Know Your Routes: Route 427

This post is part 2 of "Know Your Routes: Route 207, 427 and 607". Read the first part, Know Your Routes: Route 207, Now and then.

Route 427:
427 is the youngest out of the three, running between Acton, High Street and Uxbridge, let me tell you how the 427 was formed.

207's bendy-bus trials were proved successful in 2004, so in  2005, TfL ordered for brand new Mercedes-Benz Citaros 18m to work on the 207. These buses were not suitable for Uxbridge's town centre as they were too tight! So the mayor, Ken Livingstone, decided to break the 207 into 2 parts. The 207 would be cut back to Hayes By-Pass where buses can turn around on a roundabout whilst the Uxbridge end would be taken over by then new route, 427. 

On the same day, a new garage in Hayes(HS) would open up where 207/N207 and 427 would run from. Eventually 195 transferred here as well, but that's a different story.

The 427, which started on the 9th April 2005, would use the TNL classed vehicles, Plaxton Presidents with a Trident 2 chassis (10.6m), straight off the 207.

The 427 started at Acton Market Place, followed the 607 to Hillingdon Hill, then went around Uxbridge High Street to terminate at Uxbridge Station. 

In 2010, First retained their contract with brand new, state-of-the-art Wright Eclipse Gemini 2's on the Volvo B9TL chassis. These allowed some of the buses to escape onto 607, with others being sold to EnsignBus. 

In 2011, the 427 faced a one-stop extension from Acton Market Place to Salisbury Street to terminate on the former 440/E3/N11 bus stop. This was because shoppers on Acton High Street complained that buses going back to Uxbridge would miss out the entire of Acton High Street meaning that shoppers would have to walk to "Denehurst Gardens"bus stop!

As of recently, the Gemini 2's have been breaking down and are going under repairs. Buses from the 207, 607,  92 and E1/E3 allocations can be spotted on the route regularly. Although many buses are starting to go back to normal.

And as usual, this one wouldn't go without a fleetlist! A rather weird one this is!

VN37865 - BF10 LSZ

VN37866 - BF10 LTA

VN37867 - BV10 WVP

VN37868 - BV10 WVR

VN37869 - BV10 WVS

VN37870 - BV10 WVT

VN37871 - BK10 MEV

VN37872 - BK10 MFA

VN37873 - BK10 MFE

VN37874 - BK10 MFN

VN37875 - BK10 MFF

VN37876 - BK10 MFJ

VN37877 - BF10 LSO

VN37878 - BF10 LSU

VN37879 - BF10 LSV

VN37880 - BF10 LSX

VN37881 - BF10 LSY

VN37882 - BF10 LTE

VN37883 - BF10 LTJ

VN37884 - BV10 WVN

VN37885 - BV10 WVO

VN37886 - BV10 WVU

VN37887 - BV10 WVW

VN37888 - BV10 WVX

Hopefully you have enjoyed this post!