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→‎Bus types in use: Scania N230UD 10.8m / Optare Olympus is no longer allcated at Croydon (C). Please see <ref>https://www.metrobus.co.uk/download/7807.8/fleet-list/</ref>
Davidwo (talk | contribs)
497 edits
→‎Bus types in use: Scania N230UD 10.8m / Optare Olympus is no longer allcated at Orpington (MB). Please see <ref>https://www.metrobus.co.uk/download/7807.8/fleet-list/</ref>
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*[[MAN 12.240]] 10.2m / [[East Lancs Esteem]] for route R2
*[[MAN 12.240]] 10.2m / [[East Lancs Esteem]] for route R2
*[[Optare Solo SE]] 7.1m for route R8
*[[Optare Solo SE]] 7.1m for route R8
*[[Scania N230UD]] 10.8m / [[Optare Olympus]] as logistical spares <ref name="ReferenceA"/>
*[[Scania OmniCity]] double-deck 10.8m for route 320
*[[Scania OmniCity]] double-deck 10.8m for route 320
*[[Scania OmniCity]] single-deck 12.0m for route 358
*[[Scania OmniCity]] single-deck 12.0m for route 358

Revision as of 16:32, 28 July 2014

Alexander Dennis Enviro400 on route 24 at Trafalgar Square in June 2011
ParentGo-Ahead Group
FoundedDecember 1988
HeadquartersMerton
Service areaGreater London
Service typeBus services
FleetAlexander Dennis Enviro200Dart
Alexander Dennis Enviro400
BYD electric bus
DAF SB120
Dennis Dart SLF
Dennis Trident 2
MAN 14.240
Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro
New Routemaster
Optare Solo SE
Scania N230UD
Scania OmniCity
Scania OmniDekka
Scania OmniTown
Volvo B5LH
Volvo B7TL
Volvo B9TL
Volvo Olympian
Wright Gemini 2 DL
Wright StreetLite
Websitewww.londongeneral.co.uk

London General is a bus company operating services in Greater London. It is a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group and operates most buses under contract to Transport for London. The company was named in honour of the London General Omnibus Company, the principal operator of buses in London between 1855 and 1933.

History

AEC Routemaster on route 14 on Piccadilly
AEC Routemaster on route 11
Former Red Arrow Leyland National Greenway
Northern Counties Palatine 2 bodied Volvo Olympian on route 37 in January 2004
East Lancs Myllennium Vyking bodied Volvo B7TL on route 154 at West Croydon in April 2002
Mercedes-Benz Citaro articulated bus on route 453 on Westminster Bridge in April 2011
Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TL on route 11 at Victoria Station in April 2008
Alexander Dennis Enviro400 on route 24 in April 2008
Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B9TL on route 476 in Tottenham in May 2013
Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied Volvo B5L on route 19 at Finsbury Park in July 2012

The modern-day London General was established in December 1988[1] as one of 12 operating subsidiaries of London Buses in preparation for privatisation, its original logo being an omnibus in reflection of the name's history. In 1994 the company was sold to a management buy out, before being sold to the Go-Ahead Group in May 1996.[2]

The company moved its offices to an address in Merton, adjacent to the Merton bus garage. In August 2008, Go-Ahead's London bus operations all took up the new trading name of Go-Ahead London.

In October 2009, Go-Ahead completed the purchase of East Thames Buses from Transport for London and incorporated it into London General. Although Transport for London's normal practice is to put routes out for tender, London General began a new five-year contract for all East Thames Buses routes without going through the tendering process.

In March 2012, First London's Northumberland Park garage was purchased. In June 2014 the London operations of Metrobus were integrated into London General with depots in Croydon and Orpington.

Garages

London General operates eleven bus garages.

Sutton (A)

Sutton garage operates London bus routes 80, 151, 154, 164 (Sundays only), 413, 24-hour routes 93 and 213, and Night route N155. Coulsdon College also have a service contracted out for a shuttle service from West Croydon to the College.

History

Opened by the London General Omnibus Company in January 1924 at cost of £30,000, Sutton garage had a capacity for 100 buses. During its early years, less than half of the garage was put to use, holding only 40 buses by 1926. This would change somewhat by the extension of the Underground to Morden and major house-building projects in the area. Between 1945 and 1953, it had an allocation of exactly 100 Utility Daimlers (classed as Ds) numbered from D182 - D281. By 1952, the garage had a 128 buses allocated, achieved mainly by parking buses in surrounding streets. However, this would soon fall again, to 100 in 1966, 82 in 1976 and 62 in 1987. The garage passed to the reborn London General bus company in the run-up to privatisation in 1985. Sutton Garage also partly took control of route 200 at a yard in Colliers Wood (AA) in 1989, after Cityrama withdrew from their contract. Sutton was responsible for providing drivers for the service, whilst Merton garage were contracted to do the maintenance. By 1994, the garage allocation had grown to 85 buses and again to 92 in 2001, including 10 buses subcontracted to Surrey County Council.

Sutton also helped when Carshalton garage closed in 1964.

On 2 September 2013, Surrey routes 318 and 866 were passed to Buses Excetera.

Bus types in use

Putney (AF)

Putney bus garage

Putney garage operates London bus routes 22, 74, 424, 430, 24-hour routes 14 and 85, Night routes N22, N74 and school route 670 (PM journey).

History

With its ancestry going back to the horse bus days of the 1880s, Chelverton Road Garage was converted to a motor-bus garage in 1912. The garage is well hidden in a side road with a modest frontage, yet it has an allocation of 112. It has been modernised twice, firstly in 1935 and then again in 1985. The garage was well known for being allocated the pre-war RTs in 1940 which displaced the STLs. During the war the garage was underutilised and was used to store de-licensed buses. Renamed Putney in 1963 after the closure of Putney Bridge garage (F) it started to receive both short and long wheelbase AEC Routemasters for its central London routes. The Routemasters remained at the garage until July 2005 when both the 14 and 22 were converted to low floor one-person-operated buses.

Bus types in use

Merton (AL)

Merton garage operates London bus routes 22 (Sundays only), 44, 77, 118, 155, 163, 164 (Monday to Saturday), 200, 201, 219, 270, 280, Night route N155 and school route 655. It also runs the St. Bedes School private bus services 514 and 519, which run between the Caterham area and the school, on behalf of Surrey County Council.

History

Merton was for many years the largest of the London General's garages, and continued to boast high allocations in the early days of London Transport, including 222 STL-class AEC Regents in 1935, and all of the first 181 D-class utility Daimlers in 1950.

The garage was modernised in 1960, and again in 1991 when a new roof was fitted and various stores and welfare areas were moved to provide a larger, unobstructed parking area, which had previously been renowned for being long and narrow. Some buses were parked at a yard in nearby Colliers Wood during the rebuilding project. Over recent years, the allocation total has fluctuated between 83 and 134, never really coming close to the garage's original high capacity. Merton was also responsible for the maintenance of vehicles for route 200 in 1988/9 after the withdrawal of the Cityrama sightseeing company, whilst the route was operated from Sutton garage.

The garage has become Go-Ahead London's head office, following the sale of Raleigh House, Mitcham and the acquisition of the former pub (King's Head, Merton) next door.

On 31 March 2012, London General commenced operating route 249.[3] On 1 June 2013, this was transferred to Stockwell garage.[4]

Route 201 will be passed to Abellio London from 4 October 2014. [5]

Bus types in use

Belvedere (BV)

Belvedere garage operates London bus routes 180, 244, Night route N1 and school route 669.

History

Belvedere was purchased by Harris Bus in 1998 to house its operations that moved from Crayford. Harris Bus went into receivership in 2000, and its routes and garage were taken over by London Buses under the guise of East Thames Buses. East Thames Buses remainbed a subsidiary of London Buses, taking over routes from defunct operators such as London Easylink's 42 & 185 when this went broke in 2002. Following the move to Mandela Way the engineering is now done there, however limited engineering facilities exist at Belvedere.

In October 2009, East Thames Buses was sold to Go-Ahead London. As a result of the purchase by Go-Ahead some route and allocation movements have taken or are due to take place.

Even though Belvedere is a London General Garage it now operates as a satellite of London Central's Bexleyheath garage. All of Belvedere's engineering and fleet and staff management is done at or organised by Bexleyheath.

Bus types in use

Croydon (C)

Croydon garage operates London bus routes 64, 119 (day time service only), 127, 130, 202, 293, 359, 367, 405, 434, T32 and night route N64.

History

The Beddington Lane depot was opened by Metrobus in December 2005 to house route 127 which had been surrendered early by Centra. Work was completed on the garage buildings in February 2006. This garage took over the London routes that ran from Godstone with the exception of the 146 and 246 which moved to Orpington.

Bus types in use

Orpington (MB)

The Green Street Green garage operates London bus routes 119 (night service only on this 24-hour route), 126, 138, 146, 161, 162, 181, 233, 284, 320, 336, 352, 353, 358, 464, B14, R1, R2, R3, R4, R6, R8, R9, R11 and school route 654.

History

A former farm, Green Street Green depot was for many years the only garage for all of Metrobus' London tendered routes since the award of route 61 in 1986. More recently routes have been operated from Godstone and in December 2005 a new depot was constructed in Croydon to cope with new tender awards. During mid-2005 major reconstruction started on the Green Street Green site to make improvements and provide an expansion. During these works, a temporary base was being used at Polhill in next to the base of what was Southlands Travel.

Bus types in use

Mandela Way (MW)

Mandela Way, Bermondseys garage operates London bus routes 1, 42, 507, 521, 24-hour route 453, Night route N1, school routes 624 and 658.

History

On 13 October 2012, route 42 was transferred to this garage.[7]

London General will takeover the operation of route 100 from 20 September 2014. [9]

Bus types in use

Northumberland Park (NP)

Northumberland Park garage operates London bus routes 20, 191, 231, 257, 259, 299, 327, 357, 389, 399, 476, 491, W4, W10, W16, school routes 616, 692, 699 and commercial route 575.

History

The garage was opened in 1991 to house the Walthamstow Citybus operation, an offshoot of Capital Citybus, the operation steadily grew especially after the collapse of the London Forest company. Capital Citybus was bought out by the management team in late 1995, and subsequently by FirstGroup in 1998 becoming First Capital.

In March 2012, FirstGroup sold Northumberland Park garage, together with its route contracts, vehicles and staff to the Go-Ahead Group with it becoming part of London General.[11]

On 13 October 2012, London General commenced operating route 257.[12]

On 19 November 2012, commercial route 575 was transferred to this garage.

On 27 April 2013, route 67 passed to Arriva London.[13][14]

On 1 June 2013, London General commenced operating route 491.[15]

On 8 June 2013, London General commenced operating route 327.[16]

On 22 June 2013, route 20 was transferred from sister Go-Ahead London company Blue Triangle's Rainham garage.

London General will takeover the operation of route 192 from 8 November 2014. [9]

Bus types in use

Waterside Way (PL)

Waterside Way, Wimbledon garage operates London bus routes 39, 485, 493 and G1. This depot also acts as a storage for the training bus fleet.

On 31 March 2012, London General commenced operating route 493.[17]

Bus types in use

Waterloo (RA)

Red Arrow articulated bus fleet at Waterloo

Waterloo garage operates London Red Arrow bus routes 507 and 521.

History

The garage opened in the early 1980s as a Red Arrow garage and in the 1990s had an allocation of Routemasters for route 11. The garage only operates Monday to Friday due to its proximity to residential properties.

In June 2002 the Red Arrow Leyland Nationals were replaced by London's first fleet of Mercedes-Benz Citaro articulated buses. Because of the extra space required to stable these, the route 11 Routemasters were transferred to Stockwell garage. In September 2009 the articulated fleet was replaced by Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaros.

Bus types in use

Stockwell (SW)

Stockwell garage operates London bus routes 11, 19, 87, 170, 196, 249, 315, 333, 337, 24-hour route 88, Night routes N11, N19, N44, N87, school routes 639 and 670 (AM journey).

Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TL on route 11 at Charing Cross

History

Opened in 1952 after nearly four years of planning and building with many materials short of supply and problems re-housing residents of the houses that stood on the site. Stockwell garage is a listed building, and when built was a masterpiece of architectural design incorporating a new roof structure that did not need supports which enabled for a 73,350-square-foot (6,814 m2) unobstructed parking space. The offices and workshops are on the edges of the garage but do not take up any of the parking space. In the first few days of operation the garage ran just 11 buses on route 178 which had moved from Rye Lane (Peckham), but then gained more work from the next stage of the tram replacement program for which it had been designed for, but it was still well short of capacity. More work arrived in late 1953 and early 1954 when routes 77 and 77A (now 87) moved from Victoria garage due to recruitment problems, and the closure of Nunhead which increased the PVR to 110 buses. In the early 1970s the Round London Sightseeing Tours moved to Stockwell. In 1984 Stockwell was chosen to conduct comparative testing on route 170, consisting of MCW Metrobuses, Leyland Titans, Leyland Olympians, Dennis Dominators, and Volvo Ailsas. The allocation steadied at around 120 for many years, but has increased in the last few years, partially due to taking back full control of route 11 from Waterloo garage.

On 6 May 2006 London General commenced operating route 196.[18]

On 9 February 2007, London General commenced operating route 24.[19] On 10 November 2012 this passed to Metroline.[20]

On 31 March 2012, London General commenced operating routes 19 and N19.[21]

On 1 June 2013, route 249 was transferred from Merton garage.[22]

On 21 September 2013, route 11 was converted to New Routemaster operation.[23]

Bus types in use

See also

References

  1. ^ Companies House extract company no 2328489 London General Transport Services Limited
  2. ^ Go-Ahead annual report 29 June 1996 Go-Ahead Group plc
  3. ^ Bus tender results Route 249 Transport for London 27 June 2011
  4. ^ http://www.londonbusroutes.net/changes.htm#50
  5. ^ http://www.londonbusroutes.net/changes.htm#50
  6. ^ Forthcoming planned services changes londonbusroutes.net 28 May 2014
  7. ^ a b c http://www.lots.org.uk/
  8. ^ a b http://www.metrobus.co.uk/download/7807.8/fleet-list/
  9. ^ a b c Forthcoming planned services changes londonbusroutes.net 24 May 2014
  10. ^ http://www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm
  11. ^ Go-Ahead Group Acquires Northumberland Park Bus Depot Go-Ahead Group 19 March 2012
  12. ^ Bus tender results Route 257 Transport for London 21 December 2011
  13. ^ Bus tender results Route 67 Transport for London 29 July 2005
  14. ^ Bus tender results Route 67 Transport for London 19 July 2012
  15. ^ Bus tender results Route 491 Transport for London 19 July 2012
  16. ^ Bus tender results Route 327 Transport for London 19 July 2012
  17. ^ Bus tender results Route 493 Transport for London 5 May 2011
  18. ^ Bus tender results Route 196 Transport for London 12 August 2005
  19. ^ Bus tender results Route 24/N24 Transport for London 9 February 2007
  20. ^ Bus tender results Route 24/N24 Transport for London 26 April 2012
  21. ^ Bus tender results Route 19/N19 Transport for London 27 June 2011
  22. ^ http://www.londonbusroutes.net/changes.htm#50
  23. ^ Second Borismaster route named busandcoach.com 4 June 2013
  24. ^ http://www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm

Media related to Go-Ahead Group buses in the United Kingdom at Wikimedia Commons

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