London Buses route 46

46
Overview
Operator	Metroline
Garage	King's Cross (KC)
Vehicle	Dennis Dart SLF 10.2m/Plaxton Pointer
Peak vehicle requirement	17
Night-time	No night service
Route
Start	Lancaster Gate
Via	Paddington Hampstead Camden Town King's Cross
End	Farringdon Street
Length	9 miles (14 km)
Service
Level	Daily
Frequency	About every 10-15 minutes
Journey time	44-84 minutes
Operates	4:55am until 0:07am

London Buses route 46 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.

History

The current route 46 started on 8 January 1972 between Hampstead Heath and Farringdon Street as a crew operated route created from the withdrawn section of route 45 (between Kings Cross and Hampstead). The route ran Monday to Saturday from Chalk Farm Bus Garage. Only a few months later on 17 June 1972, the route was converted from crewed Routemasters to one person operation using DMSs, and a Sunday service was also added.

On 4 September 1982, the route was extended from Hampstead to Swiss Cottage (and further to Kensal Rise Monday to Saturday). It was also withdrawn between Kings Cross and Farringdon Street, apart from Monday to Friday peaks journeys.

Metrobuses replaced the DMSs in 1984, and on the 27 October it was withdrawn between Kensal Rise and Warwick Avenue, outside of the peak. Titans replaced the short lived Metrobuses in 1986, and on 25 October route 46's Sunday service was withdrawn. The Titans were replaced by single decker buses during November 1991, and was extended at all times to run to Kensal Rise.

Chalk Farm Bus Garage closed in 1993, and the allocation was transferred to Holloway Garage during March of that year. On 4 December 1993 the Sunday service was restored.

The allocation moved to North Acton, due to overcrowding at Holloway during April 1996, and then back to Holloway for a brief period between March and May 1998 in a swap with route 139, before returning to North Acton.

On 29 April 2000, route 46 was withdrawn at all times between Kensal Rise and Warwick Avenue, with buses running empty to stand on Harrow Road Bridge. Later that year, on the closure of North Acton Garage in September, the route transferred to Harlesden Garage (renamed Park Royal Garage in 2003, now owned by NCP Challenger).

In April 2005, Park Royal garage closed and the allocation moved once more, this time to King's Cross Garage. After many months of proposed dates, and much deferring, the route was extended from Warwick Avenue to Lancaster Gate Station on 27 January 2007, via the reconstructed Bishop's Bridge, opened in 2006. It was the first bus route to go across the reconstructed bridge. The previous bridge was not considered strong enough to take buses.

The route is now a rather winding and indirect route to King's Cross, but providing many links for the residents of Hampstead. Anyone wishing to travel the entire distance between Lancaster Gate and King's Cross would use the more direct route 390 taking a third of the time taken by route 46, or the tube.

Current route

• Lancaster Gate Station
• Paddington Station
• Warwick Avenue Station
• Maida Vale Hall Road
• St John's Wood Station
• Swiss Cottage Station
• Hampstead Station
• Royal Free Hospital
• Hampstead Heath South End Green
• St Pancras Station
• King's Cross Station
• Chancery Lane Station
• Holborn Circus
• Farringdon Street Stonecutter Street

Previous route 46 in London

Until 25 October 1969, route 46 ran between Victoria and Willesden Garage.

See also

• List of bus routes in London
• Metroline

External links

• Transport for London
• London Bus Routes
• Full timetable (PDF)