South London Bus Route - Route 453

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Route 453: Deptford Bridge - Marylebone

Operated by: London General (GAL)

Garage: MW

PVR: 34

Length:12km/8 miles

Bus Type: Enviro 400 10.2m

Note: A very nice picture that LondonBusBreh gave me permission to use. :)

Timetable: http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/453.pdf

The 453 was formed from Route 53 on 15th March 2003, the weekend that the London Congestion Charge began. It was run by Stagecoach London. The route operates from Deptford to Marylebone, initially with Citaro O530Gs, known as "Bendy buses", although double-deckers had to be used for the first four weeks as Mercedes-Benz could not deliver enough in time. Night bus variant N453 was introduced at the same time, also using articulated buses.

The section between Oxford Street and Marylebone hadn't been served by the route 53 since the 1980s therefore the 453 restores this link, the route also parallels the Bakerloo line between Elephant and Castle and Marylebone so when the Bakerloo line is out of action the route provides a useful alternative.

The 453 originally started from the first busy single stop on the 53, at Deptford, outside Addey and Stanhope School, then follows the 53 via New Cross, New Cross Gate, Old Kent Road, Bricklayers Arms, Elephant & Castle, St. George's Circus, Westminster, to Whitehall, then Regent Street, Oxford Street, Great Portland Street, Regent's Park and to Marylebone. The section north of Oxford Circus was a new service designed to create a new south - west link at Regent's Park Underground station.

The buses were based at Selkent's Plumstead (PD), as were those for the 53, which is a long way off route and results in a lot of empty running. The planned terminus at Deptford's Seager development (by Deptford Bridge DLR station) was delayed for three years. As there was nowhere else suitable to turn the buses round, buses ran empty all the way to and from Lewisham to turn round and stand. Selkent proposed to extend the service to Catford (TL), where the route would have been based, but buses are now able to turn around at Deptford Bridge.

This was the second of the "bendy bus" routes to operate out of Zone one (after the 436; the 507 and 521 were the first bendy buses, operating from 5 June 2002). In common with all bendy routes in London, tickets are not issued by the driver. Evidence suggests that fare evasion rates are quite high despite more intensive ticket checking than normal, sometimes backed up by the Metropolitan Police stopping a whole bus and then checking everyone's tickets. 

A large section of the route of the 453 parallels the Bakerloo line (Marylebone, Oxford Circus, Elephant and Castle etc.) and is very useful at times when the Bakerloo line is suspended due to engineering works.

Operation of route 453 was transferred to London General on 16 February 2008, with a new batch of Citaros, which have the new Euro 4 style front and rear ends.

On 24 September 2011, route 453 was converted to double deck using new Alexander Dennis Enviro400. 

On 19 November 2011, route 453 was retained by Go-Ahead London. 

Fleetlist:

E163/SN61BGF

E164/SN61BGK

E165/SN61BGO

E166/SN61BGU

E167/SN61BGV

E168/SN61BGX

E169/SN61BGY

E170/SN61BGZ

E171/SN61BHA

E172/SN61BHD

E173/SN61BGE

E174/SN61BHE

E175/SN61BHF

E176/SN61BHJ

E177/SN61BHK

E178/SN61BHL

E179/SN61BHO

E180/SN61BHP

E181/SN61BHU

E182/SN61BHV

E183/SN61BHW

E184/SN61BHX

E185/SN61BHY

E186/SN61BHZ

E187/SN61BJE

E188/SN61BJF

E189/SN61BJJ

E190/SN61BJK

E191/SN61BJO

E192/SN61BJU

E193/SN61BJV

E194/SN61BJX

E195/SN61BJY

E196/SN61BJZ

E197/SN61BKA

E198/SN61BKD

E199/SN61BKE

E200/SN61BKF

E201/SN61BKG

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