London Buses Route 50

London Buses route 50 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Arriva London.

History
Bus route 50 began on 7 January 1951, as a replacement for the former Tram route 24, providing a Monday to Saturday peak hour service between Streatham Hill and Embankment. The route was operated from Brixton Garage (BN) and Clapham Garage (CA) by AEC Regent III RT (RT) and Leyland Titan (RTL) buses.

By October 1956, the Saturday Clapham allocation was withdrawn, and the Peak Vehicle Requirement (PVR) was 3 RT from Brixton and 6 RTL from Clapham Mondays to Fridays, and 3 RT from Brixton on Saturdays.

By 16 October 1957 the entire Saturday service was withdrawn also with the allocation at Clapham. The route was also revised Monday to Friday to run between Addiscombe Black Horse and Stockwell Station. Monday to Friday peak services were extended to Embankment.

By the end of November 1958 the Saturday service was running again, but only between Addiscombe and Stockwell. The PVR was increased Mondays to Fridays to 12 RT and 10 RT on Saturdays.

1960s
During May 1963 the RT buses were withdrawn and replaced by RTLs. The Monday to Friday PVR was increased to 13 RTL and Saturday stayed the same.

On 29 January 1964 the 50 was withdrawn between Victoria and Embankment, the route ran from Addiscombe to Victoria Monday to Saturdays. Streatham Garage (AK) took over the allocation from Brixton. The RT buses were now in action again on the 50. The current PVR Mondays to Fridays was 15 RT and Saturdays was 13 RT.

By the very end of 1966, the route was withdrawn between Stockwell and Victoria except from Monday to Friday peak services. A new allocation was introduced from Thornton Heath Garage (TH). The current PVR was Monday to Friday 7RT from Thornton Heath and Streatham garages and on Saturdays 9RT from Brixton garage.

On 15 June 1968, there were more changes to the route of the 50. The Monday to Friday service between Streatham garage and Addiscombe was withdrawn due to a new route 289 which replaced part of the Croydon section of the 50. The current PVR was 11 RT Mondays to Fridays from Brixton garage and 9 RT from Streatham garage on Saturday.

On 19 July 1969, the Streatham garage allocation was withdrawn this was replaced by a full-time Brixton garage allocation.

1970s
On 31 October 1970, the Saturday service was withdrawn. Monday to Friday services ran from Streatham garage to Stockwell and Monday to Friday peak services ran to Victoria.

On 24 July 1971, a full weekday service was introduced. The route was converted to one person operation, and was operated by Daimler Fleetline (DMS) buses. The route was revised again, Monday to Saturday ran from Stockwell Station to Croydon and Sunday from Stockwell Station to Thornton Heath High Street. The current PVR Monday to Saturday was 9 DMS and Sunday was 3 DMS.

1980s
On 4 September 1982, the Sunday service was withdrawn. The PVR for Monday to Saturday remained the same. Later in October 1984 the DMS type buses were replaced by MCW Metrobuses (M).

On the 7 February 1987, the Brixton garage allocation was withdrawn and was replaced by Streatham garage. The current PVR was 9 M Mondays to Fridays.

On the 14 May 1988, the route was extended from Croydon to Old Coulsdon and withdrawn between Stockwell and Streatham. The route now ran from Streatham garage to Old Coulsdon. A Monday to Saturday South Croydon allocation was introduced. There were more PVR changes in November. Monday to Friday 10D/L from TC and Saturday 6D/L from TC and 5L/M from Streatham garage.

On the 28 October 1989, there were more PVR changes, Monday to Friday 10L/M from Streatham garage and 1D/L from South Croydon, and on Saturdays 10L/M from Streatham.

1990s
By now the route was only operated by Leyland Olympians and MCW Metrobuses. On 21 July 1990 a Sunday service was reintroduced. The Streatham garage allocation was withdrawn and replaced by one at Thornton Heath. The route ran from Streatham St Leonard’s Church to Old Coulsdon daily. The current PVR was 10L Monday to Friday from Thornton Heath garage and 1D/L from South Croydon garage, 10L Saturday from Thornton Heath garage and 6L Sunday from Thornton Heath garage.

Later in June 1991, the route was withdrawn between Streatham St Leonard’s Church and Streatham garage.

On 9 October 1993, the Thornton Heath garage allocation was withdrawn and was replaced by South Croydon garage. The current PVR was 11L/M Monday to Friday, and 10L/M Saturday and Sunday.

On the 29 August 1998, the route was withdrawn between South Croydon and Old Coulsdon, this was replaced by route 60.

2000s
On the 25 October 2003, the 50 was converted to low floor double deckers. The PVR was Monday to Saturday 10DW and Sunday 7DW.

The route was extended to Stockwell station via Clapham Park, Clapham Common and Clapham North on 30 August 2008 to replace the withdrawn section of route 255.

Current route

 * Croydon Katharine Street
 * Wellesley Road Tramlink
 * Wellesley Road for West Croydon Bus Station and Tramlink
 * Thornton Heath Station
 * Norbury Station
 * Streatham Station
 * Streatham Hill Station
 * Clapham South Station
 * Clapham Common Station
 * Clapham North Station
 * Stockwell Station Clapham Road