Blue Triangle

For the butterfly, see Graphium sarpedon.

Go-Ahead London Blue Triangle

A Dennis Trident 2 of Blue Triangle on route 66 at Leytonstone prior to the takeover by Go-Ahead Group.
Service area	Greater London
Service type	Bus
Routes	10 11 from 26th November 2011 13 from 24 March 2012 2 non-London Bus routes
Fleet	Dennis Dart SLF Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart Volvo B7TL Volvo B9TL
Operator	Go-Ahead Group
Web site	[1]

One of Blue Triangle's new Volvo B9TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini 2, for East London Transit.

Blue Triangle is one of many operators of London Buses, it is based in Rainham and is part of Go-Ahead London. It is the operator of the East London Transit service.

History

Blue Triangle have existed since at least the late 80s/early 90s operating Essex route 500 on evenings on Sundays in the early days of deregulation.

Blue Triangle have long been known for their rail replacement services and also assisting London Buses when other companies gave up routes early, or in the case of London Easylink in 2002, folded completely. The yard is at Denver Industrial Estate, Ferry Lane, Rainham.

On 29 June 2007 the company was acquired by the Go-Ahead Group, for a total sum of £12 million. Go-Ahead has not bought the special vehicles, all heritage vehicles have remained the property of the former managing director, Roger Wright.

In August 2008 a new trading name for Go-Ahead's London operations was created: Go-Ahead London.

Garages

Rainham (BE)

This is Blue Triangle's only garage. This depot holds 77 buses.

Vehicles in use

• Dennis Dart SLF 9.4m / MCV Evolution (ED) for route W19.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart 10.2m / MCV Evolution (ED) for route 167.
• Dennis Dart SLF 10.8m / MCV Evolution (ED) for route 300.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart 10.2m (SE) for route 300.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart 10.8m (SE) for routes 347, 362, 364 and 376.
• Volvo B7TL 10m / Plaxton President (PVL) for routes 649, 650, 651, 674, and Essex routes 575 and 804.
• Volvo B7TL 10m / Wright Eclipse Gemini (WVL) To be introduced on route 257 from October 2012.
• Volvo B9TL 10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 (WVL) for routes EL1 and EL2. To be introduced on route 20 from March 2012.
• Wright StreetLite 8.8m to be introduced on route 462 from March 2012.

Special vehicles

The company also owned a number of special vehicles including an ex-Green Line RMC, RMs and RT's for use on Private Hire duties. One of the these RTs ran a special marking the end of Blue Triangle's assistance on route 185. All these vehicles remain in the hands of the former owner Roger Wright's London Bus Company along with the private hire operation.

Routes

Route Number	Route	General Details
20	Walthamstow Central Station to Debden via Leyton	TfL
167	Debden to Ilford via Loughton, Barkingside	TfL
257	Stratford to Walthamstow Central Station via Whipps Cross	TfL
300	Canning Town Station to East Ham	TfL
347	Ockendon Station to Romford Station via Upminster	TfL
362	Grange Hill Station to King George Hospital	TfL
364	Dagenham East to Ilford	TfL
376	Beckton to East Ham	TfL
462	Hainault to Ilford via Barkingside	TfL
575	Epping to Lakeside via Debden
649	Romford North Street Bus Garage to Campion School	TfL
650	Romford North Street Bus Garage to Emerson Park School	TfL
651	Romford Station to North Romford Chase Cross	TfL
674	Romford Station to Harold Hill Dagnam Park Square	TfL
804	Debden to Chigwell West Hatch High School
EL1	Ilford Ilford Hill to Thames View Estate via Barking	TfL
EL2	Ilford Ilford Hill to Dagenham Dock Station via Barking	TfL
W19	Ilford to Walthamstow via Leytonstone	TfL

Previous routes operated

Two Blue Triangle Dennis Dart SLFs on route 372 at Lakeside Shopping Centre.

• Blue Triangle operated Essex route 500 (Romford to Harlow via Epping) in the late 80s/early 90s in the early days of deregulation. They operated the route on evenings and Sundays under contract to Essex County Council.

• Route 565 (Brentwood to Bulphan) was once operated by Blue Triangle. They also operated the route when it went from Brentwood on to Romford.

• Essex CC route 11 (Purfleet to Basildon) was lost to Clintona Minicoaches in January 2009

• Essex CC routes 8B/8C, 101 and 256 were lost to First in August 2010

• Blue Triangle was the last operator to operate route 502 (Loughton to Romford) a few years ago. It was a Saturday service with only 1 return journey.

• Route 372 (Lakeside - Hornchurch) was won on a temporary contract as part replacement for route 324 which ran between Romford market & Bluewater Shopping Complex, Blue Triangle was awarded the temporary contract using four Dennis Darts with Plaxton Pointer bodywork with single door, these were obtained from dealer stock. In March 2004, Blue triangle retained the contract for another five years but the buses had to be converted to dual doors like most TfL bus routes, but this never happen. Blue Triangle lost this route to East London Bus Group new company 'Thameside' which are based next door at Rainham.

• Route 248 (Cranham - Romford Market) route was won in 2001 from First Capital and had to start using Titans & Metrobuses due to late delivery of new buses for the route. in September 2008, the route was lost on tendering to East London Bus Group company 'Thameside'.

• Route 375 (Passingford Bridge - Romford Station) was won on a temporary contract as a part replacement to Essex County Council route 500, which was withdrawn between Ongar & Romford, TfL stepped in with this replacement service using just one bus. The route was put out for tender and was lost to Arriva Southern Counties at their Grays base from Saturday 4 July 2009.

• Route 66 (Leytonstone - Romford Station) was won in September 2003 from Arriva London, the contract started using hired buses due to the late deliver of new buses from Transbus. In September 2010, the route was up for tender and lost to Arriva Southern Counties at Grays.

• Route 368 (Chadwell Heath - Harts Lane Estate) was transferred to Blue Triangle from Dockland Buses on 3 November 2007, using existing MCV Evolutions. On 26 March 2011, This route was up for tender and lost to First Capital.

• Route 648 (Cranham - Romford) was won in September 2001 from First Capital, using existing Dennis Dart SLF 10.8m / Alexander Dennis Pointer. On 3 September 2011, this route was up for tender and lost to First Capital.

See also

• List of bus operators of the United Kingdom

External links

• Blue Triangle official website