London Buses route 139

139

Overview
Operator Metroline
Garage Cricklewood (W)
Vehicle Alexander Dennis Enviro400H 10.2m
Peak vehicle requirement 21
Night-time 24-hour service
Route
Start West Hampstead
Via Abbey Road
Lisson Grove
Baker Street
Portman Square
Oxford Circus
Piccadilly Circus
Trafalgar Square
The Strand
Waterloo Bridge
End Waterloo
Length 7 miles (11 km)
Service
Level Daily
Frequency 8-12 minutes
Journey time 34-65 minutes
Operates 24-hour service

London Buses route 139 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between West Hampstead and Waterloo, it is operated by Metroline.

History

Route 139 commenced operating on 14 March 1992 to replace the withdrawn northern section of route 159 between West Hampstead and Baker Street. It originally ran from West Hampstead, with some daytime journeys extended to and from Golders Green, to Trafalgar Square, using standard length AEC Routemasters from London Northern's Chalk Farm garage that received route 139 branding.[1]

In 1993, less than a year after the route's inception, Chalk Farm Bus garage closed, and the Routemasters moved to Holloway, which already operated Routemasters on route 10. They lost their route branding in favour of the MTL London livery, after London Northern was bought out by MTL in October 1994.

On 28 March 1998, route 139 was converted to single deck one person operation, with Marshall Capital bodied Dennis Darts based at North Acton garage, running at approximately the same frequencies as before.[1] This was therefore a reduction in capacity; but a new route 189, formed the previous year, was extended to help on the overlapping section between Abbey Road and Oxford Circus. The Golders Green journeys were withdrawn, terminating at West End Green at all times. In September 2000, North Acton garage closed and the whole fleet moved to Cricklewood, being closer to the West Hampstead terminus.

On 1 February 2003 the route was extended from Trafalgar Square to Waterloo station, via the Strand and Waterloo Bridge, and at the same time was gradually converted back to double deck operation with Plaxton President bodied Dennis Trident 2s, in preparation for the introduction of the London congestion charge. These were replaced by Alexander Dennis Enviro 400s in 2010.

Current route

Route 139 operates via these primary locations:[2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Blacker, Ken (2007). Routemaster: 1970–2005 2 (2nd ed.). Harrow Weald: Capital Transport. pp. 118, 141. ISBN 978-1-85414-303-7.
  2. ↑ Route 139 Map Transport for London

External links