Green Line route 797

Coordinates: 51°54′04″N 0°12′07″W / 51.901°N 0.202°W / 51.901; -0.202

797
Overview
System Green Line
Operator Uno
Garage Hatfield
Vehicle Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro
Route
Start Hatfield
End London; Baker Street
Length 23 miles (37 km)
See also Green Line Coaches

Green Line route 797 was a limited-stop express coach service, most recently operated by Uno as part of the Green Line Coaches network. It operated between Hatfield and London. Arriva decided to stop running this route in 2015 and Uno took over with a revised and reduced service from March 2015.[1] The company ended the service in September 2016.

History

The UK coach market was deregulated in 1980 under the Transport Act 1980.

Route 797 was started by Green Line in the 1980s and once ran from London to Cambridge.[2] When London Country Bus Services was broken up in 1986, route 797 passed with the Stevenage depot to London Country North East, sold in 1988 to AJS Group, whoch established the Sovereign brand. The operation was sold in 1990 to Luton & District Transport, which was itself then acquired by Arriva Shires & Essex. In 1996, Arriva sold the route back to Sovereign, by then owned by the Blazefield Group.[3]

In 2004, Arriva purchased the Hertfordshire side of the Sovereign business, with the London side being sold to Transdev London. From 2005 to 2015, Arriva operated the route, but operation was transferred to Uno.

In 2001, before the sale, Sovereign purchased two Volvo B10M/Plaxton Premiere, which were specially branded for the route.[4] However these are no longer used, being replaced by older Van Hool coaches and more recently, newer ones that were cascaded from the 757 London-Luton service. They were specially branded for the 797 service and feature rear adverts for shopping, leisure, and work uses of the service.

A standard bus on route 797. The only green is that of an advertisement for Plusbus.

It was common to see standard Arriva Shires & Essex buses, instead of coaches, running on the route. They were mainly ex-Sovereign dual purpose vehicles.

Unobus operated the route from Hatfield to London Victoria from 28 February 2015 until 31 August 2015, when route was made to terminate at London Baker Street. At the same time, the route north to Stevenage and Hitchin was extended to terminate at Hitchin railway station. Previously, the service north from Hatfield was provided by connecting service 625/635 to Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworh and Baldock. This service was withdrawn on 31 August 2015 and replaced by the 797.. The 797 service was ended in September 2016 owing to a lack of funding support from Hertfordshire County Council.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Under-threat Welwyn Hatfield bus service saved - but will not run at weekends - Welwyn Hatfield Times, 12 February 2015". Archived from the original on 12 February 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  2. ↑ "History of Green Line Coach Services". Archived from the original on 14 November 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  3. ↑ Competition Commission report (2005) Archived 3 March 2005 at the Wayback Machine. para 2.7
  4. ↑ Fotopic - Picture of the two new Plaxtons Accessed 23 March 2008


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