This time, I embark on a series of bus rides across South and South East London, starting in the Woolwich area and then moving across to Crystal Palace and Norwood, featuring diesel, hybrid and electric traction in that order.

“Every little helps” according to the strapline on the Tesco store at Woolwich Arsenal, which could apply to Go Ahead London’s Enviro200 SEN20 of Morden Wharf (MG) Garage, just arrived on the 386 from Blackheath.

*I travelled on the previous working aboard similar SEN18. These buses were inherited from First London, whose purple interiors they still carry, but their days left in service are numbered.*

Route 386: Blackheath to Woolwich

The day began when I alighted from the Southeastern Trains service at Blackheath Station, from where it was a short walk around the corner to Royal Parade, start point of my first route, the 386 to Woolwich. As I arrived, Go Ahead London SEN18 of Morden Wharf (MG) Garage had just pulled up to the stop, enabling me to jump on with one other passenger. This service has been retained by GAL from later this year on the basis of existing vehicles, although the intention is for newer ones to replace the elderly SE/SEN Enviro200s currently used, so maybe a last chance to ride on the old-timers. My bus was one of the examples inherited from First, with its purple and grey interior being the giveaway.

The 386 is one of those convoluted routes so beloved by TfL, which travels the longest possible distance between two points! Whilst the direct 54 takes around 25 mins from Blackheath to Woolwich, the 386 takes over an hour. After leaving Blackheath Village, we crossed diagonally across the heath itself, before turning sharp left past Greenwich Park Gates and down Blackheath Hill, before hanging a right up towards Greenwich Station and the Town Centre, passing the tourist attractions of the Cutty Sark and the National Maritime Museum. Then a bit of a trundle to East Greenwich, before turning off the main road via Vanbrugh Hill to Blackheath Royal Standard, a stone’s throw from where we had started.

Up to this point, we had only carried single digit numbers of passengers, but we became busier the closer we got to Woolwich. However, after traversing part of the Old Dover Road to Shooters Hill Road, it was time for another detour, with a dog-leg around the Brook Estate, emerging back onto Shooters Hill Road only slightly further on from where we had left it. Next, a left down to QE Hospital, where several alighted and others joined, before continuing around three sides of Woolwich Common back towards Shooters Hill again! However, we then turned off past the Old Royal Military Academy and gradually looped through the back streets to cross the main road near Plumstead Common and finally down the hill into Woolwich Town Centre. We terminated at Woolwich Arsenal after a lengthy 1h10m run.

Opposite, across the square, I espied the former headquarters building of the Woolwich Building Society, famed for its TV ads in the 80s including the jingle “Your money’s safe with the Woolwich!” and featuring various people in different situations being asked if they were with a particular person or group and responding “No, I’m with the Woolwich!”. The Woolwich Building Society itself merged with Barclays Bank in 2000 and no longer exists.

***Go Ahead London Enviro400 E265 of MG Garage at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich Common, before my ride on it to Woodlands Estate and back to Woolwich.***

*This route has been retained by GAL on retender from later this year on the basis of new electric vehicles, so these diesels are on borrowed time.*

Route 291: Woolwich - QE Hospital - Woodlands Estate - Woolwich

Next, it was time to go double deck, with a ride on what is now a short Woolwich local, the 291. This route has been retained by GAL on retender from December 2025 with new electrics, so the existing diesels are likely to be displaced fairly soon. For me, an opportunity to sample the old regime as I boarded E273 of Morden Wharf (MG) Garage at Woolwich Arsenal Station for the short run to Queen Elizabeth Hospital. This route does not take the direct route up Woolwich New Road and along Ha-Ha Road, instead traversing Wellington Street out of town then turning left via Repository Road past some military bases onto Woolwich Common and up to the hospital. A simple 10 min run.

I was then able to skip a working and take the bus in front, E265, on its next trip along the whole route to Woodlands Estate. Not that busy at first, as we retraced our steps to Wellington Street, before looping around the town centre back to Woolwich Arsenal, where we picked up a good load. Then through the back doubles to Plumstead Common, before turning onto the one-way terminal loop through Woodlands Estate, which was apparently built after WW2 on part of the former Woodlands Pig Farm, owned by the Royal Arsenal Cooperative Society. A community farm still exists on a portion of the land.

As we rolled around the loop, we deposited our final outbound passengers, but began picking up those going into town. A hairy moment after Plumstead Common on our way downhill, when we had to brake hard to avoid a collision with a fast moving 53 coming up towards us. However, our gentle amble then continued, as we picked up short riders on the last few stops into Woolwich, most alighting at the Market or with me at Arsenal Station. 45 mins all told from where I had boarded at the QE Hospital.

The 291 number had been used previously between 1965 & 1978 for a local route between Ilford and Barking, but its current incarnation began in 1981 when it replaced most of the former 192 between Lewisham and Woodlands Estate. Initially MD operated from Plumstead (PD) Garage, Titans took over a year later. In 1984, the route was cut back and became a Woolwich - Woodlands Estate local, the 178 then assuming the Lewisham section. Conversion to L type Olympians followed in 1987 but this didn’t last long, as it became a midibus route operated out of Bexleyheath (BX) Garage as part of the “Bexleybus” scheme in 1988, in a joint operation with another local, the 244.

The contract was reassigned to Stagecoach in 1999 with low floor Darts and returned to PD Garage. After the extension to QE Hospital came in 2001, a period of stability followed, apart from conversion to Enviro200s in the 2010s. Then, retendering in 2018 saw Go Ahead London pick up the route with a reversion to double deck operation using Enviro400s.

Stagecoach London Enviro400H 12282 on the 122 at Crystal Palace after my protracted run on it from its home base at Plumstead (PD) Garage. Roadworks were playing havoc with the schedules at this time.

*This route is currently on a 2 year contract extension with existing hybrids, which expires next year.*

Route 122: Woolwich - Plumstead Garage - Crystal Palace

For my next ride, I turned to Stagecoach London, whose local base of operations is at nearby Plumstead (PD) Garage. The route based there I had not been on for the longest was the 122, so I boarded Enviro400H 12282 on that service at Woolwich Arsenal for the short 5 min journey back to its home.

Crossing the road, I prepared to travel the full length of the route to Crystal Palace, but it soon became clear there was some disruption, as I had almost a 25 min wait on what should be a 12 min frequency. LVF showed some outbound journeys from Plumstead turning short at Forest Hill and others at Woolwich from Crystal Palace, which may have explained the gap. Eventually, 12282 emerged from the garage again and I reboarded with a number of others who had been complaining about the long wait.

At first, the journey was fine as we picked up a reasonable crowd in Woolwich Town Centre and then made our way through the greenery of Woolwich Common up to Shooters Hill and then down towards Eltham. A fast run along Westhorne Avenue and Eltham Road meant we made good time through to Lee and Lewisham. Even the often congested Lewisham Town Centre was free flowing and we continued without hindrance through Ladywell and Crofton Park to Brockley Rise. So far, so good!

It was then that we hit a “traffic wall” due to 4 way temporary lights in Forest Hill near the station. We inched along under the railway bridge and after what seemed an age, broke through. Our driver kindly let a few passengers off at the lights due to two stops in a row being closed. Into Dartmouth Road, where there was yet another set of temporary lights - unfortunately they weren’t working, the ones in our direction being stuck on red. After waiting in vain for nearly 5 mins for the lights to change, the van and car in front of us decided to move and we followed. They say troubles come in threes and this was true on this occasion - more temporary lights at Sydenham caused a further delay as we waited to turn from Kirkdale into Westwood Hill. Finally, we made the move and roared up towards Crystal Palace - with yet more temporary lights at Park Road, although these at least were in our favour. We limped into the terminus on The Parade beside the park after a run of 1h25m, of which at least half an hour had been spent on the last 2 or 3 miles. The reason for the late running and curtailments was then apparent.

The 122 is one I recall from RT days in the mid 70s, when it was a very long route from Bexleyheath Garage to Crystal Palace. On Sat Shopping Hours, it was even longer, with journeys extended from Bexleyheath to Slade Green, although these were withdrawn on RM conversion in 1978. Conversion to crew MD occurred in 1980, followed by crew T in 1982, although OPO came the following year using the same vehicles. L class Olympians later formed part of the allocation.

The cut back to Plumstead Garage came in 1988 with the “Bexleybus” scheme, the 422 taking over the Bexleyheath leg. Low floor buses arrived on the route in 2000 with Tridents, the existing hybrids replacing them from 2014, although today a mix of “classic” and MMC bodied Enviro400H types operates, with the occasional visit from a diesel Enviro400. Apart from short periods where Bexleyheath and Catford Garages had an allocation, the 122 has operated out of the old Plumstead (AM) Garage and then the new one (PD) for all of its life.

*Arriva London picked up the 196 from Transport UK on retender from May 2025. Wright StreetDeck Electroliner ES103, seen on stand at Norwood Junction, is part of the temporary allocation on the route.*

*These Wright StreetDeck Electroliners, meant for Thornton Heath (TH) Garage, have been covering at Norwood (N) pending the entry into service of the intended Enviro400 EVs.*

Part Route 410: Crystal Palace - Norwood Junction

I had intended to take the 157 from Crystal Palace to Norwood Junction in order to connect with my final route, the 196. However, roadworks associated with Tramlink and on other local roads in the area appeared to be causing massive delays, with LVF showing several shortworkings to West Croydon from the Morden direction. There were no 157s at all on stand at the Palace when I arrived and none appeared whilst I was there.

Instead, I took the 410 which, after descending Anerley Hill, takes a different route to Norwood Junction through the back streets rather than the main road 157. A 15 min trip aboard Arriva London Wright Streetlite SLS20 of Thornton Heath (TH) Garage followed.

***And here is one of the brand new Enviro400 EV buses, EE15, at Norwood Junction before my first ride on the type through to Elephant & Castle.***

*On the day I travelled, just 3 of this type were out in service, but have been gradually taking over on the route since then.*

Route 196: Norwood Junction - Elephant & Castle

My last route of the day was the 196, which would enable me to transfer to the Northern Line at Elephant & Castle. This service transferred from Transport UK to Arriva London in March this year, operated from Norwood (N) Garage. New Enviro400EV buses were ordered for the route, but pending delivery, spare Wright StreetDeck Electroliners intended for Thornton Heath (TH) were drafted in as a stop-gap, mixed in with two or three HV class hybrids a day.

However, in mid July, the new EE class buses began to enter service and, on the day I travelled, there were three of them out. Arriving at the Norwood Junction stand, there was an HV in advance of an ES present, but LVF showed that EE15 was on its way and would be the third departure. Letting the first two buses go, I took my first view of the new EE class, as it “sung” its way onto the stand. First impressions were of a sleek looking vehicle, somewhat different in appearance from earlier Enviro400 electrics which we have seen in London for a few years now.

A few of us boarded when it drew up to the stop to depart and I noted the expected internal features of modern vehicles in London, with wood effect flooring, high backed seats, USB ports and new style information screens. Amusingly, one lady was confused by the screens, which show both the next stop and the one after, followed by the number of stops (for example, 24) to the ultimate destination. She informed the driver that the screen was showing the stop after next in error, despite the announcements being correct, not realising that they are designed to display the two stops coming up!

As expected, a smooth and relatively quiet ride on an electric vehicle, as we departed Norwood Junction and made our way up to South Norwood and Beulah Hill. A reasonable run past the big houses on top through to Crown Point then downhill past the operational garage at West Norwood, with no driver change on this occasion. Traffic was slightly busier from here to Tulse Hill, but there were no real delays as we continued past the large green space of Brockwell Park into Herne Hill. A slight hiatus due to a jam at the lights outside Brixton Town Hall, but once through, we deposited most of our passengers at Brixton Station.

The remainder of the run was quieter, as we continued to Stockwell, passing near the garage which was a former home for the route. Then it was on to the new Nine Elms Station on the Battersea branch of the Northern Line, before circumnavigating the large Vauxhall Bus Station. Our final section through Kennington to Elephant & Castle was busy with traffic but at least moving. I alighted in Newington Butts after a total journey time of 1h15m, not that bad for late afternoon on a weekday.

The 196 is a North London route that migrated south - it began in 1950 between Tufnell Park & Waterloo as an RT/RTL route replacing the 239. A year later, it was extended to Norwood Junction, becoming a long cross-city service. In 1971, it began its retreat from the north, being cut back to Euston and converted to RM, the 239 retaking the abandoned section. 1974 saw a further cut back of the northern terminus to Brixton, although when the allocation was transferred from Norwood (N) to Stockwell (SW) in 1981, garage journeys operated in service to and from the latter. OPO with Ts came in 1982, although these were later replaced with Ms.

Tendering came to the route in 1987, with London Cityrama, who used re-purposed Fleetlines, but this was short-lived with London & Country taking over 2 years later with Atlanteans. Red buses returned in 1990 when London General assumed control, first with DMS and then VC types, although there was a short period with London Central Ts. In 2001, Connex (later taken over by Travel London) took the contract with Tridents, but London General returned again in the “busical chairs” game in 2006 with E types supported by the odd WVL/PVL. Further change came in 2018 with Abellio (later Transport UK) having a turn using Enviro400H MMCs, which continued until the most recent transfer to Arriva in March 2025. A complex history!

At Elephant & Castle, I made my way to the nearby Underground Station for the journey home.

Watton

“No, I’m with the Woolwich!”

Heritage Bus Running Day: Alton