Operator Metroline Night-time 24 hour service End Victoria bus station | Garage Willesden (AC) Start Willesden | |
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Via Kensal Rise
Ladbroke Grove
Notting Hill
Kensington Palace
Knightsbridge
Hyde Park Corner | ||
London Buses route 52 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. It runs between Willesden garage and Victoria bus station, and is operated by Metroline.
Contents
History
Route 52 began in the 1930s, running from Victoria to Mill Hill, and on to Borehamwood on Monday to Saturday peak journeys. The Borehamwood terminus changed several times: in 1951, it was withdrawn from Warwick Road and Drayton Road to Elstree Way Hotel, but extended back on 3 February 1953, and further extended to Brook Road on 3 February 1954.
Another extension took the route to Rossington Avenue on Sundays from 1956. Seven years later this was extended to include Monday to Friday peak workings. In 1967 the Mill Hill terminus was changed from Mill Hill Green Man to the then new Mill Hill Broadway Station. The route was then withdrawn beyond Mill Hill Broadway in 1969, the Borehamwood - Mill Hill section being replaced by route 292. Frequency cuts led to over 2,000 passengers signing a petition for the improvement of route 52 in the same year.
In December 1993 the contract to run the route was won by London Coaches, who in July 1994 transferred the route to its Atlas Bus & Coach subsidiary as it had a garage in Willesden, close to the route's terminus. Atlas operated the route with Leyland Titans in a route-specific livery. In November 1994, route 52 was included in the sale of Atlas Bus & Coach to Metroline.
On 8 December 2012, route 52 was retained by Metroline. It is operated out of Willesden garage.
On 17 November 2016, 14 people were injured as a bus on route 52 mounted a pavement and crashed into a building near Ladbroke Grove.
Current route
Route 52 operates via these primary locations: