All Over London Bus Blog: Route 257 - A very popular operated route indeed...

After only 7 years, Route 257 changes hands again. For the first time would go to Go-Ahead London. Provisonally under their Blue Triangle base in Rainham which is quite a long way from where the route is ran. However, it has now been confirmed that the 257 will run from Northumberland Park Garage (NP). The route runs from Stratford to Walthamstow Central via Leytonstone and Whipps Cross.

The 257 itself only started in the late 1980's to replace Route 262 which was withdrawn North of Stratford. The route has hardly changed since. It was first ran from Leyton. In 1991 the route transferred over to Northumberland Park (NP) depot.

A couple of years later the route was moved from Northumberland Park (NP) to the former Hackney base (H). This featured a rediculous conversion from Double Deck operation to Single Decker operation - A massive drop in capacity meant that the 257 couldnt cope, especially in busy periods! Eventually, after only 10 months of Marshall operation the 257 was converted back to Double Deck operation, this resulted in deferring from the 123's conversion to Low Floor. TNLs were allocated to the route for the next 4 years.

In 2005, Stagecoach took back the contract of Route 257 and they placed it in their Stratford base (SD) with Leyton (T) no longer having the capacity to suffice the 257 allocation. New Tridents numbered 18463-18480 were bought for the route and only 18463 and 18464 have left the route, these two Tridents now at Catford while the rest remain with the route initally for them. In 2008 Stratford (SD) closed as it fell within the Olympic Park Boundaries and a new site was where the 257 was transferred in West Ham (WH).

The route passes on in one week and here are samples to what has ran on the route in the 7 year period under Stagecoach operation. A further post will appear once the changeover happens, so - watch this space!