View source for East London Transit

{{Short description|Bus rapid transit scheme in London}}
{{Distinguish|East London line}}
{{update|date=April 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox bus transit
| name            = East London Transit
| logo            = 
| logo_size       = 
| image           = Go-Ahead_London_LT944_on_route_EL1.jpg
| image_size      = 300px
| image_caption   = East London Transit liveried [[New Routemaster]] on route EL1 in July 2022
| company_slogan  = 
| parent          = [[Transport for London]]
| founded         = 20 February 2010
| defunct         =
| headquarters    = [[Westminster]]
| locale          = [[East London]]
| service_area    = [[London Borough of Barking and Dagenham|Barking & Dagenham]], [[London Borough of Redbridge|Redbridge]]
| service_type    = [[Bus rapid transit]]
| alliance        = 
| routes          = 3
*EL1 ([[Ilford]]-[[Barking Riverside]])
*EL2 ([[Becontree Heath]]-[[Dagenham Dock]])
*EL3 ([[Little Heath, London|Little Heath]]-Barking Riverside)
| destinations    =Ilford, Barking, Goodmayes, Thames View, Becontree Heath, Barking Riverside 
| stops           = 
| hubs            = Barking Riverside 
| stations        = 
| lounge          = 
| fleet           = [[New Routemaster]]
                      
| <!--daily--> ridership = 
| annual ridership       =
| fuel_type       = Hybrid 
| operator        = [[Blue Triangle]] ([[Go-Ahead London]])
| ceo             = 
| leader_type     = 
| leader          = 
| website         = 
}}
'''East London Transit''' (ELT) is a part-segregated<ref>{{ cite web | title=Barking Riverside Extension Transport options summary report | publisher=Transport for London | url=https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/rail/barking-riverside-extension/user_uploads/barking-riverside-extension_-transport-options-summary-report_final-version.pdf-2 | access-date=22 June 2017 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405002534/https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/rail/barking-riverside-extension/user_uploads/barking-riverside-extension_-transport-options-summary-report_final-version.pdf-2 | archive-date=5 April 2016 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> [[Bus Rapid Transit]] in London, England, operated as part of the [[London Buses]] network. The East London Transit opened in phases between 2010 and 2013. The scheme for this system was developed by [[Transport for London]] to meet the existing and anticipated demand for public transport in [[east London]] caused by the [[Thames Gateway]] redevelopment, and has been planned to allow for a possible future upgrade to [[tram]] operation.<ref name="londoner">{{cite web|publisher=The Londoner |url=http://www.london.gov.uk/gla/publications/transport/east-londoner.pdf |title=Mapping The Changes |date=March 2006 |access-date=4 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090713210805/http://www.london.gov.uk/gla/publications/transport/east-londoner.pdf |archive-date=13 July 2009 }}</ref>

It connects [[National Rail]], [[London Underground]], [[Elizabeth line]] and [[London Overground]] stations in the London boroughs of the [[London Borough of Redbridge|Redbridge]], and [[London Borough of Barking and Dagenham|Barking and Dagenham]] with other major population centers, such as [[Barking Riverside]], that were currently only served by bus routes. The first stage of the scheme opened on 20 February 2010. There are proposals for a variety of extensions.

==History==
The East London Transit (ELT) was developed by [[Transport for London]] as an integrated public transport system in conjunction with the [[London Borough of Barking and Dagenham]] and the [[London Borough of Redbridge]] and other stakeholders.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-01-12|title=East London Transit {{!}} Transport for London|url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/networkandservices/2123.aspx|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112210924/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/networkandservices/2123.aspx|archive-date=12 January 2008|access-date=2020-12-28|website=[[Transport for London]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.burnsnice.com/portfolio/east-london-transit-phase-1a|title=Goodbye and thank you}}</ref>

There are three routes in the East London Transit system. EL1 replaced the previous route 369 bus service and operated 24 hours a day, initially between Thames View Estate and Ilford, and has since been extended from Thames View Estate to [[Barking Riverside]]. EL2 operated over the whole length of the phase 1 route between Dagenham Dock and Ilford until March 2016, when it was amended to run to Becontree Heath after leaving Barking. EL3 replaced the previous route 387 operated between Little Heath and Barking Riverside, the route change through Barking Town Centre.{{clarify|date=July 2017}} As a result of these changes, [[London Buses route 179|route 179]] was withdrawn between Ilford and Barking and was diverted to terminate at Ilford (Hainault Street) bus terminus.<ref>[https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/el1-387 Bus service proposal: routes EL1 and 387] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140321110650/https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/el1-387 |date=21 March 2014 }} Transport for London</ref><ref>[http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bsc-all-network.pdf Barking and Dagenham] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820141957/http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bsc-all-network.pdf |date=20 August 2016 }} Transport for London</ref>

Each route operates five buses an hour on Monday to Saturday daytimes and three buses an hour during the evenings and on Sunday; this gives a combined frequency of ten buses an hour over the core route from Barking to Thames View Estate during the day.<ref name="changes tfl">{{cite web | url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/livetravelnews/realtime/buses/bus-service-changes.pdf | title=Service changes – 18 January to 1 March 2010 | publisher=Transport for London | access-date=10 February 2010 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100805132524/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/livetravelnews/realtime/buses/bus-service-changes.pdf | archive-date=5 August 2010 | df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/emails/bus-service/el1-el2-leaflet.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2014-05-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001161511/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/emails/bus-service/el1-el2-leaflet.pdf |archive-date=1 October 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

===Delivered phases===
;Phase 1
*[[Ilford]] — [[Barking, London|Barking]] — [[Thames View Estate]] — [[Dagenham Dock railway station|Dagenham Dock station]]
Phase 1 commenced on 20 February 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2010/february/all-aboard-east-london-transit-as-new-bus-service-launches |title=All aboard East London Transit as new bus service launches |website=[[Transport for London]] |date=22 February 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120416203638/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/static/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/14486.html |archive-date=16 April 2012}}</ref>

;Phase 2
*Barking — Thames View Estate — [[Dagenham Dock]] 
Construction of phase 2 began in 2011 and was completed in 2013. It received funding from the [[Homes and Communities Agency]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/2123.aspx | publisher=Transport for London | title=East London Transit | access-date=4 February 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924003349/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/2123.aspx | archive-date=24 September 2008 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

===Extension to Barking Reach===
In 2013 it was proposed to extend route EL1 from Thames View Estate to Barking Reach and a consultation was held.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/el1-387/results/el1--387-full-consultation-report--2-.pdf |title=Have Your Say Transport for London |access-date=2014-03-21 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140321111008/https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/el1-387/results/el1--387-full-consultation-report--2-.pdf |archive-date=21 March 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The extended service started on 7 September 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/el1-387 |title=Bus service proposal: Routes EL1 and 387 - Transport for London - Citizen Space |access-date=2014-03-21 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140321110650/https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/el1-387 |archive-date=21 March 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

=== Extension to Barking Riverside, Northgate Road ===
[[File:Go-Ahead London bus on route EL1 at Barking Riverside.jpg|alt=A route EL1 bus on the new Northgate Road extension passing the newly opened Barking Riverside pier in summer 2022.|thumb|A route EL1 bus on the new Northgate Road extension passing the newly opened Barking Riverside pier.]]
In 2020, the route EL1 was extended from the Barking Reach terminus to further serve the new housing developments that had been built in the area. The route was extended to terminate at the newly built Northgate Road on the far east side of the development and was routed to pass the new Barking Riverside station and Barking Riverside pier that opened in 2022. Route EL3 also has two schoolday journeys that are extended beyond Mallards Road to Northgate Road, however the route still terminates at Mallards Road at all other times.

==Network==
[[File:East London Transit route.svg|600px|Map of ELT routes]]

Route EL1 operates via these primary locations:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/el1 |title=Route EL1 Map |publisher=[[Transport for London]]}}</ref>
*[[Ilford]] ''Hill'' for [[Ilford railway station|Ilford station]] {{rail-interchange|london|crossrail}} 
*[[Ilford]] ''Ilford Lane''
*[[Barking station]] {{rail-interchange|london|underground}} {{rail-interchange|london|overground}} {{rail-interchange|london|rail}}
*Vicarage Field Shopping Centre
*[[Creekmouth]] ''Waverley Gardens''
*[[Thames View Estate|Thames View]] ''Christ Church''
*[[Barking Riverside]] ''Riverside Centre''
*[[Barking Riverside station]] {{rail-interchange|london|overground}} {{rint|london|river}}
*[[Barking Riverside]] ''Northgate Road''

Route EL2 operates via these primary locations:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/el2 |title=Route EL2 Map |publisher=[[Transport for London]]}}</ref>
*[[Becontree Heath]] Leisure Centre
*[[Becontree]] ''Martins Corner''
*Barking ''Longbridge Road''
*[[Barking Park]] ''Bus Garage / Faircross''
*Barking station {{rail-interchange|london|underground}} {{rail-interchange|london|overground}} {{rail-interchange|london|rail}}
*Vicarage Field Shopping Centre
*[[Creekmouth]] ''Waverley Gardens''
*Thames View ''Christ Church''
*[[Dagenham]] ''Choats Road''
*[[Dagenham Dock]] ''Terminus'' for [[Dagenham Dock railway station|Dagenham Dock station]] {{rail-interchange|london|rail}}

Route EL3 operates via these primary locations:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/el3 |title=Route EL3 Map |publisher=[[Transport for London]]}}</ref>

*[[Little Heath, London|Little Heath]] ''Chadwell Heath Lane''
*[[King George Hospital, London|King George Hospital]]
*[[Goodmayes railway station|Goodmayes station]] {{rail-interchange|london|crossrail}} 
*[[Barking Park]] ''Bus Garage / Faircross''
*Barking station {{rail-interchange|london|underground}} {{rail-interchange|london|overground}} {{rail-interchange|london|rail}}
*Vicarage Field Shopping Centre
*Creekmouth ''Waverley Gardens''
*Creekmouth ''Thames Road''
*Barking Riverside ''Riverside Centre''
*[[Barking Riverside station]] {{rail-interchange|london|overground}} {{rint|london|river}} (limited service)
*[[Barking Riverside]] ''Northgate Road'' (limited service)

==Vehicles==
[[File:East London Transit route EL3 at Barking Riverside.jpg|alt=Two EL3 buses at the Mallard Road terminus in Barking Riverside|thumb|Two EL3 buses at the Mallards Road terminus in Barking Riverside]]
All services are operated by [[Blue Triangle|Go-Ahead London]] using [[New Routemaster]]s from [[Blue Triangle#River Road (RR)|River Road garage]]. In February 2017, Blue Triangle commenced a new contract on routes EL1 and EL2 along with new route EL3 (which replaced the similarly routed 387). These routes gradually introduced New Routemasters.<ref>"Blue Triangle and Arriva London North win new London tenders" ''[[Coach & Bus Week]]'' issue 1251 2 August 2016 page 7</ref>

==Future developments==
===Proposed destinations===
Early proposals for extensions have included [[Gants Hill]] for the [[Central line (London Underground)|Central line]], [[Rainham, London|Rainham]], [[Barkingside]], [[Romford]], [[Elm Park]] and [[Collier Row]] and [[Harold Wood]].<ref name="londoner"/> Havering London Borough Council has voiced support for the extension to Rainham through [[London Riverside]].

In a bus network development paper from 2016, a new route EL4 was proposed between [[Barking Riverside station]] and Becontree Heath Leisure Centre via [[Becontree tube station|Becontree Underground station]]. In a council meeting in July 2023, Barking & Dagenham council had talked with TfL about extending the proposed route to [[Romford, London|Romford]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Agenda and minutes Assembly Wednesday, 26 July 2023 7:00 pm |url=https://modgov.lbbd.gov.uk/internet/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=179&MId=12975 |website=Barking & Dagenham | date=26 July 2023 |publisher=[[London Borough of Barking and Dagenham]] |access-date=23 May 2024}}</ref>

Additional proposals include services to [[Gallions Reach]] for the [[Docklands Light Railway]], [[East Ham]], [[Silvertown]] and [[Stratford, London|Stratford]].<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=November 2016|title=Bus services in Barking Riverside.pdf|url=http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-services-in-barking-riverside.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210071709/http://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-services-in-barking-riverside.pdf|archive-date=10 December 2017|access-date=2017-05-07|website=[[Transport for London]]|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

===Thames Gateway Transit===
The East London Transit formed part of a plan for a much larger [[Thames Gateway Transit]] service, which would use the [[Thames Gateway Bridge]] to connect to the [[Greenwich Waterfront Transit]] on the south side of the River Thames. However, construction of the bridge and the Greenwich busway was cancelled in 2008.

==See also==
*[[London Superloop]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{commons category inline|East London Transit}}

{{Transport in London}}
{{London Bus Routes}}
{{London Buses brands}}

[[Category:2010 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Guided busways and BRT systems in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:London Buses brands]]
[[Category:Thames Gateway]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham]]
[[Category:Transport in the London Borough of Redbridge]]