Wombling Free in Wimbledon

A fairly short set of rides this time, covering three routes operated by Go Ahead London out of Merton Garage, focused on the Wimbledon area, including one lost shortly afterwards to another operator and two that have seen recent electric conversions.

The last diesel double deckers at GAL’s Merton (AL) Garage were a temporary allocation on the 200 to cover remedial work on its Optare Metrodecker EVs which were taken out of service following a fire. Volvo B9TL WVL425 recalls that period and is seen on the Mitcham stand in August 2024.

Merton’s double deck allocation is now 100% electric comprising Ee, Me and DEL classes.

Route 493: Tooting St George’s Hospital - Richmond

Arriving by the Northern Line at Tooting Broadway, I made my way out of the station and walked to nearby St George’s Hospital for my first bus ride of the day on Route 493, operated by GAL out of Merton (AL) Garage. The route was due to pass to Transport UK just days later at the end of March, so it was my last opportunity to sample it with the old operator. In addition, following the conversion of most of Merton’s routes to electric traction, this was the last remaining scheduled diesel operation at the garage, so a moment of history in the making.

As I reached the terminus within the hospital grounds, elderly Enviro200 SE117 pulled up and I had only 5 mins or so to wait before the driver opened the doors to let me board ready for departure. The 493 was allocated a batch of slightly newer buses of this type in the 18*-19* range, which have operated on the route since new and are apparently destined for further service in Devon/Cornwall after withdrawal from London, to cope with the additional workload taken on by Go Ahead in the region following the closing down of First operations in Cornwall. However, a few older and lower numbered SE types were brought in to bolster the fleet at Merton, the bus I caught being one such example.

We began with virtually a complete circuit of the hospital grounds, picking up at each stop, arriving almost back at our start point 5 mins later! Finally, we made it along the exit road, before looping around Tooting to the Broadway and then along the High Street where temporary lights at the Longley Road junction cost a couple of minutes. Turning right into Longley Road, we passed the front of the hospital (again!) just yards from where we started - maybe it would be better to alter the terminus to Tooting Broadway and serve the hospital grounds en route in order to eliminate all this going round in circles?

Moving into Blackshaw Road, we reached Summerstown, before continuing along Plough Lane past Wimbledon Stadium. A bit of a crawl up to the lights at Haydons Road, but then we sped up along Gap Road and Alexandra Road past the railway depot. At the end of Alexandra Road, nearest stop to Wimbledon Station, a fairly quick driver change and then we were off again, charging up Wimbledon Hill Road to Wimbledon Village. Then along narrow Church Road downhill to Wimbledon Park and the All England Lawn Tennis Club, where the famous annual championships are played and site of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, for which a couple of our passengers alighted. However, we continued to Southfields Station, before swinging left through the Southmead Estate to Tibbets Corner, on the edge of Wimbledon Common, although no sign of any Wombles on this occasion!

A fast run then along the fringes of Putney Heath, turning left at the time-honoured “Green Man” Bus Stand, through the woodland to Roehampton, serving St Mary’s Hospital and the University. Proceeding onwards to the Upper Richmond Road, we turned onto the final stretch along the busy South Circular through East Sheen and North Sheen to Richmond. Depositing most of our load opposite Waitrose, we made our way around part of the one-way system to Richmond Bus Station, now the terminus following a cut back from Manor Circus some while ago. A 1h25m trip, which was more or less as scheduled, a decent run but glad I did it off-peak as this route can be prone to delays at peak times and is a difficult one to operate.

The 493 was a new route in 2002 between Tooting St George’s Hospital and Richmond Manor Circus, remaining the same since apart from a minor rerouteing in Wimbledon and the cut back in Richmond to the Bus Station in 2020. Operators have been in turn Mitcham Belle (with Darts), Centra London (who purchased Mitcham Belle), Armchair Transport (also using Darts), NCP Challenger (with Enviro200s), Transdev (who purchased NCP Challenger), finally passing to GAL with the Enviro200 SE types in service at the time of my visit.

As a postscript, Transport UK duly took over a few days after my trip on 28th March using a mixture of existing Enviro200 diesels and new GB Kite Electroliner EVs to start with, pending full electric operation. Meanwhile, a few of the SEs stayed at Merton, at least initially, and popped up in ones and twos on other single deck routes from the garage such as the 152, 163, 164 & 219.

The 493 was due to pass from GAL to Transport UK on retender from 28th March 2026. Just days before this, Enviro200 SE117 of Merton (AL) Garage recalls the outgoing order and is seen outside Waitrose in Richmond after my journey aboard it from Tooting.

The 493 was mainly operated by a batch of 12 reg SE types in the 18*-19* series but this was one of a handful of older examples which helped out. The 493 was also the last scheduled diesel single deck route at AL.

Train: Richmond - Clapham Junction

From the Bus Station, I cut through the town to Richmond Station, where the booking hall and frontage has been nicely restored in Southern Railway style with traditional type signage. There, I boarded the South Western Railway train for the short non-stop trip to Clapham Junction, which has had the claim at various times to be the busiest station in Britain, Europe or even the World. Ironically, it is not even in Clapham which is a good mile or two away but in Battersea, the name having been preferred by the railway companies when it opened to attract traffic from more fashionable and genteel Clapham than the ruffians of downmarket Battersea!

The 219 contract was renewed with GAL in May 2025 using existing Enviro200 EVs which replaced its former Wright Streetlites. I travelled on a newer example, but SEe58 is seen mid route at Tooting Broadway later in the day bound for Wimbledon.

Despite the Camberwell (Q) Garage code, the bus is working from Merton (AL) Garage.

Route 219: Clapham Junction - Wimbledon

Emerging from the warren of passages under Clapham Junction Station, I made my way to the terminus of my next route, the 219, in nearby Falcon Lane beside the ASDA superstore. One of the now habitual Enviro200 EVs, SEe173, another GAL Merton Garage inmate, was simmering on the stand and the driver opened the doors as I arrived to let me and one other passenger aboard. The route has only fairly recently been converted to the type as part of its retender terms, having previously hosted a batch of WS class Wright StreetLites. The modern interior included all the standard features of the latest electric vehicles with TfL.

5 mins later we left, making our way through the shopping centre along St John’s Road to “The Northcote”, where we turned right up Battersea Rise. At East Hill, we swung left in to Trinity Road, soon passing beside the open space and trees of Wandsworth Common before encountering a queue leading up to the lights at the Burntwood Lane junction. After crossing this, it was a straight run past Innner London housing to Tooting Bec Station, before the right turn into Upper Tooting Road down to Tooting Broadway.

Continuing along Tooting High Road, the roadworks and temporary lights at Longley Road I had been past earlier on the 493 without much delay were playing up and caused a hiatus of a few minutes. Beyond this, we continued our south-westerly course following the Northern Line to Colliers Wood Station, after which we soon sailed by the operational garage, Merton, without stopping for a driver change. Onwards to South Wimbledon Station, before turning into Merton Road and into The Broadway, bringing us into Wimbledon Town Centre. After dropping off at Wimbledon Theatre, the Bus Station and the Railway Station, we reached our final destination in Francis Grove after a total journey time of 55 mins aboard a smooth and quiet electric single decker.

The 219 number is one I still associate in my mind with its previous longstanding incarnation as a route between Kingston & Weybridge which, together with the 218, was the last to operate the venerable RF type in London back in 1979. After conversion to LS class Leyland Nationals, this version disappeared in 1983 when it was replaced by a less frequent London Country service.

The 219 number resurfaced in 1987 for a route replacing the southern section of the 19, which was cut back to Clapham Junction. It ran initially between Sloane Square and Tooting Bec over the former 19 and then onwards to Tooting Broadway and Mitcham, with garage journeys to Merton Garage. A diversion to South Kensington at the northern end in 1989 didn’t last and the terminus reverted to Sloane Square 2 years later, although the southern end was rerouted to Colliers Wood Station direct from Tooting Broadway at the same time. Further retractions occurred in the 90s, at one end to Battersea Latchmere in 1993 and Clapham Junction in 1995, and at the other end to Tooting Broadway in 1995 although this terminus became Tooting St George’s Hospital in 1998. The route assumed more or less its current form in 1999 with the rerouteing at Tooting to Wimbledon, replacing the 155 which was withdrawn over this section.

This version of the route has stayed at Merton Garage all of its life, beginning as double deck with DMS then M types, but becoming single deck in 1996 with DW high floor Darts, going low floor with LDP Darts three years later. These were replaced in the 2010s with SOE, SE and WS types appearing, until the most recent change to SEe class electric vehicles.

One from my archives - B20 DMS2346 seen at Mitcham Cricketers back in 1987, the year the 219 began as a localisation of the southern part of the 19 between Sloane Square and Tooting Bec but extended onwards to Mitcham.

Despite various route changes over the years, the 219 has remained a Merton Garage inmate throughout.

Part Route 57: Wimbledon - Raynes Park

From Wimbledon, I took a very short hop to Raynes Park Station aboard Enviro400 City EV Ee210 on the 57, yet another Merton-based bus, taking less than 10 mins.

Optare Metrodecker Me9 is seen at the Raynes Park end of the 200 during my trip and represents the main allocation on the route at this time.

This class is unique within GAL to Merton Garage but is due for early replacement with newer electrics due to various problems encountered with this type of vehicle.

Route 200: Raynes Park - Mitcham

At Raynes Park, I crossed the road from the station to the stand for the 200, which was to be my third full route of the day. This is another service operated out of Merton Garage and has been home since 2021 to a small batch of Optare Metrodecker Me class EVs, unique to this route within GAL. Unfortunately, these vehicles have not been without problems, as a fire on one of them in 2024 caused the entire fleet of this type to be withdrawn temporarily for checks to be made by the manufacturer. Pending completion of this and subsequent protracted rectification work, the route reverted to diesel and hybrid operation for a while, with E, WHV, WVL & WVN types appearing. I had last ridden the route in the opposite direction aboard WVL425 during that period.

Whilst the Me vehicles have gradually returned to service in recent months, it seems a decision has been made to dispose of them at the end of their initial 5 year contract term, as the tender was reawarded to GAL from May 2026 based on new electrics. A few of the intended Wright StreetDeck Electroliners have already appeared and as I arrived, DEL64 pulled up on the stand behind Me9, being one of two of the new buses out to play on the 200 that day, the type already having entered service on the 131.

Boarding sparkling new DEL64 upon its departure, it was a gentle and smooth amble through the back streets to the Ridgeway, where we did the double run to Copse Hill, site of the former Atkinson Morley Hospital which closed in 2003 and is now the site of a new housing development. We then continued back along Ridgeway to Wimbledon Village, before descending the hill down to Wimbledon Station and the Town Centre. At The Broadway, we turned off along suburban Queen’s Road to Haydons Road, serving the station and proceeding along the latter thoroughfare to Merton High St. A short pause at Merton Garage for a driver changeover, then on to Colliers Wood Station where we turned right along Church Road, deviating around the Phipps Bridge Estate with its multitude of speed bumps making this part of the ride a tad slow and uncomfortable. Back on Church Road again, we arrived into Mitcham, calling at Lower Green before terminating at Fair Green in the town centre. A 50 min trip with reasonable usage but not that busy. My third garage with DEL types ticked off the “to do” list.

The 200 can trace its roots back to 1934, when the short local 103 between Raynes Park & Wimbledon via Ridgeway was renumbered under the then policy of single deck routes being numbered in the 200s. It was soon extended to Copse Hill, which lasted until 1962 when the section beyond Raynes Park was replaced by the 286, although there was an extension on Suns only to Kingston between 1965-71. The big extension at the other end to Mitcham came in 1966, partly replacing a withdrawn section of the 285 to Haydons Road. The early LTL and Q single deckers were replaced with RFs in 1953, double decking to RT coming in 1965.

OPO conversion from RT to SMS single deck occurred in 1971, although this was replaced by DMS double deck in 1977. Further growth saw the route reach Wallington on Suns in 1981 to replace part of withdrawn 115 which lasted only 18 months, although a different extension to Streatham Garage on M-S came in 1984, although this was soon switched to Brixton Garage instead.

Tendering saw the route pass from London Buses to Cityrama in 1986 using blue and white ex LT DMSs, with the Brixton terminus altered to New Park Road as buses could no longer use the garage to turn, although London United took on the contract in 1988 using LS Leyland Nationals after Cityrama failed. London General were the next operator in 1989 using Ms, when the the route was cut back again to Brixton Garage. In 1995 came a short term extension from Streatham Hill to Tulse Hill, the route receiving new DPL high floor Darts, although this was altered within weeks when the route was split in two, the 200 becoming Raynes Park - Mitcham (essentially the route we have today) and a new 201 taking the Mitcham - Tulse Hill section.

Millennium Year saw the 200 pass to the shortlived Mitcham Belle with low floor Darts, passing in turn to Centra London who purchased that operator in 2004. Some stability returned in 2006 when the route returned to its old home at Merton Garage, where it has remained since, operated by Go Ahead London. In this latest phase, types have passed through LDP Darts and SE Enviro200s (with PVL/WVL support) until the electric era began in 2021 as described at the start of this piece.

GAL Wright StreetDeck Electroliner DEL64 of Merton Garage represents the incoming order on the 200 and is seen at the Mitcham terminus.

This is the bus I had just travelled on over the route.

Part Route 264: Mitcham - Tooting

From Mitcham Town Centre, I completed my bus rides for the day on another electric, Enviro400 City EV Ee84, on the 264 back to Tooting Broadway Station. My only non-Merton bus of the day, although still with GAL out of Croydon (C) Garage. I then transferred once again to the Northern Line for the journey home.

Watton