London Buses route 69

History

Introduced in February 1960 to replace Trolleybus route 669 Stratford to North Woolwich Ferry, Route 69 was extended in April 1960 from Stratford to Chingford Mount and, as part of London Transport's 'Reshaping' plan in 1968, further extended to Chingford station.

Upon the sale of London Buses' East London subsidiary in 1994, the route passed to Stagecoach, then operating between Walthamstow bus station and North Woolwich.

Upon being re-tendered in 1999, it was retained by Stagecoach London with a new southern terminus, London City Airport. The North Woolwich section being covered by new route 474. The contract was again renewed, as a 24-hour service, commencing on 30 April 2004.

On 17 December 2005, it was withdrawn between London City Airport and Canning Town station as part of a series of changes in connection with the Docklands Light Railway being extended. Stagecoach London commenced a further contract on 30 April 2011. In October 2015, three Alexander Dennis Enviro400VE MMCs with inductive wireless charging technology, which allows its batteries to receive a charging boost when stationary at specially equipped bus stops entered service on route 69.

When next tendered, it was awarded to Tower Transit. The new contract commenced on 6 February.

In 2012, vandals damaged a bus by setting it on fire. The bus, Spirit of London, was a tribute to the victims of the 2005 London bombings. The police later arrested some teenagers.

The route transferred from Tower Transit to Go-Ahead London on 1 May 2021.

Current route

Route 69 operates via these primary locations:

• Walthamstow bus station
• Leyton Bakers Arms
• Leyton Midland Road station
• Leyton station
• Maryland station
• Stratford bus station
• Plaistow station
• Canning Town bus station

References

References

1. [https://tfl.gov.uk/forms/13796.aspx?btID=56 Bus tender results Route 69/N69] Transport for London 24 October 2003
2. [http://www.lcacc.org/access/ Bus Services] {{webarchive. link. (2016-05-16 London City Airport Consultative Committee)
3. [https://tfl.gov.uk/forms/13796.aspx?btID=800 Bus tender results Route 69/N69] Transport for London 6 September 2010
4. Murray, James. (28 August 2014). "London to get hybrid buses that could charge wirelessly". The Guardian.
5. Brian, Matt. (27 August 2014). "London to start trialling wirelessly charged buses". Engadget.
6. Kee, Edwin. (27 August 2014). "Hybrid Bus Charging Technology Trial Kicks Off In London". Uber Gizmo.
7. "October start for Enviro400 virtual electric trial" ''[[Buses Magazine. Buses]]'' issue 725 August 2015 page 10
8. [https://tfl.gov.uk/forms/13796.aspx?btID=1255 Bus tender results Route 69/N69] Transport for London 7 October 2015
9. [http://issuu.com/goaheadlondon/docs/bus_talk_dec15_pgs Tender News] ''Bus Talk'' ([[Go-Ahead London]]) issue 37 December 2015 page 11
10. (20 October 2012). "Suspected arson on 7/7 tribute bus 'Spirit of London'". BBC News.
11. (August 2020). "Rise and Shine!". Go-Ahead London.
12. [http://www.tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/69 Route 69 Map] Transport for London