After a long period of silence London Buses has unveiled changes which could benefit bus passengers in the borough.

It confirmed a plan to provide a bus service for the residents of Wood End, diverting the 398 from Ruislip to run from Petts Hill to Lilian Board Way and to terminate there. The service would operate at 30 minute intervals every day except Sunday.

A new route, numbered 395, would cover the busier southern section of the 398 service, running from Harrow Town Centre, via Northolt Road as far as Southwell Avenue, from where it will follow the old 398 route to Greenford, Westway Cross.

The new 395 service would operate at 20 minute intervals during the day and twice hourly in the evenings.

The popular route 283 will get an improved off peak timetable from the end of February when it is proposed to change evening and Sunday daytime frequencies to a bus every 12 minutes instead of the present four buses an hour.The same operator,NCP Challenger,has been awarded the new contract, but new 55 person capacity single-deck buses will be introduced on the service.

Help too for the growing numbers of commuters to the Great West Road and in particular the Golden Mile. From early in March their ageing single deck vehicles will be replaced by double deck vehicles with, for the time being, no reduction in frequency.

Users of the H32 from Southall through Convent Way will see fewer morning and evening services. When Terminal 5 opened last year, London Buses diverted the more direct route from Southall to the Cargo Village via Cranford to travel via Convent Way and Hounslow West.

London Buses now say that the two bus per hour 482 now enables it to reduce the frequency of the H32 service,though there will not be any attempt made to synchronise the services. It has acknowledged the large number of early morning shift workers who use the H32 and are introducing an earlier Sunday service.

The 83 bus route will not be split in two but evening and Sunday services will be stepped up. Another long route where a radical suggestion to improve the service was made is the 140 service from Harrow Weald to Heathrow Central. Proposals to introduce a limited stop service, similar to the highly popular 607 service, from Northolt then direct from Hayes to Terminal 5 were rejected, but two extra early morning services have been provided and improved daytime frequencies promised. The services will leave Harrow at 0345 and 0415.

Route 72 running from East Acton via Shepherd's Bush and Hammersmith on the other has been assessed and a slight change in frequency agreed, but the idea of using double deck vehicles has had to be declined because of weight restrictions over Hammersmith Bridge a little further along the route. [25a0] The Treasury has agreed to provide funds for new trains for the Thames Valley services enabling First Great Western to operate longer trains on services into Paddington. FGW say they will press on with plans to refurbish the 1992 vintage turbo units. The refurbishment will see the removal of the first class cabins.

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