London Buses.

[markcf83]

Some news to report this afternoon.

All six routes have been retained by their current operators and mostly will keep their existing buses. 

Go Ahead London has retained the 219 at Merton however it will take existing electric buses from elsewhere, as yet unknown. They also retained the 230 at Northumberland Park however it's to get new electric buses displacing the current five year old examples. Also held was the 87 and N87 at Stockwell with existing buses.

Stagecoach London retains the 55,56 and N55 which is significant to Leyton given they're a significant amount of the work at that garage. Existing buses are to be used, although the current hybrids on the 56 are now 13 years old so newer examples are likely. 

Finally Arriva London has held the 432 at Norwood with existing buses once again to be used. 

Starting dates for these vary as is the way starting in March of next year and at intervals up to late June.

[markcf83]

Some news which was confirmed yesterday is that routes 18 and N18 have been held by London United. The new contract is due to start in November however the length and what type of buses has yet to be confirmed. However given the majority of the buses used on it are 67 reg Volvos and hybrid I wouldn't be surprised if they stay on for the immediate future. 

Mystic Mark called it-the existing Hybrids are staying on it for the next few years. 

[markcf83]

Some news from London for your Monday afternoon. 

No change in the latest set of results which were announced this morning. 

Starting at Metroline where route 46 is to stay at Holloway using the existing electric buses and also retained is the N20 which will use existing hybrids. This is the night bus for the Barnet branch of the Northern line.

We then move to London United and the N5 which they've held using their allocation of hybrids at Edgware. 

Finally to Stagecoach London and they've held the D8 with new electric buses due;also held are the N550 and N551. The former is to stay at Lea Interchange,the other two Ash Grove where hybrids are to stay on them.

Start dates range from mid June to September of next year. Incidentally the night routes are on three year contracts,the electric routes seven year ones. 

[Stu]

The Irizar ieTram electric buses finally entered service today on the 358 service between Crystal Palace and Orpington.

In the below video, Geoff Marshall and Roger French get to try them out...

[Tony]

The Irizar ieTram electric buses finally entered service today on the 358 service between Crystal Palace and Orpington.

In the below video, Geoff Marshall and Roger French get to try them out...

In various posts about these on Facebook I have never seem so many ill-informed negative, incorrect comments

[markcf83]

In various posts about these on Facebook I have never seem so many ill-informed negative, incorrect comments

The problem I have with them is the panelling on the sides. That part of South East London is notorious for accidents.

[markcf83]

Some news to report this afternoon.

All six routes have been retained by their current operators and mostly will keep their existing buses.

Go Ahead London has retained the 219 at Merton however it will take existing electric buses from elsewhere, as yet unknown. They also retained the 230 at Northumberland Park however it's to get new electric buses displacing the current five year old examples. Also held was the 87 and N87 at Stockwell with existing buses.

Stagecoach London retains the 55,56 and N55 which is significant to Leyton given they're a significant amount of the work at that garage. Existing buses are to be used, although the current hybrids on the 56 are now 13 years old so newer examples are likely.

Finally Arriva London has held the 432 at Norwood with existing buses once again to be used.

Starting dates for these vary as is the way starting in March of next year and at intervals up to late June.

It appears that the electric buses for the 219 are to come from the 153 when Metroline takes the route over in the early stages of next year.

[markcf83]

Some more tender news to report this evening.

All seven days routes and the sole Night bus route have been retained, which would've been good news for both Go Ahead London and Stagecoach London as well.

I will start with the 308,whose latest contract starts in March and was retained by Stagecoach London from Lea Interchange using the current hybrids. The modern replacement for the garage that was on Waterden Road in Stratford-now subsumed under the Olympic Park-also retained the 488, which uses Enviros and passes under the bridge next to Bow Garage that carries the London to Norwich main line. 

They've also held the 61 and 261 at Bromley, and both are to get new electric buses. I mention this as it'll be this time next year before the contracts begin. 

Moving on to Go Ahead London,they held the 44 and N44 using the current hybrids-though given they're the Streetdecks delivered in 2018 and which have proven to be troublesome they might be replaced with older Enviros. Those two routes are run from Stockwell,who also runs the 77 and that was retained too. 

Finally to the People's Republic of Croydon and Metrobus has retained the 403, but this former London Country route is to gain newer hybrid vehicles.

These routes are to begin their next contracts from March of next year to the end of next November. 

[Celestial Toymaker]

The Irizar ieTram electric buses finally entered service today on the 358 service between Crystal Palace and Orpington.

In the below video, Geoff Marshall and Roger French get to try them out...

are these the same revolting looking things that are meant to be the new sprint bus ?

[markcf83]

Just a quick advisory that later today I will be posting tender results from both today and yesterday involving close to 20 routes,and the very likely closure of a London bus garage in East London. Keep an eye out after 7pm tonight for all the gory details.  

[markcf83]

As promised, here are all the details on the tender news from the last two days. Such is the number of routes this will be split into two posts with this one dedicated to those numbered from the 30 to 304 being mentioned first.

Starting with route 30, which Metroline has retained using the existing buses for three years and now running from the King's Cross outstation.

Then onto the 67 which Arriva London has won back for what seems like the 50th time but in reality is actually a lot less. Go Ahead London is the loser here and like now is keeping its NB4L buses.

Back to Metroline who's held the 95 at Greenford. Initially it will use hybrid double deckers but ultimately it is to get new electric buses which are to be their first. 

Next up is the 166, which Arriva London has held onto at Croydon and it will gain new electric buses too-seemingly it seems like Croydon is getting a lot of new buses coming over the next year or so.

Staying at Arriva London, Norwood has held onto the 202 and will be using the current hybrids. 

Next week go back to Metroline and their retention of the 231. Potters Bar has held it for another term with hybrids.

Off to Stagecoach London next, where big news is expected in regards to West Ham garage early in the New Year as they've lost two of the five routes they currently run. However they held the 241 and that'll be gaining hybrids instead of the current diesel Enviros. 

Finally, for PT1, we go to Go Ahead London who held onto the 304. This modern route, only started a few years ago,is held with the current hybrids staying on it. 


Standby for PT2 which is coming in the next twenty minutes. 

[markcf83]

PT2 as promised.

Arriva London has held the 319 at Brixton and will continue to use the current electric buses delivered a few years ago. For those who might be interested this is the middle section of the 49 when that ran through from Shepherds Bush to Crystal Palace-and before anyone asks,yes I've done the whole of route 49 in one go!

I mentioned towards the end of PT1 that Stagecoach London lost work from West Ham, and one of the routes to go is the 330. Go Ahead London is the winner of both this and the 474, though no news on the home garages for both have been made yet. I reckon the 474 will go to North Woolwich,the 330 might go there too. Incidentally hybrids are to be used on both.

Stagecoach London has held the 397, the midibus route on the Essex/North East London borders and will run it from their Walthamstow garage.

Back to Metroline, again, and to Potters Bar again as they held the 491 to run with new electric buses on the way. It runs between Waltham Cross and the North Middlesex Hospital just to the south of Edmonton.

Finally onto the prefixed routes, just four of them. Although bidded for by London United,they are the first retentions for the incoming First London operations having held the H12, K1 and K3 with existing buses. The H12 is run from Edgware, the K routes from Tolworth. 

Lastly the W16 is retained by Stagecoach London, again from Walthamstow.

Dates for all these routes to start their next contracts range from March to September.


To conclude, it's been announced that routes 118,347 and 414 are to be withdrawn next year. The 118 and 414 are to be withdrawn in February,the 347 sometime in the first half of next year. The 118 is to be replaced by an extension to the 45 which will now run from Camberwell Green to Morden. Also linked is a small diversion to the southern terminus of the 59, which will now finish at Clapham Park as opposed to Brixton Garage. 

That is it.