London Transport
Green Line Coach Routes 716–718





Last updated 22-06-08.

716
 716 WELWYN GARDEN CITY MARBLE ARCH CHERTSEY
This plate came from a southbound stop near the start of the route and dates from about 1960. The reverse of the plate is unusual in that it is plain cream.		 716 LONDON CHERTSEY
716 KINGSTON HAMPTON COURT CHERTSEY
 716 HITCHIN
This “E” plate is from a northbound stop between Stevenage and Hitchin and dates from the late 1960s.		 716 HITCHIN
Note the non-standard numeral 6 on this “E” plate.
716 HITCHIN VIA STEVENAGE
Another northbound stop plate. The cream lettering and the use of the word VIA and the lack of a “teardrop” inside the figure 6 indicate that this is an older plate.		 716 HITCHIN VIA LONDON
 716 WELWYN GARDEN CITY STEVENAGE HITCHIN
This type of plate is particularly sought after as it has four lines of text which is quite rare. The white colour for the lettering suggests that this is a newer “E” plate, from the ’70s.
716 MARBLE ARCH KINGSTON WOKING
This “E” plate was obviously altered from 716A to 716 at the time when the two were amalgamated, to save the expense of making a new plate. Unfortunately, the change was rather inexpertly done.		 716 SUNDAY
Laurie Akehurst wrote: “This particular plate was displayed at Lister Hospital, Stevenage. From 15 October 1972 [route 716] coaches were diverted to call there on Sunday-only when bus services were not as frequent as they were on Monday to Saturday”.		 716-716A
This plate probably came from a stop in Central London where space was at a premium on the stop flags.
716
 HEADSTOP← This rather poor excuse for an “E” plate comes from the “make-do” era of London Country Bus Services. Vinyl stick-on numbers were affixed to the back of a HEAD STOP plate. GREEN LINE 716
280 MON-SATThis plate is made with a vinyl sitcker, possibly put on during privatisation, on the reverse of a route 280 “E” plate. →

Route 716 was introduced in 1946 as part of the post-war re-instatement of the coach services, replacing the west leg of the C1 and north half of the K1 services. It ran from Chertsey to Hitchin via Addlestone, Weybridge, Walton, East Molesey, Hampton Court, Kingston, Ham, Richmond, Barnes, Hammersmith, Kensington, Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch, Baker Street, Finchley Road, Golders Green, North Finchley, Barnet, Potters Bar, Brookmans Park, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Knebworth and Stevenage. Operated throughout most of the 1950s and the early 1960s by the famous RF-class coaches, conversion to RMC (Routemaster) coaches came in 1963, although the service reverted to one-man-operated single-deckers in 1972. The 716 struggled on until 1976 when it was amalgamated with the 716A, and the southern terminus switched to Woking. In 1978 it was withdrawn north of Oxford Circus, with the southern section not surviving much longer.

Route 716A began running in October 1955 from Woking to Stevenage via Addlestone, Weybridge, Walton, East Molesey, Hampton Court, Kingston, Ham, Richmond, Barnes, Hammersmith, Kensington, Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch, Baker Street, Finchley Road, Golders Green, North Finchley, Barnet, Potters Bar, Brookmans Park, Hatfield, Welwyn and Knebworth. The 716A disappeared in May 1976, and there is virtually no trace of it left, like so many of the traditional Green Line coach routes.
716A
 716A WOKING VIA MARBLE ARCH
 716A WOKING VIA KINGSTON
An “E” plate from a southbound stop. The use of the word VIA on a plate with white lettering is unusual.
716A MARBLE ARCH KINGSTON WOKING
Eliminating the word VIA allowed for an extra destination. This example is (or was) very common and was posted on southbound stops all the way from Welwyn Garden City to North Finchley. Unfortunately this particular plate is damaged by a couple of stone chips.		 716A MARBLE ARCH KINGSTON WOKING
 716A HYDE PARK CORNER HATFIELD STEVENAGE
The sole example of an “E” plate with this wording was at Hampton Court (Bushy Gate).
716A MARBLE ARCH WELWYN STEVENAGE
MARBLE ARCH was generally used rather than HYDE PARK CORNER because it would fit onto one line.		 716A STEVENAGE VIA HATFIELD
Another “E” plate from a northbound stop, this one with cream lettering and the word VIA.		 716A STEVENAGE VIA HATFIELD
The numbers are of a slightly different style—and the lettering somewhat condensed—on this “E” plate, compared to the older version to the left.
716A HATFIELD WELWYN STEVENAGE
 716A STEVENAGE
 716A STEVENAGE
A newer example of the “E” plate to the left, with white lettering.
717
 717 WELWYN GARDEN CITY VIA HATFIELD

Route 717 ran between Victoria and Welwyn Garden City via Golders Green, Barnet, Potters Bar, Welham Green and Hatfield.

The second “E” plate with the word VIA is quite an early one, as later examples tended to have three points served. The plate could have been posted at any central London stop between Hyde Park Corner and Baker Street Station, Golders Green Station, Tally Ho Corner or Barnet Church. It would have been current 5.10.1955 until 1.12.1967.

Route 718 was established after the War in April 1946, and ran between Windsor and Epping via Englefield Green, Egham, Staines, Ashford, Sunbury, Hampton Court, Kingston, Kingston Vale, Putney Heath, Putney, Fulham Broadway, Chelsea, Victoria, Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch, Baker Street, Camden Town, Holloway, Finsbury Park, Manor House, Tottenham, Walthamstow, Chingford, Buckhurst Hill and Loughton. It replaced the pre-War service “G” in the west and “N” in the northeast. By 1958 it had been extended to Harlow (New Town) via Thornwood and Potter Street. At the transfer of Green Line services from London Transport to London Country, it was using RMC-class short Routemaster coaches out of Harlow [HA] and Windsor [WR] garages. It was withdrawn during the late ’70s as the Green Line network declined.
718
 718
 718 LOUGHTON EPPING HARLOW
718 WINDSOR VIA KINGSTON
The use of the word VIA on a plate with white lettering is unusual.		 718 VICTORIA KINGSTON WINDSOR
All three of the WINDSOR plates are from westbound stops.		 718 KINGSTON STAINES WINDSOR
This “E” plate also exists with cream numbers and lettering.
718 WINDSOR VIA HAMPTON COURT
My guess is that this “E” plate came from Kingston, since the more important traffic centre of Staines is more commonly listed.
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