Full Route Visual | Route 55: Walthamstow Central - Oxford Circus | LT358

#voty2022 #londonbuses #fortheloveofbuses ‪@greaterlondonbuses‬ do u approve
Sorry for not uploading for 2 weeks i have been extremely busy but here you go an iconic bus route
Tried this yesterday but it was too hot that my phone kept shutting off so i filmed 78 but i don't want to upload it so i went to Walthamstow today but train cancellations made the journey long but i like this route.

London Buses route 55 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Walthamstow and Oxford Circus, it is operated by Stagecoach London.
History
Route 55 commenced operation on 25 October 1969 as a daily crew operated route between Walthamstow garage and Hackney, extended Monday to Saturday to Bloomsbury (Also three very early journeys operated Leyton Green - Bloomsbury on Sunday mornings), with a Monday to Friday extension to Marylebone station, as a replacement for sections of routes 38, 170, 256 and Red Arrow 508. This was the 4th time that route number 55 had been used on a London bus route.

Although the current route was only introduced in the late 1960s, the route number 55 actually has a very long history over sections of today's route. The 55 can trace its history back to a daily unnumbered tram route which commenced operation on 12 December 1912 between Bloomsbury and Leyton (Bakers Arms) extended on Sundays to Epping Forest via Shoreditch and Hackney, When shortly afterward on 1 January 1913, the London County Council introduced a route numbering system on its tram routes, this route was allocated the route number 55.

When route 55 was introduced on 25 October 1969, as a replacement for the northern end of route 170, the latter was cut back to run Wandsworth to Aldwych with a Monday to Friday extension to Shoreditch, thus providing a short overlap between both routes. This came to end as from 17 April 1971, when route 55 was re-routed on Mondays to Fridays to terminate at Aldwych, with route 170 being cut back to this point at the same time. Route 1 was diverted via Oxford Street and Baker Street at this time as a replacement. Another 18 months were to pass until the route was converted to one-person operation on 28 October 1972.

As part of the "Busplan 78" scheme, route 55 was further extended on Monday to Friday peak hours from Aldwych over Waterloo Bridge to terminate at Waterloo station from 22 April 1978.

In 1987, route 55 was converted again to one-person operation. On Sundays from 8 February 1987, but also daily as from 6 June 1987, at which point it was also withdrawn between Victoria and Tottenham Court Road Station. When London Transport was divided into smaller units operation of route 55 was taken over by London Forest.

On 24 February 1990, operation of route 55 was taken over by Kentish Bus operating from their Leyton (LY) garage and at the same time, the route was withdrawn between Clapton Pond and Whipps Cross to be replaced by new route 56 over this section. The wheel seemed to be turning full circle when on 18 July 1992 an extension to Oxford Circus was introduced, a point route 55 had last served in 1971.

On 8 May 1994, the route was transferred to Cambridge Heath (CH) garage.

On 19 April 1997, the route was extended from Clapton Pond to Leyton Bakers Arms.

On 28 February 1998, route 55 passed to Stagecoach London and was again extended to Leyton Green.

In February 1999, the route was converted to low floor using Alexander ALX400 bodied Dennis Tridents.

On 13 October 2001, route 55 was once again converted to crew operation, but this really was going to be the last time as Transport for London had decided to phase out the remaining conductors in London. Route 55 was converted to one-person operation for the third and last time on 4 January 2003.

On 27 February 2010, the route was retained by Stagecoach London.

On 28 February 2015, the route was retained again by Stagecoach London with brand New Routemasters introduced.

On 12 October 2019, the route was extended from Leyton, Baker's Arms to Walthamstow Bus Station via Hoe Street, replacing route 48.

On 25 January 2020, the buses were converted to conventional boarding/alighting arrangements.

On 26 February 2022, the route was retained by Stagecoach London using existing New Routemasters.

Current Route
Route 55 operates via these primary locations:

Walthamstow Central Station Bus Station
Leyton Baker's Arms
Leyton Lea Bridge Road
Lea Bridge
Upper Clapton Lea Bridge Roundabout
Clapton Pond
Lower Clapton Glenarm Road
Homerton Hackney Baths
Hackney Downs
Hackney Central
South Hackney Mare Street
Cambridge Heath
Bethnal Green Warner Place
Haggerston Queensbridge Road
Hoxton
Shoreditch Town Hall
Tech City Great Eastern Street
Old Street Station
St Luke's Bunhill Row
Finsbury Goswell Road
Clerkenwell Green for Farringdon Station
Hatton Garden
Bloomsbury Theobalds Road
Vernon Place for Holborn Station
St Giles New Oxford Street
Tottenham Court Road
Soho Street
Oxford Circus
Oxford Circus Holles Street