In the second part of my journey to the Kent borderlands and South East London, I try out Go Ahead’s new Country Bus operation together with some TfL fringe services into the countryside around Orpington.

Go Ahead stepped in when Arriva withdrew from the 477 in late October and introduced their own version of the route under the “Kent Country” brand. This is one side of the attractive leaflet which is available on the buses used for the new service. The other side contains the full timetable.

Route 477: Dartford - Orpington

My day began bright and early at Dartford Station, where I awaited the 08.35 departure on Go Ahead’s new “Kent Country” route 477 to Orpington. After Arriva announced their intention to withdraw from the route in late October, a major campaign was launched locally to find a replacement operator, led by the local MP, Laura Trott. Whilst Go Coach recently introduced a competitive service over the northern section between Dartford and Swanley, the loss of the southern part of the route onwards to Orpington meant that the village of Crockenhill in particular would have no bus service.

Fortunately, Go Ahead stepped into the breach with their own version of the full route between Dartford and Orpington, which began on 26th October. Three Enviro200s, SE199-201, have been transferred from TfL work into the Fastrack Garage for the service and are repainted in a special light green livery with signwriting showing the main points served and nicely retrimmed inside with green moquette.

Boarding SE199, a brief chat with the friendly lady driver elicited that it was a nice route to drive and that efforts are being made to promote the service. A useful timetable leaflet has been produced with details of fares and an exhortation to send in comments and suggestions, which can be obtained from the driver or from a rack behind the cab. She told me that running times are generally achievable, although some tweaking may be needed at peak times once more experience has been gained and the service settles down. The frequency is generally hourly but with some slightly longer gaps at peak times so that the route can still be operated with 2 buses. Interestingly, a Sunday service has been introduced, the first for some years on this corridor, at the same frequency but with a later start in the morning.

Go Coach had already introduced a competitive operation over part of the route between Dartford and Swanley, which generally runs every 30 mins during M-S daytimes. It remains to be seen whether this continues in the same form in the longer term, as 3 buses per hour on this section seems a bit like overkill, particularly as for much of the day departures are at uneven intervals - typically from Dartford at 28, 45 and 58 mins past each hour. An hourly service by each operator at even 30 min intervals might be more sensible in my view.

Soon we were off, just me and the driver at first, as we made our way out of Dartford through Wilmington, now virtually a suburb of the town. Then into the first country section weaving our way across open farmland to the next village of Hextable, where we picked up 4 passengers. From here to Swanley, it is continuous ribbon development and we deposited 2 at ASDA, pausing for a couple of minutes to await correct departure time. Onwards via Swanley Station and around the Azalea Drive estate, before rejoining the main road a short distance out of town into the pleasant village of Crockenhill, where 3 more joined us. Open country after this, winding along the narrow road between high hedges and a wooded section along a deep gully. At several points we had to pull in to allow traffic coming the other way to pass. This section was the reason the 477 retained Routemasters for so long in London Country days, as wider modern buses were seen to be a problem and indeed the route was the last to be RMC operated, only losing them in 1980.

Soon, we came into the outskirts of St Mary Cray, meeting up with the TfL network and continuing on to Orpington, terminating at the Walnuts Centre in the High Street after a run of just under 50 mins, a touch ahead of schedule. A total of 7 other passengers apart from me on the trip wasn’t many, but this was a Saturday and I understand it is busier during the week. Hopefully, weekend usage will build as locals begin to realise the route is still there!

A comparison with the 1980 timetable shows that, back then, a 30 min frequency operated, Hourly eves and Suns, with many journeys continuing on to Chelsfield Village, a section now covered by TfL services. On Sundays, certain trips continued to Joyce Green Hospital at the other end of the route. There were also odd journeys to Kelvin Parade in Orpington, although the main terminus then was at the Station. The route passed from London Country to London Country South East, then Kentish Bus (who renumbered it 27 for a while, before reverting to the original number) and finally to Arriva, who were the operator until last month.

***Competition on the Dartford - Swanley section of the 477 is provided by Go Coach (now rebranded Go Bus). Not a bus I travelled on, but their Enviro200 MMC fleet no 7531 is seen at Dartford Station.***

*Despite the similarity of name, this is an independent operator, not part of the Go Ahead Group!*

Route R8: Orpington - Biggin Hill (Circular)

After a much-needed coffee break, I walked up to Orpington Station for the first of three rides on local TfL services, beginning with the one bus R8 to Biggin Hill. This is operated by GAL out of Orpington (MB) Garage, the prefix originating from the name “Roundabout”, which was the original branding used for minibus services in the area when introduced by London Regional Transport (as it was then known) back in 1986.

Several TfL routes in Orpington have been retained by GAL on contract renewal recently, with a fleet of new Enviro100 EV buses gradually entering service, including on the R8. However, presumably due to the allocated electric being on charge at the garage, Enviro200 no 173 was operating the next trip. Only one bus is required on the service, which runs at intervals varying between 1 hour and 90 mins on M-S daytimes and early evenings.

Leaving the station, we looped around the town serving the High Street and Walnuts Centre, picking up a handful on the way. Then out to Green St Green, passing the garage, before entering the country section along very narrow lanes. Much of the route is operated on a “Hail and Ride” basis and has a very provincial feel about it, totally unlike most TfL services. Past High Elms Country Park and various farms until arriving in the pretty village of Downe, also served by the 146 from Bromley. Calling at the picturesque church, we squeezed past several parked cars to Downe House, former home of the naturalist Charles Darwin and now a museum, where a couple of American tourists who had boarded with me at Orpington Station alighted.

More farms, horses and cows in the fields, then a strange sign saying “Caution Cats Crossing” just before a Cat Shelter. A couple more dropped off before we entered the outskirts of Biggin Hill, with housing replacing the country views. A one-way loop is operated around the village, with a “hesitation point” of a couple of minutes at the Post Office, before continuing around the circuit and back the way we had come. A few passengers over this section, which was equally hairy on the return when we met vehicles coming the other way! Back via Downe to Green St Green, where there must have been a gap on the parallel 358 which we joined at this point, as we picked up a large number of short-riders into Orpington. Looping around the High St section again, we arrived back at the station after a round trip of 1h15m. Overall, a pleasant and scenic ride.

This is the second use of the R8 number, the first version applying to a route between Cockmannings Estate and Chelsfield Village between 1992 and 2001, which was replaced by adjustments to the R3 and R4. The current incarnation began in 2004, initially operated by TGM Buses with a midibus, although Metrobus took control a year later, now part of GAL. Small buses have always been a feature, with Optare Solos appearing for many years until short Enviro200s took over.

***Go Ahead London Enviro200 no 173 of Orpington (MB) Garage is on stand at Orpington Station ahead of my journey along the lanes to Biggin Hill on the R8.***

*This short single doored vehicle was subbing for the now more usual Enviro100 EV on the route (which has a 1 bus PVR) and was replaced by SEO12 on the following trip.*

Route R10: Orpington & Knockholt (Circular)

Next up, I transferred to another of the local “one bus” country services, the R10. This is unusual (for TfL) in not only being a circular route, but jointly operated with the R5, each operating a different way around the Knockholt loop, the R10 being the anti-clockwise version. The bus runs approximately every 75 mins M-S daytimes, alternately on the R5 and R10.

We had another GAL short single door Enviro200, fleet no 169 of MB Garage. Once again, the bus loops around the Orpington High St area to serve the shops, where we picked up a few users. Back again to Green St Green, although this time we continued on the main road through the village to the roundabout and onto the long loop section, passing the former bus stand at the “Rose & Crown” pub. We were then onto the narrow and winding Cudham Lane, once again having to pause at certain points when we encountered cars or vans coming the other way. More nice countryside and the quaint “Blacksmith’s Arms” at Cudham, before turning into the lane up to Knockholt Pound, where we exchanged some passengers. At Park Corner, we left the loop for the double run up to the village of Halstead, which after circling around, continued back to Knockholt, where we resumed the circular section. Slightly wider roads on this section enabled our driver to put on a bit of speed up to the delightfully named village of Pratts Bottom - apparently the Pratts were a noble family once seated in the area and the “bottom” referred to means a valley or hollow!

Arriving at the Sevenoaks Road roundabout, we were able to continue at a reasonable rate of knots back up to Green St Green, where we had a speedy driver change at Glentrammon Road, adjacent to the bus garage. Then back into Orpington again, serving the High Street before arriving at the station after a round trip of 1h5m. Another scenic delight and well worth a spin on the route!

The Knockholt Circular was once the province of London Country routes 431 and 471, but joined the London Bus network in 1986 with the coming of the “Roundabout” scheme based on Orpington. Initially, both the clockwise and anticlockwise loops came under the R5 number, but the latter was renumbered R10 in 2008 to avoid confusion. Metrobus were the initial operator with a Dennis Dart, although Stagecoach had a 5 year stint from 2013-18 also using a Dart. Metrobus, by now part of Go Ahead, returned in 2018, this time employing an Enviro200.

***Like the R8, the R10 also traverses some narrow country lanes. This view from inside Enviro200 no 169 was taken on the approach to Cudham.***

*The R5 and R10 operate alternately in opposite ways around the Knockholt loop using 1 bus.*

***GAL Enviro200 no 169 of MB Garage at Orpington Station after my circular trip around the R10.***

*This bus together with 173 pictured earlier were inherited from Metrobus who didn’t use class codes. Unusually, they were not reclassified into the SEN series like other vehicles inherited by GAL.*

Route R9: Orpington - Ramsden Estate (Circular)

For the third of my trio of "Roundabout” routes, I turned to the R9, yet another circular operated by GAL from MB Garage. However, this time, in contrast to the two previous country excursions, this one is very much a town service. Whilst scheduled for longer two door Enviro200s, only one of the original batch was out on the day I visited, the other two buses allocated being an SE and a SEN.

I joined SEN10 on its next round trip, its First heritage being evident on boarding with its purple and light blue based interior although with blue Go Ahead moquette. This can be a busy service but, on this occasion, our short single door vehicle was able to cope with the load. After progressing through the High Street, we returned to Court Road and along to the Ramsden Estate. A simple one way loop operates here, along Tintagel Road before a brief country stretch along Chelsfield Lane on the edge of the estate, before returning via Avalon Road and thence back the way we came into the town centre and up to the station. A simple 30 min run.

This was another route which was once operated by London Country under the 493 number, although certain journeys continued to Chelsfield and Green St Green. With the coming of the “Roundabout” scheme, the route became part of the London network, initially under its original number. However, in 1996 it was sensibly incorporated into the “R” services, becoming the R9. First were the operator to begin with using high floor Darts, although later replaced with low floor versions. Metrobus took the contract when it was reassigned in 2007, still with Darts, but later replaced with Enviro200s. Double deckers have often substituted over the years and indeed, my previous ride in 2022 was aboard Enviro400 E225.

The route received a 3 year contract renewal with GAL earlier in 2025 using existing vehicles.

Enviro200 SEN10 of MB Garage on the sloping approach road to Orpington Station on the R9 is devoid of the usual Go Ahead London fleetname on the front panel. This bus is one of those inherited from First.

Like the sign outside the adjacent newsagent’s shop, the R9 allocation is a bit of a lottery, with this former First SEN sharing the route with a GAL SE and a former Metrobus Enviro200 on the day of my visit .

Route 477: Orpington - Dartford

Back at Orpington Station, I walked back down to the War Memorial at the end of the High Street for my return trip to Dartford on the 477. The 1455 departure was formed of SE201, the third of the trio in “Kent Country” green livery, with the same lady driver as my morning trip who welcomed me back aboard. 3 other passengers, although one other potential user got off when being told that his Oyster card was not valid on the route!

Once clear of Orpington, we made good progress through the lanes back to Crockenhill. 2 had alighted by now and we didn’t gain any more custom until arriving into Swanley, where we found 2 other passengers. 1 off in Hextable and 1 more on in Wilmington and that was it for this journey, a total of 6 other passengers plus me. Once again, I was the only person to travel the entire route.

A slightly longer trip in this direction, 55 mins, although we arrived back at Dartford on schedule at 1550 after a slight delay due to busy traffic on the town centre one way system. Go Ahead seem to be intent on making the 477 a success and hopefully usage will grow over the coming months. Who knows, with Arriva apparently on the decline in the area, maybe we will see more “Kent Country” services in the fullness of time!

Watton

Kent Country & Round About

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Clear Blue Water