London Buses route S1

Infobox London Bus
number=S1


operator=Quality Line (Epsom Coaches)
garage=Epsom
vehicle=Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart chassis, with East Lancs Myllennium bodywork, but with Esteem front and rear ends.
pvr=8
start=Mitcham
via=St. Helier
Sutton
Belmont station
end=Banstead
length=9 miles (14 km)
level=Daily
frequency=Every 20 minutes, 15 in the peaks, and 30 on Sundays.
time=45-55 minutes
day=05:25am until 23:45pm
night=same as above

London Buses route S1 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Quality Line.

History

Service S1 started in 1993, operated by London & Country, running between Beddington through to Sutton, using mainly previously unserved roads. At first, the Sutton end had a deviation incorporating Langley Park Road before buses got to Sutton, but this was altered to a loop working in 1995. The next contract change was on 30 November 1996, when the route was tendered with the "Sutton network". The new tender was awarded to London General, who used new Marshall Minibuses running from Sutton garage. The service via the north of Langley Park Road was replaced by route S3, with the S1 rerouted to Banstead to replace the 80. Between Sutton and Belmont, the route was diverted via the south end of Langley Park road, replacing the S3.

In 1997, London General suffered a severe staff shortage, and as a result surrendered several of its services, one being the S1. This was when Quality Line took over, but they did not want the now known to be unreliable Marhall Minibuses, and opted for Optare MetroRiders instead. This was one of the rare cases where a route was converted from low floor to high floor buses.

In Summer 1998, the route was improved, with an evening and Sunday service introduced. The vehicles were also replaced by low floor Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer Mini Pointer Dart, which entered service from late 1998 to early 1999.

The next contract stared in December 2001, which incorporated a daytime frequency increase from every 30 to 20 minutes, and the route terminus in Beddington Corner was changed to Mitcham. The vehicles were also upgraded again, now to Dennis Dart SLF/Alexander ALX200s. The latest vehicles, introduced in 2006, are unusual in having the East Lancs Myllennium bodywork, but with East Lancs Esteem front and rear ends. The chassis are the Dart's successor, the Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart. [ [http://www.londonbusroutes.net/photos/S01.htm Route S1 history] ] [ [http://www.londonbusesbyadam.fotopic.net/c973885.html Pictures of route S1 history] ]

Current route

Route departing Mitcham

*Mitcham "Lower Green"
*Mitcham Junction station
*St. Helier "Middleton Circle"
*St. Helier Hospital "Wrythe Lance"
*Benhilton "Butterchurn"
*Sutton Green
*Sutton "Throwley Way/Carshalton Road"
*Sutton railway station
*Belmont railway station
*Banstead "Marks & Spencer"

Route departing Banstead

*Banstead "Marks & Spencer"
*Belmont railway station
*Sutton railway station
*Sutton "Crown Road"
*Benhilton "Butterchurn"
*St. Helier Hospital "Wrythe Lance"
*St. Helier "Middleton Circle"
*Mitcham Junction station
*Mitcham "Lower Green"

ee also

* List of bus routes in London
* Quality Line
* Epsom Coaches

References

External links

* [http://www.tfl.gov.uk Transport for London]
* [http://www.busesatwork.co.uk London Bus Routes]
* [http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/sccwebsite/sccwspublications.nsf/docidLookupFileResourcesByUNID/docid800346026CAC54E68025729F003D9E42?openDocument Full Surrey County Council timetable (PDF)]