London Buses route 372

372

Overview
Operator Stagecoach London
Garage Rainham (RM)
Vehicle Alexander Dennis Enviro400 10.2m
Peak vehicle requirement 6
Route
Start Lakeside Shopping Centre
Via Aveley
Rainham
South Hornchurch
Elm Park
End Hornchurch
Length 13 miles (21 km)
Service
Level Daily
Frequency 20-30 minutes
Journey time 31-41 minutes
Operates 06:00 until 00.00

London Buses route 372 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Lakeside Shopping Centre and Hornchurch, it is operated by Stagecoach London. The route is notable for being one a limited number of services run by Transport for London to cross the Greater London boundary.

History

Route 372 commenced operating on 9 November 2002 between Lakeside Shopping Centre and Hornchurch as a partial replacement for route 324, a route started by Capital Citybus, then being taken over by Ensignbus, but latterly with Town & Country Buses. Transport for London, had a brief spell of taking responsibility for cross-border routes, and route 372 was one beneficiary. However the sections of route 324 between Hornchurch and Romford and between Lakeside and Bluewate Shopping Centrw were not replaced, with Ensignbus re-launching this link as route X80.[1][2]

The route was initially operated by Arriva Southend's Grays garage, with four Dennis Darts obtained from dealer stock, before Blue Triangle commenced a 15 month temporary contract in January 2003. Upon being put for tender, Blue Triangle retained the route with a five-year contract commencing on 27 March 2004.

An attempt to reroute the service through Hornchurch in 2008 led to opposition from locals.[3] The route's importance increased in November 2008 when Essex County Council supported route 55 was withdrawn, leaving many people with routes 372 and 370 as their only remaining routes.[4]

When next tendered, it passed to Stagecoach London' Rainham garage with a new contract commencing on 26 March 2009 with Alexander Dennis Enviro200s introduced.[5][6]

Upon being re-tendered, Stagecoach London commenced a new contract on on 29 March 2014 with Alexander Dennis Enviro400s.[7][8]

Current route

References

  1. ↑ Route 372 londonbusroutes.net
  2. ↑ The History of Ensignbus Ensignbus
  3. ↑ London Assembly - Getting involved - 2008 petitions list
  4. ↑ Thurrock Conservatives - News - War of words after council axes uneconomic bus route
  5. ↑ Bus tender results Route 372 Transport for London 17 July 2008
  6. ↑ Rainham Garage Stagecoach
  7. ↑ Bus tender results Route 372 Transport for London 29 August 2013
  8. ↑ Tender News BusTalk (Go-Ahead London) issue 24 October 2013

External links