Here’s an interesting thing. If you go to the ‘Getting Around’ bit of the TFL website, select
‘Bus Maps’ and then enter 518 in the box, the poor little site gets all
confused, and appears to think that the best help it can give you is, and I
quote, “Showing routes near 518, Wembley, HA9.”
However, if you go to the ‘Live Travel News’ bit, select ‘Buses’, then go to ‘Live Bus Departures’ and enter 518, you get a helpful little map, showing a teeny weeny little route with all of three stops in one direction and only two in the other. Ah, how sweet – to think they’d let a route like that out on its own…
‘What is going on?’ you hear us cry.
Well, the answer appears to be given on the London Bus
Routes website, which has the following to say:
It also says: Temporary
route introduced 12/01/13 and tells you that the expected journey time is a
princely 4 (yes, four) minutes.
Well, we are sorry: a recently-arrived, temporary, free, two
or three-stop bus journey, lasting less than five minutes and covering bits of
London to which we are not exactly strangers?
We don’t think so. But if one of
our loyal followers would like to submit a guest posting, we should be happy to
extend our hospitality.
This is spooky... I was wondering yesterday if you would do this route. I have my answer!
ReplyDeleteGreat Post. it is indeed a temporary route that was introduced last week I think.
ReplyDeleteThere is also the 560 - another temporary Streatham Common service which runs to Pollard Hill. These short term routes are the result of bridge works at Streatham Common station to allow longer platforms to be constructed.
ReplyDeleteThe temporary routes can be very short-term in nature. There were some in South East London as a result of the Olympic arrangements which would have been long gone before you get to their place in the blog. Because they are not a major part of London's bus history I think it quite acceptable not to include them as part of your impressive project. Now the next question - are you going to brave the 600 series of routes or just settle for the 607?
ReplyDeleteI understand the hectic schedule and importance of time. It is terrible if the bus route keep on changing or buses are delaying. London Bus Routes are generally helpful and depart you on time. But for per-caution you may opt for cheap car hire uk in your town.
ReplyDeleteI've ironically done posts on both the 518 and 560 (focussing on the buses more, though) for the WLTM Bus Blog, and in the 518 post, I have the whole route Streatham Common to Streatham Station only, in video. It actually took shorter (approx 15 seconds) than the advertised 4 minutes. The 518 post link: http://wltmauc.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/temporary-bus-route-518-260113.html
ReplyDelete