Know Your Routes: Routes 9, 9H and N9

PG04 WHJ/ VLE6 on route 9 to Hammersmith.
(C) LondonBuses72

Sorry for the lack of posts recently so let's kick off today's Know Your Routes with a post requested by one of our regular viewers and supporter, Au Morandarte from the WLTM Transport Blog. We hope you enjoy it! 

This is the first time we've actually merged 3 routes into one. That's because they are all from the same bus route, shared by 2 operators, from 3 different garages. 

It's also a first for us as we've never actually done a Know Your Routes post on a heritage route nor have we done it based on a night route. Luckily, we have photos for all of them.

9 (Aldwych - Hammermsith)
9H (Trafalgar Square - Kensington, Holland Road)
N9 (Aldwych - Heathrow Terminal 5, although some journeys short to Hounslow Bus Station)

First, we'll start with route 9:

The route 9 runs between Hammersmith, Upper Bus Station and Aldwych. It is currently operated by London United RATP Group from their Stamford Brook Bus Garage (V) located in Stamford Brook (Obviously). The route mainly uses displaced VLE's from route 27 and it's own VLE's - That's East Lancs Myllennium Vyking on a Volvo B7TL chassis which are 10.6m long for those who don't know. Most of these buses have been refurbished.

A refurbished and smart looking PG04 WHW on route 9 to Aldwych.
(C) LondonBuses72

The 9 runs between Aldwych and Hammersmith, yes, we've established that 3 times. Between the two ends, from Hammermsith, the route follows a single road until Aldwych pretty much - Via Kensington Olympia, Kensington High Street, Knightsbridge Stn/ Harrods, Green Park Station, Constitution Hill where you can walk down the road to Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus and the affluent Aldwych. 

The 9 hasn't changed so much within the past few years although there was a time before 2004 where the route was operated using the iconic AEC Routemasters. Eventually, all of these had to go as they passed the maximum age limit of being inside TfL's fleet and have since just been preserved/ sold onto other operators. Also because TfL wanted just low-floor buses in their fleet so that mobility users could access the vehicles.

London United PG04 WHT on route 9 to Hammersmith.
(C) LondonBuses72

On the 4th September 2004, the 9's RM's/ RML's were no longer in use as the route went under a one-person-operation (OPO) route. This is where the VLE's were introduced, being the first low-floor buses on route 9 with the original Transdev livery applied to it, the grey skirt and Transdev Logos. The buses were on a Volvo B7TL chassis which had a 3-speed Voith Gearbox.

In 2011, Transdev was bought out by what is today's London United RATP Group and therefore buses were operated for a while being devoid of any sort of logo. Eventually, the London United Logo was applied to the buses on 9 after a while.

The buses on 9 are now going under a refurbishment, which means to match TfL's new standards, the Grey skirt was removed, new seats, still with Esteban Civic and a engine steam clean.

The 9 is allocated the longer wheelbase version of the Vyking but sometimes the 10m ones can make an appearance on the 9 as VE9 travels along Kensington High Street on the sunny day of 2nd of May. 

PG04 WHA/ VE9 on route 9 to Aldwych.
(C) LondonBuses72

Just recently, a lot of movement has happened in Stamford Brook (V), with buses moving in and out of the garages, such as DPS's and ADH's settling in their new home with the SLE's leaving for FW, 5 VLE's from 9's allocation were sold to Sullivan Buses for the new 626 contract starting in September 2013 which is respectively lost from Metroline. It is expected that the buses will be refurbished into Sullivan Buses typical livery, with a white strip across the upper deck, yellow doors and red seats. This isn't the first time Sullivan has bought buses off London United, as they do have a history for buying two VP's that were from AV.

The VLE's are now re-numbered ELV5, ELV7-10. Here I give you a quick fleetlist:

PA04 CYH - ELV5 - Former VLE24

PO54 ADU - ELV7 - Former VLE40

PO54 OOE - ELV8 - Former VLE43

PO54 OOF - ELV9 - Former VLE44

PO54 OOG - ELV10 - Former VLE45

2 of these buses (VLE44 and 45) have been spotted doing some rail replacement shuttles recently. Keep your eyes peeled for those.

Route 9 Fleetlist:

PG04 WHA - VE9
PG04 WHC - VLE1
PG04 WHD - VLE2
PG04 WHE - VLE3
PG04 WHF - VLE4
PG04 WHH - VLE5
PG04 WHJ - VLE6
PG04 WHK - VLE7
PG04 WHL - VLE8
PG04 WHM - VLE9
PG04 WHN - VLE10
PG04 WHP - VLE11
PG04 WHR - VLE12
PG04 WHS - VLE13
PG04 WHT - VLE14
PG04 WHU - VLE15
PG04 WHV - VLE16
PG04 WHW - VLE17
PG04 WHX - VLE18
PG04 WHZ - VLE19
PG04 WJA - VLE20
PA04 CYC - VLE21
PA04 CYE - VLE22
PA04 CYF - VLE23
PA04 CYJ - VLE25

Now we move onto 9H, our second route.

Route 9H:

ALD913B on route 9H to Trafalgar Square.
(C) LondonBuses72

We now move to 9H, the youngest route out of all - But with the oldest buses running the route! The 9H is just a shortened service of 9 and is one of the 2 heritage services in the whole of London, the other one being 15H. 

The 9H started in 2005 where former mayor Ken Livingstone wanted the iconic routemasters to stay in London and chose two routes which would have a heritage service running them. 

The 9 was one of them, with a heritage service daily running between Royal Albert Hall and Aldwych between 09:30 and 19:00 running along the same roads as 9. This was because the routemasters were step-entrance and so wheelchair users couldn't use the buses so there had to be a step-free alternative which was to use the regular route 9.

650 DYE/ SRM3 on route 9H to Kensington High Street/ Holland Road. This bus is in a silver livery.
(C) LondonBuses72

First Centrewest won the contract for the 9H opposed to London United's 9 and N9 using 6 routemasters from Westbourne Park (X) garage.

On the 13th November 2010, the 9H was extended to Kensington High Street/ Holland Road but at the same time, journeys to Aldwych were curtailed to Trafalgar Square at the same time.

Roughly around the 22nd next month, the 9H will be operated by the new Australian based Tower Transit bus company.

9H Fleetlist:

204 CLT - RM1204

218 CLT - RM1218

562 CLT - RM1562

627 DYE- RM1627

640 DYE- RM1640

650 DYE - SRM3

735 DYE - RM1735

776 DYE - RM1776

ALD913B - RM1913

Route N9:

YX12 FNT/ ADE12 on route N9 to Aldwych. Once again, just blinded for.
(C) Lewis JN

The N9 (As many of you might have guessed - The N9 is the night version of 9 and  9H.) It runs as the normal 9 until Hammersmith where the route leaves it's day equivalent and follows the 27 to Turnham Green via Stamford Brook Bus garage, then the 237 to Hounslow Bus Station via Brentford, Syon Lane and Isleworth where then N9 follows the 222 to Heathrow North then to serve terminals 1,2 and 3 then to terminate at Terminal 5. 

So all in one, N9 is the night equivalent of 237, 9, N9 and half of 222.

The route is another London United RATP group route and is run from Hounslow (AV) bus garage using Scania Omnicities which are mounted on a N230UD Chassis (SP) and are 10.6m long.

The N9 replaced the Hammersmith to Heathrow section of route N97 and was only going as far as Terminals 1,2 and 3. These routes, if you have noticed, are supposed to be the night equivalent of the Piccadilly Line between Hammersmith and Heathrow.

The N9 also went Kingston at some point, through two different routes but that section has been withdrawn.

In 2008, N9 was extended from the Central Bus Station to Terminal 5.

N9 operation starts at around 22:00 with the first bus starting from Hounslow Bus Station heading to Aldwych with a bus around every 15 minutes. The last bus for the night finishes at around 08:02 terminating at Heathrow Terminal 5.

This will never happen as far as I'm concerned - But this photo shows ADH32 on route N9 to Heathrow Terminal 5.
(C) LondonBuses72

Fleetlist:

YN56 FCF - SP5

YN56 FCJ - SP7

YN56 FBA - SP8

YN56 FBO - SP10

YN56 FBU - SP11

YN56 FBV - SP12

YN56 FBX - SP13

YN56 FBY - SP14

YN56 FBZ - SP15

YP59 ODS - SP139

YT10 UWA - SP165

YT10 UWB - SP166

YT10 UWD - SP167

YT10 UWF - SP168

YT10 UWG - SP169

YT10 UWH - SP170

YT10 XBU - SP171

YT10 XBV - SP172

YT10 XBW - SP173

YT10 XBX - SP174

YT10 XBY - SP175

YT10 XBZ - SP176

YT10 XCA - SP177

YT10 XCB - SP178

YT10 XCC - SP179

YT10 XCD - SP180

YT10 XCE - SP181

YT10 XCF - SP182

YT10 XCG - SP183

YT10 XCH - SP184

YT10 XCJ - SP185

YT10 XCK - SP186

YT10 XCL - SP187

YT10 XCM - SP188

YT10 XCN - SP189

YT10 XCO - SP190

Remembering other SP's may appear too!

After such a lengthy post, we thank you for reading this post and also I'd like to thank Lewis for allowing me to use his photo. Keep your eyes peeled, you might see a ADE on N9 someday.