History
Route 15 was introduced in November 1908 between Shepherd's Bush and East Ham. In 1914 it was extended to Putney Common, with a Sunday extension eastwards to Plaistow. By 1921 the 15 had been cut back to Ladbroke Grove, extending in the east to Barking and North Woolwich on weekdays. A Sunday extension from Ladbroke Grove to Acton Vale was launched, and the North Woolwich journeys were diverted to Becontree Heath.
By November 1949, the route ran on from Ladbroke Grove to Poplar (Blackwall Tunnel), extending to East Ham during Monday to Friday peak hours and evenings, and all day on Saturdays and Sundays, with a further Sunday extension to Kew. From January 1967 journeys to Kensal Rise were introduced, and in October 1969 the route was suspended between Acton and Kew, being reinstated in 1970. In May 1975 the Sunday service was rerouted to Richmond Bus Station.
In May 1985, the route was diverted between to serve Cannon Street and the Tower of London. In June 1987 the Sunday service was converted to one-man operation. July 1992 saw the Monday to Saturday service withdrawn between Ladbroke Grove and Paddington, being replaced by new route 23. In May 1993 this section was withdrawn on Sundays, and in September 1999 the 15 was withdrawn between Poplar and Canning Town, with buses diverted to serve Blackwall DLR Station. In August 2003 the route was withdrawn between Blackwall and East Ham.
Additional services on the route were operated on weekends in 2005 during the closure of the parallel Circle and District underground lines. On 26 February 2006, it was announced that this route would be extended to the new developments in Paddington Basin (North Wharf Road) over the reconstructed Bishop's Bridge; the previous bridge was not considered strong enough to take buses. Although the reconstructed bridge opened in June 2006, this extension was continuously deferred, with the extension eventually taking place on 13 October 2007, in order to free up stand space at Paddington for the newly introduced route 332.
Operation of the route passed to East London Bus Group in June 2006 following Macquarie Group's purchase of Stagecoach London. This move was reversed in October 2010.
On 27 June 2009, route 15 was transferred to West Ham (WH).
On 28 August 2010, route 15 was withdrawn between Paddington Basin & Regent Street. This was part of Transport for London's policy of reducing the number of buses using Oxford Street in order to ease congestion and pollution.
Read more about this topic: London Buses Route 15
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