Issue nr 285
Thursday January 25th, 2024
From the Editor
This issue ends our January issues for 2024. It has been a busy month especially for new buses in Oxford as deliveries to Oxford Bus continue from Wrights whilst we still await the arrival of the first Stagecoach buses.
This is providing further interest as buses are beginning to move to new depots such as Thames Travel 251 is now in Plymouth. Several of the early MMCs of Oxford Bus have seemingly moved to Thames Travel.
In this issue
Rachel Geliamassi leaves Stagecoach West MD role
A day out with Jack Cooper
RMC 1477 On Route T15
The latest news on Oxford's electric bus fleet
with the arrival of the first Kite buses for Oxford Bus
Readers Write with some views regarding route branding
Buses in the Landscape by Pulhams
Coach visitors to Oxford
Fleet News developments
Ex Oxford deckers at Pulhams gain full branding
New ticket machines at Thames Travel
New buses for Thames Valley
The further four eVoRa buses in service with Redline
Stagecoach East revisions
London Operations
including route 133 nd a new four letter class for London
Rachel Geliamassi has left her role as Stagecoach West Managing Director (MD) to join Great Western Railway (GWR).
Elisabeth Tasker, who retired as Stagecoach Manchester MD in 2021, has been revealed as a replacement on an interim basis.
Ms. Geliamassi had been in the post since April 2021 after seven years as Operations Director and brings to an end 16 years in total with Stagecoach. She will become Customer Services Director for GWR from April.
She writes on LinkedIn: “My bus journey comes to a fabulous end. Buses have officially been a part of my life for 16 years. Unofficially, for 42 years, because my dad was a Stagecoach bus driver and my mum a conductress, turned ‘engineering trimmer’. So everything has been about buses, forever!”
She adds: “I’m proud of the work we’ve done in West around wellbeing and support, knowing how our sector needed to embrace it at a quicker pace.”
Stagecoach Chief Operating Officer for Stagecoach Sam Greer says: “I would like to thank Rachel for her outstanding contribution and leadership during her time as Managing Director for West.
“We are also delighted to confirm that Elisabeth Tasker has been appointed to the role of Managing Director for West on an interim basis. Elisabeth previously held the role of Managing Director for our Manchester Operating Company and look forward to working with her to develop and drive the business whilst continuing to engage our teams.”
Previous to her work in Manchester, Ms. Tasker had held the MD role with Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire since 2011. In announcing her retirement in the summer of 2020, she had said the COVID-19 pandemic had made her re-think priorities with regards to work and family life.
A day out with Jack Cooper
I had enjoyed a nice
day out around the south on Thursday 18th, travelling down to the south
coast. My aim was to tick off a chunk of the Stagecoach Coastliner 700
service which runs between Portsmouth and Brighton. I had travelled on
the 700 between Chichester and Brighton, changing buses in
Littlehampton.
Most photos are taken
on my phone, and because of the sunlight being in the wrong place, I
didn't get many photos between journeys.
Here is a list of
journeys I had made:
X2: Abingdon to Didcot - 907
X34: Didcot to Newbury - 621
Link: Newbury to Basingstoke - 10434
13: Basingstoke to Alton - 10433
38: Alton to Petersfield - 10949
54: Petersfield to Chichester - 47933
700: Chichester to Littlehampton - 11597
700: Littlehampton to Brighton - 10948
273: Brighton to Crawley - 6966
10: Crawley to Gatwick North - 6054
The Airline (OXF): Gatwick South to Oxford - 27
X1: Oxford to
Abingdon - 671
Looking forward to
doing more days out like this in 2024!
RMC 1477 On Route T15
Nigel Eadon Clarke & Gavin Francis
Saturday 20th
January saw the return to service in London of RMC 1477 resplendent in
full GreenLine livery. This 60 year old has had a long and interesting
past.
It
entered service in 1962 at Guildford Garage but did not stay long before
moving onto Windsor Garage. In 1970 it passed to London Country as part
of the National Bus Company and was repainted in their corporate livery
and worked from Grays and Dartford Garages on local bus work.
In 1978 it was
withdrawn and passed to London Transport as a trainer.
RMC 1477 looks a bit sad outside the old Victoria Garage in Gillingham
Street
by Gavin Francis
It then spent the 10 years as a London Transport trainer in NBC livery
before being finally withdrawn in 1990.
RMC 1477 at Shepherds Bush on 12th
May 1980
In 1991 it was bought by Greenpeace but by
1991 it again moved to Wacton Trading in Bromyard. Yet another move in
1993 to Shaftesbury and District and a year on in 1994 another move to
Blue Triangle where it stayed for 10 years.
RMC 1477 now in full GreenLine livery at Showbus Duxford on 27th
September 2004
Yet another moved followed in 2005 when it was bought by Timebus and
repainted red
Now repainted red RMC 1477 is shown at Wisley Airfield at The London Bus
Museum Open Day on 2nd April 2006
by Gavin Francis.
It’s final sale was to be bought by Ensigns
in 2019 who again restored it to full GreenLine livery.
Last Saturday saw it in service on heritage
route T1 and it is shown at Tower Hill and The Strand. (pictures
courtesy of Nigel Eadon-Clarke).
Hopefully we will continue to see this classic Routemaster on the
streets for many years to come.
A nice article provided by Gavin and Nigel. Ed.
The latest news on Oxford's electric bus fleet
Oxford recently launched what will be one of the biggest UK fleet of electric buses outside London.
The £82.5M project will deliver 159 new battery buses onto the streets of Oxford – the first of which have already gone into service. It has also funded two associated electric charging hubs at the city’s bus depots.
It has been funded via a collaboration between Oxfordshire County Council and bus operators Oxford Bus Company, owned by The Go-Ahead Group and Stagecoach. The Council was awarded £32.8M from the government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme and contributed £6M directly, while bus operators invested £43.7M.
The groundbreaking infrastructure project is a huge boost to Oxford’s vision to creating a more sustainable, decarbonized public transport system and improving air quality.
Oxford Bus Company will deliver 104 electric buses into service and Stagecoach 55. Working with Zenobē, the UK’s leading fleet electrification specialist, Oxford Bus Company has installed 104 charging points at its Cowley House depot, with Stagecoach also installing 55 chargers at the the Network Oxford site. The charging hubs are powered by EDF Energy’s Oxford Superhub network, providing enough electricity to charge all 159 buses, enough for each bus to drive up to 200 miles per day.
To celebrate the historic development key stakeholders gathered for a launch event at Divinity School in Oxford city centre on Monday night where some of the new electric buses were showcased and key representatives delivered speeches.
Luke Marion, Oxford Bus Company Managing Director, said: “This is a historic moment in our journey towards transforming our city services to electric. Our first tranche of electric buses is now in service and are already starting to improve air quality and make bus travel an even more attractive option for people to travel around Oxford.
“Decarbonising buses is an exciting project – and we have demonstrated that with the right strategic partnership working between the public and private sector, we can unlock investment to make it happen. We look forward to working with Oxfordshire County Council on important initiatives going forward to encourage people to travel by bus.”
Matt Carney, CEO of The Go-Ahead Group’s bus division, said: “Go-Ahead is proud to be the largest operator of zero emission buses in Britain. Electric buses make an enormous difference to air quality in cities and by decarbonising our fleet in towns and cities across the country, we aim to make a positive contribution to the fight against climate change.
“These new buses in Oxford will form Go-Ahead’s biggest fleet of zero emission buses outside London. The project is an example of bus operators working closely with local authorities to deliver for communities.”
Rachel Geliamassi, Managing Director, Stagecoach West says: “Today is a momentous day for Stagecoach West and for the city of Oxford, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter in sustainable bus travel. As a business we are fully committed to operating a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035 so the introduction of these electric vehicles onto the roads today is a big step towards this vital goal.
“We must all play our part in improving air quality and reducing C02 emissions in all areas of business and industry across the UK. I hope the introduction of these new electric vehicles will entice new passengers to bus travel and those already travelling with us can rest assured they’re already making a great choice.”
Paul Davies, Alexander Dennis President & Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to support Stagecoach and Oxfordshire County Council as they introduce a cleaner and greener bus fleet for Oxford with our next-generation Enviro400EV, improving the lives of passengers and residents as well as accelerating decarbonisation.
"These new buses introduce latest advances in technology including a highly efficient driveline and a future-proof battery system, while guaranteeing first-class aftermarket support throughout the vehicle’s life with AD24.
"This investment keeps funding from the Government’s ZEBRA scheme in the country, supporting skilled jobs and apprenticeships in our facilities and across our extensive domestic supply chain.”
Roads Minister Guy Opperman said: “Zero emission buses are vital for cleaner local travel, with 159 new UK-built electric buses coming to Oxford thanks to Government funding – supporting skilled UK manufacturing jobs.
“This project is supported by over £32m in Government support, as part of £330m already provided since 2020 for zero emission buses in England, outside of London, to make strides towards an all zero-emission bus fleet."
Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “I'm proud and thrilled that the county council is backing its ambitions with political and financial capital, alongside our partners, to deliver a safer, cleaner, greener, better county for residents and visitors.
“Together with policies such as traffic filters to hugely increase bus efficiency, we are delivering on our vision of a better future. This is an exciting and important moment for us all."
Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Wrightbus, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting Oxford Bus Company in the drive to transform transport in the city and help build a more sustainable future.
“We’re proud to say our StreetDeck Electroliner BEV is the world’s most efficient double deck battery-electric bus and we have taken that technology into the development of our single deck, which has also been classed as the most efficient on the UK’s roads.
“We’ve created the most efficient vehicles by combining optimum power with a class-leading rapid charge, meaning our electric buses spend more time on the road than any other. We’re confident passengers in Oxford will enjoy the experience.”
Marianne Costigan, Head of Private Wire at EDF Renewables said: “As we see the inauguration of one of the largest electric bus fleets in the UK, EDF Renewables is proud to be a key enabler of this ground-breaking initiative.
“Our Energy Superhub Oxford network already serves EV drivers in the local area at Redbridge Park & Ride charging locations. We are delighted to now be delivering the necessary energy infrastructure to support Go-Ahead, Stagecoach and their passengers as they supercharge Oxford towards its decarbonisation goals and improve air quality.”
Bradley Fox, Director of EV Fleet for Zenobē, said: “We have worked in close partnership with both Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach to design and deliver the charging infrastructure across both sites, in a way that works for their operations and helps them achieve their decarbonisation goals. We are confident other cities across the UK will look to Cowley Depot and Network Oxford as examples of how, with the right investment and partners, bus fleet electrification can be achieved at speed and scale.”
Councillor Anna Railton, Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford and Climate Justice, Oxford City Council, said: "I am delighted that the first tranche of ZEBRA electric buses has now arrived in Oxford and are serving Oxford's communities. Electric buses not only help to clean up Oxford's air but they are a crucial mode of transport in our city - especially for those who do not have access to cars. I am looking forward to seeing these buses on our roads."
Oxfordshire was one of only 12 local authorities to successfully apply for ZEBRA funding. The Oxford Bus Company vehicles have been manufactured by Wright Bus in Northern Ireland, with the Stagecoach vehicles manufactured by Alexander Dennis in Scotland. Oxfordshire County Council has committed to help reduce bus journey times by at least 10 per cent in the city to ensure the investment is viable for bus operators.
Recent pictures of the Oxford Bus Company fleet
722 is seen on its first full day of revenue
earning service, 18 January, on service 700 on the A40 by Richard
Sharman.
New Kites 492 and 495 at Thames Travel depot,
Didcot taken on January 24th by Alex Horwood.
|
More pictures of the EV launch in Radcliffe
Square on January 15th from Jack Cooper.
Graham Low has sent these pictures of 722 working the
700 on January 18th.
Brian Butler on DRT Aylesbury
You will no doubt have seen the mention in February Buses magazine where
it indicates that the likelihood is that WeMove will subcontract
operation to a local provider.
A nervous wait to find out who that will be!!
Chris Huntingford with a suggestion
Dear “OBC Help” – the
electric bus launch pictures from last week look really good.
But there is one I particularly like, which is
the second picture on Malcolm Crowe’s (cc-d) webpage for this week,
here:
https://www.oxford-chiltern-bus-page.co.uk/Weekly%20Briefing%20nr%20284%20180124.html
Picture by James Lambeth.
It’s really atmospheric, with the
Radcliffe Camera in the background.
Malcolm, if your contributor was happy to
release the copyright, and if OBC were interested, the picture would
maybe look great on the bus monitors? Say with a caption underneath “New
electric buses coming to many routes soon”.
Ian McNeil regarding a bus seen in a recent report
The bus seen in Hounslow was originally 235
with First Leicester, part of their 226 to 260 batch with untidy KP51
registrations. It became 32075 when First introduced national
numbering in 2002, the batch being 32066-99 (but not 255 KP51 WDF which
became 32277). In 2015 they were all transferred away, many like
32075 to Bristol depots, but others went to Worcester, Stoke-on-Trent,
Camborne, Basildon, Colchester and various West Yorkshire depots.
First has now withdrawn them all.
Responses re route branding
Thomas W W Knowles
Many thanks for your latest offering - very interesting as always.
You raise the question of route branding and I do have some views on the
issue.
Firstly I have never understood why route branding seems to work in some
areas but not in others. My personal view is that especially in larger
towns and small cities the more important requirement is to sell the
network rather than individual routes, however evidence in some areas
seems to suggest route branding can work.
Secondly let's look at a few examples, and I will exclude Oxford since
in recent years I have not been in the City.
When Steve Burd moved to Blackpool as MD, he introduced route branding
and I understand that passenger numbers increased, but his successor
decided to discontinue route branding and these days the very modern
fleet is operating in the smart yellow and grey livery, allowing
flexibility of buses.
If we look at Nottingham where two highly thought of operators use route
branding, Trent and Nottingham City Transport, you seldom would see a
bus on the "wrong" service but in both cases a substantial back up fleet
of generic/neutral buses are in the fleet so that they can substitute
for the branded buses when they are not available. A similar situation
applies with Reading Buses. I think that all three operators that have
established route branding could be called quality operators and the
disciplines extend to daily bus allocation to routes.
However there are some operators where disciplines are less rigid and I
take as an example my relatively local operator First Potteries. The
livery arrangements for this fleet are a mess. Some years ago route
branding was attempted but the allocators did not seem to be able to
cope with the concept even on a very limited scale. In more recent times
a fleet of Scanias (now withdrawn in recent months) were branded for the
Hanley to Stafford and Hanley to Leek services. Why one then frequently
saw a Leek branded bus in Stafford some 24 miles away I just cannot
understand. Mind you, in 2022 First Potteries received ten blue vehicles
from the Gosport Busway which started operating still in blue but with a
message on the cove panels saying "excuse the wrong colour...I'll be
repainted soon". Well the message has been removed but the buses are
still operating on random services still in blue!
Clearly branded buses can work in some companies - possibly those
regarded as more efficient - but in other cases they are a total waste
of time. In the above I have blamed the daily vehicle allocation staff,
but of course the schedulers are also constrained if they have to
schedule bus workings limited to one route. May be there is some truth
in route branding increasing passenger numbers but that has to be
balanced with scheduling efficiency and if the cost of the latter
exceeds the extra revenue from the branding, then it is not a worthwhile
exercise. As one says, horses for courses.
Nigel Peach
You ask for views about route branding. Mine are similar to yours. What is the
point of it?! When so many buses stray from their branded routes, it just adds
to confusion. And different coloured buses for different routes? Gimmicky!
Passengers can't trust that for the blue route they use, that the blue bus they
see arriving really is on their route!
On the renumbering of routes, as Arriva has done, I understand the reason, but
when a particular route has had the same number for so long eg the 280, I'm not
convinced it's a great idea!
David Jeffs
Firstly may I
congratulate you and thank you for the hard work that I know producing a
weekly briefing will take.
I cannot agree
route branding in the format that it is being introduced throughout the
country. My local area in Cornwall has numerous nonsensical brands used
on whatever route the bus is required.
My thought is that
very bus is branded, firstly by the operating company and then by the
route number. What else is required?
I agree with your editorial all people want is a punctual, clean bus operated by a safe courteous driver.
My thanks for those replies. Ed.
Charles Powell
Pulhams airline extras
On Saturday and Sunday we were asked by
Oxford to run some extra trips on the airline between Heathrow and
Gatwick only due to railway engineering work.
I liked the atmospheric feel to this picture.
Ed.
Coach visitors to Oxford
David Beynon
A couple from Redbridge on the 22nd.
Xelabus on 17th January
in Oxford.
Fleet News and developments
Gavin Francis
AC007 at Cressex depot on January 23rd.
AC012 from the front on January 25th.
Now withdrawn 2979 at Cressex depot on
January 25th.
Arriva 3741 with an X90 at the Eden BS on
250124 G Francis
Malcolm Crowe
Sprinter ACO12 seen at Cressex depot on January 20th.
Buses at rest in Cressex depot
on January 20th.
Kevin Fuller
Pictures from Slough for you this week, all taken on 17th January:
First Berkshire Volvo / Wright 69387 waits time on Wellington Street before
setting out with a route 8 journey for Heathrow via Windsor and Staines.
Seen on Brunel Way, outside the bus station (which is still closed after fire
damage in November 2022),
is First 47690, a Wright Streetlite DF, looking like a
brand new vehicle with its recent repaint into Beeline livery.
The bus was
working on route 3 to Uxbridge.
Malcolm Crowe
461 is seen in the overflow yard on January
24th along with 938.
Variety is the name of the game by Carousel.
Thames Travel is represented
with 874 (new to Carousel) and 512 here on loan on January 20th.
Graham Low
708 is seen working an 11X service o n
January 21st.
Jack Cooper
Sprinters 972-976 have had
the PickMeUp High Wycombe branding removed.
972 in Oxford on January 24th.
All 21 Brookes Electroliners have now entered service, with 715 being the last to enter service on Thursday 18th.
%20osf%20r%2011%20X%20St%20Aldates%20220124%20pignbob.jpg)
%20osr%20r%2011%20X%20St%20Aldates%20220124%20pignbob.jpg)
705 working the 11X on January 22nd.
715 in Park End Street during its first day in service on January 18th.
Charles Powell
Pulhams airline extras
On Saturday and Sunday we were asked by
Oxford to run some extra trips on the airline between Heathrow and
Gatwick only due to railway engineering work.
I did it and used our new GB73PUL on it. Here’s a variety of pictures from the weekend.
Saturday and Sunday we at Pulhams were asked to run some extra trips on the airline between Heathrow and Gatwick due to engineering work on the railway.
Here’s me with our GB73PUL over the weekend.
Tony Gaze
Pulhams K99NHS (371) has had the NHS treatment! Taken
on January 24th.
I see that fleet numbers have been re-applied. Ed.
Pulhams VO17EOB was also workin the 99 on January 24th. This bus was
K99NHS !
Jack Cooper
On the night of Friday 19th -
Saturday 20th I was at Thames Travel helping to fit the new Ticketer V9
machines. The new machines were fitted to Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel
buses over the weekend. The V9 machines have an improved screen and are a lot
quicker with card payments compared to the old machines.
The yard at Didcot and a new ticket machine
on January 20th.
224 seen working the 3X on January 24th.
Gavin Francis
Gavin caught up with an old friend in Wycombe on January 19th in Holmers Farm Way..
Cliffs of Wycombe now operate FJ11MKP
The same coach seen in Victoria on January 9th 2014 operated by Stuarts of
Carluke.
including Courtney, Newbury & District &
Thames Valley
Kevin Fuller
Thames Valley / Reading Buses Enviro 400MMC 781 pauses on Wellington Street
between trips on the 703 between Heathrow and Windsor / Bracknell.
UPDATE on New Buses
Robert Williams
THAMES VALLEY BUSES
NEW BUSES INVESTMENT FOR SOUTH BRACKNELL
Thames Valley Buses announce the investment in
four new single deck buses primarily for the 171 and 172 routes that run
around South Bracknell.
The new environmentally friendly buses, with the
latest low emission Euro VI engines, will be in service from today
(Friday). They will also be on display in Bracknell during half term for
members of the public to check out all the new features.
Thames Valley Buses say they are a step-change
in luxury and comfort for their customers. Amongst the features are
coffee-shop style wood effect flooring and comfortable high back seats.
The buses also provide seat back and wireless
charging and free WIFI to help customers stay connected whilst on the
move. They all feature next stop audio and visual announcements, and
distinctive blue route branding to assist customers navigate their
journeys.
Said Robert Williams, Chief Executive
Officer: “We are delighted to be able to bring these
brand-new buses to the people of South Bracknell.
“The 171/172 circular route around South
Bracknell is one of our most popular services so we are proud to be able
to bring this investment to the area. We are confident they will
transform customer journeys and encourage more people to choose the bus.
“It is the plan that they will combine with
some new buses coming to Reading Buses lion 4 later this month and
follows investment in route 194 last year. This means that customers
travelling between Great Hollands and Bracknell town centre will have an
amazing choice of high quality, environmentally friendly new buses for
their journeys.
“All tickets are accepted on all four routes
meaning customers will be able to turn up at stops where the routes
overlap and not have to worry about waiting long for a bus. However,
customers can use both the Reading Buses and Thames Valley Buses apps to
track buses and check arrival times as well as buy tickets should they
wish.”
Customers are advised that whilst the buses are
new, the timetable and route remain the same as current.
Martin Dowling
Reading Buses support
a charity every year and raise money to pass on, notably that raised at
the annual depot open day. In 2024 they are continuing with the
Royal Berks Charity and a bus (1210) has been decorated as is customary
to advertise this. The charity is linked to the hospital in
Reading and helps fund equipment, research, etc. at RBH.
Details of the charitable collections over the
years are here
ttps://www.reading-buses.co.uk/charity-of-the-year
This page
https://www.reading-buses.co.uk/introducing-royal-berks-charity-bus
describes the launch at the hospital on Wednesday 17th.
I've attached the photo of 1210 in its new livery.
Nick Ross
Red Eagle DART AA53 GHA at Aylesbury Bus station after working the 1200
61 from Dunstable
(making a nice change from an Enviro 200) on January 18th 2024
BV73MLZ is first reported in service on January 25th and so all four are now in service. Ed.
The remaining ex Yellow Bus liveried in service in August is YX12AZN seen working an X20 on July 27th.
Richard Sharman
Redline’s 78, BV73 MLX is seen on its second
revenue earning day in service on 17 January,
and its first day on service X20. It is seen at speed on the A40 heading
towards Aylesbury.
79, BV73 MLY is seen on its first revenue
earning day in service, 16 January,
at Oxford Services on a late evening X20 working to Aylesbury.
BV73 MME is seen making its first foray into
Oxford on Redline's X20 service on 18 January.
Gavin Francis
Not pictured by us, Y27RRT with a 40 at
Stokenchurch on January 23rd.
On January 24th recently transferred to Red Rose YX08MDV working the 40,
this bus is seen when working for London
United on May 29th 2012.
See in the main article in the Editorial there is to be a change of Managing Directors. Ed.
Richard Sharman
Like Witney depot, Horspath Road depot has
now also gained a set of white automatic gates at its entry/exit point.
Tony Gaze
11752 turned up on the S2 to Witney/Oxford
Gary Seamarks
East have revisions mid Feb, with X5 M-F
reverting to half hourly daytime, 905 will return to Drummer St
Cambridge as opposed to its present Parkside terminal, think drivers
will be happy as Parkside does not have toilet facilities etc. the 9A,
9B9C are extended to Stevenage from the present Hitchin terminal
half-hourly M-F hourly Sat, nothing on a Sunday. Negative side is the 2
Bedford-Park and Ride - Flitwick is withdrawn, Grant Palmer does a
similar service but obmitting the Park and Ride, which is now unserved,
it opened in 2005 on a 12 minute peak (15 off peak) frequency limited
stop and busy, to todays lip service of hourly, the Council are renting
part of the site to a Car/Van rental unit so assume not bothered, their
webpage contains wrong service info and my e-mail from 10 days ago about
changes is still unanswered !!!!
It is suggested that 50450 and 50451 will be joining the fleet soon. These coaches have not seen service for many months now. Ed.
Gavin Francis
YX67VFS WORKING THE 614 STATION ROAD, EDGWARE
on January 23rd.
London operations
I have received
information that go ahead SEe 232 has had a fire.
Andrew Webb
The first two overall advert campaigns of 2024 hit the capital's streets
this week with very different styles.
Samsung are promoting their new Galaxy S24 phone with this grey based
scheme which matches the weather at this time of year.
Abellio's LT606 is seen at Trafalgar Square on 20 January.
By contrast is this advert for a new movie about Bob Marley which brings a dash of Caribbean colour to the streets.
Metroline's LT748 shows the offside at Tottenham Court Road.
The nearside is on Stagecoach's LT248 as it arrives at the terminus of
route 8 after another journey from Bow Church.
Both taken on 20 January.
Route 133 was one of two routes (the other being 333) lost by
Arriva after 19 January. Abellio, currently rebranding as
Transport UK, have won the contract from the service linking Holborn
with Streatham Station on the basis of using electric buses. Until
the full fleet is delivered a mixture of new and existing buses are in
use as these photos taken at London Bridge on the first day of the new
order demonstrate.
Several new Routemasters are being uses, adding this route to the list
that the type have been used on, LT158 being a typical example.
Both generations of Enviro 400s are in use including original style 2463
and MMC 2610.
The new order is represented by Wright
Electroliners, which will form the whole allocation once all are
delivered.
3047 is highest numbered example currently in use.
Londoner Buses borrowed RMC1477 to operate route T15 on 20 January.
The core service operates between Piccadilly Circus and Tower Hill, but
the first morning journey for each vehicle starts from Waterloo.
It is here that the bus is seen awaiting departure with the 'T' chalked
onto the front blind box.
LATEST SUPERLOOP ROUTES
Over the last 2 months 2 more routes have been added to the Superloop Network.
On 25th November SL10 commenced connecting Harrow with North Finchley. It is operated by RATP using E400 electric buses.
Then on 9th December the SL1 commenced operating between Walthamstow and North Finchley. This route is operated by Arriva using Hybrid E400s made surplus by the loss of Route 78.
It is now therefore possible to travel in a clockwise direction all the way from West Croydon to Walthamstow on The Superloop Network.
RATP Enviro 400 City EV 47117 at Harrow Bus Station on
Rte SL10
A new class comes to London
A new class of bus has been introduced to the streets of
London. Metroline started running electric MCV/Volvo BZL's on the 251 from
Edgware to Arnos Grove from 8th January. It is also the first time 4 letter
class codes have been used in this case VMSL. There is also a shorter version
class VMSS of which examples can be found on Route 384.
First time a four letter code has been used.
VMSL2854 seen at Arnos Grove on January 22nd.