London Buses route 108
Encyclopedia
London Buses route 108 is a Transport for London
contracted bus route in London
, United Kingdom
. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London
.
The 108 is considered to be one of London's most difficult routes to operate. The unusual feature of the route is its use of the Blackwall Tunnel
, a source of severe delays which makes the route the least reliable in London.
to Blackheath
(Royal Standard) via Blackwall Tunnel, Woolwich Rd and Westcombe Hill. This was the second time the number 108 had been used for a motorbus route.
By the time of the outbreak of World War I
in August 1914, the 108 had been re-routed to terminate at Bow Road Underground Station
and a supplementary route 108A had also been introduced, operating daily between Poplar (Blackwall Tunnel) and Woolwich Road (Blackwall Lane) to cater for tunnel traffic. By the end of the war, the 108A had disappeared and the 108 reduced to run between Poplar (Blackwall Tunnel) and Greenwich (Ship & Billet).
On 1 December 1924, a new system of route numbering on London buses came into force which made the Metropolitan Police
responsible for bus operation and route numbering in London. By this time, the 108 had been extended at both ends to run from Clapton Pond
to Crystal Palace
. Route 108 remained 108, working daily from Clapton Pond to Crystal Palace; 108A was a daily short working Poplar (Blackwall Tunnel) - Greenwich (Ship & Billet); while 108B, 108C, 108D, 108E and 108F were reserved for short workings. This situation remained until 3 October 1934, when the newly constituted London Passenger Transport Board
instituted its own numbering system. By this time the plain 108 had been withdrawn; routes 108A, 108B and 108E became 108, running between Bromley-by-Bow and Crystal Palace. The 108D became route 208. At the time, the 108 was double deck. Two batches of double deck buses were specifically built for use in the Blackwall and Rotherhithe Tunnel
s, with specially shaped roofs to improve clearance on the corners.
On 19 April 1944 a route 108A to Well Hall Circus was introduced. Initially it ran peak hours only, but was expanded to a Monday to Saturday then daily operation. It was briefly extended Eltham
before being retracted to operate Eltham - East Greenwich only.
On 12 October 1960 the 108 was split only on Monday to Friday, the main service becoming Lower Sydenham
to Bow
only, with a new 108B running from Crystal Palace to the Greenwich (Blackwall Tunnel) on the south side of the tunnel. The 108 was converted to single-deck one person operation as from 26 October 1968. Further re-structuring took place in January 1970, with the 108A withdrawn and replaced by an extension of the 108 from Blackheath. The 108 was extended to Stratford in 1977.
In 1986 the 108B was reduced to run only between Crystal Palace
and Lewisham
, with the 108 extended to Lewisham and new route 286 taking over the Eltham - Blackheath section of the 108 and the Blackheath - West Greenwich section of the 108B. In 1988, the 108 was further extended from Stratford to Wanstead, replacing part of route 10.
From 1989 the route was won by Boro'line
using a batch of new Leyland Lynx
es. Boro'line subsequently sold its London operations to Kentish Bus. The 1993 Stratford area route scheme saw the section north of Stratford withdrawn, but service frequency improved to every 12 minutes. The Lewisham scheme soon after in 1994 saw the introduction of Volvo B6
buses operated from Ash Grove garage.
A major surprise in 1997 was the award of the route to a newcomer to London Bus operations, Harris Bus
. 11 new Optare Excel
s were purchased. Buses were initially operated from the firm's base in West Thurrock
. Operation was later transferred to a new depot in Belvedere.
Harris Bus got into serious financial difficulties late in 1999, and as a result operations of its LT contract routes was taken over by a new subsidiary of LT itself, trading as East Thames Buses
. East Thames Buses initially ran its routes north of the Thames from the former London Forest
garage in Ash Grove
, along with the Harris base at Belvedere.
Since takeover by Harris, the 108 has been diverted via North Greenwich
, but reverted to a more direct route across Blackheath via Prince of Wales Road; the frequency has been further enhanced to every 10 minutes, utilising four earlier Excels made redundant by the loss of car park services at Lakeside Shopping Centre
, but this is still not as good as the 5 minute double deck service provided in 1933.
The 108 became the first bus route to serve the Millennium Dome
at the Greenwich Peninsula
during construction. The stop was initially inside the security area, and was used by staff only.
Recently, the route has been revised, with buses crossing straight over from Westcombe Hill to the Greenwich Peninsula
instead of running through Woolwich Road and Blackwall Lane, to avoid traffic delays and to increase bus services through the Greenwich Millennium Village
. The service also now runs all night.
On 3 October 2009, East Thames Buses
was taken over by Go-Ahead London, route 108 is now operated by Go-Ahead London, the existing buses are used and has gained a 5 year contract.
On Sunday to Thursday evenings, there is no service through the Blackwall Tunnel. The service is split into two parts at that time: Lewisham to North Greenwich, and Canning Town to Stratford. Every 30 minutes, from 1am to 5am, the 108 is escorted through the tunnel. Traffic is held whilst this takes place.
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
contracted bus route in 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...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London
Go-Ahead London
Go-Ahead London is the trading name used collectively for the London bus operations of the Go-Ahead Group. The name first appeared in August 2008, before which the company had traded under separate names and brands...
.
The 108 is considered to be one of London's most difficult routes to operate. The unusual feature of the route is its use of the Blackwall Tunnel
Blackwall Tunnel
The Blackwall Tunnel is a pair of road tunnels underneath the River Thames in east London, linking the London Borough of Tower Hamlets with the London Borough of Greenwich, and part of the A102 road. The northern portal lies just south of the East India Dock Road in Blackwall; the southern...
, a source of severe delays which makes the route the least reliable in London.
History
The 108 commenced operation on 29 March 1914., running from Bow BridgeBow, London
Bow is an area of London, England, United Kingdom in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a built-up, mostly residential district located east of Charing Cross, and is a part of the East End.-Bridges at Bowe:...
to Blackheath
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
(Royal Standard) via Blackwall Tunnel, Woolwich Rd and Westcombe Hill. This was the second time the number 108 had been used for a motorbus route.
By the time of the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in August 1914, the 108 had been re-routed to terminate at Bow Road Underground Station
Bow Road tube station
Bow Road tube station is on the District and Hammersmith & City lines of the London Underground. It is on Bow Road in Bow, east London, about 300 metres from Bow Church DLR station and is in fare zone 2...
and a supplementary route 108A had also been introduced, operating daily between Poplar (Blackwall Tunnel) and Woolwich Road (Blackwall Lane) to cater for tunnel traffic. By the end of the war, the 108A had disappeared and the 108 reduced to run between Poplar (Blackwall Tunnel) and Greenwich (Ship & Billet).
On 1 December 1924, a new system of route numbering on London buses came into force which made the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
responsible for bus operation and route numbering in London. By this time, the 108 had been extended at both ends to run from Clapton Pond
Lower Clapton
Lower Clapton is a district within the London Borough of Hackney.It is immediately adjacent to central Hackney - bounded, roughly, by the western side of Hackney Downs , the Lea Valley , Clifden Road and the Lea Bridge Road...
to Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace, London
Crystal Palace is a residential area in south London, England named from the former local landmark, The Crystal Palace, which occupied the area from 1854 to 1936. The area is located approximately 8 miles south east of Charing Cross, and offers impressive views over the capital...
. Route 108 remained 108, working daily from Clapton Pond to Crystal Palace; 108A was a daily short working Poplar (Blackwall Tunnel) - Greenwich (Ship & Billet); while 108B, 108C, 108D, 108E and 108F were reserved for short workings. This situation remained until 3 October 1934, when the newly constituted London Passenger Transport Board
London Passenger Transport Board
The London Passenger Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1933 to 1948...
instituted its own numbering system. By this time the plain 108 had been withdrawn; routes 108A, 108B and 108E became 108, running between Bromley-by-Bow and Crystal Palace. The 108D became route 208. At the time, the 108 was double deck. Two batches of double deck buses were specifically built for use in the Blackwall and Rotherhithe Tunnel
Rotherhithe Tunnel
The Rotherhithe Tunnel is a road tunnel crossing beneath the River Thames in East London. It connects the Ratcliff district of Limehouse in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets north of the river to Rotherhithe in the London Borough of Southwark south of the river. It is designated as the A101...
s, with specially shaped roofs to improve clearance on the corners.
On 19 April 1944 a route 108A to Well Hall Circus was introduced. Initially it ran peak hours only, but was expanded to a Monday to Saturday then daily operation. It was briefly extended Eltham
Eltham, London
-Parks and open spaces:There is a large variety of open green space in Eltham, in the form of parkland, fields and woodland.*Avery Hill Park is large, open parkland, situated to the east of Eltham. It is most notable for its Winter Garden, a hothouse containing tropical trees and plants from around...
before being retracted to operate Eltham - East Greenwich only.
On 12 October 1960 the 108 was split only on Monday to Friday, the main service becoming Lower Sydenham
Sydenham
Sydenham is an area and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham; although some streets towards Crystal Palace Park, Forest Hill and Penge are outside the ward and in the London Borough of Bromley, and some streets off Sydenham Hill are in the London Borough of Southwark. Sydenham was in...
to Bow
Bow, London
Bow is an area of London, England, United Kingdom in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a built-up, mostly residential district located east of Charing Cross, and is a part of the East End.-Bridges at Bowe:...
only, with a new 108B running from Crystal Palace to the Greenwich (Blackwall Tunnel) on the south side of the tunnel. The 108 was converted to single-deck one person operation as from 26 October 1968. Further re-structuring took place in January 1970, with the 108A withdrawn and replaced by an extension of the 108 from Blackheath. The 108 was extended to Stratford in 1977.
In 1986 the 108B was reduced to run only between Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace, London
Crystal Palace is a residential area in south London, England named from the former local landmark, The Crystal Palace, which occupied the area from 1854 to 1936. The area is located approximately 8 miles south east of Charing Cross, and offers impressive views over the capital...
and Lewisham
Lewisham
Lewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, with the 108 extended to Lewisham and new route 286 taking over the Eltham - Blackheath section of the 108 and the Blackheath - West Greenwich section of the 108B. In 1988, the 108 was further extended from Stratford to Wanstead, replacing part of route 10.
From 1989 the route was won by Boro'line
Boro'line (London)
Boro'line describes the London operations of the former municipal bus company Boro'line Maidstone. Boro'line Maidstone was the arms length bus company of Maidstone Borough Council...
using a batch of new Leyland Lynx
Leyland Lynx
The Leyland Lynx is a single-decker bus built by Leyland between 1984 and 1992. It was designed to replace the ageing Leyland National.Production vehicles began to enter service in 1986. From 1990 to 1992 the updated Lynx II version was produced...
es. Boro'line subsequently sold its London operations to Kentish Bus. The 1993 Stratford area route scheme saw the section north of Stratford withdrawn, but service frequency improved to every 12 minutes. The Lewisham scheme soon after in 1994 saw the introduction of Volvo B6
Volvo B6
The Volvo B6 is a midibus manufactured by Volvo between 1991 and 2000. Its low-floor variant, the Volvo B6LE, was first built in 1994.The Volvo B6/B6LE chassis was built to compete with the Dennis Dart/Dart SLF chassis. It could be fitted with Volvo TD63E/TD63ES engine...
buses operated from Ash Grove garage.
A major surprise in 1997 was the award of the route to a newcomer to London Bus operations, Harris Bus
Harris Bus
Harris Bus is a former bus company based in West Thurrock. It was a subsidiary of Harris Coaches, and operated a small fleet of buses. On deregulation of bus services it was one of the early operators of tendered services for London Buses....
. 11 new Optare Excel
Optare Excel
The Optare Excel is a low-floor full-size single-decker bus manufactured by Optare.Manufactured as an integral bus, the Excel was launched in 1995 as one of the first low-floor single-deck vehicles. The styling of the body was in keeping with existing Optare products, especially at the rear...
s were purchased. Buses were initially operated from the firm's base in West Thurrock
West Thurrock
West Thurrock is a traditional Church of England parish and town in Thurrock, Essex, England, located 17.5 miles east south-east of Charing Cross, London.-Location:...
. Operation was later transferred to a new depot in Belvedere.
Harris Bus got into serious financial difficulties late in 1999, and as a result operations of its LT contract routes was taken over by a new subsidiary of LT itself, trading as East Thames Buses
East Thames Buses
East Thames Buses was the only government owned bus operator of London Buses. It was sold to London General in 2009.-History:East Thames Buses was formed in 1999 to take over the services operated by the failed Harris Bus Company...
. East Thames Buses initially ran its routes north of the Thames from the former London Forest
London Forest
London Forest was a subsidiary of London Buses active between 1988 and 1991. Formed as one of the eleven operating divisions of London Buses in readiness for privatisation, the company initially operated from garages at Ash Grove, Walthamstow and Leyton on a network of routes in North-East London...
garage in Ash Grove
Ash Grove Bus Garage
Ash Grove Bus Garage is a bus garage in Hackney, east London. It is located on the A107 Mare Street, where it crosses the Regent's Canal. The depot is occupied by two companies, CT Plus and Arriva London, and holds around 30 buses. Opened in 1981 by London Buses, it was closed in 1991 following the...
, along with the Harris base at Belvedere.
Since takeover by Harris, the 108 has been diverted via North Greenwich
North Greenwich
North Greenwich is a 19th century name for the southern tip of the Isle of Dogs, located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It was named for the now defunct North Greenwich railway station , that served a former passenger ferry to Greenwich and stood near the later Island Gardens and...
, but reverted to a more direct route across Blackheath via Prince of Wales Road; the frequency has been further enhanced to every 10 minutes, utilising four earlier Excels made redundant by the loss of car park services at Lakeside Shopping Centre
Lakeside Shopping Centre
The Lakeside Shopping Centre is a large out-of-town shopping centre located in West Thurrock, in the borough of Thurrock, Essex just beyond the eastern boundary of Greater London...
, but this is still not as good as the 5 minute double deck service provided in 1933.
The 108 became the first bus route to serve the Millennium Dome
Millennium Dome
The Millennium Dome, colloquially referred to simply as The Dome or even The O2 Arena, is the original name of a large dome-shaped building, originally used to house the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium...
at the Greenwich Peninsula
Greenwich Peninsula
Greenwich Peninsula is an area of South London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.The peninsula is bounded on three sides by a loop of the Thames, between the Isle of Dogs and Silvertown. To the south is the rest of Greenwich, to the south-east is Charlton.The peninsula lies...
during construction. The stop was initially inside the security area, and was used by staff only.
Recently, the route has been revised, with buses crossing straight over from Westcombe Hill to the Greenwich Peninsula
Greenwich Peninsula
Greenwich Peninsula is an area of South London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.The peninsula is bounded on three sides by a loop of the Thames, between the Isle of Dogs and Silvertown. To the south is the rest of Greenwich, to the south-east is Charlton.The peninsula lies...
instead of running through Woolwich Road and Blackwall Lane, to avoid traffic delays and to increase bus services through the Greenwich Millennium Village
Greenwich Millennium Village
The Greenwich Millennium Village is an innovative mixed-tenure modern housing estate on an urban village model located on the Greenwich Peninsula in Greenwich in south-east London, and part of the Millennium Communities Programme under English Partnerships...
. The service also now runs all night.
On 3 October 2009, East Thames Buses
East Thames Buses
East Thames Buses was the only government owned bus operator of London Buses. It was sold to London General in 2009.-History:East Thames Buses was formed in 1999 to take over the services operated by the failed Harris Bus Company...
was taken over by Go-Ahead London, route 108 is now operated by Go-Ahead London, the existing buses are used and has gained a 5 year contract.
Current route
- Lewisham StationLewisham stationLewisham station is a National Rail and Docklands Light Railway station in Lewisham, south east London. It is on the south-east London commuter rail network operated by Southeastern. The Docklands Light Railway station opened in 1999 on a southward extension from Island Gardens on the Isle of Dogs...
Loampit Vale - Blackheath StationBlackheath railway stationBlackheath railway station is situated in the heart of Blackheath village in London at . The track passes through the village and is crossed by a road overbridge on which the station buildings stand....
- BlackheathBlackheath, LondonBlackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
Royal Standard - Westcombe Park StationWestcombe Park railway stationWestcombe Park station is in Greenwich, London, and is situated on the North Kent line connecting suburbs along the south side of the River Thames with central London stations .The station lies at the northern end of a conservation area , 5–10 minutes walk...
- North Greenwich Bus StationNorth Greenwich bus stationNorth Greenwich Bus Station serves the area of North Greenwich in the London Borough of Greenwich, Greater London, England. The station is owned and maintained by Transport for London....
for North Greenwich StationNorth Greenwich tube stationNorth Greenwich is a station on London Underground's Jubilee Line, opened on 14 May 1999.Despite its name, North Greenwich is not in the area historically known as North Greenwich, on the Isle of Dogs, north of the river; an entirely different station used to be there, between 1872 and 1926... - PoplarPoplar, LondonPoplar is a historic, mainly residential area of the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is about east of Charing Cross. Historically a hamlet in the parish of Stepney, Middlesex, in 1817 Poplar became a civil parish. In 1855 the Poplar District of the Metropolis was...
- Bromley-by-Bow StationBromley-by-Bow tube stationBromley-by-Bow tube station is a London Underground station on the Blackwall Tunnel Northern Approach Road in the Bromley-by-Bow neighbourhood of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in east London, England. The station is on the District and Hammersmith & City lines, with both services sharing a...
- BowBow, LondonBow is an area of London, England, United Kingdom in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a built-up, mostly residential district located east of Charing Cross, and is a part of the East End.-Bridges at Bowe:...
- Stratford StationStratford stationStratford station is a large multilevel railway station in Stratford, east London. The station is served by the National Rail services National Express East Anglia, London Overground and c2c, by London Underground's Central and Jubilee lines, and by the Docklands Light Railway . Stratford is in...
Bus Station
On Sunday to Thursday evenings, there is no service through the Blackwall Tunnel. The service is split into two parts at that time: Lewisham to North Greenwich, and Canning Town to Stratford. Every 30 minutes, from 1am to 5am, the 108 is escorted through the tunnel. Traffic is held whilst this takes place.
Previous route 108s in London
The route number 108 had been used once prior to its current use.- In 1913 for an Elephant & Castle
Epping Town EppingEpping is a small market town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of the County of Essex, England. It is located north-east of Loughton, south of Harlow and north-west of Brentwood....
via London BridgeLondon BridgeLondon Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
, BishopsgateBishopsgateBishopsgate is a road and ward in the northeast part of the City of London, extending north from Gracechurch Street to Norton Folgate. It is named after one of the original seven gates in London Wall...
, ShoreditchShoreditchShoreditch is an area of London within the London Borough of Hackney in England. It is a built-up part of the inner city immediately to the north of the City of London, located east-northeast of Charing Cross.-Etymology:...
, DalstonDalstonDalston is a district of north-east London, England, located in the London Borough of Hackney. It is situated northeast of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
, ClaptonLower ClaptonLower Clapton is a district within the London Borough of Hackney.It is immediately adjacent to central Hackney - bounded, roughly, by the western side of Hackney Downs , the Lea Valley , Clifden Road and the Lea Bridge Road...
, Lea Bridge RoadLea Bridge RoadLea Bridge Road is a major through route in North East London, across the Lea Valley from Clapton to Whipps Cross in Leyton. Lea Bridge was once the name of a football stadium for Leyton Orient located along Lea Bridge Road. Lea Bridge Road is an excellent area for residence. The area is welcoming...
, Whipps CrossWhipps CrossWhipps Cross is an area of the London Borough of Waltham Forest in London, England. It is most famous for Whipps Cross University Hospital.-The environs:...
, Woodford GreenWoodford GreenWoodford Green, formerly in the county of Essex, is part of the North East London suburb of Woodford, on the edge of Epping Forest, mostly within the London Borough of Redbridge with a small part on the western side of the green within the London Borough of Waltham Forest .-History:Woodford Green...
and Buckhurst HillBuckhurst HillBuckhurst Hill is an affluent suburban town in the Epping Forest district of Essex, England. Located adjacent to the northern boundary of Greater London, it forms part of the Greater London Urban Area.- Overview :...
(Thursday & Sunday only) Route 108