London Buses route 208

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208

Management
Operated by	Selkent
Garage	Bromley
Vehicle	Dennis Trident 2/Alexander ALX400
Peak vehicle requirement	{{{pvr}}}
Route
Start	Orpington
Via	Petts Wood Bromley Catford
End	Lewisham
Length	11 miles (18 km)
Service
Level	Daily (4:30am until 1:00am)
Frequency	About every 6-12 minutes
Journey time	47-81 minutes
Night	Night Bus N47
Transport for London • Performance (PDF)

London Buses route 208 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Selkent.

Contents 1 History 2 Current Route 2.1 Route departing Orpington 2.2 Route departing Lewisham\Catford 3 See also 4 External links

[edit] History

The 208 is one of London’s busiest suburban routes, providing the main link between Bromley, Catford and Lewisham. It is, increasingly, unusual in operating in two overlapping sections, Orpington to Catford and Bromley Common to Lewisham. Running the extra frequency by way of short workings between Bromley and Catford was tried but was discontinued after about a year. Even between Orpington and Bromley buses can get very busy, especially at school start and finish times, late evening pub-turn-out and Monday to Saturday daytime shopping hours, despite being one of the most frequent routes (every 12 minutes) to reach Orpington, through mainly residential areas.

The route started in the 4 September 1982 scheme, replacing route 94 south of Bromley (the remainder becoming the 261) and complementing the 47 between Bromley and Lewisham. There was initially a Saturday extension to Surrey Quays, but that did not last.

Initially Routemasters from Catford garage were used, but they were replaced by new Leyland Titans within a few years. Bromley garage also gained an allocation, the route has been transferring back and forth between the two ever since. Usually both garages have been present, but Stagecoach’s extensive tender losses in the Bromley area in recent years have allowed Bromley garage to take full control.

There have been periods of single deck operation. Leyland Nationals were used for a few years, and more recently LV class Dennis Lances were used between late 1994 and November 1997. In both cases single deckers were completely unsuitable, and mainly used on the quieter Orpington end. In terms of the service structure, there have been relatively few changes, though there was a big frequency increase in April 1991 after the 1 was withdrawn south of Surrey Quays.

[edit] Current Route

This route operates in two overlapping sections.

[edit] Route departing Orpington

Orpington Perry Hall Road Orpington High Street War Memorial Station Road Orpington Station Crofton Road Crofton Lane Towncourt Lane Queensway Petts Wood Station Queensway Frankswood Avenue Southborough Lane Crown Lane Crown Lane Spur Bromley Common Masons Hill Bromley South Station Bromley High Street Elmfield Road Kentish Way Widmore Road Market Square Bromley High Street London Road Bromley Hill Bromley Road Catford

Bromley Common Masons Hill Bromley South Station Bromley High Street Elmfield Road Kentish Way Widmore Road Market Square Bromley High Street London Road Bromley Hill Bromley Road Catford Rushey Green Lewisham High Street Lewis Grove Lee Bridge Lewisham High Street Station Road Lewisham station

[edit] Route departing Lewisham\Catford

Lewisham station Loampit Vale' Lewisham High Street Lee Bridge Lewis Grove Lewisham High Street Rushey Green Catford Bromley Road Bromley Hill London Road Bromley High Street Bromley Market Square Widmore Road Kentish Way Elmfield Road Bromley High Street Bromley South Station Masons Hill Bromley Common

Catford Bromley Road Bromley Hill London Road Bromley High Street Bromley Market Square Widmore Road Kentish Way Elmfield Road Bromley High Street Bromley South Station Masons Hill Bromley Common Crown Lane Spur Crown Lane Southborough Lane Frankswood Avenue Queensway Petts Wood Station Queensway Towncourt Lane Crofton Lane Crofton Road Orpington Station Station Road Orpington High Street Chislehurst Road Goodmead Road Orpington Perry Hall Road

[edit] See also

• List of bus routes in London
• Selkent

[edit] External links

• Transport for London
• London Bus Routes Fotopic
• London Bus Routes
• Full Timetable (PDF)

List of bus routes in London
1-99 | 100-199 | 200-299 | 300-399 | 400-499 | 500-599 | 600-699 | Letter prefix | Night only