London Buses route 65

London Buses route 65 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Transdev London.

History
The 65 was introduced in the 1950s, little different from what it is now, it ran from Ealing Argyle Road (now Scotch Common) followed the present 297 to Ealing Broadway, and the current route via South Ealing, Brentford, Richmond and Ham to Kingston, it then continued to Leatherhead Garage via Tolworth, Hook and Chessington. The Chessington Zoo to Leatherhead section was withdrawn in 1968 and replaced by the 71.

It was extended from Chessington Zoo to Chessington Fox & Hounds in Monday to Friday peak hours in 1975. The Argyle Road to Ealing Broadway section was withdrawn in 1982 and replaced by the former route 273. The Kingston to Chessington Zoo section was withdrawn in 1987.

The 65 gained a night service in 2002, with the night service using an 'N' prefix. This was recently been dropped and the 24 hour service uses the 65 number.

London Transport operated the route from a number of garages over the years including Turnham Green, Hanwell, Norbiton and Kingston, using RTs and from 1975 Routemasters. One person operation came in 1986 with Metrobuses from Norbition Garage. When the route was placed out to tender, it was awarded to Kingston Bus, retaining Metrobuses. Upon re-tender in 1990, the contract passed to Armchair. However they were unable to start the route immediately, so London & Country gained a nine-month temporary contract, using Leyland Olympians and Leyland Atlanteans from distant Croydon and Leatherhead garages. Armchair took over in 1991 with operation from their Brentford garage, using Leyland Olympians made spare from the loss of 260 and some secondhand Leyland Atlanteans. Upon re-tender in 1996, Armchair retained the route with the Olympians, but replaced the aging Atlanteans with new Volvo Olympian/Northern Counties Palatine 2s. The odd single deck from the 209, E2 and E8 allocation did show up.

Finally in 2002, after 11-year operation by Armchair, it was won by its original operator London United, at the Fulwell Garage, using Dennis Trident 2 9.9m / Alexander ALX400.

London United was bought by Transdev London and most of the Fulwell fleet are being painted in full red.

Route departing Ealing Broadway

 * Ealing Broadway Station
 * The Broadway
 * High Street
 * Ealing Green
 * St Mary's Road
 * South Ealing Road
 * South Ealing Station
 * South Ealing Road
 * Ealing Road
 * High Street
 * Kew Bridge Road
 * Kew Bridge Station
 * Kew Bridge
 * Kew Road
 * Kew Gardens Kew Gardens Station
 * Richmond Station
 * Eton Street
 * Red Lion Street
 * Richmond Bus Station
 * Petersham Road
 * Upper Ham Road
 * Richmond Road
 * Kingston Station
 * Cromwell Road
 * Kingston Cromwell Road Bus Station
 * Cromwell Road
 * Queen Elizabeth Road
 * Fairfield North
 * Kingston Fairfield Bus Station
 * Weatherfield Way
 * Ashdown Road
 * Eden Street
 * Brook Street

Route departing Kingston

 * Book Street
 * Eden Street
 * Clarence Street
 * Wood Street
 * Kingston Station
 * Kingsgate Road
 * Richmond Road
 * Upper Ham Road
 * Petersham Road
 * George Street
 * Kew Road
 * Richmond Station
 * Kew Road
 * Kew Gardens Kew Gardens Station
 * Kew Bridge
 * Kew Bridge Station
 * Kew Bridge Road
 * High Street
 * Ealing Road
 * South Ealing Road
 * South Ealing Station
 * St Mary's Road
 * Bond Street
 * Uxbridge Road
 * Spring Bridge Road
 * Haven Green (West, North and East)
 * Ealing Broadway Station