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London Buses route 9 (Heritage)

{{Short description|Former London heritage bus route}}

{{about|the previous heritage route 9H operated by Tower Transit|the current route 9 operated by Metroline|London Buses route 9}}

{{Use British English|date=February 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}

{{Infobox bus line

|number = 9H

|image = Au Morandarte Flickr The Last Rounder (14784110725).jpg

|image_width = 300

|caption = Tower Transit AEC Routemaster on Holland Road

|bgcolor = red

|titlecolor = white

|operator = Tower Transit

|garage = Westbourne Park

|vehicle = AEC Routemaster

|pvr = 5

|status = Defunct

|open = {{Start date|df=yes|2005|11|14}}

|close = {{End date|df=yes|2014|7|25}}

|night = No night service

|start = Kensington High Street

|via = Royal Albert Hall
Knightsbridge
Hyde Park Corner
Pall Mall

|end = Trafalgar Square

|length =

|level =

|frequency =

|day =

|time =

|annualpatronage= 423,299 {{Small|(2013–14)}}{{cite web | url=https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/bus-usage-data.xlsx | title=Bus service usage: passengers and kilometres operated by route, 2010-14 | work=Transport for London | accessdate=28 June 2014}} }}

London Buses route 9H was a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. It ran between Kensington High Street and Trafalgar Square, and was last operated by Tower Transit.

History

To counter unfavourable media coverage of the withdrawal of London's classic AEC Routemaster fleet, Mayor of London Ken Livingstone promised to introduce a heritage Routemaster operation.{{cite news | url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/london-bids-farewell-to-the-historic-routemaster-9127455.html | title=London bids farewell to the historic Routemaster | work=Evening Standard|location=London | date=14 February 2014 | accessdate=26 July 2014 | author=Lydall, Ross}}{{cite news | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/02/14/routemaster-buses-london_n_4788620.html | title=Heritage Routemaster Buses To Be Axed | work=HuffPost | date=14 February 2014 | accessdate=26 July 2014 | author=Matthews, Chris}} After hopes that this would be operated commercially{{citation needed|date=July 2012}}, it eventually materialised as tendered short workings on two existing routes, 9H and 15H. The route was initially operated by First London from Aldwych to the Royal Albert Hall, duplicating the eastern half of route 9.{{cite news | url=https://www.tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2005/september/heritage-route-contracts-awarded | title=Heritage route contracts awarded | work=Transport for London | date=9 September 2005 | accessdate=26 July 2014}}{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4229106.stm | title=Heritage routes for Routemaster | publisher=BBC News | date=9 September 2005 | accessdate=26 July 2014}}{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1502942/Routemaster-comeback-for-heritage-routes.html | title=Routemaster comeback for heritage routes | work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London | date=14 November 2005 | accessdate=26 July 2014}} The route was criticised by the Liberal Democrats for missing out important tourist attractions such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and the British Museum.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4142500.stm | title=Row over new Routemaster routes | publisher=BBC News | date=11 August 2005 | accessdate=26 July 2014}}

This approach ensured passengers with other mobility problems would have alternatives to the Routemasters. The two heritage routes began operation on 14 November 2005.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4435332.stm | title=Touring Routemasters hit the road | publisher=BBC News | date=14 November 2005 | accessdate=28 July 2014}} The Routemasters selected had been rebuilt in the early 2000s by Marshall Bus with new engines, windows and lighting.

On 13 November 2010, route 9H was extended westward from the Royal Albert Hall to Kensington High Street and curtailed at its eastern end to Trafalgar Square. The extension was at the urging of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which wanted to boost the number of visitors to Kensington High Street.{{cite news | url=http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/pressrelease/pressreleasePage.aspx?id=3547 | title=All aboard as Routemaster returns to Kensington High Street | work=Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea | date=16 November 2010 | accessdate=5 January 2011}}

On 22 June 2013, route 9H was included in the sale of First London's Westbourne Park garage to Tower Transit.{{cite news | url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/company-news/bus-sale-approval-boosts-firstgroup.21433407 | title=Bus sale approval boosts FirstGroup | work=Herald Scotland | date=25 June 2013 | accessdate=26 July 2014 | author=Sharp, Tim}}{{cite news | url=http://www.transitsystems.com.au/articles-t-t/313-tower-transit-announces-first-group-partial-acquisition-9-april-2013 | title=Tower Transit announces First Group partial acquisition | work=Tower Transit | date=9 April 2013 | accessdate=26 July 2014 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130622122516/http://www.transitsystems.com.au/articles-t-t/313-tower-transit-announces-first-group-partial-acquisition-9-april-2013 | archivedate=22 June 2013 }}{{cite news | url=http://www.busnews.com.au/news/industry/1306/date-set-for-aussie-takeover-of-london-bus-routes | title=Date set for Aussie Takeover of London bus routes | work=Australasian Bus & Coach | date=14 June 2013 | accessdate=26 July 2014}} Route 9H ceased operating on 25 July 2014 because the arrival of New Routemasters on route 9 reduced the patronage of route 9H.{{cite web | url=https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/route-9 | title=Bus service proposal: route 9 | work=Transport for London | accessdate=26 July 2014 | archive-date=28 September 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928181144/https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/route-9/ | url-status=dead }}{{cite news | url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/463605/Iconic-London-Routemaster-buses-step-closer-to-being-axed-by-Transport-for-London | title='This bus terminates here!' Iconic London Routemaster buses a step closer to being axed | work=Daily Express | date=7 March 2014 | accessdate=26 July 2014 | author=Bennett, Owen}}{{cite news|url=http://www.busandcoach.com/newspage.aspx?id=8234&categoryid=0 |title=Axe to fall on Routemaster route |work=Bus & Coach Professional |date=30 January 2014 |accessdate=26 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812183302/http://www.busandcoach.com/newspage.aspx?id=8234&categoryid=0 |archivedate=12 August 2014 }} Peter Bradley, head of the route 9H consultation, said: "We are considering the removal of this service because it costs more than £1m a year to operate, owing in large part to the upkeep of the 60-year-old buses, and a low level of use by passengers. This money will be re-invested in London’s bus network".{{cite news | url=http://www.transport-network.co.uk/Classic-London-bus-under-threat-of-extinction/10095 | title=Classic London bus under threat of extinction | work=Transport Network | date=14 February 2014 | accessdate=26 July 2014 | author=Browne, Dom}}

Former route

Route 9H operated via these primary locations:

See also

{{Portal|London transport}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Commons category-inline}}
  • [http://londonbusesbyadam.zenfolio.com/p941305760 Route 9H gallery]

{{London Bus Routes}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:009, London Buses Route}}

Category:Former bus routes in London

Category:Transport in the City of Westminster

Category:Transport in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Category:2005 introductions

Category:2005 establishments in England

Category:2014 disestablishments in England