Home | Bus routes | Operational details | Service changes | Operators & Garages | Photo gallery

The 234 has for some time had a restriction to shorter buses, though it is not quite clear why. But in May 2007 there was a short term need for buses for route E6 (which really does need short buses) owing to late delivery of new buses, so the DMS class short Marshall Darts from the 234 were pinched and replaced by longer 10.2m DLD class Pointer Darts that had been displaced from the 251 by new buses. Although the Marshalls returned briefly (the DLDs going to the 84 – where they did not last long either!), TfL rather liked the idea of longer buses on the 234, and so the arrangement was made permanent when the opportunity arose when route 90 got new buses. This also assisted Metroline in disposing of its Marshall bodied vehicles.

However, for reasons unknown to me it was decided to introduced new buses to the 234 mid-contract in October - admittedly the DLDs were about 11 years old by then, with another 5 years of the contract to go. Even more strangely, the route has reverted to small buses, even though the capability of the route to take longer buses was by then well-proven. These are Alexander Dennis E20Ds to the 9.6m length, with Enviro200 bodywork, and DEM1352 (LK62 DGO) on Whetstone on Saturday 20 October.

Photo © Au Moran.

Brief history of route 234, with thanks to Selassie Lawson for compiling it up to 2002.

• Started 7 October 1989 as replacement for the withdrawn section of route 134, running between Archway and Barnet Church with Metrobuses and Volvo Ailsas from London Northern's Potters Bar (PB) garage.
• From 1991, extended to Barnet Hospital, although early morning/late evening journeys ran to Potters Bar.
• 25th June 1994: Diverted via Coppets Road instead of Colney Hatch Lane, withdrawn between Muswell Hill and Archway, and Barnet terminal changed to The Spires.
  • Garage journeys running during the day to Potters Bar (instead of just early morning and late evening journeys).
  • Converted to midibus operation with SR class Optare StarRiders.
• 31st January 1998: new contract: route completely withdrawn between Barnet and Potters Bar, but extended from Muswell Hill to East Finchley via Fortis Green.
  • New low-floor DMS class Darts introduced, originally ordered by MTL London Northern (which was operating the route at the time), but quickly painted into Metroline livery as that company had purchased MTL London.
• 31st August 2002: extended from East Finchley to Highgate Wood, buses terminating at Sussex Gardens there.
• May 2007: Temporary allocation of DLDs, then DMSs returned in July.
• September 2007: "Permanently" converted to DLD.
• September/October 2012: Converted to E20Dart operation.

Navigation

	Previous	Next
Chronologically	220	67
Numerically	233	235

See also routes E6, 251, 84, 90, 134

Photo Gallery | Bus route list | Operational details | Service changes | Operators & Garages