First is now Last

Hot off the press, First announced that it would be selling it's London division to Metroline, an established London operator and Transit Systems Group, an Australian company that currently runs buses in the Sydney area. This sale is still subject to approval. First London currently has 9 garages which are as follow, Atlas Road, North Acton (AS), purchased by Transit Systems Group Route's 28 and N28, 31 and N31, 266, and 328. The garage has a variety of buses, mainly Volvo's. The type of buses at Atlas Road are as follow, VDL DB300/Gemini 2 diesel for Route 328 VDL DB300/Gemini 2 hybrid for Route 328. Volvo B7TL/Gemini 1 diesel for Route's 28 and N28, 31 and N31 and 328. Volvo B9TL/Gemini 2 diesel for Route 266. Alperton (ON), purchased by Metroline Funnily enough Metroline will regain Route 245 which they lost to First in 2008. Route's 83, 223, 224, 245 and 487. Dart 4/E200 diesel for Route's 245 and 487. E20D/E200 diesel for Route's 223 and 224. B9TL/Gemini 2 diesel for Route 83. Greenford (G), purchased by Metroline Route's 92, 95, 282, E1, E3, E5, E7, E9 and E10. Funnily enough Metroline will regain Route 95 which they lost to First in 2006. Dart 4/E200 diesel for Route's 95, E5, E7, E9 and E10. Trident/Plaxton President diesel for Route 282. Trident/E400 diesel for Route's E1 and E3. E40D/E400 diesel for Route 92. Hayes (HS), purchased by Metroline Route's 195, 207 and N207 and 427. Dart 4/E200 diesel for Route 195. N230UD/Omnicity diesel for Route 207 and N207. B9TL/Gemini 2 diesel for Route 427. Lea Interchange, Leyton (LI), purchased by Transit Systems Group This garage is also home to the only Hydrogen buses in London. Route's 25, 26 and N26, 30, 58, 236, 308, 339, 686, RV1, W14 and W15. Dart 4/E200 diesel for Route's 339, RV1 and W15. E20D/E200 diesel for Route's 236, 308 and W14. Trident/E400 diesel for Route's 26 and N26 and 30. VDL SB200 Wright Pulsar hydrogen for Route RV1. B9TL/Gemini 2 for Route's 25, 58 and 686. Uxbridge (UX), purchased by Metroline Route's 331, 607, A10, U1, U2, U3, U4, U5 and U10. Dart 4/E200 diesel for Route's 331, A10, U1, U5 and U10. Trident/E400 diesel for Route 607. Dart/Caetano Nimbus diesel for Route's U2 and U3. Trident/Plaxton President diesel for Route's U3 and U4. Westbourne Park (X), purchased by Transit Systems Group Route's 9H, 23, 70 and 295. AEC/Routemaster diesel for Route 9H. E20D/E200 diesel for Route 70. E40D/E400 diesel for Route 23. E40H/E400 hybrid for Route 23. B9TL/Gemini 2 diesel for Route 295. Willesden Junction (WJ), purchased by Metroline This garage also is home to the Streetlite demonstrator, although it is unknown whether this will transfer to Metroline. Route's 18 and N18, 187, 206, 226 and 228. Funnily enough Metroline will regain Route 206 which they lost to First in 2012. Dart 4/E200 diesel for Route's 187, 226 and 228. E20D/E200 diesel for Route 206. B9TL/Gemini 2 diesel for Route 18. So it is sad to see an operator go but on the other side we get a new one Transit Systems Group. Dagenham (DM) for some reason has not been sold so First will still continue to be in London. Transit Systems Group will brand the operation Tower Transit. I hope you enjoy reading this post.

New DW's for Arriva London North

Not too long ago Routes 121, 141 and 329 got new contracts specifying brand new buses. Arriva then placed an order for around 50 VDL DB300 DWs, which was later increased to 88 to help kill off the DLAs and DLPs. These DWs have been late arriving but some have arrived at WN for the 141 and 144. The E40D on 144 is to be displaced to Palmers Green garage (AD) for the 329 in order to cut costs on maintenence and not introduce another chassis. These new DW's I think are very nice buses ! Have not taken a ride on one but they look stunning although they would look better with gold advert frames. I hope you enjoy reading this post.

Odd's on the 463 + Chaos!

Today I checked on LVF as usual and looked up Route 463 and it said that SD43 was operating the route, which is an odd working. I therefore decided to go and capture it at Beddington Asda, the closest place on the route to where I live. So I walked there and waited for it to return from Pollards Hill, which took an hour due to the fact that the roads where full of traffic, Asda car park was rammed and it was taking up to 45 minutes to get through. I eventually got on it to Wallington where it had to be curtailed to due to the drivers working hours running out; it eventually arrived at Wallington Station 1 hour and 20 minutes late. I have also included some pictures of the traffic, mainly caused by roadworks on Beddington Lane. Buses were also running straight along Beddington Lane instead of running via Coomber Way, Beddington Farm Road, Marlowe Way and Asda; in a hope to cut the time spent late. I am quite surprised it fitted round some parts of the route in which 8.9 metre buses can only fit. NOTE: The blinds displayed Coulsdon rather than Coulsdon South due to the fact they do not carry blinds for Cousldon South. The future of these buses is currently unknown from January 2014 because the S1 contract which these are for is due to expire after a 5 year term and 2 year extension and could recive new buses whcih would probaly be OPL's (9.6 metre lenghted Optare Solo SR's). Hopefully there will be more odd's on the route due to the fact that Quality Line today confirmed via it's website that Optare will be supplying with a new Solo SR for the Route 404 contract which has been retained for a further 5 years. I hope you enjoy reading this post.

Route 126 Observations

Yesterday amid the awful weather I decided to go to Bromley to see the brand new Enviro 200's for Route 126, which was won by Metrobus back in the May 2012 tenders. This route had been run by Kentish bus for nearly 17 years, using a variety of buses, though towards the latter end of the contract, Y reg Dart Pointer's and 07,58 and 09 reg 10.8 metre Enviro 200's were used. The route runs from Eltham, High Street, to Bromley South via Grove Park. I think the reason the 126 was lost by Arriva Kent Thameside was due to the distance between Dartford depot in Kent and the Westmoreland Road terminus in Bromley, the distance relates to 17 miles! However the Green Street Green base that Metrobus operates the route from is around 4/5 miles away from Bromley South Station and around 9/10 miles from Eltham, High Street. The buses that were used on the route, Dart Pointers 3291 - 3303 have been repainted up to 3 times! They started off in a appealing green and cream livery, then into red livery with cow horns, the in to all over red. Today there was 1 unallocated working, 172 which is a 8.9 metre mini E200 from the Roundabout routes at Orpington. I really hope you've enjoyed reading this post.

Route 82 Observations

On 31st March 2012, Route 82 received a new contract specifing new buses. Many thought these new buses would be Hybrids, but this proved to be wrong. It was then announced that Route 82 would be getting brand new state of the art E40D buses in early 2013. The older TPLs will be sold on to other operators. It's a shame because the TPLs are quite nice buses. Route 82 runs between North Finchley and Victoria via Golders Green, Edgware Road, Park Lane and Hyde Park Corner and is run from the lengthy Potters Bar garage in Hertfordshire. The route is 10 miles ( 16 kilometres long ) and will be one of the last routes to receive buses with yellow on black blinds, buses from now on having to use white on black blinds. I hope you enjoy reading this post.

Route 233 Observations

Today the 233 went back to Metrobus from Arriva Kent Thameside, who operated the route for 5 years from their Dartford ( DT ) garage in Kent. The buses used on the 233 were E200's, 8.9 metre length, the same buses Metrobus will be using. The Route can take 10.8 metres and in the past I have seen a 10.8 metre bus on the 233 get busy, so it must get very busy with an 8.9 mtre bus. Metrobus previously operated the route from 1997 to 2008 with a bit of everything, a few double decks from time to time but mostly standard Dart's. Arriva also oacasionlly used Dart's and Cadet's from the 126 and B12/B13/B15. This is not the first lot of Enviro's between now and the 23rd March! The 126, 138 and 284 will be recieving brand new Enviro 200's of the 8.9 and 10.8 metre lentgh. Route 126 has also been gained at the expense of Arriva. Today acording to LVF the buses remained on the route with no odd working's. Hopefully an Omnicity or Omnidekka will go out on the route! Also if you are wondering why I have included a shot of saying ' 233 Swanley ' I took it to show how it is misrepresenting as people will think it terminates in Swanley Town Centre, when it actually continues to Beechenlea Lane, near the M25 Interchange. I hope you enjoyed reading this post. The route will be run from Orpington ( MB ) where it was previously run from.

Route 153 Observations

Route 153 has received new buses, ahead of when the new contract begins, these are 10.8 metre E200s, I was expecting them to order Optare Versas. These replaced X reg Caetano Nimbuses which were falling apart. There are rumours that these buses will be replaced by 10.2 metre E200s in February because 10.8 metre buses don't fit round parts of the route but we'll just have to wait and see. I hope you enjoy reading this post.