Green Line route 797
Encyclopedia
Green Line route 797 is a limited-stop express coach
service, currently operated by Arriva Shires & Essex
as part of the large Green Line Coaches
network. It operates between Stevenage
and London
, with some peak time journeys serving Hitchin
and various Stevenage housing estates.
.
Route 797 was started by Green Line in the 1980s, and at one time ran from London to Cambridge. When London Country Bus Services
was broken up in 1986, route 797 passed with the Stevenage depot to London Country North East
, sold in 1988 to AJS Group who established the Sovereign brand. The operation was sold in 1990 to Luton & District Transport, itself then acquired by Arriva
. In 1996 Arriva sold the route back to Sovereign, by then owned by the Blazefield Group
. In 2004 Arriva purchased the Hertfordshire side of the Sovereign business, with the London side being sold to Transdev London
. Since then, Arriva have operated the route.
In 2001, before the sale, Sovereign purchased two Volvo B10M
/Plaxton Premiere
, which were specially branded for the route. However these are no longer used and have moved on to an unknown place, being replaced by older Van Hool
coaches and more recently, newer ones that were cascaded from the 757 London-Luton service. They have been specially branded for the 797 service and feature rear adverts for shopping, leisure and work uses of the service.
Recently, it has not been uncommon to see standard Arriva buses running on the route, instead of the coaches. These are mainly ex-Sovereign vehicles.
Notes:
Please note that while it is stated the coach stops at the University of Hertfordshire, it does not stop at the College Lane Campus, only the Halls of Residence on Bishops Rise and the de Havilland campus. For passengers wishing to travel to/from College Lane there is a shuttle bus
(which is free for students) from the de Havilland campus, or if travelling to/from Stevenage, on Mondays-Fridays a direct service is available from Uno
numbered 634.
Coach (vehicle)
A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...
service, currently operated by Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Shires & Essex is a division of Arriva, with operations in Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London. It is one of many private operators of London Buses. Until 2002 its operations included Colchester...
as part of the large Green Line Coaches
Green Line Coaches
Green Line is a commuter coach brand in the Home Counties of England. It is owned by the Arriva group.Green Line has its origin in the network of coach services established by the London General Omnibus Company in the 1920s and 1930s...
network. It operates between Stevenage
Stevenage
Stevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, with some peak time journeys serving Hitchin
Hitchin
Hitchin is a town in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 30,360.-History:Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people mentioned in a 7th century document, the Tribal Hidage. The tribal name is Brittonic rather than Old English and derives from *siccā, meaning...
and various Stevenage housing estates.
History
The UK coach market was deregulated in 1980 under the Transport Act 1980Transport Act 1980
The Transport Act 1980 was a Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It introduced deregulation of coach services in the United Kingdom and allow authorities to deregulate bus services on a trial basis. It was introduced by the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher. The later Transport Act...
.
Route 797 was started by Green Line in the 1980s, and at one time ran from London to Cambridge. When London Country Bus Services
London Country Bus Services
London Country Bus Services was a bus company that operated in South East England from 1969 until split up and sold in 1986 under Margaret Thatcher's government's bus deregulation scheme.-Creation:...
was broken up in 1986, route 797 passed with the Stevenage depot to London Country North East
London Country North East
London Country North East was a bus operator in South East England and London. It was formed from the split of London Country Bus Services in 1986 and operated a fleet of around 350 buses from six garages, with its headquarters located in Hatfield....
, sold in 1988 to AJS Group who established the Sovereign brand. The operation was sold in 1990 to Luton & District Transport, itself then acquired by Arriva
Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Shires & Essex is a division of Arriva, with operations in Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London. It is one of many private operators of London Buses. Until 2002 its operations included Colchester...
. In 1996 Arriva sold the route back to Sovereign, by then owned by the Blazefield Group
Blazefield Group
Transdev Blazefield is one of the main bus groups in England. Owner of several bus companies around the Yorkshire and Lancashire regions, since 2006 it has been part of the international transport company Transdev.-History:...
. In 2004 Arriva purchased the Hertfordshire side of the Sovereign business, with the London side being sold to Transdev London
Transdev London
London United is one of many operators of London Buses and is owned by the RATP Group, an international public transport operator owned by the government of France...
. Since then, Arriva have operated the route.
In 2001, before the sale, Sovereign purchased two Volvo B10M
Volvo B10M
The Volvo B10M is a popular mid-engined bus and coach chassis built by Volvo between 1978 and 2001. It was built as the successor of the B58 and was equipped with a 9.6-litre horizontally-mounted Volvo THD100/THD101/THD102/THD103/THD104/DH10A diesel engine mounted under the floor, near the middle...
/Plaxton Premiere
Plaxton Premiere
The Plaxton Premiere, Plaxton Excalibur and Plaxton Prima were closely related designs of coach bodywork built by Plaxton.The Premiere and Excalibur were introduced in 1991 as replacements for the Paramount. The Premiere was the mainstream design, available in the same two heights as its predecessor...
, which were specially branded for the route. However these are no longer used and have moved on to an unknown place, being replaced by older Van Hool
Van Hool
Van Hool NV is a Belgian coachbuilder and manufacturer of buses, coaches, trolleybuses, and trailers.The company was founded in 1947 by Bernard van Hool in Koningshooikt, nearby Lier, Belgium. In the early years, the company introduced serial production and exported their products all over Europe...
coaches and more recently, newer ones that were cascaded from the 757 London-Luton service. They have been specially branded for the 797 service and feature rear adverts for shopping, leisure and work uses of the service.
Route departing Stevenage
- Various Stevenage housing estastes †
- StevenageStevenageStevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
bus station - WelwynWelwynWelwyn is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. The parish also includes the villages of Digswell and Oaklands. It is sometimes called Old Welwyn to distinguish it from the newer settlement of Welwyn Garden City, about a mile to the south.-History:Situated in the valley of the...
Welwyn By-Pass, Roman Baths - HatfieldHatfield, HertfordshireHatfield is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England in the borough of Welwyn Hatfield. It has a population of 29,616, and is of Saxon origin. Hatfield House, the home of the Marquess of Salisbury, is the nucleus of the old town...
and; - University of HertfordshireUniversity of HertfordshireThe University of Hertfordshire is a new university based largely in Hatfield, in the county of Hertfordshire, England, from which the university takes its name. It has more than 27,500 students, over 2500 staff, with a turnover of over £181m...
- South Hatfield
- Direct via A1(M) motorway
- LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Baker Street - London Victoria Buckingham Palace Road
Route departing London Victoria
- London Victoria Buckingham Palace Road
- LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Marble ArchMarble ArchMarble Arch is a white Carrara marble monument that now stands on a large traffic island at the junction of Oxford Street, Park Lane, and Edgware Road, almost directly opposite Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park in London, England... - Direct via A1(M) motorway
- South Hatfield
- University of HertfordshireUniversity of HertfordshireThe University of Hertfordshire is a new university based largely in Hatfield, in the county of Hertfordshire, England, from which the university takes its name. It has more than 27,500 students, over 2500 staff, with a turnover of over £181m...
and; - HatfieldHatfield, HertfordshireHatfield is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England in the borough of Welwyn Hatfield. It has a population of 29,616, and is of Saxon origin. Hatfield House, the home of the Marquess of Salisbury, is the nucleus of the old town...
- WelwynWelwynWelwyn is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. The parish also includes the villages of Digswell and Oaklands. It is sometimes called Old Welwyn to distinguish it from the newer settlement of Welwyn Garden City, about a mile to the south.-History:Situated in the valley of the...
Welwyn By-Pass, Roman Baths - StevenageStevenageStevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
bus station - Various Stevenage housing eststes R
Notes:
- † Only some peak journeys serve these locations
- R Only on request to the driver by passengers already on board
Please note that while it is stated the coach stops at the University of Hertfordshire, it does not stop at the College Lane Campus, only the Halls of Residence on Bishops Rise and the de Havilland campus. For passengers wishing to travel to/from College Lane there is a shuttle bus
Uno bus route SHTL
Uno bus route SHTL is a commercially operated service by Uno serving both campuses of the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield and the Park and Ride. In the evenings and at weekends it operates between the two campuses, also serving Salisbury Village and Parkhouse Bus Station...
(which is free for students) from the de Havilland campus, or if travelling to/from Stevenage, on Mondays-Fridays a direct service is available from Uno
Uno (bus company)
Uno is a bus service operated by the University of Hertfordshire, England, serving members of the general public, and also its own students and staff...
numbered 634.
External links
- Green Line Coaches website
- Green Line - Route 797
- Arriva Shires & Essex website
- Full timetable - Arriva
- Full timetable - Transport for London