London Buses route 253

London Buses route 253 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Hackney Central and Euston bus station, it is operated by Arriva London.

253
Overview
OperatorArriva London
GarageClapton (CT)
Night-timeNight bus N253
Route
StartHackney Central
ViaClapton Pond
Stamford Hill
Finsbury Park
Holloway
Camden Town
Mornington Crescent
EndEuston bus station

History
AEC Routemasters at Aldgate bus station in September 1983
Arriva London Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TL in Upper Clapton in July 2009

Route 253 commenced operating on 1 February 1961 between Aldgate bus station and Tottenham Court Road via Bethnal Green, Hackney Central, Clapton Pond, Stamford Hill, Manor House, Finsbury Park and Camden Town as a replacement for trolleybus route 653 with AEC Routemasters.[1]

By 1994 the route, now operated by Leaside Buses, was one of the busiest in London, with a peak vehicle requirement of 50 buses operating at a frequency of one bus every two minutes.[2]

The route now runs between Hackney Central and Euston (via Clapton Pond, Stamford Hill, Manor House, Finsbury Park and Camden Town). The original route is still served in its entirety by night bus N253,[3] while the section of the original route between Hackney Central and Aldgate bus station is now served by the 254.

In November 2009, route 253 was retained by incumbent operator Arriva London.[4] Upon being re-tendered, the route was retained by Arriva London with a new contract commencing on 6 June 2015.[5]

From October 2016, Arriva London began introducing a fleet of 32 New Routemaster buses to serve on the route. The rollout of new vehicles was completed in December 2016.[6]

Current route

Route 253 operates via these primary locations:[7]

The 2009 Just Jack song "253", from the album All Night Cinema, is named after the route.[8]

References
  1. Modern Transport, Volume 91 (1964) - Google Books Result
  2. McLachlan, Tom (1995). London Buses 1985-1995: Managing The Change. Venture Publications. p. 54. ISBN 1-898432-74-0.
  3. N253 Bus route TFL 1 January 2017
  4. No change in latest London bus tender results Transport Xtra 29 October 2009
  5. Tender News Bus Talk issue 31 December 2014 (Go-Ahead London)
  6. Arriva London's Route 253 converts to New Routemasters Arriva London 20 October 2016
  7. Route 253 Map Transport for London
  8. Album review: Just Jack The Scotsman
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