 | This article needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(April 2017) |
 East London Transit liveriedNew Routemaster on route EL1 in July 2022 | |
| Parent | Transport for London |
|---|---|
| Founded | 20 February 2010 |
| Headquarters | Westminster |
| Locale | East London |
| Service area | Barking & Dagenham,Redbridge |
| Service type | Bus rapid transit |
| Routes | 3
|
| Destinations | Ilford, Barking, Goodmayes, Thames View, Becontree Heath, Barking Riverside |
| Hubs | Barking Riverside |
| Fleet | New Routemaster |
| Fuel type | Hybrid |
| Operator | Blue Triangle (Go-Ahead London) |
East London Transit (ELT) is a part-segregated[1]bus rapid transit system in London, England, operated as part of theLondon Buses network. The East London Transit opened in phases between 2010 and 2013. The scheme for this system was developed byTransport for London to meet the existing and anticipated demand for public transport ineast London caused by theThames Gateway redevelopment, and has been planned to allow for a possible future upgrade totram operation.[2]
It connectsNational Rail,London Underground, theElizabeth line andLondon Overground stations in the London boroughs of theRedbridge, andBarking and Dagenham with other major population centers, such asBarking Riverside, that were currently only served by bus routes. The first stage of the scheme opened on 20 February 2010. There are proposals for a variety of extensions.
The East London Transit (ELT) was developed byTransport for London as an integrated public transport system in conjunction with theLondon Borough of Barking and Dagenham and theLondon Borough of Redbridge and other stakeholders.[3][4]
There are three routes in the East London Transit system. EL1 replaced the previous route 369 bus service and operated 24 hours a day, initially between Thames View Estate and Ilford, and has since been extended from Thames View Estate toBarking Riverside. EL2 operated over the whole length of the phase 1 route between Dagenham Dock and Ilford until March 2016, when it was amended to run to Becontree Heath after leaving Barking. EL3 replaced the previous route 387 operated between Little Heath and Barking Riverside, the route change through Barking Town Centre.[clarification needed] As a result of these changes,route 179 was withdrawn between Ilford and Barking and was diverted to terminate at Ilford (Hainault Street) bus terminus.[5][6]
Each route operates five buses an hour on Monday to Saturday daytimes and three buses an hour during the evenings and on Sunday; this gives a combined frequency of ten buses an hour over the core route from Barking to Thames View Estate during the day.[7][8]
Phase 1 commenced on 20 February 2010.[9]
Construction of phase 2 began in 2011 and was completed in 2013. It received funding from theHomes and Communities Agency.[10]
In 2013 it was proposed to extend route EL1 from Thames View Estate to Barking Reach, Mallards Road and a consultation was held.[11] The extended service started on 7 September 2013.[12]
In 2020, the route EL1 was extended from the Barking Reach terminus to further serve the new housing developments that had been built in the area. The route was extended to terminate at the newly built Northgate Road on the far east side of the development and was routed to pass the new Barking Riverside station and Barking Riverside pier that opened in 2022. Route EL3, which commenced operating on 18 February 2017, between Little Heath and Barking Reach but via Creekmouth, also has two schoolday journeys that are extended beyond Mallards Road to Northgate Road, however the route still terminates at Mallards Road at all other times.
Route EL1 operates via these primary locations:[13]
Route EL2 operates via these primary locations:[14]
Route EL3 operates via these primary locations:[15]
(limited service)
All services are operated byGo-Ahead London subsidiaryBlue Triangle usingNew Routemasters fromRiver Road garage. In February 2017, Blue Triangle commenced a new contract on routes EL1 and EL2 along with new route EL3 (which replaced the similarly routed 387). These routes gradually introduced New Routemasters, with some of them painted in East London Transit livery, which is coloured in different accents of red and mandarin orange.[16]
Early proposals for extensions have includedGants Hill for theCentral line,Rainham,Barkingside,Romford,Elm Park andCollier Row andHarold Wood.[2] Havering London Borough Council has voiced support for the extension to Rainham throughLondon Riverside.
In a bus network development paper from 2016, a new route EL4 was proposed betweenBarking Riverside station and Becontree Heath Leisure Centre viaBecontree Underground station. In a council meeting in July 2023, Barking & Dagenham council had talked with TfL about extending the proposed route toRomford.[17]
Additional proposals include services toGallions Reach for theDocklands Light Railway,East Ham,Silvertown andStratford.[18]
The East London Transit formed part of a plan for a much largerThames Gateway Transit service, which would use theThames Gateway Bridge to connect to theGreenwich Waterfront Transit on the south side of the River Thames. However, construction of the bridge and the Greenwich busway was cancelled in 2008.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Media related toEast London Transit at Wikimedia Commons
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