South London Bus Route 3

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Route 3: Crystal Palace - Oxford Circus
Operated by: Abellio London
Garage: QB Battersea
PVR: 22
Length: 14 km/9 miles
Bus Type: Enviro 400 Hybrid 10.2m
Timetable: http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/003full.pdf

Route 3 started operation 1st November 1908, when a daily unnumbered route operating between Brixton Station and South Croydon was allocated the route 3. On 19th November 1908, the route was altered at both ends to run between Oxford Circus and South Croydon (Swan & Sugar Loaf). From April 1909 it was extended on Sundays to Purley, then to Whyteleafe in August. A month later the 3 was extended northwards to Camden Town, and was withdrawn between Streatham Common and Whyteleafe.

In 1910 the route was extended to Hampstead Heath over the Easter period. However, on 3 March 1910, the 3 was withdrawn between Brixton (Lambeth Town Hall) and Streatham Common and re-routed via Effra Road to Brixton (George Canning), thus not serving any of the original route. From 16th June 1912, the 3 became a Monday to Saturday route only, being replaced by the recently introduced 59 on Sundays.

On 11th May 1913, a new daily route 3A was introduced between Camden Town and Crystal Palace via the 3 to Brixton, then via Water Lane, Herne Hill, Croxted Road and South Croxted Road. The 3 and 3A only ran as such until 17th July 1913, when both routes became daily and exchanged numbers. At the outbreak of war in August 1914, the 3A was withdrawn as an economy measure, but was re-instated in October. The 3 was extended from Crystal Palace to Upper Norwood a month later. By the end of hostilities the 3A had been withdrawn and the 3 ran between Camden Town to Crystal Palace.

On 1 December 1924, a new system of route numbering on London buses came into force under The London Traffic Act of 1924. As a result the short workings of the 3 from Camden Town to Brixton were renumbered 3A. This situation continued until 3 October 1934 when all 3A journeys were renumbered 3.

Just before the outbreak of the Second World War, on 3 May 1939, the 3 was replaced on Sundays by a new 3A route, running from Crystal Palace to Oxford Circus and on to Baker Street, Swiss Cottage, Hendon, Mill Hill and Edgware Station. This was withdrawn after from 15th October 1939 as a wartime economy. The 3 returned to 7-day operation and remained virtually unchanged for the next 40 years.

In the early 1980s, the inhabitants of Parliament Hill successfully campaigned for a bus service from that area to the West End. From 26th April 1981, the 3 was extended on Mondays to Saturdays from Camden Town to Parliament Hill Fields. This extension was withdrawn on 27 October 1984, being replaced by an extension of route 53. On 21st June 1986 the service between Oxford Circus and Camden Town was reduced to Saturdays and Sundays only, as the section was now covered by recently introduced route C2. It was completely withdrawn on 4th April 1987.

The route was operated by London Central using 24 DAF DB250s with Optare Spectra bodywork until 1999, when the contract to operate the route was won by Connex, who introduced low-floor vehicles. It then passed to National Express Group-owned Travel London. National Express sold the company to NedRailways in May 2009, and it was Abellio in October 2009.

In January 2010, an out-of-service Abellio double-decker crashed into a low bridge at Bedford Hill while returning to its depot in Croydon having operated on route 3. There were no injuries.

Fleetlist
2414 SN61 DGX

2415 SN61 DGY

2416 SN61 DGZ

2417 SN61 DHA

2418 SN61 CXX

2419 SN61 CXY

2420 SN61 CXZ

2421 SN61 CYA

2422 SN61 CYC

2423 SN61 CYE

2424 SN61 CYF

2425 SN61 CYG

2426 SN61 CYH

2427 SN61 CYJ

2428 SN61 CYK

2429 SN61 CYL

2430 SN61 CYO

2431 SN61 CYP

2432 SN61 CYS

2433 SN61 CYT

2434 SN61 CYU

2435 SN61 CYV

2436 SN61 CYW

2437 SN61 CYX

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