After disseminating twelve cheques either in the post or at paying in machines in the banks in Croydon I caught the 1219 from East Croydon to Clapham Junction having just missed by seconds the direct train to Shepherds Bush at 1210. However at Clapham Junction I arrived with only six minutes to wait for the 1234 Stratford train which got me to Shepherds Bush for 1247, which was ahead of the stopping train from East Croydon. I then walked through Westfield to the White City bus station on the opposite side of the shopping centre.
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| White City bus station stop WJ |
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| Bus service should take 45 minutes approximately |
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| Notification of extension to the new station |
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| Mertoline's DEL2260 arriving |
I arrived at the bus stop at 1302 to find the service was expected to be 7-10 minute interval and duly at 1310 the bus, Metroline's DEL2260 arrived. However, when we reached the Shepherds Bush interchange an irate passenger complained she had waited twenty minutes for the bus. The bus was full and standing by 1315 when we left the interchange and headed initially east along the A40. Very soon the bus veered left into Royal Crescent and left again into St Anns Villas which becomes St Anns Road. At this stage we were following the route of the No 295 but after turning right after Latimer Road station the bus took St Marks Road left now accompanied by the No 7.
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| Pall Mall Deposit at junction of St Marks and Barlby Roads |
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| A tin tabernacle now home to the Willesden and St Mary Lebone sea cadet corps |
By the time we had reached Barlby Road at the end of St Marks Road there were some seats available and turning right here we joined the route of the No 70. This took us to Ladbroke Grove where as always there was slow traffic. The bus turned left and left again into Ladbroke Grove Sainsbury's at 1337 but no one boarded or got off here. From here we took Kilburn Lane now travelling with the No 28 and No 52 routes. Kilburn Lane turns right from Chamberlayne Road and we here joined the No 187 and No 6 routes to go past Queens Park station and onwards to reach Kilburn Park Road. Here we went left and rejoined with No 31 which also starts at White City bus station. We took Rudolph Road which enabled the route to access Kilburn Park Underground station and then Kilburn High Road.
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Sign above restaurant suggests original entrance to Kilburn High Road station and the AND refers
to the original station name of Kilburn and Maida Vale when it opened in 1852. |
Taking Kilburn High Road the bus then followed in a straight path past Brondesbury station up Shoot up Hill and on to Cricklewood where we reached the bus garage at 1412. It is then a short journey on past Dollis Hill Lane to a point where the bus turned right and finally is on a road that no other bus serves. However, this is just the access road te the new Brent Cross West station where I arrived at 1415. This extension from Cricklewood garage has only been served since the 10th of December, the same date as the opening of the railway station. This meant the journey took twenty minutes longer than booked at the White City bus stop and could be the reason for the service being unreliable as attested by the passenger at Shepherds Bush.
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| The new station entrance after arrival |
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| Station canopy with roof of Thameslink train |
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A class 700 Thameslink train arriving at Brent
Cross West to convey me to Blackfriars |
To get home I caught the 1417 Rainham Thameslink train from Brent Cross West station and alighted at Blackfriars to the catch a Three Bridges train three minutes behind the Rainham one as far as Norwood Junction. The 1509 train to Epsom then conveyed me home.
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