TFL has confirmed the details in the following letter:

 

Dear Mr Chotai,

From Wednesday 4 January 2017 we are introducing a new bus route 684 on schooldays between Orpington and Charles Darwin School. At the same time we are withdrawing the schooldays only journeys on route R8 between Green Street Green and Charles Darwin School.

The morning journey on route 684 will start from Orpington station at 07:30, serve Green Street Green (bus garage) at 07:42 and run via Farnborough, Keston Mark and Leaves Green to arrive at the school at 08:14. The afternoon journey will depart from the bus stop inside the school grounds at 15:23 and run via Leaves Green, Keston Mark and Farnborough, serving Green Street Green (bus garage) at 15:48 and arriving at Orpington station at 16:02. I attach the new route 684 timetable.

The schooldays only journeys on route R8 from Green Street Green at 07:50 to the school and at 15:20 from the school to Green Street Green, via Shire Lane, Downe and Berry’s Green, will no longer run.

There will be no other changes to the timetable of route R8 so students will still be able to travel from Shire Lane (approx. 07:55) Downe (08:01) and Berry’s Green (approx. 08:07) to the school and return from the school at 15:27 to Berry’s Green, Downe and Shire Lane. These journeys, which are part of the full R8 service between Orpington and Biggin Hill, stop outside the school in Jail Lane.

These changes are in response to concerns about crowding on route R8 at school times. To be cost-effective, route 684 will use a double-decker bus; this will also ensure that we provide enough space for all students who wish to travel. Route 684 will also provide a bus directly to and from the school for students from Farnborough and Keston Mark who currently use routes 320 or R2 and walk along Jail Lane.

As the lanes in the Downe area are unsuitable for large buses route 684 needs to operate via a longer alternative route. This means the morning journey needs to depart Green Street Green (bus garage) eight minutes earlier (07:42) than the existing route R8 schooldays only journey (07:50), and the afternoon journey will arrive back 11 minutes later (15:48) than the existing route R8 schooldays only journey (15:37).

For the first day only, Wednesday 4 January 2017, the morning route 684 journey will run ten minutes later than shown on the new timetable, serving Green Street Green (bus garage) at approximately 07:50, to ensure that students who used to catch the R8 at that time are not left behind.

Would you please encourage as many students as possible between Orpington and Green Street Green to catch the new route 684 bus to and from the school to avoid overcrowding on the remaining route R8 journeys which need to be operated with smaller buses in the narrow lanes. I understand that you have already contacted parents about this. Please also emphasise that the remaining R8 buses will stop in Jail Lane and will not enter the school grounds.

I would be grateful if you would pass this information to students, parents and staff as appropriate, and also would you please confirm receipt of this email.

Yours faithfully

 

Stephen Hosking, Consultation Team, Transport for London