http://www.suttonguardian.co.uk/news...from_ axe.php

A bus service carrying passengers from Sutton to Heathrow has been
safeguarded six months after transport bosses claimed it had failed to
meet performance targets.

The news to keep much of the 726 route has been welcomed by campaigners
who have been lobbying Transport for London (TfL) since last August
when it was announced that the service was poorly used.

The new route, named X26, will start on April 16 and buses will call at
Worcester Park Station, Cheam Broadway, North Cheam, Carshalton High
Street, Sutton and Wallington Green.

Beddington, however is lost as a stop, and the eastern section has been
removed from the route altogether, leaving those who wish to travel to
Bromley or Beckenham short of options.
[...]
----

http://icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.uk...name_page.html

[...]
The new X26 service will now only run hourly between East Croydon and
Heathrow, forcing people living in Ashburton and Addiscombe to travel
into Croydon town centre if they want to catch the bus.

The changes spell the end for stops in Long Lane, Ashburton Park, the
Black Horse in Addiscombe and Havelock Road.
[...]

wrote the following in:
ups.com

The new X26 service will now only run hourly between East Croydon
and Heathrow, forcing people living in Ashburton and Addiscombe to
travel into Croydon town centre if they want to catch the bus.

I've seen a few things about this route over the past few months and
everything I've read makes it seem as if this is being treated the way
bus routes are when someone wants to get rid of them. The strategy
seems to involve making the route as useless and inconvenient as
possible (reduce frequency, get rid of useful destinations or stops) so
that people stop using it and then the bosses can say "see, there's no
call for this route" and axe it altogether. I don't feel particularly
strongly about the route but it certainly looks as if this is what is
being done. Am I right?

--
message by Robin May.
Drinking Special Brew will get you drunk in much the same way that
going to prison will give you a roof over your head and free meals.

http://robinmay.fotopic.net

Robin May wrote:

I've seen a few things about this route over the past few months and
everything I've read makes it seem as if this is being treated the
way
bus routes are when someone wants to get rid of them. The strategy
seems to involve making the route as useless and inconvenient as
possible (reduce frequency, get rid of useful destinations or stops)
so
that people stop using it and then the bosses can say "see, there's
no
call for this route" and axe it altogether. I don't feel particularly

strongly about the route but it certainly looks as if this is what is

being done. Am I right?

I don't know about that, but it does seem that the #726, which is an
old legacy route back in the Green Line days, has been chipped away at
over the years, for whatever reasons:
http://website.lineone.net/~londonbusphotos/726.htm

Well the Running time from Bromley to Heathrow was just over 2 hours,,, I've
used the bus and think its faster go to Central London and the on the picc
line,,,, The bus was never meant for local residents in the Bromley section
of the route.


wrote in message
ups.com...
http://www.suttonguardian.co.uk/news...from_ axe.php

A bus service carrying passengers from Sutton to Heathrow has been
safeguarded six months after transport bosses claimed it had failed to
meet performance targets.

The news to keep much of the 726 route has been welcomed by campaigners
who have been lobbying Transport for London (TfL) since last August
when it was announced that the service was poorly used.

The new route, named X26, will start on April 16 and buses will call at
Worcester Park Station, Cheam Broadway, North Cheam, Carshalton High
Street, Sutton and Wallington Green.

Beddington, however is lost as a stop, and the eastern section has been
removed from the route altogether, leaving those who wish to travel to
Bromley or Beckenham short of options.
[...]
----

http://icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.uk...name_page.html

[...]
The new X26 service will now only run hourly between East Croydon and
Heathrow, forcing people living in Ashburton and Addiscombe to travel
into Croydon town centre if they want to catch the bus.

The changes spell the end for stops in Long Lane, Ashburton Park, the
Black Horse in Addiscombe and Havelock Road.
[...]

wrote in message
ups.com...
http://www.suttonguardian.co.uk/news...from_ axe.php

A bus service carrying passengers from Sutton to Heathrow has been
safeguarded six months after transport bosses claimed it had failed to
meet performance targets.

The news to keep much of the 726 route has been welcomed by campaigners
who have been lobbying Transport for London (TfL) since last August
when it was announced that the service was poorly used.

The new route, named X26, will start on April 16 and buses will call at
Worcester Park Station, Cheam Broadway, North Cheam, Carshalton High
Street, Sutton and Wallington Green.

Beddington, however is lost as a stop, and the eastern section has been
removed from the route altogether, leaving those who wish to travel to
Bromley or Beckenham short of options.
[...]
----

http://icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.uk...name_page.html

[...]
The new X26 service will now only run hourly between East Croydon and
Heathrow, forcing people living in Ashburton and Addiscombe to travel
into Croydon town centre if they want to catch the bus.

The changes spell the end for stops in Long Lane, Ashburton Park, the
Black Horse in Addiscombe and Havelock Road.
[...]


I was thinking, if Bus Route 729 is improved to a Hourly Monday to Saturday
or Sunday Service that will cover up the Bromley side in part as the 726
goes through Hayes. If Route Number 725 is Free and available run services,
again hourly From Sutton To Bluewater via Beckenham, to cover up the loss of
726 Bromley to Croydon, and gives Beckenham a link to Bluewater without
having to change busses. OK two services per hour Express service Sutton to
Bluewater may sound a lot. BUT at least there is a feader route into the X26
or X66 Croydon to Heathrow service.

Robert

"Yahoo News" wrote in message
...

snip

I was thinking, if Bus Route 729 is improved to a Hourly Monday to
Saturday or Sunday Service that will cover up the Bromley side in
part as the 726 goes through Hayes. If Route Number 725 is Free and
available run services, again hourly From Sutton To Bluewater via
Beckenham, to cover up the loss of 726 Bromley to Croydon, and gives
Beckenham a link to Bluewater without having to change busses. OK
two services per hour Express service Sutton to Bluewater may sound
a lot. BUT at least there is a feader route into the X26 or X66
Croydon to Heathrow service.


Unfortunately for your idea, Route 729 is apparently being withdrawn
from 20th March. As it is, it only runs on Saturdays, and only about 2
or 3 journeys in each direction.