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London Buses route 9 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Hammersmith and Aldwych, it is operated by Metroline.

History

Route 9 has been called "London's oldest existing bus route". The origins of the route go as far back as 1856. It was introduced on 1 November 1908, when a previously un-numbered London General Omnibus Company route, formerly Road Car route L, operating daily between Shoreditch Church and Hammersmith with a Sunday extension to Kew Green via Kew Bridge commenced operation. From 10 December 1908, it was withdrawn between Turnham Green and Kew, but extended in the other direction to Leyton (Bakers Arms), now running daily Turnham Green Church - Shoreditch Church, with a Monday - Saturday extension to Leyton via Hackney Road, Mare Street, Clapton and Lea Bridge Road; being further extended to Snaresbrook via Whipps Cross and Snaresbrook Road on 10 June 1909.

At five miles, route 9 is one of Central London's shortest major trunk routes, and always has been, although it traditionally ran a bit further at each end from Mortlake to Liverpool Street station via what are now today's routes 209, 9 and 11. Frequency then was by all accounts impressive, with a 3-minute service on offer from Monday to Saturday (referenced 1936). On Sundays it ran every 5 minutes with a diversion at Bank to Romford over the 5, 15 and 23A, as route 23A did not run on that day. That made it a rather lengthy, with a through running time of just over 2 hours. The section between Becontree Heath and Romford only ran every 10 minutes and was later lost when route 87 was extended to Romford.

The Sunday 9 extension was finally removed when route 23 gained a Sunday service on 7 September 1968, although a token service was maintained as far as Aldgate until 14:00 on Sundays to serve the local markets, the afternoon service being curtailed at Aldwych. The Saturday service was also curtailed to Aldwych a few years later, but the Sunday service was renumbered 9A to avoid the unusual bifurcation, being further diverted via Monument and Tower Hill instead of Bank and Leadenhall Street. This variation had been dropped completely on 22 September 1990, and the route thus then ran daily from Mortlake to Aldwych with a Monday to Friday extension to Liverpool Street. The whole route was cut back to Aldwych on 18 July 1992, the replacement to Liverpool Street being new route 23.

Meanwhile, problems with Hammersmith Bridge led to the imposition of a severe weight restriction. Double deck buses were thus barred, which created a particular problem for route 9 which would have been totally unsuitable for the small Dennis Darts that were introduced on the other routes crossing the bridge. Route 9 was thus curtailed to Hammersmith from 18 July 1992, new route 9A taking over the short section to Mortlake with an overlap as far as Kensington. On Sundays, however, route 9 continued to run right through and this pattern was adopted in the evenings also from 23 October 1993. On 8 March 1997 however, route 9 routing was standardised as Hammersmith to Aldwych daily, while 9A was replaced by route 209 Hammersmith to Mortlake.

Traditionally route 9 had been the main route of the little garage at Mortlake, which was its terminus, with some assistance from Dalston, while Riverside and Barking garages ran on the extended Sunday service. The closure of both Mortlake and Riverside resulted in the allocation settling down at Shepherd's Bush for some years. Route 9A was operated from a new base within the London Underground depot at White City, known as Wood Lane but which has since closed again, its allocation absorbed by Shepherd's Bush.

In the lead up to the introduction of the London congestion charge in February 2003, services levels were increased with MCW Metrobuses drafted in to supplement the AEC Routemasters. On 4 September 2004, crewed operation finished with the AEC Routemasters replaced by brand new East Lancs Myllennium Vyking bodied Volvo B7TLs and the route transferred to Stamford Brook (V) garage, in an economy swap with route 49.

In March 2011, the route was included in the sale of Transdev London’s Stamford Brook (V) garage to the RATP Group.

On 3 September 2011, the route was retained by London United.

On 26 October 2013, the East Lancs Myllennium Vyking bodied Volvo B7TLs were replaced by brand new New Routemasters. In 2014, the route briefly operated a New Routemaster painted in red and silver livery to promote the Year of the Bus.

To mark the First World War centenary, the London Transport Museum restored one of only four surviving LGOC B-type buses. The bus being restored used to run on route 9 between Barnes and Liverpool Street from 1914. The restoration cost £250,000, with more than half being spent sourcing original parts.

On 15 June 2019, the route was re-rerouted via Piccadilly Circus.

On 27 January 2024, the route passed to Metroline operating from Brentford (AH) garage using existing New Routemasters.

Current Route

Route 9 operates via these primary locations:

  • Hammersmith Upper Bus Station
  • Kensington Olympia
  • High Street Kensington
  • High Street Kensington Station
  • Royal Albert Hall
  • Knightsbridge
  • Hyde Park Corner
  • Green Park Station
  • Piccadilly Circus
  • Trafalgar Square
  • Charing Cross Station
  • Aldwych West Arm

External Links

Gallery

iBus

https://londonbuses.co.uk/audio/009.wav

London Buses
Current Operators Arriva LondonBlue TriangleDocklands BusesLondon CentralLondon GeneralLondon Sovereign RATP GroupLondon Transit RATP DevLondon United RATP GroupMetrobusMetrolineStagecoach LondonSullivan BusesTransport UK London BusUNO
Go-Ahead London Blue TriangleDocklands BusesLondon CentralLondon GeneralMetrobus
RATP Dev Transit London London Sovereign RATP GroupLondon Transit RATP DevLondon United RATP Group
Former Operators Arriva Kent ThamesideArriva The ShiresConnex Bus UKEast Thames BusesFirst LondonHCT GroupQuality Line RATP GroupTellings-Golden MillerTower TransitTransdev LondonTravel London
Fleet Lists Arriva London Fleet ListBlue Triangle Fleet ListDocklands Buses Fleet ListLondon Central Fleet ListLondon General Fleet ListLondon Sovereign RATP Group Fleet ListLondon Transit RATP Fleet ListLondon United RATP Fleet ListMetrobus Fleet ListMetroline Fleet ListStagecoach London FleetlistSullivan Buses Fleet ListTransport UK London Bus Fleet ListUNO Fleet List
Current Routes 1234567 Icon-Hydrogen8911121314151617181920212223 EV2425262728293031323334353637383940 EV414243 EV444546 EV4749 EV5051525354555657585960616263 EV6465 EV66676869 EV70 EV717273747576777879808183858687888990919293 EV94 EV9596979899100 EV101102103104105106 EV107108109110111 EV112113114115116117118119 EV120121122123124125 EV126127128129130131132 EV133134 EV135136137138139140141142 EV143144145146147148149150151152153 EV154 EV155156157158159160 EV161162163 EV164 EV165166167169170171172173 EV174 EV175176177178179180181182183 EV184 EV185 EV186187188189190191192193194195196197198199 EV200201202203204 EV205206207208209210211212 EV213 EV214 EV215216217218219220221222223224225226 EV227228229230 EV231232233234235 EV236237238240241242243244245246247248249250251 EV252253254255256257258259260261262263264 EV265 EV266267268269270272273274275276277278279280281 EV282283284285286287288289290 EV291292293294295 EV296297298299300301302303304306307 EV308309312313314315316317 EV318319 EV320321322 EV323 EV324325326327328329330331333335336337339 EV340341343344345346347349350352353 EV354355356357 EV358359 EV360 EV362363364365366 EV367368370371 EV372375376377 EV379380381382383384385386388389390393394395396397398 EV399401403404405406407410411412413 EV414415417 EV418419422423424425427428430432433 EV434436439 EV440444 EV450 EV452453456460462463464465466467468469470472473474476481482483484 EV485486487488490491492493496498499533549603969A10B11B12B13 EVB14B15B16C1 EVC3 EVC10 EVC11D3 EVD6D7D8E1E2E3E5E6E7E8E9E10E11EL1EL2EL3G1H2H3H9/H10 EVH11H12H13H14H17H18/H19H20H22H25H26H28H32H37H91H98K1K2K3K4K5P4P5 EVP12P13R1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8R9R10R11R68R70S1S2 EVS3S4U1U2U3U4U5 EVU7U9U10W3W4W5W6W7W8W9W11W12W13W14W15 EVW16W19
School Routes 601602605606608611612613616617621624625626627628629631632633634635638639640642 EV643645646649650651652653654655656657658660 EV661662663664665667669670671672673 EV674 EV675677678679681683684685686687688689690692696697698699 EV
Superloop Routes SL1SL2SL3SL5SL6SL7SL8SL9 EVSL10 EV
Night Routes N1N2N3N5N7N8N9N11N15N18N19N20N21N22N25N26N27N28N29N31N32N33N38N41N44N53N55N63N65N68N72N73N74N83N86N87N89N91N97N98N109N113N133N136N137 EVN140N155N171N199N205N207N242N250N253N266N271N277N279N343N381N550N551
Future Routes 495618620SL4
Future Withdrawn Routes 9H1015H4882168271305332387391455497507521541549558607609611618619636637641648718728733C2PR1PR2RV1S5T31T32T33W10X26X68X140N10N13N16N35N47N64N76N93N159N213
Current Bus Types in use BYD K8SR ElectricCaetano e.City GoldEnviro 200 DartEnviro 200 MMCEnviro 200 MMC EVEnviro 400Enviro 400 MMCEnviro 400H CityEnviro 400 City EVIrizar i2 EVIrizar ie Tram electricMCV EvoSetiMercedes-Benz CitaroNew RoutemasterOptare MetroCity EVOptare MetroDecker EVOptare OlympusOptare EsteemOptare SoloScania OmniCityVolvo BZL ElectricWright GB KiteWright Gemini 2Wright Eclipse Gemini 2Wright Eclipse Gemini 3Wright SRMWright StreetDeckWright StreetLite
Areas where many bus routes serve ArchwayBarnetBarnet The SpiresBexleyheathEaling BroadwayEpsomIlfordLewishamKing’s CrossStreathamTrafalgar SquareUxbridgeWaterloo
Bus Stations Addington VillageAldgateBecktonBecontree HeathBluewaterBrent CrossCanada WaterCanning TownPark Royal Central Middlesex HospitalChingfordKingston Cromwell RoadCrossharbourCrystal PalaceDalston JunctionEast CroydonEdgwareEdmonton GreenElthamEustonKingston FairfieldGolders GreenGrove ParkHammersmithHarrowHatton CrossHeathrow CentralHeathrow Terminal 5HounslowLeytonstoneLiverpool StreetLondon BridgeMile EndMortlakeNorth FinchleyNorth GreenwichNorthwick Park HospitalOrpingtonPeckhamPotters BarPrince RegentPutney BridgeRichmondRomfordSouth HarrowStainesStratfordStratford CityTottenham HaleTurnpike Lane StationVauxhallVictoriaWaltham CrossWalthamstow CentralWest CroydonWhite CityWimbledon
Route Lists 1-99100-199200-299300-399400-499500-599600-699700-799900-999Letter Prefix RoutesX Prefixed RoutesList of Night Bus Routes
Other 2024 Bus WithdrawalsAlexander Dennis Buses with in TFLNew London Buses On Order For TfL ServicesUpcoming changes
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