London Buses route 14 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Putney Heath and Warren Street, it is operated by London General.
History
From 1949 route 14 ran from Hornsey Rise to Putney (Monday to Friday) and beyond to Kingston at weekends with a joint allocation between Putney Bridge garage and the original Holloway (Holloway Road) Garage (J) using RT type buses. The route number had previously been used for a service to Putney in the 1920s prior to the formation of the London Passenger Transport Board. A RTW allocation was introduced at Putney Bridge from May 1955. On 6 May 1953, the route was extended on Sundays beyond Kingston to Hampton Court, for the summer months (May to October). This Summer Sunday extension continued annually until 1965. On 26 November 1958 the Monday to Friday service was withdrawn between Kingston and Putney. Following the closure of Putney Bridge garage, part allocation of the route also transferred to Putney (AF) Garage. By 1965 the whole route had a Routemaster (RM) allocation, and by 1968 the route had gradually converted to the longer RML type.
In 1957 the route was used as the basis for a New Scientist magazine study into congestion on London streets. Vehicles on the central section of route between Euston and Hyde Park Corner were found to spend 68% of time in motion, and only 11% loading and unloading passenger.
On 18 April 1970, Putney's Sunday allocation was withdrawn, although this was reintroduced on 2 January 1971 when the route was withdrawn between Putney and Kingston, being replaced by the re-introduced Sunday route 85. During September 1971 Holloway (J) garage closed, and the associated part allocation transferred to the previously named Highgate (HT), now renamed Holloway (Pemberton Gardens), Garage.
The late 1980s saw revisions to the Northern end of the route, on 7 February 1987 the main route was cut back to run between Putney Heath Green Man and Euston (or Tottenham Court Road Station]] Monday to Saturday evenings). The Sunday services consisted of a morning extension to Hornsey Rise, and a further extension to Turnpike Lane station, via Crouch End, on Sunday afternoons, with meal relief journeys running to Wood Green Garage. The withdrawn Euston to Hornsey Rise section was replaced by a new route 14A (now route 91). On 26 September the off peak Monday to Friday service was withdrawn between Tottenham Court Road and Euston. The Sunday afternoon service was withdrawn between Crouch End and Turnpike Lane on 26 March 1988.
On 24 February 1990 Sundays Putney allocation was withdrawn again, with Holloway running the full Sunday allocation until April 1993, when Victoria ran the Sunday service before returning to Putney during July. On 10 October 1992 the route was withdrawn between Euston and Crouch End, being replaced by route 91 and on 29 January 1994 withdrawn further between Tottenham Court Road and Euston. During 1996, the late evening and early morning service was operated using OPO buses, Northern Counties Palatine bodied Volvo Olympians and later Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TLs from route 74. By September 2001 the Sunday daytime service had been reverted to crew operation.
On 23 November 2002, the route was retained by London General.
On 24 January 2004, the service became a 24-hour service.
On 23 July 2005, the route was converted to one man operation with the AEC Routemasters replaced by brand new Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TLs.
On 13 January 2007, the route was extended from Tottenham Court Road to Warren Street Station.
On 14 November 2009, the route was retained by London General.
Due to the temporary closure of Putney Bridge, on 14 July 2014 the route temporarily had its southern terminus relocated from Putney Heath to Putney Bridge. It resumed operating to Putney Heath on 28 September 2014.
On 19 November 2016, the route was retained by London General.
In December 2016, the Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TLs were replaced by brand new Enviro 400 MMC bodied Alexander Dennis E40Hs.
Current route
Route 14 operates via these primary locations:
- Putney Heath Green Man
- Putney
- Putney Bridge
- Fulham Broadway
- South Kensington
- Harrods
- Knightsbridge
- Hyde Park Corner
- Green Park
- Piccadilly Circus
- Tottenham Court Road
- Warren Street