ML BDE3027 on the 210 (1)

In this 2-part video series, I ride the 210 between Finsbury Park and the top of Highgate Hill, near to the village.

The 210 is fully allocated these BD11s, receiving the occasional WDE Electroliner on the route (the 210 and 266 do intermix EVs on occasion), and not many enthusiasts like these mainly for design reasons, and I can see why, but I still do.

BD11s just look different to what we're used to in the community, with their protruding foreheads, but I mean I'm all for a bit of design flair, and on the 210 especially, I think they suit. I think that "protruding forehead" I speak of is actually what puts people off their design. I mean, if you do a 360 walk around the bus, the side is very much like all other buses out there (flat), and then when you get to the back, this is where it gets interesting. You have a small ibus display sandwiched in between black bars, kind of like thick bezels on older gen phones, then you have what seems to be 4 rectangular slabs of fans. I quite like this look, although some may argue that it should be more subtle, and less exposed like this. Come to the interior, and that's where the BD11 stands out, with Metroline's and Go Ahead London's spec having LED strips on the lower and upper decks, not something you see on every EV. You have your typical large accessible area, with a plaque with the name of the operator above the backrest (not sure about this use of space, to be honest..) You have your standard 2 ibus displays, one dot matrix, at an incline in the buggy area, and one normal display near to the front of the bus, behind the seats adjacent to the driver. BD11s are very front-seat dense, and what I mean by that is a lot of the seating on the lower deck is before the rear doors, compared to other buses. I particularly like how the display upstairs is surrounded by grey borders upstairs, which I think compliments the aesthetic, and you have your skyline roofs, which you see on pretty much all EVs.

Shpeel aside, what I'm getting at is BD11s may not be so bad after all, and I quite like their acoustics as well, compared to other EVs. Definitely better than the high-pitched -eeeee of Electroliners, which can get jarring - that isn't too loud on all Electroliners, though, mind you. I don't really like the bell sound on BD11s, and would much prefer a more premium ring like on the ADL E100EVs or E400EVs.

But then again, that's just my take..

The 210 is a great route for these, and I was so happy when I saw the first one in service on the route. I take this route all the time, so I got enough VW, TE and TEH journeys in my lifetime. Happy for this change, and going through Hampstead Heath on these buses is really a vibe, with the soothing noises the bus makes, with the LEDs creating this cold atmosphere. I'm a fan.

I like everything about the 210 actually. Route is not too long, has a nice mix of urban, greenery, and varied gradients. Got a great variety of buses before, which has left quite a strong legacy and shaped my impression of the route until this day, and even though the EVs have taken over, again I'm quite fond of them, so don't have a problem with this change.

The 210 operates between Brent Cross and Finsbury Park Station, every 10 minutes, serving Golders Green, Highgate Village, Archway and Crouch Hill en route before arriving at Finsbury Park. The route is 8 miles long, and a full journey can take you anywhere between 35 and 50 minutes, so it's not too long.

210 bus rating: 10/10

W* - Cricklewood Bus Garage (shoutout to you if you got the pun in the thumbnail..)

Thanks for watching!