Transdev London Sovereign

London Sovereign

Parent	Transdev
Service area	Greater London
Service type	Bus
Operator	Transdev
Web site	www.londonsovereign.co.uk

London Sovereign is one of the many operators of London Buses, owned by Transdev. Since Transdev sold London United to RATP, it is Transdev's only remaining London bus company.

London Sovereign can trace its roots back to independent Borehamwood Travel Services (BTS), which ran a number of ex-Kelvin Central MCW Metrobuses, as well as new Leyland Olympian/Northern Counties Palatines and a collection of other vehicles. In 1993 it won its biggest London Buses contract, to operate route 13 (Golders Green - Aldwych) with leased AEC Routemasters in its orange livery. In 1994, BTS was sold to the Blazefield Group's Sovereign subsidiary, and it became Sovereign London. In 2003, it was sold to the Transdev group, which renamed it London Sovereign.

Garages

They have 2 bus garages.

Edgware (BT)

This garage holds 62 buses, and runs London bus routes 13, 114, 183, 251, 292, 324 and Night route N13.

History

The original London Sovereign logo

When Edgware garage was first opened by the London General Omnibus Company in 1925 it had space for 24 buses, but there was plenty of room adjacent to the Underground station which had recently been built. In 1939 a new building was built next to the original building which was to become the new bus station, while the remaining open parking area was used to store vehicles for the trolleybus replacement program. In 1984 a new 100 bus garage was built on on the site of the long closed Edgware railway station at a cost of £4.5 Million. In 1992 plans were made to close Edgware garage as Cricklewood garage was to become a fully functioning garage with new facilities. The outdoor parking area and the bus station then became a midibus base in 1993, with a new bus wash and light maintenance facilities provided in the yard.

In 1999, London Sovereign, which had won some tenders for bus services in the North-East London area, took a 10-year lease of half of Edgware garage and invested in a new maintenance facility which was to replace its former base at Borehamwood. In late 2000, Metroline moved back into the other half of the garage, making it one of the few garages to be shared by two operators.

On 3 September 2011, London Sovereign successfully gained the contract of route 251 and are now operating it from this garage.

On 28 September 2011, London Sovereign successfully gained the contract for route 605 and from 1 September 2012, they will be operating it from this garage.

Bus types in use

• Volvo B7TL 10.6m / Plaxton President (VLP) for route 292.
• Scania OmniDekka 10.6m (SLE) for routes 13, 114 and N13.
• Scania OmniCity 10.6m (SP) for route 183.
• Volvo Olympian / Alexander RH (VA) for hire
• Volvo B7TL 10.6m/ East Lancs Myllinnium Vyking (VLE) for route 114.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 Dart 8.9m (SDE) for route 324.
• Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart 10.2m (DE) for route 251.

Harrow (SO)

This garage holds 42 buses, and runs London bus routes 398, H9, H10, H11, H13, H14, and H17.

History

Harrow (SO) opened in 1994 . All of the buses used to have a cream and blue livery. Harrow (SO) is Transdev London's smallest garage just holding 42 buses. Due to a low roof beam across the middle of the site it can't hold double deckers.

Bus type in use

• Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart 10.2m (DE) for routes 398, H9, H10, H11, H13, H14 and H17.
• Dennis Dart SLF 10.2m / Plaxton Pointer 2 (DPS) for routes 398, H9, H10 and H13.

External links

• www.londonsovereign.co.uk