This report features a series of bus rides in East Herts & Essex, reliving some of the earliest days of my youth on the modern equivalents of old routes. Includes the celebration of the centenary of a Hertfordshire trunk route, the revitalisation of a cross-county service and some rides on former London vehicles now repurposed in the shires.

***The 310 (Hertford - Waltham Cross) celebrated its centenary in December 2024, having linked these points under this number continuously for 100 years.***

***RMC1453 recreates the earlier era of crew operation on the route when seen in Hertford on the occasion of a Classic Bus Running Day in April 2024.***
The 310 was RT operated from 1948 to 1972 from Hertford (HG) Garage, but RMCs normally allocated to Green Line 715 appeared occasionally, particularly in the latter days of crew working. They also put in the odd turn for a few years after OPO conversion in place of ailing ANs.

Route 310: Hertford to Waltham Cross

Fortified with hot coffee, I began Day 1 reminiscing at a freezing Hertford Bus Station, beside the recently completed riverside development, although nothing appears to have been done to upgrade the somewhat cramped and pokey terminus, which hardly befits the status of a county town.

My first route was one with which I have a long association back to childhood, when I lived with my family in Cheshunt and we regularly used the 310/A routes to visit my grandparents in Enfield, with occasional trips the other way for days out in Hertford. Green RTs were the usual fare in those days and I recall the frequent service which used to operate in the 60s, with 10-15 min intervals even on Saturdays and Sundays at certain times. Back then, the 310 ran between Hertford Sele Farm Estate and Enfield, with the 310A operating from Rye House to Hoddesdon, then in tandem with the 310 to Enfield. In M-F Peaks and Sunday afternoons, there were shorts between Enfield and Cheshunt Clarendon Road, which we sometimes caught to the Alighting Point on that street, although you couldn’t ride the terminal loop around Clarendon Road and Blindman’s Lane, as this was “not in service”, the first southbound pick-up being at the Old English Gentleman pub on the return.

I was very disappointed when, in April 1972, London Country replaced the RTs on the 310/A with one-man operated ANs. However, a surprise came 4 years later when Hertford (HG) Garage regained a couple of RTs, which appeared not only on RMC operated crew routes 341 and 395, but also on the 310A. In 1977, the 310A was replaced by the 316, which extended beyond Rye House to Hertford via St Margarets in place of the former 327 and this became the last new London Country route to host RTs, albeit only on odd workings and only for a few weeks, although I did manage one trip during this period. There was a final flourish of crew operation in 1977/8, when a few RMLs were allocated to HG for a short period and appeared on the 310/316. The garage in Fairfax Road closed in 1989 after privatisation and following the use of sites in Caxton Hill Hertford and Pindar Road Hoddesdon, the present site in Ware Marsh lane was obtained.

The reason for this current trip was to mark the centenary of the 310 number, which the Hertford - Waltham Cross route gained in December 1924 under the “Bassom System” renumberings, when country routes north of London gained 300 numbers and those to the south 400 numbers. Remarkably, the route still links those two places, albeit via a slightly different intermediate route now and with various changes in between. The 1930s saw the long-lived extension to Enfield Town, initially via Ponders End, although later switched to the Great Cambridge Road routeing. By the 2000s, traffic congestion was playing havoc with the schedules, particularly at peak times, and the Waltham Cross - Enfield Town section was gradually hived off to TfL Route 317. The 310 itself spawned a 311 variant, not dissimilar to the previous 316, although not serving Rye House. There was a brief rerouteing once again via Ponders End in the noughties, but eventually the 310 was cut back permanently to Waltham Cross in 2006.

The operator passed through the various iterations of London Transport, London Country, London Country North East, County Bus through to Arriva. However, the route has not been immune to competition, as there was a long standing route operated by Metroline under the 310A number from deregulation in 1986 to the early noughties, running between Hertford & Enfield via Ponders End, at a time when the 310 still ran via Great Cambridge Road.

Today, the variants have gone and the whole service once again operates under the 310 number, although largely via the former 311 routeing through St Margerets and the Hundred Acre Estate, leaving the main road unserved between Amwell Roundabout and Bridle Way, Hoddesdon. A 15-20 min service operates M-S daytimes, Hourly eves & Suns, operated by Arriva Herts & Essex out of Ware (WE) Garage.

Although one or two single deckers appear, the majority allocation is a batch of Enviro400 MMCs, new in 2016. I had fleet no 6490, in new Arriva light blue livery, but with a fair smattering of road dirt on the lower panels and windows due to the winter weather. Reasonably busy as we made our way out of Hertford via East Station and Tescos and then along Ware Road, exchanging passengers at Ware College by the level crossing. A driver change at the stop nearest the garage at Marsh Lane, before continuing through the misty and frosty landscape beside the New River up to Amwell. The former crossroads have long been replaced by a roundabout and we swung a left to serve Stanstead St Margarets, before taking Hoddesdon Road down to the Hundred Acre Estate, which we traversed back to Ware Road and regained the traditional route.

Lots of local short riders on this trip, with another exchange at Hoddesdon Clock Tower and Sainsburys, before continuing on to Broxbourne. Oddly, traffic was busier northbound than southbound at this time, which was towards the end of the morning peak. Pick ups and set downs continued through Wormley, with a large number of students disembarking at East Herts Regional College, although the large New River Arms pub at this site has long since been demolished. On through my old home town of Cheshunt to Waltham Cross without mishap, where we arrived after a 1h 10m journey, more or less on schedule, although I recall that in RT days, it only took an hour from Hertford Bus Station to Enfield Town - a sign of the times and increased traffic congestion slowing down services, even allowing for the slightly longer routeing followed these days!

Herts Route 242 was operated out of Potters Bar Garage for over 60 years from 1963, but was withdrawn by Metroline in January 2025 after years of decline and cut-backs. HCC awarded a replacement contract to UNO Buses, demonstrated by their Enviro200 513 arriving at Waltham Cross Bus Station.

*The pink and purple livery is spoiled by a copious amount of road dirt thrown up on the country roads, a situation which is not uncommon at this time of year*.

Route 242: Waltham Cross to Potters Bar

Next, some more nostalgic memories were evoked by a trip on the 242. This was another I was taken on as a child from home in Cheshunt to Potters Bar, aboard a PB Garage RT. Even now, I can recall the fast run on the country section between Cuffley and Potters Bar through Northaw, with hardly any stops and few passengers, an easy task for the conductor, who spent much of the journey chatting to my mother, although we were slightly busier east of Cuffley.

In those days, the 242 was a longer route, running between South Mimms and Chingford Station on M-S, with a 242A variant on Sundays between Potters Bar and Upshire. When OPO came in 1968, the service was standardised as 242 to Chingford daily, although from South Mimms M-S and Potters Bar on Suns. I recall trips by MB to Chingford on various occasions in this period. Double decks returned again in 1975 with conversion to DMS types, until these were replaced with Ms in 1981.

The route began to retract in the 80s, first losing the South Mimms - Potters Bar section in 1983 and then in 1986 the Chingford - Waltham Abbey part, although within a few years this was cut back further to Waltham Cross. A significant intermediate routeing change occurred more recently when the main service was diverted from the direct Cheshunt - Goffs Oak section via Goffs Lane, to serve Flamstead End, Brookfield Centre and Rosedale Estate in between, a longer route.

With deregulation in 1986, the route became a HCC Contract Service but remained operated by PB Garage. This situation continued for many years, through the change from London Buses to London Northern, MTL London and Metroline, although the timetable was gradually reduced over time. Having started with a 30 min M-S frequency, Hourly eves & Suns in 1986, over the whole route, by the start of 2025, a basic 30 min M-S service only remained over the Waltham Cross - Brookfield Centre section, with a handful of journeys on to Cuffley and even fewer to Potters Bar. Unsurprisingly, Metroline eventually threw in the towel and ceased operation after 3rd January 2025. Oddly, a separate contract for the Sunday service running every 2 hours was unaffected and continued with its existing operator, Central Connect!

Fortunately, HCC was able to secure a replacement service operated by UNO Buses, which now offers an improved service for the long-suffering residents of Cuffley & Goffs Oak at least, running hourly M-S daytimes and early evenings over the whole route from Waltham Cross to Potters Bar. This began on 4th January and was a more sensible use of the 2 buses allocated, even though it meant a reduced headway south of Brookfield.

I arrived at Waltham Cross Bus Station in time for the 0935 departure, although this came and went with no sign of the bus. A check on bustimes.org showed the inbound trip running 15 mins late and eventually a very grubby UNO Enviro200, fleet no 513, arrived and departed about 10 mins down on schedule. A reasonable number on board over the first section, back to Cheshunt Old Pond, then up College Road to Flamstead End, where I noticed that “The Jolly Bricklayers” pub, terminus of one-time Sunday RT Route 205, was no more. The section from here along Whitefields Road to Brookfield Lane is very narrow, with parked cars impeding our progress. At the Brookfield Centre, a passenger exchange, with 7 of us on board from this point - one alighting in Rosedale, one in Goffs Oak and one at Cuffley Station. All were commenting on the improved hourly frequency to these points.

Only 4 of us on the country section from Cuffley to Potters Bar, but hopefully usage will grow as people become aware of the service, particularly as there is a new housing development on the outskirts of Cuffley at the Northaw end which would benefit from the links provided. Nice to have a fast run on the scenic stretch even on a fairly murky day which this was, reliving memories of former times. We took 55 mins for the trip, around 5 mins more than scheduled, despite no major hold-ups. A driver change took place at Potters Bar Station, with both of them commenting that it was a nice route to drive, but that the running time was a bit tight with not much room for recovery, especially at peak times.

***Potters Bar Town Service PB1 is operated by Metroline using this unique in the fleet Optare MetroCity EV. OEM2750 calls at Potters Bar Station.***

*Following withdrawal from the 84, 242 and 305, the PB1 is now Metroline’s sole commercial route in Herts at Potters Bar (PB) Garage.*

Route PB1: Potters Bar Town Service

As I had decided to return to Waltham Cross on the other bus on the 242, I had time to fit in a quick rounder on Potters Bar local PB1. This is now the only “country” route operated by Metroline from PB Garage, having given up the 84, 242 and 305 in recent times. The normal allocation is a sole Optare MetroCity EV single decker, OEM2750, although this is sometimes subbed by a diesel when the electric is unavailable. A 30 min service operates M-S daytimes with one bus on this short service.

I only had a few minutes to wait at Potters Bar Station before the expected vehicle appeared and I hopped on with a few others for the first of the two loops, which was the circular via Rushfield and back to the station. Then the second loop, up The Ride to PB Garage and via the Oakmere Estate, back to the High Street and down The Ride to the station again. A straightforward 25 min run. Many of the passengers were clearly regulars who knew the driver and exchanged news with him about other passengers who he hadn’t seen for a while! A useful service with a very provincial feel to it.

The PB1 started in 1977 as a minibus service using a Ford Transit FS type out of PB Garage, later replaced with an A type Dodge vehicle. In 1986, it ceased to be an LT service and became a HCC contract, passing through various operators until returning to Metroline at its original garage once again.

Recalling the days when the 242 ran between South Mimms & Chingford Station, MCW Metrobus M1014 is seen at the old Blanche Lane terminus at the former location. This was in association with a PB Garage Open Day in Summer 2019.

*This type ran on the 242 for most of time from 1981 until the early noughties, a significant stint unlikely to be equalled by modern vehicles!*

Route 242: Potters Bar to Waltham Cross

Returning to the 242, I caught the next working, formed of Enviro200 fleet no 517, slightly cleaner than its compatriot. This was due to depart Potters Bar Station at 1136, but it was late running on arrival and left 5 mins down on schedule after another driver change. 3 of us boarded at the station and 1 more at the garage, before another non-stop run through Northaw Village and the country section to Cuffley. 2 more picked up at Cuffley Station and 4 at various stops in Goffs Oak, all travelling either to Brookfield, Cheshunt or Waltham Cross. As with the outward run, busier over the Brookfield - Waltham Cross section, but heartening to see people beginning to take advantage of the newly improved service on the western part of the route.

55 mins again for the journey, reflecting the tight timetable, but difficult to see what else can be done to maintain an hourly service with just 2 buses. Maybe local route C1, now restricted to a few M-F peak trips, could be resurrected as an hourly all-day M-S service and take over the loop section in Cheshunt, enabling the 242 to return to its main road route and thus reduce the end to end running time?

***Arriva Herts & Essex Enviro400 MMC 6489 of Ware (WE) Garage undergoes a driver change at Waltham Cross whilst on Route 66 to Loughton & Debden.***

*The 66 covers much of former LT Route 217A, which was RT operated out of Loughton (L) Garage until withdrawn in 1977. Various other route numbers have operated over this corridor since.*

Route 66: Waltham Cross - Loughton / Debden (& back)

Next on the list, another ride designed to trigger old memories, as I prepared for a trip on Arriva Herts & Essex 66. This is a direct descendant of former LT Routes 217A Enfield to Loughton Garage (M-S) and 205A Hammond St to Loughton Garage (Sun), which covered the Waltham Cross - Epping Forest corridor with RT operation from Loughton (L) Garage back in the 70s and a familiar haunt for me in those times. The 205A came off in 1976 with a daily 217A taking over this leg, but that only lasted until August 1977, when the 217A was withdrawn completely.

After a period of London Country operation with Green Line 703 and then Bus 329 which linked Waltham Cross, Epping Forest and Harlow, red buses returned in 1979 with new route 250 between Waltham Cross & Grange Hill Limes Farm Estate using LS Leyland Nationals from L Garage. 1981 saw a rerouteing at the southern end to South Woodford, but in 1986 the route passed to Sampsons Coaches under ECC tendering and ceased to be a London Buses service.

The 250 changed its routeing again, being diverted to Debden Station via Loughton, then ending up with an unusual one way loop working around Loughton & Debden, before returning to Waltham Cross. Operators changed too, ending up with Arriva, although in 2013 they withdrew. A new company, EOS London, took over the corridor on a similar route numbered 66. However, in 2018 they ceased operation and Arriva returned, also using the 66 number, when one might have expected them to revive the 250! The 66 now runs every 30 mins M-F daytimes, 45 mins Sat daytimes and Hourly M-S eves.

Sundays were something different in latter years, initially a 66A run by Vectare / Central Connect which ran largely as per the 66 but with an additional loop serving Upshire, although this has recently been renumbered 16C to fit in with that company’s M-S 16 between Waltham Cross & Ninefields. An hourly Sunday service operates.

Back to the rides and, after a driver change, Enviro400 MMC 6489 “Laura Trott” of Ware (WE) Garage pulled up at the appropriate stop in Waltham Cross Bus Station. Several of this batch are named after local celebs, Olympic Cyclist Laura Trott having grown up in Cheshunt. After a good start, we encountered temporary lights at the Green Man junction in Waltham Abbey, although this is another pub that has now disappeared, replaced by housing. Unfortunately, with parked cars to our left and a slow moving queue on our right as we negotiated the roadworks, a white van coming the other way forced our driver to take avoiding action and we sideswiped a parked car. Luckily, no injuries to anyone or serious vehicle damage, but there was a 10 min delay as the driver reported the incident to the depot and unsucessfully tried to locate the car driver. Eventually, we carried on, with only a few scratches to the bus.

A surprisingly busy service with plenty of local riders between Waltham Cross and Waltham Abbey, then from Waltham Abbey / Ninefields to Loughton, many alighting either in the town or connecting with the Central Line at Loughton Station. If I half-closed my eyes as we made our way through Epping Forest, up Woodredon Hill to the former Wake Arms and on down Goldings Hill to the site of the former Loughton Garage, I could almost imagine myself on an RT on the 205A or 217A! At Loughton Station, a few minutes hesitation are built into the schedule and we took on another reasonable number for the continuation around the loop to Debden, then via Rectory Lane and back up Goldings Hill into Epping Forest on the reverse of our outward route.

No drama on the return run, although we did carry a decent number of passengers, both short-riders and longer distance ones, probably more than in the old days of the RTs, although back then there was no direct link to/from the Central Line, which clearly helps drive the usage. 1h 30m for the rounder, some 10 mins more than timetabled, due to the unscheduled pause on the outward leg.

The latest generation of vehicle on the 310 is represented by Enviro400 MMC 6490 at Hertford Bus Station at the start of my journey on a freezing winter’s morning. This batch came to Arriva’s Ware (WE) garage in 2016 and now appear on the 66, 310 and 331, with odd journeys on the 251 & 395.

*In contrast to the older scheme worn by 6489 above, this example is in the new light blue Arriva livery, although a liberal sprinkling of road dirt spoils the appearance.*

Route 310: Waltham Cross - Hertford

Day 1 ended with a return run on the 310, this time aboard Enviro400 MMC 6489 named “Gino D’Acampo”, celebrity chef and game show host. A straight run on the return, busy with homegoing school students in parts, but all went well until we arrived in Ware, when we were suddenly taken on a diversion off route and down Marsh Lane into the bus depot! There, we were treated not just to a driver change, but to a vehicle swap, everyone having to transfer from our nice warm bus onto a freezing cold 6493, which was just entering service after presumably standing around for ages. Nevertheless, an interesting move, which I had not experienced before, so don’t know whether this is a regular occurrence or just a one off. Arrival back at Hertford Bus Station was about 5 mins late after a 1h 10m run.

***Former Arriva London Enviro400 T104, previously of Norwood Garage, at Harlow Temporary Bus Station on Central Connect Route 25 to the Brookfield Centre.***

*This is one of 4 former Arriva London Enviros with Central Connect, which have been neatly single doored, but retain London red livery and fleet numbers. T98 peeks in behind on Route 20 to Ongar.*

Route 25: Harlow - Brookfield Centre (& back)

Day 2 and my focus switched from Hertford to Harlow, where the centre of bus operations has recently moved from the former Bus Station to a temporary one set up in Post Office Road Car Park, whilst the old site is refurbished and transformed into a modern interchange. The new location is well laid out though, with individually lettered stops / shelters sporting stop specific timetables. “Where to Board Your Bus” maps are posted in addition to an electronic display of next departures. Set beneath the trees, even though these were bare at this time of year, the ambience was considerably enhanced when compared with the stark concrete surroundings of the former site!

Having concentrated mainly on Arriva services in the area on my last visit, I switched my focus to Central Connect, part of the Vectare group. Whilst their fleet has been modernised in recent times, with many of the former secondhand ex London vehicles being withdrawn, it was good to see the tradition continued with the arrival into the fleet of 4 former Arriva London Enviro400s formerly at Norwood (N) Garage. These were intended mainly for school contracts, but also appear on the 25 and the 20/21, the latter mainly at weekends.

Fleet number 585 arrived on the 25 shortly after I did, still in London red and sporting its original fleet number, T104. Like the others in the batch, it has been neatly single doored and underwent a driver change, before pulling up at the appropriate stop for the next departure to the Brookfield Centre. The 25 is another that was renumbered last year, in this case from 410. The route orginally ran between Harlow and Waltham Cross, partly in competition with the 310 at its southern end, but serving Rye House and Brookfield, which are not covered by the latter service. More recently, it was cut back to terminate at the Brookfield Centre from the north, enabling it to be operated with 2 buses on an hourly frequency M-S daytimes. On this particular day, a Saturday, T104 and T105 were the two buses out to play.

Half a dozen of us boarded in Harlow, all bound for Brookfield. Inside, you couldn’t see the join where the centre door had been panelled over, with the wheelchair space relocated to the nearside at the front and additional seats in the same style as the others placed in the gaps created. We departed Harlow via the Town Station Roundabout, where road works were in progress, but then had a fast run along the A414 dual carriageway before taking the slip road off to serve Stanstead Abbots, where we picked up more custom. After a brief halt at St Maragarets Station level crossing to allow a train to pass, we joined up with the 310 briefly along Hoddesdon Road and around the Hundred Acre Estate, before diving off to loop around Rye Park and Rye House. Hoddesdon was then approached via Middlefield Road, meeting up with the 310 again for the section past the Clock Tower and on to Broxbourne, Wormley and Turnford. At the New River Arms Roundabout, we continued straight on up to the Brookfield Centre. A relatively quick 45 min thrash with reasonable usage throughout.

With a 15 min break, there was time to call in at the adjacent Tesco store for supplies, before departing on the return run aboard T104. Basically the reverse of the outward route, apart from the one-way sections in Hoddesdon, with plenty of passengers. The route benefits from having shopping destinations at each end and in this direction, we picked up many in Hoddesdon and Stanstead Abbots in particular, bound for Harlow. Almost full by the time we reached the non-stop A414 section. The roadworks near Harlow Town Station were causing some congestion by this time, so we took 50 mins overall, 5 mins longer than the outward trip.

***Also on Central Connect Route 20 at Harlow Temporary Bus Station is former First London and Tower Transit Enviro400 DN33787.***

*This vehicle retains dual doors and is in Borough of Redbridge livery, working previously with Simonds Travel of Norfolk.*

Route 20: Harlow - Ongar

The Harlow - Epping - Ongar corridor is another which evokes particular memories. Back in the 70s, I visited the area several times to ride the remaining London Country Green RTs at Harlow (HA) Garage, their main haunts being the 339 Harlow to Ongar & Warley, 396 Epping to Bishops Stortford and 397 Harlow to Bishops Stortford, until they were swept away in 1976 to be replaced by hired Southend Transport Leyland PD3s and later by RMLs. In more recent years, I have able to reprise rides on Green RTs on the 339 operated by the London Bus Company in connection with their heritage feeder service to the Epping Ongar Railway, something I never though I would do again when the RTs left the area in 1976!

The regular 339 has long gone, the Harlow to Ongar via Epping service being provided these days by routes 20/21, operated by Central Connect. These were further routes renumbered last year, from 420/420A. The 20 operates to Ongar and the 21 to Epping, the latter being a shortworking of the 20, apart from a slightly different routeing in and out of town in Harlow. The M-F daytime service is every 30 mins on each route (every 15 mins combined on the common section) and every 60 mins Sats on each (every 30 mins combined). An Hourly evening and Sunday service operates on the 20 only.

The routes are in process of upgrade to brand new Enviro400 MMC double deckers, with 2 arriving in 2024 and another 4 due in 2025, although some Enviro200 MMC single decks also help out. The ex London Ts appear on occasion, especially at weekends when they are not required on school routes and the reduced frequency needs higher capacity vehicles to cope. It seems odd that the M-F daytime frequency is not extended to Saturdays at least, as the routes can be busy at times.

On the Saturday of my visit, the 20/21 were being worked by the 2 Enviro400 MMCs, former Arriva London T98 and a surprise vehicle - an Enviro400 formerly with First London and Tower Transit but now with Simonds Travel, based in Diss, Norfolk, and part of the Central Connect / Vectare “family”. It was unclear whether this bus was a transfer or a loan, but I jumped on when it pulled up to form the next working on the 20 to Ongar. A quick check on-line showed that the bus was former DN33787 and was in London Borough of Redbridge livery. The vehicle still retained its dual doors and had the purple first interior with Tower Transit moquette, the only obvious alteration being the fitment of seat-belts, presumably for its school-bus use.

A slow start on departure from Harlow as we made our way through Tye Green to Potter Street - a different way from the former 339, which used to go via The Stow and Old London Road to Potter Street. However, from this point on, it was as per the old route down through Thornwood Common and the fringes of Epping Forest into Epping Town, where we made the traditional double-run to the station. Busy over this section and we picked up more passengers when making our way back along the High Street, mostly shoppers returning to North Weald. After calling at several stops in the village, we reached The Talbot roundabout, the start of the fast winding section through the rolling countryside past Blake Hall to Ongar, just a handful left for this part of the ride. Arrival at the time-honoured “Two Brewers” terminus was after a run of just on the hour. Whilst I would have preferred an RT, at least it was an ex-London bus!

*Flashback 4 years to 2021 when Central Connect ran ex London United Scanias on the 420 (Harlow - Ongar). SP40153 is captured at the Ongar Two Brewers terminus. These vehicles are now all withdrawn.*

*The 420 was gratuitously renumbered 20 in 2024, with several other Central Connect routes also receiving new low numbers to replace former ones in the 300s / 400s.*

Route 20: Ongar - Harlow

After a break for lunch, I caught the next 20 back to Harlow, one hour later. This time, I came right up to date, with a trip on fleet no 502, the first of the two new Enviro400 MMC vehicles now in service with Central Connect. A nice bus, very long, in Vectare two tone blue livery with Central Connect fleetnames and large “Transport Made Simple” legends on the side panels between decks. Inside, high backed seats, with USB ports and other modern features, although the grey/black moquette and matching interior presented a rather harsh ambience. However, a smooth ride as we left Ongar and made our way back through the countryside to North Weald. Gradually busier from here onwards, as we traversed the Epping double-run for a second time that day.

A slow-moving traffic queue held us up a bit on the return through the High Street, but we soon made up time on the stretch up through Thornwood to Potter Street. In fact, soon after this, we paused for a couple minutes due to early running, before continuing through the estate roads and back to Harlow Town Centre. Another run of 1 hour.

Central Connect are restocking the 20 / 21 on the Harlow - Epping - Ongar corridor with new Enviro400 MMCs. Two were delivered in 2024, including 502, seen here in Harlow Temporary Bus Station on a 21 working to Epping. Four more similar vehicles are expected in 2025 to complete the process.

These buses are in the parent company Vectare two tone blue colour scheme. Note the “Transport Made Simple” strapline between decks. The trees surrounding the Temporary Bus Station provide a nicer ambience than the stark concrete environment of the old location, which is undergoing an upgrade.

Route 407: Harlow - Old Harlow (& back)

First Essex and its predecessor Eastern National used to have a presence in Harlow, but this gradually declined over the years and then disappeared. With ECC contract changes in 2024, First made a come-back and now operate certain tendered town services. One of these, which was new to me, is the oddly numbered 407, when one might have expected a low number like all the other local routes. This links Princess Alexandra Hospital with a new development at Aspen Way in Old Harlow via the Bus Station and Harlow Town Station. An hourly service operates M-S all day, with evening journeys plus one or two peak workings also serving Little Parndon, which take the number 417 to distinguish the variant.

The route serves the Bus Station twice in a rounder and I boarded Enviro200 44081, a former First London example, DML44081, on the short trip to the hospital. Just me and two other passengers, who wanted the retail park but came along for the ride round the loop rather than wait in the cold. A quick perambulation through the hospital grounds, with no takers, then back to the Temporary Bus Station just 10 mins later. Still no custom, as we departed and made our way down to Harlow Town Station, where traffic congestion at the roundabout was causing chaos. After double-running to the station, we joined another slow-moving queue along Edinburgh Way to the various retail parks - if only the people in all those cars had gone by bus, although an hourly service is probably not very attractive! The two other passengers alighted on this stretch and it was just me and the driver on through Old Harlow, past the Post Office and then around the by-pass to the new development at Gilden Park, where a terminal loop working is in operation.

Due to later running, we kept going without the allotted stand time, but at least picked up a couple more passengers here for the return to town. No more joined us from here on and we again encountered a traffic queue after Old Harlow on approach to the retail parks. Another double-run to Town Station, then back up to the Bus Station to complete the rounder. An overall trip time of an hour, with only 5 passengers in all, including me. The traffic meant that stand time at each end was totally abandoned, the driver attempting to get back on schedule by keeping going. A useful route but probably not frequent enough to attract more custom and not reliable due to congestion, although hopefully some of this will be resolved when the current roadworks near Harlow Town Station are completed.

***First Essex have made a comeback in Harlow with new contracts on certain town services awarded in 2024. Enviro200 44915 turns out on the 407 (Princess Alexandra Hospital - Old Harlow).***

*The Enviros used on these routes include some former First London examples, including DML44081 which I rode, continuing the theme of ex London buses in the town.*

So ended my couple of days revisiting old haunts on the Herts / Essex borders, interesting to see how the routes have changed in the area since I first rode them all those years ago!

Harping Back in Hertford & Harlow

Haring Around Harrow

Last Call, 118?