New Enterprise routes 781 and 784

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781 and 784
Management
Operated by New Enterprise Coaches
Garage Maidstone
Vehicle DAF SB3000/Plaxton Prima
PVR †
Route
Start Maidstone
Via West Malling
Lewisham
End London
Length 30 miles (48km)
Service
Level Monday - Friday
Frequency Irregular
Peak hours only
To London am
To Maidstone pm
Journey time Around 1 hour 50 minutes
Day 05:34 - 09:00 to London
16:00 - 19:52 to Maidstone
Night No night service
† peak vehicle requirement
See also: Green Line Coaches


New Enterprise routes 781 and 784 are express coach services linking Maidstone to Central London. The services are currently operated by New Enterprise Coaches.

Contents

[edit] History

Commuter services from Maidstone began in the 1980s under the Invictaway banner - a trade name for Maidstone & District, then part of the National Bus Company. These services were originally numbered from 978 to 990 and linked towns as far as Tenterden to the Colonnades in Victoria. Over the years, the service had been scaled down due to lack of use, resulting in the Tenterden connection to be dropped.

The standard Green line liveried coaches introduced to replace the Kent Green Line services. These were subsequently repainted into the New Enterprise livery.
The standard Green line liveried coaches introduced to replace the Kent Green Line services. These were subsequently repainted into the New Enterprise livery.

In 1992, the Invictaway services were re-branded into the Green Line network, with coaches initially bearing a white horse of Kent logo and route branding. With a switch to air conditioned Plaxton coaches, the horse was subsequently dropped, but route branding remained. Services from Maidstone were principally numbered from 980 to 985. Again, passenger numbers had gradually fallen, hence the services started to lose journeys and eventually lost the weekend service altogether.

In September 2004 the services were renumbered 780 to 785, after a call from Transport for London to bring the services in line with other express coaches from London which all have 7xx prefixes.

In August 2005, Green Line dropped the services as usage was down to its lowest for years. New Enterprise took over the commuter journeys on Services 781 and 784, running 5 coaches up from Maidstone and 6 back from London. The move seems to have improved the service as more passengers started to use the service, which prompted an additional journey up to London to be included in January 2006. The current services are still listed on the Green Line website.

[edit] Current Operation

The service operates Mondays to Fridays only; mornings from Maidstone, and evenings from London.

There are currently 6 journeys each way. 4 journeys on service 781, running 20 mins between each other, and 2 journeys on service 784, running 40 mins between each other towards London. On journeys back to Maidstone, the first and last coaches cover both routes as service 781, 1 journey operates on 784, and 3 journeys operate on the normal 781 route, with 2 coaches serving the village of Loose.

[edit] Route departing Maidstone

[edit] Route departing London Victoria

[edit] Notes

  • † Route 784 only.
  • ‡ Served by certain journys on route 781 only.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links


v • d • e
Green Line Coaches routes
Arriva Shires & Essex
724 · 755 · 757 · 758 · 797
New Enterprise Coaches
781† · 784†
First Berkshire & The Thames Valley
Stephensons of Essex
† Not run with Green Line liveried coaches, but still part of the Green Line network