London Buses route 124

infobox London Bus
number=124


operator=Selkent
length=8 miles
time=45-50 minutes
vehicle=Dennis Dart SLF/Alexander ALX200
garage=Catford Garage
start=Catford
end=Eltham
via=Torridon Road
North Downham
Grove Park
Mottingham
level=Daily
frequency=About every 10-15 minutes
day=5:00am until 12:30am
night=No night service
pvr=8-10

London Buses route 124 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Selkent. The 124 runs out of Selkent's Catford Garage. The service terminates on a siding outside St. Dunstan's College in Catford. The route runs about every 20 minutes during early mornings, evenings and Sundays. Early Saturday, and Sunday morning buses run about every 30 minutes.

History

Today's 124 commenced operation on 4 May 1938 when the single-deck route 209 between Eltham (Southend Crescent) and Forest Hill was double-decked and re-numbered 124. The re-numbering of the route into the 100+ series was required by London Transport at the time. Route numbers in the 200+ series were reserved for single-deck routes. This was the third time that the route number 124 had been used in London.

By 1949 the 124 used to run from Forest Hill railway station to Eltham via Perry Vale, Woolstone Road, Catford and carried on with the current route to Eltham. This service was run by RT type buses. In 1955, Monday to Friday peak times only, the route was extended to Blackfen from Eltham. In 1960 the peak services were diverted to Falconwood Parade, instead of Blackfen, and Sunday afternoon services extended to Bexley Hospital. Later in the same year the Sunday service was renamed 124A due to different routeing at Avery Hill.

In 1963 the 124 was extended yet again from Eltham to Woolwich Parsons Hill (Monday - Saturday) via Falconwood, Welling, Wickham Road, Plumstead Corner and Plumstead railway station, due to suspended 126 and 195. In 1968 the Saturday service between Welling and Woolwich was withdrawn.

In 1972 the service converted to double deck one person operation, and Monday to Friday am peaks between Plumstead and Woolwich. But in 1977 this part was completely axed. In 1983 Leyland Titan's started to be used on the 124. In 1983 one floor buses started to be used and in June 1987 the established part between Forest Hill and Catford was completely withdrawn, leaving the service Catford - Eltham Station/Eltham Southend Crescent/Avery Hill/Welling/Bexley Hospital, the forest hill section was re-assigned to the re-routed 108B.

1990 saw the route converted to midibus operation and diverted at Mottingham via Middle Park Avenue and Kingsground, instead of Court road direct. The stand at Southend Crescent was used at all times not just shopping hours and the route had been taken over by Selkent (later Stagecoach London). In 1994 the 124 was simplified having only two 'last stops', Catford and Southend Crescent in Eltham. 1999 saw the route converted to Dennis Dart/Plaxton Pointer operation. In 2001 low floor operation commenced and in 2005 the contract was kept by Stagecoach (or from 2006 onwards Selkent).

Current route

Route departing Catford

*Catford "St. Dunstan's College"
*Catford and Catford Bridge Stations
*Catford Road
*Catford "Lewisham Town Centre, Broadway Theatre and Catford Library"
*Catford "Rushey Green"
*Sangley Road
*Sandhurst Road "St. Andrews Church"
*Torridon Road "Dowanhill Road"
*Torridon Road "Ardoch Road"
*Baudwin Road
*North Downham "Walters Road"
*Verdant Lane "Hither Green Cemetery"
*Northover
*Northover "Vanoc Gardens"
*Downham Way "The Green"
*Grove Park railway station
*Grove Park "Baring Road"
*Chinbrook Road "Amblecote Road"
*Chinbrook Road "Grove Park Tavern"
*Dunkery Road "Court Farm Road"
*Mottingham Village
*Mottingham railway station
*Middle Park Road
*Kingsground
*Eltham "Church"
*Eltham High Street
*Eltham "Southend Crescent"

Route departing Eltham

*Eltham "Southend Crescent"
*Eltham High Street
*Eltham "Church"
*Eltham Pools
*Kingsground "Eltham Hill Tech College"
*Middle Park Road
*Mottingham railway station
*Mottingham road
*Mottingham Village
*Dunkery Road "Court Farm Road"
*Chinbrook Road "Grove Park Tavern"
*Chinbrook Road "Amblecote Road"
*Grove Park "Baring Road"
*Grove Park railway station
*Downham Way "The Green"
*Northover "Vanoc Gardens"
*Northover "Reigate Road"
*Verdant Lane "Whitefoot Lane"
*Verdant Lane "Hither Green Cemetery"
*North Downham "Walters Road"
*Baudwin Road
*Torridon Road "Ardoch Road"
*Torridon Road "Dowanhill Road"
*Sandhurst Road "St. Andrews Church"
*Sangley Road
*Sangley Road "Bromley Road"
*Catford "Lewisham Town Centre, Broadway Theatre and Catford Library"
*Catford Road
*Catford and Catford Bridge Stations
*Catford "St. Dunstan's College"

Previous route 124s in London

The route number 124 had been used twice prior to its current use.
*Between 1924 and 1927 for a Wormwood Scrubs (Pavilion) Becontree (Chittys Lane) *, Upminster* Sunday only route via Ladbroke Grove, Marble Arch, Holborn, Bank, Aldgate, Plaistow and Barking. *Termini varied.
*Between 1934 and 1938 for a Pimlico Ponders End daily route via Camden Town, Finsbury Park, Harringay, Turnpike Lane station, Tottenham and Edmonton.There was also
*Between 1934 and 1938 a daily route 124A between Pimlico and Edmonton (Cooks Ferry) via Angel, Edmonton.

ee also

*List of bus routes in London
*Selkent
*Transport for London

External links

* [http://www.londonbusesbyadam.fotopic.net London Bus Routes Fotopic]
* [http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses London Buses homepage]
* [http://www.busesatwork.co.uk London Bus Routes]
* [http://www.tfl.gov.uk Transport for London]
* [http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/124.pdf Full Timetable]