History
Today's route 105 commenced operation on 4 March 1936 as a daily route between Shepherd's Bush and Hounslow Heath (The Hussar) via Wood Lane, East Acton, Western Avenue, Park Royal, Perivale, Greenford, Southall, Heston and Hounslow Central. It replaced route 93 between Shepherds Bush and Southall as well as route 120 between Southall and Hounslow.
By 1949, the section between Heston and Hounslow had been withdrawn and the route now terminated at Hayes station.
In 1959, the 105 was extended from Hayes station to Hayes North, but in 1965 this section between was replaced by new route 195. In September 1968, however, this route was withdrawn and the 105 replaced it, thus gaining a further extension to Charville Lane Estate. Then, in December 1971, the 195 was re-introduced, and the 105 was curtailed to Southall.
In 1973, the 105 was extended from Southall to Heathrow Airport, replacing route 83. When Terminal 4 opened in 1986, the route was further extended to there, but this lasted only three years. Also in 1986 Southall (HW) garage, from which the 105 had largely operated since its introduction, closed, and the route's allocation - at the time consisting of MCW Metrobus double-deckers - was transferred to nearby Hanwell (HL) garage.
In 1992, by which time the 105 had come under the operation of the London Buses Limited subsidiary Centrewest, the Shepherd's Bush to Southall section was renumbered as route 95. As a result, the 105 now terminated at Greenford. The following year, Hanwell garage also closed, the 105's allocation moving to Alperton (ON) garage. In March 1995, the route was converted to minibus operation using MA-class Mercedes-Benz 811D / Alexanders, though Metrobuses continued to appear occasionally.
In April 1996, the now-privatised Centrewest lost the 105 upon re-tender to London & Country, who ordered a dozen Dennis Dart SLF / Plaxton Pointers - among the first in London - for the route. Just seven months later, however, London & Country surrendered the contract due to difficulties, and Centrewest duly regained the 105, again operating from Alperton garage, but taking the L&C Dart SLFs on loan.
Also in 1996, Centrewest took over Southall-based London Buslines, and when both companies were acquired by FirstGroup the following year, the 105 was given to the latter to operate. The loaned L&C Dart SLFs were duly replaced by long Marshall Capital-bodied examples in yellow and brown skirt livery. However, First then decided to wind down the London Buslines operation, and on 30 June 2001, the 105 was transferred back to Centrewest at Greenford (G), and converted back to double-deck operation using Dennis Trident 2 / Plaxton Presidents.
The 105 became a 24-hour service in April 2004.
On 2 July 2011, Metroline gained the contract of route 105 and are now operating it from Perivale West (PA) using brand new Volvo B9TL 10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 double deckers and was diverted between Harlington Corner and Heathrow Central via route 111, instead of via Compass Centre.
Read more about this topic: London Buses Route 105
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