| Management | |
|---|---|
| Operated by | Arriva Shires & Essex |
| Garage | Harlow and Ware |
| Vehicle | Mercedes-Benz Citaro |
| PVR† | 7 |
| Route | |
| Start | Harlow |
| Via | Hertford St Albans Watford Uxbridge |
| End | Heathrow Airport |
| Length | 92 miles (57km) |
| † peak vehicle requirement See also: Green Line Coaches |
|
Green Line route 724 is a high-profile limited-stop express bus service, currently operated by Arriva Shires & Essex as part of the large Green Line Coaches network. It operates between Harlow and Heathrow Airport, and is partly funded by airport operator BAA. It is the only Green Line service to be operated by buses rather than coaches.
Contents |
Route 724 was started by Green Line Coaches (then part of London Transport) in 1966, on a route from High Wycombe to Romford.[1] In the 1970s it was rerouted to start from Staines and serve Heathrow Airport. The sections of route between Staines and Heathrow and between Harlow and Romford were later dropped.
The UK coach market was deregulated in 1980 under the Transport Act 1980.
In 1998, a fleet of nine DAF SB220/Plaxton Prestige were purchased, with extra luggage space built in. These were some of the first low-floor wheelchair-accessible buses to operate in the United Kingdom.
These were replaced in August 2006 with a fleet of nine new Mercedes-Benz Citaro, an investment of £1.3 million. These were the result of a Quality Bus Partnership between Arriva, BAA and Hertfordshire County Council. These buses seat 39 and also have extra luggage racking. The previous DAFs were refurbished and cascaded around Arriva Shires and Essex, some now branded for route 500 (Watford – Aylesbury).[2] Journey times were also improved.[3]
Following the opening of Heathrow Airport's new Terminal 5 in March 2008, service 724 was diverted run via Terminal 5 between the Central Bus Station and Terminal 4.[4]
From 19 May, the service was withdrawn from Heathrow Terminal 4, with another new timetable introduced. Short workings on other parts of the route became numbers 725 and 726.
From April 2011 the 724 is part of the Easybus network like its sister route 757.
This is the route from 25 March 2008, when terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport opened. The service also diverted in St Albans, most likely to deter casual shoppers from using the service by avoiding the busy St Peters Street, the main road through St Albans' city centre where most of the shops are based around.[5]
Route departing Harlow
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Route departing Heathrow
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