I think so - can't be 100% certain. But you can definitely walk to Hatton Cross which is in the free travel zone and then get the tube from there to the terminals.
For Heathrow Central maybe - but as stated above you can get to Hatton Cross and then to any terminal by tube for free.
Hatton Cross isn't in the free travel zone
Heathrow Airport beg to differ: https://www.heathrow.com/content/da...ments/transport/Heathrow-Free-Travel-Zone.pdf.
And that map does not show Piccadilly services to Hatton Cross, just the bus services that will cease to be valid in a few days.
I think it's 16x64 but don't quote me on that!
Just because they don't win the tenders doesn't mean that they aren't trying. The name of the game is to retain what you already operate and to win work to grow the business. I am sure that Stagecoach management are just as upset at not winning the work just as you are at the apparent lack of interest in securing it.
Strikes me, with that footnote, TfL are saying that the 322 is incapable of being operated within performance criteria, bearing in mind its operator changes hand every time it's tendered!
As a regular 322 user - it passes my front door - I’m sorry to see it go back to Abellio. It’s not an easy route - very narrow roads on the parts of the route through West Norwood and Gipsy Hill - but Go-Ahead have done a much better job on it than Abellio used to. My general experience of Abellio in this area is significantly lower driving and presentation standards.
Clearly some do for whatever their reasons. Perhaps "90swere better" can answer as to why it seems to bother him/her that Stagecoach haven't won the routes he/she has mentioned...
That's an interesting, unbiased viewpoint. Abellio don't seem to have much incentive to make a better go of it now! How were Arriva at working it?
When did Arriva last have it? It’s always see-sawed between Abellio and Go Ahead in recent memory. But yes was intrigued by what sounded like a decided lack of incentive!
They had it at the start in 1992, when it operated to Vauxhall, later extended to the Elephant, out of Norwood Garage, then Connex got it in 2000 for a few years, best forgotten! Norwood's always seemed the obvious base for it to me, given the importance of keeping the southern end served when late running occurs (as if!)
Yep - I mean it must be a nightmare to operate because of the narrow windy roads and parked cars. But agree N seems a much better base. SW have done a good job on the whole and it has the friendliest (mostly Portuguese I think, unsurprising given depot location) drivers I have come across in south London despite the stresses of the areas it operates in. Agree with you that its a shame buses can’t work from the ‘obvious’ garage and surprised that with all the current concern about the environment, you get operators like Abellio running routes miles off route (eg 24, 27, 159 from QB) when there are generally depots closer to the route. But then as mentioned before I find Abellio’s operation on the 3, 68 etc very poor confirmed to Go-Ahead and Arriva Run their operations so am probably biased.
I've heard the 322 operates pretty decently at Stockwell from a friend who lives on the route despite the challenges it puts up with - although the buses are apparently a bit troubled and unreliable due to various gearbox issues (the batch of Enviro 200s it uses are on a more unusual, semi-automatic ZF gearbox). Performance wise, something I think that helps is that the 322 almost has an exclusive iBus controller who can firefight any issues; the controller only looks after the 322 and the *much bigger* route 5 between Canning Town and Romford Market.
Sounds a bit David and Goliath, the 322 and the 5 - must keep him/her on their toes! I wonder if the unreliability of those Enviro 200s was a primary cause for GoAhead losing the route.
Unlikely given that the route has been awarded with new electric buses - more likely down to price..
What did the 71 do wrong to deserve that?!
That looks awful, why they couldn’t put the cameras on the side like ADL and Wright, I don’t know!
Nice photo. The mirrors and front panels look weird, unfortunately the front panel seems to be a new TfL requirement to hide the wiper ends I believe
I'm not sure even East Lancs could style something quite that ugly
It was part of Heathrow's spin to be permitted to expand.
I understand that the Scanias at Fulwell are not very well at the moment, causing a bit of a shortage. It seems that the 293 morning school journeys that utilsed two LTs no longer run, thus freeing up those two buses which today graced the 71.
