London Buses route 406
London Buses route 406 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London and Surrey, England. Running between Kingston upon Thames and Epsom, it is operated by London United.
| 406 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Operator | London United[1] |
| Garage | Tolworth |
| Vehicle | Volvo B5LH Wright Gemini 3 |
| Peak vehicle requirement | 7 |
| Predecessors | Route S6 |
| Night-time | No night service |
| Route | |
| Start | Epsom |
| Via | Ewell Tolworth Surbiton |
| End | Kingston upon Thames |
| Length | 8 miles (13 km) |
| Service | |
| Level | Daily |
| Frequency | About every 20-30 minutes |
| Journey time | 35-53 minutes |
| Operates | 05:45 until 00:15 |
History
Route 406 started in 1920 as route S6 between Kingston and Redhill, and was renumbered as 406 in 1924.[2] In 1957, the second prototype AEC Routemaster ran on route 406 between Redhill and Kingston.[3] It was later shortened to operate just between Kingston and Epsom. Following the Privatisation of London bus services the route became part of London Country South West. In 1991,the route was diverted at Surbiton Hill Road via Surbiton Station to Kingston.[4]
On 27 January 2001 it became a tendered Transport for London route with London United's Hounslow garage taking over operation.[5] A proposal to extend the 406 to Teddington in 2001 was not received favourably by residents and did not proceed.[6]
Upon being re-tendered, on 30 June 2007 it passed to Quality Line with new Alexander Dennis Enviro400s. It was the first double deck contract won by Quality Line.[7] The route was diverted via Surbiton Hill Road instead of Surbiton station at the same time. Thus the route was restored to its original routing.[7]
In 2016 a petition was launched calling for the route to run overnight.[8]
On 24 April 2020, route 406 along with routes 418 and 465 were transferred to London United operating from their Tolworth bus garage.[9]
Current route
Route 406 operates via these primary locations:[10]
Kingston Cromwell Road bus station for Kingston station
- Kingston Eden Street
- Surbiton Hollyfield School
- Tolworth Broadway
- Tolworth station
- Ewell High Street
- High Street for Epsom station
- Epsom Clock Tower
References
- "Who runs your bus". TfL. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- London Transport Country Area Routes 406-409 eplates.info
- Graeme Bruce, J; Curtis, Colin (1977). The London Motor Bus: Its Origins and Development. London Transport. p. 99. ISBN 0853290830.
- London Country Bus Preservation Page ampyx.net
- Bus Route Shake Up - Kingston & Surbiton | Surbiton.com
- Head Slams Plans To Extend 406 Bus Route Daily Echo 7 December 2001
- Aldridge, John (December 2006). "Quality Line wins first double-deck contracts". Buses. Ian Allan Publishing (621): 22.
- Richard, Craig (17 November 2016). "Stoneleigh woman petitions Sadiq Khan and Transport for London for 24-hour buses between Kingston and Epsom". Your Local Guardian.
- RATP reorganises and retires London's last Versas Buses issue 781 April 2020 page 24
- Route 406 Map Transport for London
External links
Media related to London Buses route 406 at Wikimedia Commons
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