London Buses.

[markcf83]

I saw two Superloop coloured (but not branded) d/d Alexander Denis red London buses heading down the m40 yesterday. Have they got yet another route in the works or would these be supplemental to other routes?

(I couldn't see which operator they were tied to, I just saw the London Buses logo on the side.)

Possibly for the SL3 which is a Stagecoach London route at Bromley. 

[markcf83]

Some tender news to end the month on.

Six routes,plus a schoolbus only route,were announced as to their futures. The only route of these to change operators is the 217,which as some of you might remember was a Sullivan Buses route until they shut up their London operations. Currently it's being run by Go Ahead London but from November Arriva London is to run it presumably from Enfield where it ran from until 2003. New electric buses are going to run on this route.

Go Ahead London has held onto the 184 at Northumberland Park and it will gain a few new buses to add to the current ones on it today. This contract starts next February and like the 217s new one is a seven year one.

Also retained is the 484 at Camberwell with their existing buses and again it is a seven year contract which in this case starts in March.

Stagecoach London has retained the 296 and 496 at Romford. New electric buses are coming to the 496 while existing diesel buses are going to be used on the 296, believed to be newer than the current 13reg examples. A rumour going round is that those delivered for the 499 might be among them. Both start their next contracts in October.

Abellio has held onto the 969, notable for being the last of the many 900 mobility routes begun during the 1980s. It will use whatever is available at their Fulwell garage and it will start its next contract, which by the way is a 3 year one as is the 296,in November.

Finally confirmation that Stagecoach London is to stay at West Ham, albeit in a much smaller capacity than before. They've leased it for the next five years.