London Buses route 93 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Putney Bridge and North Cheam, it is operated by London General.
History
Route 93 commenced operatiing on 19 April 1924 as a Saturday and Sunday service between Wembley Stadium and Wimbledon. It was one of many new routes introduced for the 1924 British Empire Exhibition. This was the sixth time the route number 93 had been used on a motor bus route in London.
In May 1924, it was amended to run as a daily route between Wembley and Putney with a Sunday extension to Wimbledon. On 2 November 1924, route 93 was extended to Sudbury Town station, replacing route 92 which was withdrawn. The Sunday extension from Putney to Wimbledon was also withdrawn at the same time.
From 18 February 1925, a short working numbered 93A was introduced between Stonebridge Park and Putney and the main 93 route between Sudbury Town station and Putney stopped operating, being partly replaced by a new route 120.
In April 1925 the previous 93 was re-introduced as route 93C, operating Mondays to Saturdays. The 93F was a new extended Sunday service from Harrow Weald to Putney. Two new short working routes were also introduced, route 93B Wembley to Putney and 93E Wembley to Hammersmith Broadway. On 8 May 1925, the 93B and 93C swapped operations with the 93B becoming a Monday to Saturday operation and the 93C a short-working, with the service to Sudbury Town being covered by new route 192. With the coming of the 1925 winter service, the 93B and 93E were both withdrawn, with the 93A and 93F both being introduced as daily routes.
In 1926 the 93 was reintroduced on Sundays to run to Clapham Common station. At the same time, the 93A was withdrawn on Sundays and the 93D completely withdrawn. With the introduction of the winter services in October 1926, the 93 was again withdrawn, and with it the service to Clapham Common station, with the 93C and 93F introduced again on Sundays.
From 9 March 1927, route 93 became a daily Harrow Weald to Putney route with an extension to Wimbledon Station on Mondays to Fridays peak hours. On Saturdays and Sundays it became a daily Harrow Weald to Wimbledon Station route from 3 August 1927. Another extension on 23 November 1927 took the route to South Wimbledon station on Mondays to Fridays peak hours and Saturdays and Sundays. From 15 May 1929, the 93 was withdrawn between Harrow Weald and Craven Park, being replaced by the 18 over this section. At the same time it was diverted to terminate at Willesden Garage.
On 28 May 1930, the 93 was extended to Morden station as part of a programme of route changes in South West London. From 3 September 1930 it was further extended from Morden station to Cheam via Epsom Road and Stonecot Hill. On 11 May 1932, the 93 was cut back from Willesden Garage to Shepherds Bush. At the same time it was extended from Shepherds Bush to Greenford via Western Avenue and East Acton. In November 1932 the 93 was extended from Greenford to Southall. From 7 June 1934 it was reduced to run daily from Southall to Morden with a Monday to Friday peak hours and evening, Saturday and Sunday service to Cheam. On 3 October 1934, the newly constituted London Passenger Transport Board instituted its own numbering system and the 93, 93A, 93B, 93C and 93E all became plain 93.
From 4 March 1936, the 93 was considerably shortened when it was withdrawn between East Acton (Ducane Road) and Southall, being replaced by new route 105 over this section. On 12 October 1938, the 93 was cut back again, this time from East Acton to Hammersmith (Brook Green), the section to East Acton now being covered by an extended route 72. At the same time the 93 was extended southwards to run daily from North Cheam to Epsom (Clock Tower) via Ewell replacing the withdrawn route 70 over this section. Apparently, the route was too long and had become unreliable, and, from 7 December 1938, it began to work in two overlapping sections on Mondays to Fridays: Hammersmith to North Cheam and Putney Bridge to Epsom. At the same time, the Epsom terminus was moved to Epsom Station.
With the start of the 1939 summer schedules, the 93 was extended on Sundays from 9 April 1939 to Dorking via Ashtead, Leatherhead and Boxhill with sectional working also introduced on that day: Hammersmith to Epsom and Morden Station to Dorking. The outbreak of War on 3 September 1939 meant reductions in London's bus services, especially when paralleling electric transport. Therefore, on 25 October 1939, the 93 was withdrawn between Hammersmith and Putney Bridge Station and between Epsom and Dorking. The service was further reduced between North Cheam and Putney Bridge, only operating on Mondays to Fridays peak hours only and on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. 1940 saw the Dorking extension re-introduced from 24 March, with the Monday to Friday evening service to Putney being re-introduced from 15 May. The Dorking service was withdrawn for the winter on 10 November. In the following summers, the Dorking extension ran from 6 April to 26 October 1941 and from 29 March to 25 October 1942. Other wartime reductions were the withdrawal of the Sunday service between North Cheam and Putney Bridge at certain times in 1942 to 1945.
The war over, the 93 was increased from 12 September 1945 to become a daily Putney Bridge to Epsom service once again. The post-war route 93 was a very stable operation, changes only occurring rarely. What had originally been its southern terminus when it began in 1924 had become its northern terminus by 1945. The summer Sunday service to Dorking was re-introduced in 1946 and ran every year until 1960. A supplementary Express service was introduced between Morden Station and Epsom from 12 October 1955, but this was not a success and was withdrawn on 1 February 1956.
London Transport's reshaping plan commenced in 1966, bringing with it rationalisation of services and the introduction of one-person operation. From 18 April 1970 part of the 93 was converted, when a new one-person operated 293 was introduced between Epsom and Morden Station replacing the 93 which was cut back to run daily between Putney Bridge Station and North Cheam. From the 28 October 1978, the last RT type vehicles allocated to the route were withdrawn, ending a continual 39 year service on the route.
In the 1980s, the 93 was supplemented by an extension of route 80 between Putney Bridge and Morden stations from 23 April 1983 until 25 November 1988. From 11 November 1989, certain journeys on the 93 were extended from North Cheam to Sutton (A) garage, since when the service has remained unchanged.
In 1991, MCW Metrobuses were introduced. In 1997, the Metrobuses were replaced by Volvo Olympians. In 2001, the route was retained by London General and was converted to low floor operation using East Lancs Vyking bodied Volvo B7TLs. In 2008, the route was retained by London General and the East Lancs Vyking bodied Volvo B7TLs were replaced by brand new Optare Olympus bodied Dennis Tridents.
Due to the temporary closure of Putney Bridge, on 14 July 2014 the route temporarily had its southern terminus relocated from Putney Bridge to Putney Church. It resumed operating to Putney Bridge on 28 September 2014.
On 5 December 2015, the route was retained by London General with brand new Wright Eclipse Gemini 3 bodied Volvo B5LHs introduced and part of the allocation was transferred to Merton (AL) garage.
In February 2017, the Optare Olympus bodied Dennis Tridents were replaced by MCV EvoSeti bodied Volvo B5LHs.
Current route
Route 93 operates via these primary locations:
- Putney Bridge Station
- Putney Station
- Putney Heath
- Wimbledon Common
- Wimbledon Station and Tramlink
- South Wimbledon Station
- Morden Road Tramlink
- Morden Station
- Morden South Staton
- North Cheam Priory Road
Previous route 93s in London
The route number 93 had been used five times prior to its current use.
- In 1912–1914 for a Mile End,* Bow Road station,* Stratford,* to Romford,* Gidea Park,* route. *Termini varied
- In 1915–1916 for a Victoria to Victoria circular route in one direction only via Westminster Bridge, Stamford Street, Blackfriars Bridge, Bank, Moorgate, Liverpool Street, Threadneedle Street, Bank, St Paul's, Ludgate Hill, Fleet Street, Strand, Charing Cross, Whitehall and Parliament Square.
- Between March and October 1917 for a Woolwich to Sidcup route via Eltham and Foots Cray.
- Between January and November 1918 for a Woolwich to Sidcup route via Eltham and Foots Cray.
- In 1921–1922 for a Hounslow to Uxbridge route via West Drayton, Yiewsley and Cowley.
There was also in London:
- Between 1934–1938 a Chadwell Heath to Barking Broadway via Ilford Tram route 93.