Contract awarded for new bus 301 between Woolwich & Bexleyheath via Thamesmead & Abbey Wood
TfL have awarded a contract for new bus route 301 which was due to start late last year. Services are now likely to commence in July.
The route is aimed at servicing Woolwich and Abbey Wood stations – and runs from Woolwich town centre to Plumstead bus garage then Thamesmead and onto Abbey Wood before offering a direct route to Bexleyheath.
Well, not quite direct as the original plans to run up Knee Hill have been altered so it will run via New Road – which is slower. One reason for this is that original plans for single deckers have been replaced with double deckers.
Services were delayed due to Crossrail being pushed back again and again. Whilst the Elizabeth Line has since been delayed the bus route has been awarded to Arriva to operate from its Dartford garage. It will use older buses that ran on routes 106, 144, 253 and 403.
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Arriva have a new base in Erith. The 99 will be the first route based there. They may well put the 301 in there too.
It is good to read that route 301 is to be introduced with a start date of 13th July, (Source london bus routes.net). Other bus route changes due to be implemented when Crossrail opened are still delayed and may not be introduced until the Elizabeth Line opens in late 2020 or 2021.
Depending on the size of the new Erih Garage and how many buses can be garaged there then it is possible they may put routes 269 301 and B15 in there along with route 99 which all start and finish there routes at Bexleyheath,
I’d like to know when they intend to have a direct bus route from upper Plumstead Common to Abbey Wood and Thamesmead? For 50 years it has been asked for and obviously we are not that important we have several running TO Woolwich but not the other way unless you change busses which makes it hard for the elderly and disabled!
Apparently the first stop for the 301 will be at the Crossrail station. It won’t do the section through the town centre that all the other routes do. Not ideal if you’re a shopper.
Many people feel your frustration DW, The loss of the 192 later renumbered 291 bus service to Lewisham was a real blow to the Plumstead Common area.When it was cut back to Queen Elizabeth Hospital. It used to run between Plumstead Woodlands Estate to Lewisham via Blackheath Village (192) and Kidbrooke Park Road (291).
Residents living along Rochester Way and the housing estates off of Rochester Way have been asking for a bus service to Woolwich for just as long. I can remember residents asking for this bus service when I was growing up, When the Queen Elizabeth Hospital opened in 2001 as the main NHS Hospital for the Borough of Greenwich residents called again for a bus service to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Woolwich have been asking a bus service ever since, However, this has fallen on death ears as far as TFL Local MP’s and most councillors are concerned. (That said to be fair some Conservative Councillors have backed the call for a bus service to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital over the years but to no avail).
I cannot see why route 291 can not be extended back to Lewisham via Rochester Way, Kidbrooke Park Road and Lee Green. It would provide a bus service to Thomas Tallis School and Kidbrooke Village. While giving the Rochester Way area its much needed bus service to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Woolwich.
I am guessing the first stop being outside the new Crossrail Station is so buses are empty when commuters start to board, However has Ned said this will be disappointing for shoppers using the new 301 bus service and for people having to walk through Woolwich Town Centre in the evenings to catch the 301.
I agree DW I think there is still scope for more bus routes to be introduced in the Borough of Greenwich. Providing more direct links without the need to keep having to change buses. Some areas still have limited access to bus services.