The non-London bus that travels into Central London | London Line 702

[@katrinabryce]

The Oxford Tube is classified as a bus service between Victoria and Hillingdon, then a coach service the rest of the way to Oxford.

[@SomeoneExplores]

I've always found the Oxford Tube such an oddity haha. Coach-bus vibes but every 15 minutes. Wild!

[@patrickchampion8179]

​@SomeoneExplores tbf it justifies that service especially at peak times - it's a very busy service. Mainly because Oxford station is right on the western edge of town so for the entire eastern half of the city the Oxford Tube is way more convenient (also peak fares Oxford to London are absurdly expensive whereas the coach fare is much more reasonable). Still have good memories of spending most of the week after last exams shuttling back and forth three or four times and visiting just about every borough/suburb in London

[@TimothyMokCJ]

Oxford Tube is more like Malaysia-Singapore Bus 869 from Legoland Malaysia to Suntec City.

[@shazrahman8556]

Train style table seats? That is a smart looking bus

[@carlo-vaughan]

They have similar buses up here in the border regions of Scotland, operator being Borders Buses

[@LothianBusesPhotos]

@@carlo-vaughan Indeed they do. They are actually the same seats as featured on a lot of Lothian vehicles, Lazzerini 3840s but with less specifiactions.

[@carlo-vaughan]

Interesting@@LothianBusesPhotos , I'll be going to Edinburgh and that area on Saturday so I'll have a look

[@LothianBusesPhotos]

@@carlo-vaughan It's not on every bus and it's only the seat shape they have, USB charging is supplied at the bottom.

[@carlo-vaughan]

@@LothianBusesPhotos I'll still have a look anyway lol

[@benjaminwinchester3408]

I genuinely love your content and presenting style, hope your channel grows you deserve it

[@tonys1636]

Aldershot & District once ran buses from towns in Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire into Central London in the 50's and 60's often in competition with LT's Green Line. The operator had the nickname of 'ava shot and risk it' as operated 8 ft wide Bristol buses when others used 7 ft 6 in wide ones, attempting to pass one on a country lane was a risk.

[@cliffordhurst2564]

There used to be a service which ran between Aldgate picking up through London then on to Reading with some devices extended to a stately home nearby.

[@aaronsmith9209]

To think this is one of the remnants of what was once such an extensive network, the 702, 724 and SL7 are really all that's left of Greenline. 757 is more coach than bus. It'll be interesting to see if Superloop makes me a difference in Outer London as I think if done right, limited stop routes could be well used in commuter areas near London too, especially for journeys that trains can't really serve or are awkward. The 702 looks well used, not surprising as Reading buses clearly care about their services, I can't say the same with Arriva and the 724. The local greenline route, way before my time was the 715 from Hertford to Guildford via Enfield, Central London and Kingston, sounds like a hell of a journey! Some counties like Sussex, Norfolk and Yorkshire have some very long routes serving the gaps left by trains and do pretty well despite less people about. I'll never forget using the coastliner 843 from Malton to Scarborough last year to find on the way back it goes all the way to Leeds!

[@colinshearring3934]

Good old 715 that brings back memories

[@aaronsmith9209]

@@colinshearring3934 Yeah I would've loved to have ridden it, would make getting between Herts and London much more straightforward. The 715 still exists at the Kingston to Guildford end though but service ends a lot earlier now than when it was Greenline.

[@trainlagged]

Oxford Tube is also a bus route into central London (although it uses coach vehicles it remains a bus route)

[@appytight8468]

There have always been bus routes like this into central London. In the 1960's an 1970's there were Greenline coaches - about 30 or 40 routes, 3 digit route numbers all beginning with 7 - and Thames Valley buses had routes to/from such places as Reading. Obviously technology means there's better facilities on board now than 50 or 60 years ago but there's nothing fundamentally new.

[@JelMain]

Here on the northern edge of London, we have the Hatfield Unibus as well as TFL.

[@HampsteadOwl]

The Greenline buses though weren't express routes that headed to some major centre on the motorway. They would start some way out ofLondon, make their way in and through the suburbs to the centre and then out to the other side. So the 718 for example (which I rode a lot) went from Harlow to Windsor, with Victoria being the mid-way point. Even in those days the full journey could take 3-3.5 hours easily; with today's traffic it would be more like 5-6.

[@JelMain]

@@HampsteadOwl Not all, though, the 727 was Dartford-Windsor via Croydon, iirc. The 307 still runs, but as a TFL red service.

[@HampsteadOwl]

@@JelMain You are right, there were a couple of variants on the standard pattern. The 727 as I recall went from Gatwick to Luton airports, via Heathrow, but through south western and western suburbs, and not round the M25. It was the 726 (with a 725 variant) that did Dartford-Windsor. Part of it survived for a long time in TfL's X26, though that has now been subsumed as part of the "Superloop" network. Then there is the 724 which, as mentioned in the video, still survives between Heathrow and Harlow. The 307 though never had Greenline origins. It was always a red route and is today a shorter version of the old 107 which skimmed the north edge of London all the way from Enfield to Queensbury. - .

[@JelMain]

@@HampsteadOwl No, I lived on the route c1988-93 and it was definitely Green Line then.

[@Caambrinus]

The numbering and the colour recall the old Green Line (to/from outer London) services.

[@AndyChamberlain-e6u]

Great video - quite an eventful journey what with the breakdown etc!

[@xd_transportation731]

I usually take the 22 : 10 from Victoria to Reading via Windsor. Most people got off at Slough, and the remaining at Windsor. Almost every single time I was the only passenger between Windsor and Reading via M4 !!! Fun fact is that not many people in Reading know about this London Line service as it is only advertised between London and Legoland.

[@raymondhunt6109]

Just found your channel and enjoyed the video as I used to be a driver for Reading Transport and then Alder Valley at Reading, we used to operate a limited stop service to London Victoria every hour every day via Maidenhead,Slough and Heathrow and a fast service direct to London via the M4 called 'Londonlink. Sadly Reading Alder Valley garage closed late '80's. Nice to see Reading buses running to London again.

[@little-gworld1901]

I saw this bus when going into London and thought it was a tfl bus or some other operator although i would have never guessed it was reading buses operating it!! Really interesting to see a bus go on a motorway for a long time. There is another route that goes into London that is non tfl or a greenline route or airport bus and its the 420 that goes from whitebushes (redhill) or on Sundays crawley to sutton its run by brighton and hoves part of metrobus (not the part of the company run by go ahead London), oh and the routes getting hydrogen buses soon

[@Fercough]

20 mins late is a decent enough result up here in Yorkshire.

[@EmilDautovic94]

I've seen this bus about but didn't realise it was the only non-TfL route in London.. also it looks peng so will have to give it a go!!

[@AymanTravelTransport]

The Manchester equivalent to this would be the WitchWay X43 which goes up to Rawtenstall and Burnley in Lancashire. They also use smart buses with similar bells and whistles (table seats, similar LCD screens, USB charging, fancy lighting, etc.) to what you find on the 702.

[@neilcrawford8303]

Great video. I remember the days of Green Line and London Country buses. Green Line had a varied fleet from coaches to RFs and RMCs. Always fun when a Green Line RMC with its sliding rear platform doors substituted for a regular bus on the 406. I used to get the X26 between Kingston and Heathrow, a remnant of the Green Line 726, when it was still operated by Quality Line (Epsom Coaches) with Mercedes Citaros. Lovely bus to travel on. Loved the sound of the engine, and of the transmission going through the gears. Where I live now, the buses go to Liverpool, Preston and Ormskirk.

[@ForburyLion]

Reading Buses used to run double deckers into London for many years under the Goldline brand.

[@michellebell5092]

A bus replacement bus service. Actually I have been on one of those, the X26 now SL7.

[@andrewmacbrayne8694]

I used to (2012-2013) take the Greenline from Hemel Hempstead to Baker Street. It was great because it was cheaper than the train and also the train stations in Hemel are in the middle of nowhere whereas the bus drove into the town centre. The route got canned by Arriva a couple of years ago. Must be a real pain for anyone who relied on it.

[@Nooticus]

Very nice review. Explained the faults and positives very objectively. Certainly a unique route. I expect if it wasn’t for legoland then this wouldn’t be very well used

[@darrenwicks5772]

I grew up in Reading before moving to London at the first opportunity. There used to be a great regular bus service to London run by both alder valley (then Beeline) and reading transport. Infact reading transport service used to run the X1 service to Aldgate before changing the service and running to Victoria. It used to be ideal for me as I lived in west London near Hammersmith which was one of the first stops in London

[@niallmgray]

Victoria to Reading is on the £2 fare scheme? There's a cost effective way to get home..

[@SpontaneousSojourns]

you know for sure it cost £2?

[@RobertGMII]

@@SpontaneousSojourns it does.

[@theleedsbusdriver]

Great video matey :)

[@mattingham83]

Remember when me and a colleague put the 724 timetable into the railway departure screen system we used so it would show at Watford Junction station. Sadly both of us moved jobs and I don't think the timetable is in the new system either :(

[@pavld335]

I always enjoy your journeys!

[@robertthompson6346]

Just found your stuff - Trains boats buses planes brilliant

[@AlasdairMacCaluim]

I’m actually getting this to Legoland next week!

[@AlasdairMacCaluim]

I’m hoping the Legoland Express miniature railway is running….(Love a wee train me)

[@neilmossey]

Fantastic video thanks I grew up in London and have never been on a Green Line - they always seemed exotic and other worldly with their weird numbers on the bus stop. Think I'm gonna try this this year!!! Just tried looking up the fares - it's not 2 quid is it??? My research is terrible

[@SomeoneExplores]

Thank you very much! Yeah it is £2. Even when travelling to/from London!

[@neilmossey]

@@SomeoneExplores That's incredible - thanks!

[@LJ07EBP]

Great video, keep it up

[@anthonykdramanu9158]

This is a bus service I have to try!

[@theleedsbusdriver]

Same

[@michaelfearon1279]

Nice video

[@JayJourneys_1]

Theres a bus that looks like that with tables and seats it Redditch a town in worcestershire

[@tomcarr1358]

I admire your energy. Don't stop. We have double deckers from Norwich to Peterborough with the same facilities and seating arrangement buses . Great for watching farmers at work. National tax payers have just paid for a fleet of electric double ds. in Norwich. Some buses sound diesel electric like Boris buses but not the same builder. More strange railway routes to the home counties when you are ready, please. And some Miles Davis if it suits.

[@SomeoneExplores]

I need to head back up that way some time soon! I went and did that express bus between Kings Lynn and Peterborough before they got the new buses and changed the route haha!

[@highpath4776]

miss the old Reading/Southend X1

[@TransportNut89]

Maybe soon, try out the 730/731 perhaps

[@billmilligan1705]

It's a shame you have never visited the cathedral in Slough or tried Slough's famous Trembelet's pie from Forteman's the UK's oldest bakery and chicken shop

[@highpath4776]

I wonder if it worth extending the Heathrow's up to Hammersmith

[@tsungiraichiramba]

good video, you should defo do 724 at some point

[@john07973]

Good stuff 👍🏻

[@pj6641]

The flightline service from Basingstoke to Heathrow Airport are operated with a new fleet of Dedicated Plaxton Panther coaches replacing the Double Deckers on the route shame they keep breaking down poor maintainence

[@mobiletransportvideo]

9:13 curious if this bus had the same amenities!

[@highpath4776]

I presume the present fare is £2 on the stage section

[@SomeoneExplores]

The £2 fare runs along the whole route!

[@anthonykdramanu9158]

3:27 Lowe Ghana man😭🙏🏾

[@SomeoneExplores]

Haha. Afcon has been amazing this year haha

[@memesbringer]

there is also one to lego land from central london i think

[@peterdean8009]

It's this one!

[@martinholland3938]

Great value if it was the £2 fare wonder how far west you could get from London in a day using the £2 fares.

[@ThatLeeNoble]

Looks like TFL treat it like a coach though e.g. it's a coach stop.

[@Listenerandlearner870]

How long does it take ?

[@kimmy92623]

I need to start travelling to Hammersmith from Slough and want to take this bus but is it really £2? Do you have to get it on the app or pay on the bus?

[@BlainRhys]

I Have Been on 702 When 759 is on it

[@topmandog1]

blackpool transport buses have the same phone holders and wireless charging and usb, but most have been damaged by stupid teenagers, the newer ones have the stop button on the seat the older batch have it in the normal place

[@theleedsbusdriver]

Same buses

[@topmandog1]

@@theleedsbusdriver that would make sense I didn't note what bus you were on tbh

[@theleedsbusdriver]

@@topmandog1 yh same manufacturer :)

[@kaptennazmijames]

How do you pay for the £2 ticket?

[@SomeoneExplores]

You just say your destination and tap your card on the reader when you enter the bus

[@kaptennazmijames]

@@SomeoneExplores ok got it. Pay on the bus. Just did that. Thank you for the reply and the video. Really useful

[@stevehornsby7727]

Can I use my Freedom pass on this bus?

[@iankeeley1854]

Can you use a disabled person's freedom pass on the service?

[@harryelliott4310]

London Line 702

[@HertsLondonBusVideosOfficial]

Nah really????

[@n0rthernbuses]

Nah bro i dont believe you

[@tastyblox]

Just ignore this guy tbh, he legit comments this sort of stuff on literally any transport video imaginable

[@annapek5634]

uxbridge got buses that aren't London buses

[@SomeoneExplores]

not in central London though 👀

[@MaxTaylor-h2s]

Yes first Berkshire carrousel buses and Arriva herts and Essex run in Uxbridge and tfl of course

[@LifeOnCoach]

✌🏾

[@kuba7889x]

🍖🍗🥓