Green Line Coaches#History

Green Line Coaches Limited was formed on 9 July 1930 by the LGOC, which from 1927 had built up a network of coach services from London to towns up to 30 miles away, comprising 60 vehicles on eight routes. These services were largely started in response to the emergence of numerous small independent operators, often running single routes. As well as express services operated by LGOC, some were run by subsidiary companies such as East Surrey Traction & Autocar Services and some on LGOC's behalf by the National Omnibus & Transport Company. The Green Line livery and fleetname was rolled out across the existing express services,[http://www.ampyx.org.uk/lcountry/grnline/grnline.html History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114021000/http://www.ampyx.org.uk/lcountry/grnline/grnline.html |date=14 November 2007 }} Green Line Coach Services{{cite book|last1=Jones|first1=DWK|last2=Davis|first2=BJ|title=Green Line 1930–1980|year=1980|pages=4–17|publisher=London Country Bus Services|location=Reigate|isbn=978-0-905009-02-5}}{{cite book|title=Companion to Road Passenger Transport History|date=2013 |publisher=Roads & Road Transport History Association|location=Walsall|isbn=9780955287633|pages=241/242}} differentiating these from LGOC's red service buses.

New services quickly followed, with the number of routes increasing to 27 by October 1931 and the number of coaches to 275. Green Line also began to acquire some of its independent competitors. The laying over of coaches in central London began to create congestion, so, to relieve this, some routes were linked to form cross-London services, and a short-lived coach station was opened in Poland Street, Soho at the end of 1930.

On 1 July 1933, Green Line passed to the new London Passenger Transport Board and competing services within the London Passenger Transport Area were absorbed into the network. Various vehicles of numerous different types were inherited, and much effort was made in replacing these with a standardised fleet of vehicles from late 1936. Poland Street coach station was closed, and almost all routes were linked to run across London.{{cite book|last1=Jones|first1=DWK|last2=Davis|first2=BJ|title=Green Line 1930–1980|year=1980|pages=22–35|publisher=London Country Bus Services|location=Reigate|isbn=978-0-905009-02-5}}

File:Green_Line_classic_bus.jpg bodied AEC Regal IV]]

File:Routemaster RCL2233 (CUV 233C), Showbus 2012 rally.jpgs]]

Services were suspended during World War II, resuming in February 1946.Green Line Coaches Railway Gazette 8 February 1946 page 158 More services were added, and the routes were given numbers in the 700 series. Ridership increased to a peak of 36 million passenger journeys a year between 1957 and 1960. In 1962, AEC Routemaster double-deck coaches were introduced on some routes, notably route 721 which ran every 12 minutes at peak times, and route 704 conveying tourists to Windsor and Royal Tunbridge Wells.[http://www.countrybus.org/RMC/RMC.html The Coach RMs] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201061906/http://www.countrybus.org/RMC/RMC.html |date=1 February 2014 }} Country Bus[http://www.countrybus.org/RCL/RCL.html The Long Coaches] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201062030/http://www.countrybus.org/RCL/RCL.html |date=1 February 2014 }} Country Bus[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/29th-june-1962/57/routemaster-double-deck-coaches-for-green-line-rou Routemaster Double-deck Coaches for Green Line Routes] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202220612/http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/29th-june-1962/57/routemaster-double-deck-coaches-for-green-line-rou |date=2 February 2016 }} Commercial Motor 29 June 1962[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/30th-october-1964/28/larger-routemaster-coaches-for-green-line Larger Routemaster Coaches for Green Line] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304210120/http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/30th-october-1964/28/larger-routemaster-coaches-for-green-line |date=4 March 2016 }} Commercial Motor 30 October 1964 Orbital coach routes commenced:[https://www.angelfire.com/ult/eplates/724s.html Green Line Coach Routes 724–799] E Plates

• 724 from High Wycombe around the north of London to Romford
• 725 from Windsor around the south of London to Gravesend
• 727 from Crawley around the west of London to Luton

File:Green_Line_in_Oxford_Street.jpg on Oxford Street in June 1976]]

In 1970, London Transport became the responsibility of the Greater London Council, so control of Green Line was passed from London Transport to London Country Bus Services, part of the state-owned National Bus Company. Patronage was declining, partly as a result of increasing car use and quicker parallel rail services, and the last cross-London routes ceased in 1979.

The Transport Act 1980 deregulated coach services, and Green Line expanded services beyond its traditional area, to Cambridge (route 797), Oxford (routes 290 and 790, in conjunction with the Oxford Bus Company), Northampton and Brighton. New airport services also commenced:

• 747 Heathrow Airport to Gatwick Airport
• 757 Green Line Coach Station to Luton Airport
• 767 Green Line Coach Station to Heathrow Airport
• 777 Green Line Coach Station to Gatwick Airport

By this time, the orbital services 724 and 726 (a variant of the 725) had been revised to serve Heathrow. Green Line also became a National Express operator.

File:Arriva Shires & Essex 4367 on Green Line 757.JPG bodied DAF SB3000 in April 2008]]

In 1986, London Country was divided into four operating companies to prepare for privatisation.[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/6th-december-1986/54/out-on-its-own Out on its own] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714193451/http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/6th-december-1986/54/out-on-its-own |date=14 July 2014 }} Commercial Motor 6 December 1986 page 54 They were sold separately, and ownership of the Green Line network became fragmented, with only a few routes surviving. The airport services passed to Jetlink and are now operated by National Express.

The orbital route 726 was taken over by London Regional Transport in a reduced form and in April 2005 was renumbered London Buses route X26."Slow death of a Green Line orbital" Buses |issue 603 June 2005 page 19 By the mid-1990s, Arriva had become the owner of most of the London Country successor companies and became the owner of the Green Line brand. It licensed the brand to other operators: First Berkshire & The Thames Valley (700, 701 and 702), New Enterprise Coaches (routes 781 and 784 from 2005 to 2009) and Stephensons of Essex (routes X1 and X10 from 2002 until 2008).

Following closure of its Bracknell depot in 2015, First Berkshire services were revised and routes 700 and 701 were discontinued. Reading Buses took over operation of route 702 on 24 December 2017.Reading Buses to take over Green Line 702 with special running day Coach & Bus Week issue 1318 21 November 2017 page 19 On 8 May 2018, the 702 was withdrawn between Legoland Windsor and Bracknell. On the same day, route 703 was introduced under the Green Line brand, running between Heathrow Terminal 5 and Bracknell, replacing the withdrawn section.[http://www.reading-buses.co.uk/articles/exciting-changes-to-green-line/ Exciting changes to Green Line] Reading BusesReading Buses launches direct Bracknell to Heathrow link Coach & Bus Week issue 1338 17 April 2018 page 11

In June 2023 it was announced that these services would no longer use the Green Line brand, replacing it with "London Line" for service 702 and "Flight Line" for service 703. [https://www.route-one.net/news/green-line-now-flight-line-and-london-line-for-reading] Green Line now Flight Line and London Line for Reading Route One 16 June 2023

In April 2020, Arriva Herts & Essex was scheduled to commence operating a new Green Line route 720 from Stansted Airport to Liverpool Street, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Green Line 720 returns to Stansted after 43 years Buses issue 782 May 2020 page 22

On 4 December 2021, route 758, operated by Arriva Herts & Essex, was withdrawn, citing long-term low passenger numbers made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|date=8 November 2021|title=Arriva ending Green Line 758 service|url=https://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/arriva-ending-green-line-758-service/|access-date=7 December 2021|website=Bus & Coach Buyer|language=en-GB}}

File:Au Morandarte Flickr DSC00979 (10332557506).jpg bodied Volvo B9TL in October 2013]]

Arriva Herts & Essex:

• 724: Heathrow Airport to Harlow via St Albans[https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/greenline/green-line-route-724 Green Line Route 724] Arriva

• 755 and 757: Leagrave station (755, 2 times in the morning, 2 times in the evening) / Luton station (757) / Luton Airport (757) to Green Line Coach Station[http://www.greenline.co.uk/timetables-search/757-755/ Routes 755 & 757 timetable] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160710140725/http://www.greenline.co.uk/timetables-search/757-755/ |date=10 July 2016 }} Greenline

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{{Official website}}

{{Arriva}}

Category:Arriva Group bus operators in England

Category:Bus transport brands

Category:Coach operators in England

Category:1930 establishments in England