please empty your brain below
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Judging by the three buses close together, it looks like the X26 was disrupted by the rain (which is why I was more pessimistic about total journey time), but you missed it from the Croydon end.
Technically the roots of the X26 are in the 725, in 1977 alternate 725s were rerouted via Heathrow and numbered 726.
Still Anon | 15.06.23 - 7:32 a.m. | #
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Valuable reporting, thanks for going to all the effort. But something depressing about the state of our city’s infrastructure when even an Express service can’t be scheduled to run any faster than 13 mph.
PhilSW11 | 15.06.23 - 8:06 a.m. | #
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The drama continues for the clock watchers. It may have been 20:00 when you arrived but was that time enough to make the 20:00 X140? I don't know how far apart the stops are.
ap | 15.06.23 - 8:35 a.m. | #
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Fiveways, not Fourways.
dg writes: Fourways, not Fiveways.
Bryn Davies | 15.06.23 - 8:37 a.m. | #
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Hurry up dg, you were supposed to be in Harrow 10 minutes ago.
Mike | 15.06.23 - 8:46 a.m. | #
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Apologies for jumping to a conclusion about which way you went before reading on.
Bryn Davies | 15.06.23 - 8:48 a.m. | #
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Looking forward to the X26 going to 4x/hour. As you found, the timetable isn't always kept to with buses bunching and there can be longer waits than half an hour which is frustrating when you have come off a flight and just want to get home. It also is generally quite well loaded which, given the relatively low fare, is perhaps unsurprising but adds to the support for an increase in frequency.
MS | 15.06.23 - 8:54 a.m. | #
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You were lucky the bus didn't terminate at Hatton Cross, as they often do if running late. Not a huge problem if you are travelling to Heathrow, as you can use the Tube (which is quicker), but people waiting at Heathrow for the return run are in for a long wait as there is no information.
Timbo | 15.06.23 - 9:12 a.m. | #
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I struggle with the etiquette of single door buses elsewhere in the country, either getting tutted for blocking exiting passengers I haven't spotted ambling from the back of the bus, or standing like a lemon on the pavement until I eventually realise no-one is getting off. Two door buses seem far more efficient on a route that's at all busy.
...and does Heathrow have a MORE-loved end?
Really loving this trip.
Andrew S | 15.06.23 - 10:02 a.m. | #
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It's true that it can be unreliable at times. More than a few times I've waited at East Croydon for an X26 promised to be 3 minutes away, and 12 minutes later it still is. Then it vanishes from the bus timer entirely. Fortunately I'm only going the one stop and the 410 isn't a whole lot slower.
Like everyone along the route who isn't allergic to buses, I'm greatly looking forward to the 4/hour service.
Chz | 15.06.23 - 10:19 a.m. | #
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I'm enjoying the trip too. I have made several really long bus journeys, and reading this makes me keen to try to schedule another.
Ambling is a bit harsh. Having always been one for moving towards the exit while the bus is in motion (including stairs), I have reluctantly conceded, at over 75, that staying seated will have to be my custom from now on.
Malcolm of Kent | 15.06.23 - 10:25 a.m. | #
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I remember the 725 first
Peter | 15.06.23 - 10:45 a.m. | #
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If you reached Heathrow at 8pm, my guessed time is probably going to be out by about 30 mins! Can I revise it to 20:54!
I was thinking this might be a nice thing to copy, but the sheer length of time involved has dampened that a bit!
Cornish Cockney | 15.06.23 - 11:24 a.m. | #
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At this time of the year, sunset means very late into the night. I almost learned it the hard way when I was in Cambridge.
Patrickov | 15.06.23 - 12:19 p.m. | #
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I used to travel daily on the 726, which was also a limited stop service operated by Greenline, but in those days it used to stop at Old Malden on its journey from Heathrow to Bromley and vice versa. By the way your photo of the X26 at Old Malden must be a stock picture as its travelling towards Heathrow!
mikeH | 15.06.23 - 12:53 p.m. | #
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I took the photo of the X26 at Old Malden on Sunday (while travelling in the opposite direction), just to make sure I had something to break up 12 paragraphs of text.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 15.06.23 - 1:19 p.m. | #
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Shame it doesn't go to Croydon airport.
Anonymous | 15.06.23 - 2:11 p.m. | #
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Always found it amusing that the X26 goes fast from Heathrow to the Immigration Reporting Centre at Wellesley Road, West Croydon.
For those of us who use it as the fast bus to Kingston, the 4/hour will be very welcome.
David B | 15.06.23 - 2:24 p.m. | #
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I don't know if it still does but the X26 has sometimes used completely different routes between Teddington and Hatton Cross. We used to think that this was becasue the drivers could choose the less congested route. Still an great bus to travel on between Teddington and Kingston because from the upperdeck you have an great view over the wall into Bushy Park.
Tones | 15.06.23 - 2:56 p.m. | #
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Often when I'm reading along with these wonderful journey's you go on...I wonder what kind of in-transit research you are doing....and if that involves any supplemental books, maps or charts. I almost picture you sitting there with 3 books (well earmarked) and half a dozen maps, speaking into a recording device to capture your thoughts as the bus traverses the city and/or countryside.
Steven | 15.06.23 - 3:37 p.m. | #
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I took it for the first time between Kingston and Heathrow on Sunday, and aside from the heat it was a very enjoyable and fast journey. Nice to see the less seen parts of Heathrow with a BA plane being repainted/checked (?) in one of the massive hangers.
matthieu1221 | 15.06.23 - 7:58 p.m. | #
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I've never done it, but my parents took a late night 726 from Heathrow to Dartford many years ago and enjoyed the experience...
I might take the last bit of the X26 just to see a bit more of Heathrow
Mikey C | 15.06.23 - 10:54 p.m. | #
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Matthieu, no repainting at Heathrow for over 5 years now, it’s now just light maintenance there. Painting is now outsourced to Shannon for big planes, and Dublin or Ostrava for the small ones.
Nick | 15.06.23 - 11:57 p.m. | #
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As with all journeys on the top deck of a bus, a great opportunity to observe and enjoy. Most certainly not purgatory.
Stuart R | 16.06.23 - 8:54 a.m. | #
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The blue branding for the X26 has only started to appear within the past month. As seen in your picture at Old Malden, at least one bus had yet to be treated when you were preparing for your Odyssey
Timbo | 16.06.23 - 9:19 a.m. | #
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"You wouldn't want to read reportage from a 2 hour bus journey where I couldn't see out of the windows"
I think you'd manage pretty well based on previous bloggage about passengers, drivers, announcements and internal bus signage. So once you run out of other challenges…
Jon | 16.06.23 - 9:26 a.m. | #
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It says something about TfL’s attitude to bus stations to observe that the X26 towards Heathrow passes two in the same town and serves neither, although to be fair the Kingston one-way system is mostly to blame
Stephen | 16.06.23 - 9:20 p.m. | #
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