Essex bus routes 240 and 250

Essex routes 240 and 250 are commercial and contracted bus routes in Essex on the outskirts of London, United Kingdom. The Monday to Saturday daytime 250 is commercially operated by Arriva Shires & Essex. The Mon-Sat morning, Mon-Sat evening and Sunday 250 and Sunday only 240 are contracted by Essex County Council to Regal Busways.
Sunday route 251 operates one return journey from Debden and Loughton to Waltham Cross operating via Upshire, it is also contracted to Regal Busways.
History
The 250 route began in March 1979 as a London Transport route operating from Waltham Cross to Grange Hill via Waltham Abbey, Loughton, Buckhurst Hill and Chigwell operating out of Loughton bus garage. In 1981 the route was withdrawn between Buckhurst Hill and Grange Hill and then extended to South Woodford replacing route 255. In 1982, the section between Loughton and Buckhurst Hill was swapped with the 167, so that the 250 served Palmerston Road, with the 167 taking over the Valley Hill and Loughton Way sections.
In 1986, route 250 was transferred to Sampsons Coaches under the Essex tendering scheme, and so was no longer a London Transport route. Sampsons Coaches was later bought out by County Bus in February 1989.
Under County Bus, the route was shortened to operate Debden to Waltham Cross via Loughton and Waltham Abbey, branded as a TownLink service like all County's routes allocated to Harlow garage. Cowie Group took over County Bus in 1995 then re-vitalised their bus company with a new name in 1997 - Arriva.
The route has been with Arriva Shires & Essex ever since originally operating out of Langston Road garage until it was built on, since then it has operated from Harlow garage. The Sunday only 240 is a fairly recent variation (introduced in the late 1990s), operating via Oakwood Hill instead of Borders Lane. The Sunday 240/250 service is run under contract to Essex County Council - Arriva lost the Sunday contract to Regal Busways in November 2006.
From 29 August 2010, Regal Busways began to operate the Mon-Sat evening journeys (and a few early morning journeys) which are contracted to Essex County Council, and on 4 September 2010 the Mon-Sat route was transferred within Arriva from Harlow garage to Ware garage.
Vehicles
Arriva Shires & Essex
The most common type of bus to work this route are Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2s and Optare Solos, but other types often stray onto the service.
* Dennis Dart SLF / Plaxton Pointer 2
* Optare Solo
* VDL SB120 / Wright Cadet
* Optare Versa
Regal Busways
Regal have operated a variety of vehicles on the route, but the most common vehicle allocation is the slimline Optare Solo.
* Optare Solo slimline
* Dennis Dart / Plaxton Pointer
Route information
* Evening and Sunday (and some early morning) services 240/250 operated under contract to Essex County Council, and operated by Regal Busways
* Route 240 only operates on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays.
* Includes route 251 Sunday only service which has one return journey on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays only. Leaving Debden and Loughton in the morning, returning in the late evening. Also operated by Regal Busways.
* For more services between Upshire, Waltham Abbey and Waltham Cross throughout the week, Arriva/Regal Busways route 251 service operates every 20 minutes. ( to Waltham Cross/Hammond Street via Waltham Abbey)
* Intalink Explorer tickets are accepted and can be purchased, as well as the Essex Saver and Essex Sunday Saver.
* Roadrunner route 255 operates along the same route as the 250. See List of bus routes in Essex for more information.
Current route
Route departing Debden
* Debden Broadway
* Chigwell Lane* (Route 240 only)
* * (Route 240 only)
* * (Route 240 only)
* (Routes 250 and 251 only)
* (Routes 250 and 251 only)
* (Routes 250 and 251 only)
* Loughton Station
*
*
*
* Goldings Hill
* Wake Arms
* Woodridden Hill
* Skillet Hill
* * (Route 251 only)
* * (Route 251 only)
* (Routes 240 and 250 only)
* (Routes 240 and 250 only)
*
*
* Waltham Cross Station
*
Route departing Waltham Cross
*
* Waltham Cross Station
*
*
* * (Route 251 only)
* * (Route 251 only)
* (Routes 240 and 250 only)
* (Routes 240 and 250 only)
* Skillet Hill
* Woodridden Hill
* Wake Arms
* Goldings Hill
*
*
*
* Loughton Station
* (Routes 250 and 251 only)
* (Routes 250 and 251 only)
* (Routes 250 and 251 only)
* (Route 240 only)
* (Route 240 only)
* Chigwell Lane (Route 240 only)
* Debden Broadway

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