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London Buses route 4 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Archway and Blackfriars Station, it is operated by Metroline.

History

Route 4 commenced operating on 4 September 1971 between Tufnell Park Monnery Road and Waterloo via Tufnell Park - Holloway - Finsbury Park - Highbury Barn - Islington - Angel - Aldersgate Street - St Paul's - Farringtdon Street - Aldwych as a Monday to Saturday service. The route was initially operated by London Transport from their Holloway (HT) garage using AEC Routemasters and AEC Regent III RTs. The route is a renumbering of route 4A.

On 8 April 1972, the route was converted to full AEC Regent III RT operation.

On 15 July 1972, the AEC Routemasters were reintroduced.

On 25 January 1975, the AEC Routemasters were replaced by Daimler Fleetlines.

On 23 June 1975, the route was converted to full Daimler Fleetline operation.

On 28 October 1978, the Saturday service was extended from Farringdon Street to Waterloo.

On 1 October 1979, the route passed to London Buses but still operating from Holloway (HT) garage.

On 31 January 1981, the route was extended from Tufnell Park to Archway Station and the Daimler Fleetlines were replaced by AEC Routemasters.

On 4 September 1982, the route was withdrawn between Farringdon Street and Waterloo except for Monday to Friday peaks.

On 29 January 1983, the Monday to Saturday evening service was extended from Farringdon Street to Waterloo.

On 27 October 1984, the route was withdrawn between Finsbury Park and Archway except for garage journeys to Tufnell Park, the withdrawn section covered by extended Route 19.

On 2 February 1985, the route was converted to one person operation using MCW Metrobuses.

On 3 August 1985, the route was extended from Finsbury Park to Archway Station.

On 21 June 1986, the Saturday service was extended from Farringdon Street to Waterloo.

On 1 April 1989, the route passed to London Northern but still operated from Holloway (HT) garage.

On 21 July 1990, the allocation was transferred to Chalk Farm (CF) garage and the MCW Metrobuses were replaced by Leyland Titans.

On 26 May 1991, a Sunday service was introduced between Archway and Islington and part of the allocation was transferred to Holloway (HT) garage. MCW Metrobuses were reintroduced at the same time.

On 14 March 1992, the Chalk Farm (CF) allocation was transferred to Holloway (HT) garage and the route was converted to full MCW Metrobus operation.

On 25 September 1993, the route passed to London Surburban Bus operating from their Edmonton (ED) garage using Leyland Titans and Northern Counties Palatine II bodied Volvo Olympians.

On 27 April 1995, the route was included in the sale of London Suburban Bus to MTL London.

On 27 April 1996, the allocation was transferred back to Holloway (HT) garage.

On 29 March 1997, the Leyland Titans were replaced by MCW Metrobuses.

On 17 August 1998, the route was included in the sale of MTL London to Metroline.

On 30 September 2000, the route was retained by Metroline.

On 17 April 2001, the route was converted to low floor operation using brand new Plaxton President bodied Dennis Tridents.

On 1 October 2005, the route was retained by Metroline with Plaxton President bodied Dennis Tridents on loan from First London and the Sunday service was extended from Islington to Waterloo.

In January 2006, the Plaxton President bodied Dennis Tridents were replaced by Plaxton President bodied Volvo B7TLs.

In November 2007, the Plaxton President bodied Volvo B7TLs were replaced by Alexander Dennis Enviro 400s.

On 29 September 2012, the route was retained by Metroline.

In January 2014, the Alexander Dennis Enviro 400s were replaced by Plaxton President bodied Volvo B7TLs.

On 30 September 2017, the route was retained by Metroline with Wright Eclipse Gemini 3 bodied Volvo B5LHs.

On 15 June 2019, the route was withdrawn between St Paul's and Waterloo and rerouted to terminate at Blackfriars Station.

On 6 October 2023, existing MCV EvoSeti bodied Volvo B5LHs were introduced alongside the existing Wright Eclipse Gemini 3 bodied Volvo B5LHs.

The route will convert to a full MCV EvoSeti bodied Volvo B5LH operation from 2024.

The route will be retained by Metroline using brand new electric double deckers from 28 September 2024.

Current Route

Route 4 operates via these primary locations:

  • Archway Station London Underground
  • Dartmouth Park Hill
  • Tufnell Park London Underground
  • Holloway Nag's Head
  • Finsbury Park Station London Underground National Rail
  • Highbury Barn
  • Highbury Corner for Highbury & Islington Station London Underground London Overground National Rail
  • Islington Green
  • Islington Angel London Underground
  • Angel City Road
  • Barbican Station London Underground
  • London Wall Museum of London
  • St Paul's Station London Underground
  • Blackfriars Station London Underground National Rail

Previous route 4s in London

The route number 4 had been used three times prior to its current use.

  • In 1906–1909 for a Gospel Oak, Oxford Circus, King's Cross, Wormwood Scrubs or Shepherds Bush – Putney, Tooting, Wandsworth, Brixton or Herne Hill route.
  • In 1910–1911 for a Stonebridge Park – Elephant & Castle route.
  • In 1911–31 December 1966 for a Holloway, Finsbury Park – Elephant & Castle, Bermondsey, or Surrey Docks route.

There were also in London :

  • Between 1913–1951 a Victoria Embankment – Wimbledon Tram route 4.
  • During the General Strike in May 1926 a circular route 4 which operated Harlesden – Tottenham Court Road – Bank – Marble Arch – Harlesden.
  • Between 1931–1935 a Wimbledon – Hampton Court Trolleybus route 4.

External Links

Gallery

iBus

https://www.londonbuses.co.uk/audio/004-2.wav

London Buses
Current Operators Arriva LondonBlue TriangleDocklands BusesLondon CentralLondon GeneralLondon Sovereign RATP GroupLondon Transit RATP DevLondon United RATP GroupMetrobusMetrolineStagecoach LondonSullivan BusesTransport UK London BusUNO
Go-Ahead London Blue TriangleDocklands BusesLondon CentralLondon GeneralMetrobus
RATP Dev Transit London London Sovereign RATP GroupLondon Transit RATP DevLondon United RATP Group
Former Operators Arriva Kent ThamesideArriva The ShiresConnex Bus UKEast Thames BusesFirst LondonHCT GroupQuality Line RATP GroupTellings-Golden MillerTower TransitTransdev LondonTravel London
Fleet Lists Arriva London Fleet ListBlue Triangle Fleet ListDocklands Buses Fleet ListLondon Central Fleet ListLondon General Fleet ListLondon Sovereign RATP Group Fleet ListLondon Transit RATP Fleet ListLondon United RATP Fleet ListMetrobus Fleet ListMetroline Fleet ListStagecoach London FleetlistSullivan Buses Fleet ListTransport UK London Bus Fleet ListUNO Fleet List
Current Routes 1234567 Icon-Hydrogen8911121314151617181920212223 EV2425262728293031323334353637383940 EV414243 EV444546 EV4749 EV5051525354555657585960616263 EV6465 EV66676869 EV70 EV717273747576777879808183858687888990919293 EV94 EV9596979899100 EV101102103104105106 EV107108109110111 EV112113114115116117118119 EV120121122123124125 EV126127128129130131132 EV133134 EV135136137138139140141142 EV143144145146147148149150151152153 EV154 EV155156157158159160 EV161162163 EV164 EV165166167169170171172173 EV174 EV175176177178179180181182183 EV184 EV185 EV186187188189190191192193194195196197198199 EV200201202203204 EV205206207208209210211212 EV213 EV214 EV215216217218219220221222223224225226 EV227228229230 EV231232233234235 EV236237238240241242243244245246247248249250251 EV252253254255256257258259260261262263264 EV265 EV266267268269270272273274275276277278279280281 EV282283284285286287288289290 EV291292293294295 EV296297298299300301302303304306307 EV308309312313314315316317 EV318319 EV320321322 EV323 EV324325326327328329330331333335336337339 EV340341343344345346347349350352353 EV354355356357 EV358359 EV360 EV362363364365366 EV367368370371 EV372375376377 EV379380381382383384385386388389390393394395396397398 EV399401403404405406407410411412413 EV414415417 EV418419422423424425427428430432433 EV434436439 EV440444 EV450 EV452453456460462463464465466467468469470472473474476481482483484 EV485486487488490491492493496498499533549603969A10B11B12B13 EVB14B15B16C1 EVC3 EVC10 EVC11D3 EVD6D7D8E1E2E3E5E6E7E8E9E10E11EL1EL2EL3G1H2H3H9/H10 EVH11H12H13H14H17H18/H19H20H22H25H26H28H32H37H91H98K1K2K3K4K5P4P5 EVP12P13R1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8R9R10R11R68R70S1S2 EVS3S4U1U2U3U4U5 EVU7U9U10W3W4W5W6W7W8W9W11W12W13W14W15 EVW16W19
School Routes 601602605606608611612613616617621624625626627628629631632633634635638639640642 EV643645646649650651652653654655656657658660 EV661662663664665667669670671672673 EV674 EV675677678679681683684685686687688689690692696697698699 EV
Superloop Routes SL1SL2SL3SL5SL6SL7SL8SL9 EVSL10 EV
Night Routes N1N2N3N5N7N8N9N11N15N18N19N20N21N22N25N26N27N28N29N31N32N33N38N41N44N53N55N63N65N68N72N73N74N83N86N87N89N91N97N98N109N113N133N136N137 EVN140N155N171N199N205N207N242N250N253N266N271N277N279N343N381N550N551
Future Routes 495618620SL4
Future Withdrawn Routes 9H1015H4882168271305332387391455497507521541549558607609611618619636637641648718728733C2PR1PR2RV1S5T31T32T33W10X26X68X140N10N13N16N35N47N64N76N93N159N213
Current Bus Types in use BYD K8SR ElectricCaetano e.City GoldEnviro 200 DartEnviro 200 MMCEnviro 200 MMC EVEnviro 400Enviro 400 MMCEnviro 400H CityEnviro 400 City EVIrizar i2 EVIrizar ie Tram electricMCV EvoSetiMercedes-Benz CitaroNew RoutemasterOptare MetroCity EVOptare MetroDecker EVOptare OlympusOptare EsteemOptare SoloScania OmniCityVolvo BZL ElectricWright GB KiteWright Gemini 2Wright Eclipse Gemini 2Wright Eclipse Gemini 3Wright SRMWright StreetDeckWright StreetLite
Areas where many bus routes serve ArchwayBarnetBarnet The SpiresBexleyheathEaling BroadwayEpsomIlfordLewishamKing’s CrossStreathamTrafalgar SquareUxbridgeWaterloo
Bus Stations Addington VillageAldgateBecktonBecontree HeathBluewaterBrent CrossCanada WaterCanning TownPark Royal Central Middlesex HospitalChingfordKingston Cromwell RoadCrossharbourCrystal PalaceDalston JunctionEast CroydonEdgwareEdmonton GreenElthamEustonKingston FairfieldGolders GreenGrove ParkHammersmithHarrowHatton CrossHeathrow CentralHeathrow Terminal 5HounslowLeytonstoneLiverpool StreetLondon BridgeMile EndMortlakeNorth FinchleyNorth GreenwichNorthwick Park HospitalOrpingtonPeckhamPotters BarPrince RegentPutney BridgeRichmondRomfordSouth HarrowStainesStratfordStratford CityTottenham HaleTurnpike Lane StationVauxhallVictoriaWaltham CrossWalthamstow CentralWest CroydonWhite CityWimbledon
Route Lists 1-99100-199200-299300-399400-499500-599600-699700-799900-999Letter Prefix RoutesX Prefixed RoutesList of Night Bus Routes
Other 2024 Bus WithdrawalsAlexander Dennis Buses with in TFLNew London Buses On Order For TfL ServicesUpcoming changes
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