Jump to content

First Leicester

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Sowhyman (talk | contribs) at 17:57, 24 April 2009 (added a link in for the Leicester City Centre bus stops). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

First Leicester
Company typePublic part of First Group
HeadquartersAbbey Lane, Leicester
Area served
Leicester, Anstey, Beaumont Leys, Birstall, Braunstone, Evington, Eyres Monsell, Glenfield, Mowmacre Hill, Nether Hall, Rushey Fields, Rushey Mead, Thurmaston, Thurnby Lodge
Websitewww.firstgroup.com

First Leicester is the trading name of Leicester Citybus Ltd., a bus company owned by the First Group. It runs buses in the city of Leicester, England. It is managed as part of First Midlands which also looks after the First bus services in Northampton and Worcestershire.

History

A preserved 1964 Leicester City Transport bus

First Leicester is the descendant of the former municipal bus operations of Leicester City Council, Leicester City Transport. Under bus deregulation in 1986, the council operation was incorporated as the council owned but arms length private company, Leicester Citybus Ltd.. This was sold in November 1993 to the emerging private UK bus group, the GRT Group (this was shortly after the nearby Northampton municipal operatior had also been bought by GRT). The GRT group later became FirstGroup, with the operations in Leicester subsequently being rebranded as First Leicester in the white First corporate livery.

Liveries

Leicester City Transport buses wore an allover cream livery with horizontal red stripes[1]. On creation of the arms length company Leicester Citybus, buses began to wear a livery with more red, becoming a two tone cream and red scheme, and wore fleetnames of simply CityBus[2]. Upon the takeover by GRT, the Leicester Citybus fleet began to wear a version of the GRT corporate livery, with the base and relief colours associated with Leicester City municipal buses, but in the corporate GRT arrangement, with Leicester citybus fleetnames and a spire motif[3]. As with other GRT companies, upon First rebranding the livery remained for a while, but the fleetnames were reapplied in the First corporate typeface accompanied by the flying 'f' motif, before the launch of the white First corporate livery replaced this scheme.

Depot

In 2007,a new depot opened on Abbey Lane replacing the former premises on Abbey Park Road which go back to the company's municipal heritage.This site is now derelict pending redevelopment as apartments.

Services

City centre

Services use either Haymarket Bus Station or on street city centre stops or both, but do not use St. Margaret's Bus Station, used by longer distance services. Only selected services call directly at Leicester railway station.

Network

Services run to Glenfield (Kirby Frith & Braunstone Frith Estates), Braunstone Town, Eyres Monsell, De Montfort University, Evington, Leicester General Hospital, Goodwood, Humberstone, Nether Hall, Thurnby Lodge, Hamilton Centre, Thurmaston, Rushey Mead, Birstall, Mowmacre Hill, Beaumont Leys and Anstey. There is also a circular service operating that runs to Highfields and returns to the city centre.

List of routes

First Leicester operate a number of services around Leicester:

Service Branding From To Via Notes
12 Indigo Line City Centre Kirby Frith, Ryder Road Glenfield Road, Park Rise
14 Orange Line Leicester General Hospital Kirby Frith, Ryder Road Goodwood, East Park Road, City Centre, Aikman Avenue, Glenfield Hospital (14A)
14A Beaumont Centre
16 Green Line City Centre Leicester General Hospital St. Peters Road, Gedding Road
17 Purple Line City Centre City Centre Sparkenhoe Street, Highfields (Melbourne Road) Circular (Anti-clockwise)
18 Beige Line City Centre Braunstone, Peverel Road Hinckley Road
21 Olive Line City Centre Rushey Fields, Peebles Way St Matthew's, Catherine Street
22 Blue Line Evington, Downing Drive Rushey Mead Railway Station, City Centre, Belgrave Road
25 Mauve Line City Centre City Centre Belgrave Road, Mowmacre Hill, Beaumont Centre Circluars
26 Beaumont Centre, Mowmacre Hill, Belgrave Road
38 Red Line City Centre City Centre Uppingham Road, Humberstone, Nether Hall, Thurnby Lodge Circluars
38A Uppingham Road,Thurnby Lodge, Nether Hall, Humberstone
39 Grey Line City Centre Thurmaston, Blount Road Humberstone Road, Northfields, Troon Industrial Estate
54 Yellow Line City Centre Beaumont Centre Abbey Lane, Stocking Farm
70 Claret Line City Centre Blackmore Drive Narborough Road
70A Magenta Line City Centre Birstall, Wanlip Lane Abbey Lane
74 Turquoise Line City Centre Anstey, Hollow Road Anstey Lane, Beaumont Centre
88 Lime Line City Centre Eyres Monsell Saffron Lane, The Fairway (88A), Saffron Cross Roads
88A Saffron Cross Roads
94 Brown Line City Centre Glenfield, The Square Stephenson Drive, Charnor Road
UHL Hospital Hopper Hamilton, Tesco Beaumont Centre Leicester General Hospital, Charles Frears Campus (London Road), Railway Station, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Glenfield Hospital

Star Trak

All buses, so far, except Services 17, 70, 70A & 94 have now been fitted with Star Trak, which tells you when the next bus will arrive at your bus stop.

See also

References

  1. ^ Flickr image of a 1980s Leicester City Transport double decker bus
  2. ^ Flickr image of a Leicester Citybus bus in independant CityBus livery
  3. ^ Leicester Citybus bus in GRT corporate Leicester livery
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leicester City Transport.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=First_Leicester&oldid=285895017"