London Buses route 50

London Buses route 50 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Croydon and Stockwell, it is operated by Arriva London.

History

Leyland Olympian in Coulsdon in August 1998

Leyland Olympian in Old Coulsdon

Route 50 commenced operating on 7 January 1951, as a replacement for former Tram route 24, providing a Monday to Saturday peak hour service between Streatham Hill and Embankment station. The route was operated from Brixton and Clapham garages by AEC Regent III RTs and Leyland Titans.

By October 1956, the Saturday Clapham allocation was withdrawn. By 16 October 1957 the entire Saturday service was withdrawn also with the allocation at Clapham. The route was also revised Monday to Friday to run between Addiscombe and Stockwell station. Monday to Friday peak services were extended to Embankment station. By the end of November 1958 the Saturday service was running again, but only between Addiscombe and Stockwell station.

During May 1963 the AEC Regent III RTs had been replaced by Leyland Titans. On 29 January 1964, route 50 was withdrawn between Victoria and Embankment, the route ran from Addiscombe to Victoria Monday to Saturdays. Streatham (AK) took over the allocation from Brixton.

By the end of 1966, the route had been withdrawn between Stockwell and Victoria except for Monday to Friday peak services. A new allocation was introduced from Thornton Heath garage.

On 15 June 1968, the Monday to Friday service between Streatham (AK) and Addiscombe was withdrawn and replaced by route 289. On 19 July 1969, the Streatham garage allocation was withdrawn and this was replaced by a full-time Brixton garage allocation.

On 31 October 1970, the Saturday service was withdrawn. Monday to Friday services ran from Streatham garage to Stockwell, and Monday to Friday peak services ran to Victoria station. On 24 July 1971, a full weekday service was introduced. The route was converted to one-person operation and was operated by Daimler Fleetlines. The route was revised again: Monday to Saturday services ran from Croydon to Stockwell station, and Sunday services from Thornton Heath High Street to Stockwell station.

On 4 September 1982, the Sunday service was withdrawn. The PVR for Monday to Saturday remained the same. In October 1984 the Daimler Fleetlines were replaced by MCW Metrobuses. On 7 February 1987, the Brixton garage allocation was withdrawn and was replaced by Streatham garage. On 14 May 1988, the route was extended from Croydon to Old Coulsdon and withdrawn between Streatham and Stockwell. The route now ran from Streatham garage to Old Coulsdon. A Monday to Saturday Croydon garage allocation was introduced.

By now the route was only operated by Leyland Olympians and MCW Metrobuses. On 21 July 1990 a Sunday service was reintroduced. The Streatham garage allocation was withdrawn and replaced by one at Thornton Heath. The route ran from Old Coulsdon to Streatham St Leonard’s Church daily. In June 1991, the route was withdrawn between Streatham garage and Streatham St Leonard’s Church.

On 9 October 1993, the Thornton Heath allocation was withdrawn and was replaced by Croydon (TC). On 29 August 1998, the route was withdrawn between Old Coulsdon and South Croydon, this was replaced by route 60.

On 25 October 2003, route 50 was converted to low floor operation using Wright Pulsar Gemini bodied DAF DB250LFs. On 30 August 2008, route 50 was extended from Streatham Hill to Stockwell station via the withdrawn section of route 255.

In 2010, Route 50 was retained by Arriva London.^[1] On 31 March 2012, route 50 was transferred to Brixton (BN).

Current route

Route 50 operates via these primary locations:^[2]

• Croydon Katharine Street
• Wellesley Road tram stop
• Wellesley Road for West Croydon station
• Thornton Heath station
• Norbury station
• Streatham station
• Streatham Hill station
• Clapham South station
• Clapham Common station
• Clapham North station
• Clapham High Street station
• Stockwell station

References

External links

• Media related to London Buses route 50 at Wikimedia Commons
• London Bus Routes gallery
• Timetable