garage.

The contract on the route was retained by Arriva for 3 years from February 2025 using these vehicles.

Part Route 491: Enfield Island Village - Waltham Cross

After a short wait at Enfield Island Village, I was able to join Metroline DEM1912 of Potters Bar (PB) Garage on the 491 to Waltham Cross, a short 12 min hop. It was then time to be fed and watered before continuing with the afternoon section of my travels for the day.

DEM1912 of Potters Bar (PB) Garage on the 491 reverses onto the stand at Waltham Cross Bus Station after my short ride on it.

This is one of the Enviro200s inherited by Metroline from First London as is apparent from the grey rather than blue dash.

Route 491: Waltham Cross - North Middx Hospital - Edmonton Green

The afternoon session began with a lively trip aboard another PB Garage Enviro200, this time DE993, now the lowest numbered and oldest member of the type remaining in service with Metroline. However, unlike some examples of the class which are distinctly under-powered, age had not wearied this veteran which sprinted along like a greyhound! A good run out of “The Cross” through the Innova Park industrial area and back to the double-run at Enfield Island Village, before continuing through Enfield Lock and along the short “Hail & Ride” section towards Brimsdown. Back in the day, only the irregular journeys on the 135 to Brimsdown Power Station and the 135A to Lockfield Avenue used to serve this side of the railway, whereas now there is an all day service to this area. A free run along Mollison Avenue until we reached Nags Head Road, joining a slow moving queue towards the lights at Ponders End.

Turning left, we powered past a 279 and 349 picking up at the next stop, continuing along the High Street until swinging a right into the “dog leg” along Galliards Road. Passengers on and off as we past Jubilee Park and made our way back towards the Hertford Road via Bury Street. After emptying out at Edmonton Green, we raced down to Angel Corner, before proceeding right past Silver Street Station to the terminus at North Middlesex Hospital. A very decent run of a couple of minutes under the hour in an elderly bus still in fine fettle. I took the same bus on a 10 min trip back to Edmonton Green Bus Station after the 10 min layover.

The 491 opened up much new territory for buses along the Lea Valley when it began in 2001, linking its current terminals, starting with Arriva DRLs. These were replaced by low floor Darts in 2005 when PDLs took over. A minor re-routeing in 2012 via Solar Way and Innova Way came with a change to ENL types. Go Ahead London had a 5 year stint on the route with WS Wright Streetlites from 2013-18, after which current operator Metroline assumed control. Aside from this, there have been minor changes at North Middlesex Hospital over the years in the route taken to and from the terminus.

At the other end of the 491, DE993 of PB Garage has just arrived at North Middlesex Hospital. This vehicle was the oldest example of the class still in service at the time of this journey.

The 491 has recently been retained by Metroline on retender, with new electrics promised in due course to replace its diesels.

Route 191: Edmonton Green - Brimsdown

At Edmonton Green Bus Station, I swapped stops for my final complete route of the day, the 191. This is another which has completely changed from when I first knew it back in the 1970s. Like the 121, it is operated by Arriva out of Enfield Garage using VDL DB300 Wright Eclipse Gemini types, with DW575 being next off the stand, which I boarded with a number of others.

We got off to a reasonable start, as we negotiated the back streets section of the route away from the main Hertford Road via Bounces Road and Nightgale Road, serving suburban housing. Then a short stretch of the main road again before turning off via South Street to traverse the narrow streets around the Ponders End Station area. Back in the day, the station was served only by M-F peak journeys on the 107 together with irregular trips to the nearby “Alma” public house, so now has much better connectivity. Making our way onto Nags Head Road, a few minutes were lost in the inevitable queue of traffic up to the lights at Ponders End High St. Eventually, we made it across into Southbury Road, but then had a protracted driver change outside the garage.

The second half of the trip became steadily more turgid, as we encountered large numbers of home-going school students at the Southbury Road / Great Cambridge Road junction and in Enfield Town. A broken down fellow DW going in the opposite direction between Enfield Town Station and Willow Road was in process of being hitched up to a tow truck as we went past, causing tailbacks on the opposite carriageway, but fortunately not for us. We made better progress from Enfield War Memorial along Chase Side and into Lancaster Road, swinging a left at the Hop Poles towards Forty Hill, a section of route once covered by Enfield local 135/A. Soon after turning into Carterhatch Lane, we joined another slow moving traffic queue down to the lights at the A10, at the point once known as Halfway House.

Over this junction, we picked up yet another gaggle of schoolkids, although most only travelled a few stops and calm was largely restored by Enfield Highway. This was short-lived though, as we reached yet another school and more custom in Eastfield Road, our progress hindered by lots of cars on the school run. Passing the fringes of Albany Park, we turned into Brimsdown Avenue parallel to the railway and finally made it to Brimsdown Station after a marathon 1h 20m run, a good 10-15 more than I had been used to on previous trips this way.

The 191 began in 1954, operating at first between Chingford Hatch and Lower Edmonton Bounces Road. It was a mainly RT operation in crew days, although RTL and RTW types had a minority allocation for a while, with RM appearing on Sats in later years. It was extended through to Enfield Town at one end in 1966 and to Chingford Station at the other in 1968. I recall a lively ride around 1973 on an RT from Chingford Station to Enfield Town on the 191 where the driver (who was the spitting image of Reg Varney of “On The Buses” fame) was on a mission and flew around the North Circ section to Edmonton, then slightly more sedately to Ponders End Garage where the reason for the speedy run became clear when the crew abandoned the bus and we had a long wait for the relief driver and conductor!

Back to the history and the 191 was converted to OPO in 1974 with DMS, although these were replaced with M types in 1982. The route itself began to change course about this time, first being cut back from Chingford Stn to Chingford Hatch in 1981 and then to Lower Edmonton in 1982, whilst being extended at the other end to Carterhatch via the withdrawn 135. In 1985, it was projected from Carterhatch to Brimsdown over mostly previously unserved roads. Finally, in 1990, came the rerouteing away from Ponders End High St via South St and the station.

In terms of operators, tendering brought Thamesway to the route in 1996 using single deckers in the form of Darts. Later, Thamesway’s London operations became part of First Capital and double deckers returned in the noughties when low floor conversion occurred using Tridents, later replaced with Enviro400s. Go Ahead London took over in turn from First and remained in charge until 2020, when the contract passed to Arriva with the current buses.

Arriva London DW575 of Enfield Garage on the 191 at Edmonton Green Bus Station before my ride aboard to Brimsdown.

This is one of the highest numbered and youngest of the DW class still in service, although withdrawals of older examples are now in progress.

Part Route 279: Green Street - Waltham Cross

To return to my start point, I walked up Green Street from Brimsdown to the Hertford Road, where two northbound 279s arrived in tandem. I took the second (less busy) one, ES79, for the 20 min journey back to Waltham Cross, where my rides ended for the day.

Watton