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thought to be associated with articulated buses. This drew criticism, as there was nothing to distinguish the buses from normal services. Another criticism of bendy buses was the low number of seats, with only 49 per vehicle. A standard rigid Citaro has 44 seats, however the new ones for route 507 and 521 had just 21, with room for up to 76 standees, leading to criticism the new buses were "cattle trucks" and even more crowded than the buses they replaced.
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The articulated
Citaros were replaced by new 12 metre rigid versions. On 25 July 2009 a weekend service was introduced on route 507, the first weekend service for a Red Arrow route. Route 521 converted to rigid operation on 1 September 2009. The new Citaros did not carry the Red Arrow name, as it was
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in 1966 to examine bus service operation, and settled on replacing some double-decker buses with long single-decker buses, which would have extra capacity by implementing a 'standee bus' model as used on the continent, whereby the fixed seating in the bus would be minimised to that required off-peak,
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O530Gs entered service from that date. Being commuter routes, and so little used outside peak times, these routes were suitable to test the articulated on, and resembled the original standee bus concept, now with off bus fare collection. Additionally, route 521 ran through the
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IIs. Further expansions, contractions and renumbering of the route network occurred, but the core Red Arrow network remained into the 1980s, and into London Buses operation with the
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179:. On 7 September 1968 LT introduced these new buses on more Red Arrow routes, 501–507, along with wholesale introduction on several other route networks around the capital.
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making double decker operation impossible. The artics still carried the Red Arrow name, although it was much smaller and less pronounced than all the previous versions.
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After a public consultation in June 2022, it was announced that on 29 April 2023, both routes 507 and 521 would be withdrawn and replaced with portions of routes
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From
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with hand holds fitted to allow maximum standee capacity at peak times. These buses would also have dual doors.
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As of 2008, the peak operating requirement was nine buses on the 507 and 19 on the 521. As part of the move to
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A Report on London's bus services and London
Transport's plans for reshaping them
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391:"Back to the Future as commuter routes celebrate half a century of service"
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585:"Central London Bus Review 2022: Decision summary and next steps"
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limited stop routes used as high frequency commuter services in
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Buses
Magazine, August 2008 issue, page 5, Ian Allan Publishing
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513 Waterloo station - Aldwych - Fleet Street - St Paul's –
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On 2 June 2002, the remaining two Red Arrow routes 507 and
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buses on a new express service, route 500, running between
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The concept was introduced with on 18 April 1966 with six
555:"Passengers call for the return of the bendy bus"
302:business unit, as part of the first stage of the
468:. London: London Transport. pp. 153–155.
139:. The last Red Arrow services to operate were
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8:
533:"The beginning of the end for the bendy bus"
535:. Greater London Authority. 5 December 2008
495:. Pen and Sword Transport. pp. 25–27.
256:505 Waterloo station - Aldwych - Holborn –
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131:was a brand name given to several former
16:Limited-stop London bus routes, 1966–2009
423:. London: London Transport Board. 1966.
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182:The Red Arrow Network as of 1972 was:
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439:Arnold, Barry; Harris, Mike (1982).
304:privatisation of London bus services
175:, extended during shopping hours to
443:. Harrow Weald: Capital Transport.
79:O530G Articulated Red Arrow bus on
489:Wharmby, Matthew (30 March 2018).
327:replace London's articulated buses
155:London Transport had instigated a
98:'s Red Arrow articulated fleet at
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666:Articulated bus routes in London
626:Leyland National Greenway page
561:. 31 July 2009. Archived from
202:- Park Lane - Victoria station
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331:2008 London Mayoral election
371:Articulated buses in London
329:, a commitment made in the
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64:Leyland National Greenway
620:Leyland National II page
441:Reshaping London's Buses
245:Liverpool Street station
19:Not to be confused with
827:Bus transport in London
290:- London Bridge station
266:506 Victoria station –
249:503 Waterloo station –
231:502 Waterloo station –
51:with Red Arrow branding
464:Curtis, Colin (1977).
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227:London Bridge station
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315:Mercedes-Benz Citaro
114:Mercedes-Benz Citaro
77:Mercedes-Benz Citaro
21:Red Arrow Motorcoach
832:London Buses brands
791:East London Transit
565:on 3 September 2009
279:Waterloo station –
624:www.countrybus.org
618:www.countrybus.org
612:www.countrybus.org
594:. 23 November 2022
283:- Victoria station
253:- Victoria station
251:Westminster Bridge
157:Bus Reshaping Plan
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592:TfL Have Your Say
502:978-1-47386-227-2
272:Piccadilly Circus
262:Shoreditch Church
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397:. Archived from
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320:Strand underpass
296:Leyland National
207:Waterloo station
188:Victoria station
122:Waterloo station
49:Leyland National
35:on route 500 in
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631:External links
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596:. Retrieved
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567:. Retrieved
563:the original
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537:. Retrieved
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506:. Retrieved
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237:Fleet Street
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124:in July 2009
102:in June 2006
87:in June 2004
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598:23 November
569:5 September
539:5 September
241:London Wall
200:Marble Arch
173:Marble Arch
821:Categories
377:References
268:Green Park
258:Old Street
165:AEC Merlin
141:routes 507
133:London bus
59:Preserved
47:Preserved
33:AEC Merlin
806:Superloop
801:Red Arrow
737:Red Arrow
508:1 October
219:St Paul's
192:Park Lane
129:Red Arrow
118:route 507
116:rigid on
81:route 521
405:13 April
360:See also
169:Victoria
233:Aldwych
215:Holborn
211:Aldwych
151:History
85:Aldwych
39:in 1976
781:brands
499:
472:
447:
796:Hoppa
588:(PDF)
600:2022
571:2009
541:2009
510:2022
497:ISBN
470:ISBN
445:ISBN
407:2017
352:and
223:Bank
205:501
186:500
171:and
143:and
732:521
727:507
722:453
717:436
712:207
707:149
354:133
311:521
277:507
145:521
120:at
83:at
823::
702:73
697:38
692:29
687:25
682:18
677:12
590:.
557:.
429:^
393:.
350:59
348:,
346:11
344:,
306:.
270:–
260:–
243:-
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573:.
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512:.
478:.
453:.
409:.
342:3
23:.
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