London Bus News Roundup - August 2021

Abellio London

Withdrawn E400s 9448-9456 have been sold to The Green Bus, Birmingham. Meanwhile 9506 & 9512 have joined 9505/9507-9511 at Go Coach, Otford.

Transfers:

8522 FW > BC

9404 BC > QB

9408 BC > QB

9424 WS > QB


Go Ahead London

During the latest set of tender results on the 6th August, it saw route 135 lost to Tower Transit (LI). Meanwhile route 153 has transferred from Northumberland Park (NP) garage to Waterloo (RA) garage, this is to make space for the pending W15 gain, as well as balance work due to routes 507 & 521 having PVR reductions, with the 507 getting a -6 and the 521 getting a -17.

Transfers:

WVL277 AL > BX

WVN25 AL > BX


Metroline

With it being the final month of Alperton (ON) garage (on its current site) the first route moved to its temporary depot on the 28/08, with this being route 487, which has gone to Willesden Junction (WJ) garage. The next route to move will be route 204 to Edgware (EW) on the 04/09. Meanwhile it is now confirmed that the former First London 59 reg VWs currently on the 83/483 will be withdrawn and returned off lease in due course, replaced both directly and indirectly by cuts and route losses. So far VW1829/1831 have transferred from Edgware (EW) [From the loss of the 606], VW1836 from Lampton (SG), VW1192 from Perivale [West] (PA) and VW1397 from Potters Bar (PB) [Latterly a meal relief bus], this has led to some 59 reg retiring already, with VW1778 and another heading over to HCT Group for their new commercial fleet. This month also saw a number of cuts to Metroline routes from 28/08, the following routes were cut:

7 - PVR -6

16 - PVR -4

30 - PVR -4

43 - PVR -6

113 - PVR -5

On the other hand route 324 managed to defy cut day by having its Elstree extension finally put in place, causing the PVR to go up by 1, to 7. The cut to route 17 has seen it become the second Metroline route to gain a part allocation of electric (following route 317) as shown below:

BDE2648 LJ19CVY (by UBN Blog)

Transfers :

DE873 UX > AH

DE1011 AH > UX

OS68 W > PB

VW1192 PA > ON

VW1397 PB > ON

VW1829/1831 EW > ON

VW1836 AH/SG > ON

VWH2121 AC > WJ (Loan)

VWH2292/2295/2298/2299/2300 PV > W

VWH2404 AC > WJ (Loan)


RATP Group

The VHRs are now all off road for refurb/addition of opening windows, SP40077-40080 from the 698 have been covering this on the 183, meanwhile some VHs began to transfer in from Hounslow Heath (HH) to Canons Park (CP) towards the end of the month, VH45145-45150 being the buses to transfer. These were displaced from the 116 by SPs from routes 111/H32, which subsequently were converted to LT (Part converted in the H32s case). There is also a few VHs which began to crop up towards the end of the month at Harrow (SO), VH45247/45248 debuting on the 183 at the end of the month as shown below:

VH45248 BF67GNX (by UBN Blog)

Transfers:

DE20522 FW > BC

DLE30003 AV > FW

DLE30017-30018 SO > FW

LT86-89 V > AV

LT90-94/150-154 QB > AV

LT130/132-138/140-148 S > AV

LT461-463 T > AV

SP40048-40055/40165-40170/40190 AV > HH

SP40081 AV > FW

SP40171-40172/40174-40187/40189 AV > FW

SP40174 AV > FW

SP40182-40184 AV > FW

SP40187 AV > FW

VH45145-45150 HH > BT/CP

VH45247-45248 HH > SO

VH45180 FW > V

VH45181 FW > V

VH45191 FW > V


Stagecoach London

Scania Omnicitys 15024-15035/15048/15073 have now been cascaded out the fleet to other Stagecoach UK companies, 15032 has been noted at Herne Bay depot.

Meanwhile due to the lateness of the new buses for routes 160/180, the Tower Transit VHs that were on loan to Metroline have now begun arriving at Catford (TL) and Plumstead (PD) garages where they will be used in the short term on those 2 routes. 14141 which was type training along the 160 meanwhile was damaged in an RTA and is now VOR.

Transfers:

10114 T > PD

10115 T > PD

37505 TL > TB

LT461-463 T > AV


Sullivan Buses

With schools ending for the summer holidays, school extra vehicles E58 & E59 have now gone to the commercial fleet, similarly WVL2-4 have also been transferred to the commercial fleet. DE30/31, the 2 ex HCT ADL E20D/East Lancs Esteems have now been withdrawn, having been used for the past few years on the Thorpe Park Express, 2 new buses are expected to be used on the Thorpe Park Express by the end of the year. Ex Abellio E200MMCs 8856, 8857 & 8861 have joined the fleet, now numbered AE17-19, one is for the 549 takeover next year and the others are to cover refurbs and to act as spares.


Tower Transit

The 6th August tender results saw Tower Transit be victorious for the first time in a while, route 135 has been won from Go Ahead: Docklands Buses Silvertown (SI) depot with existing Volvo B5LH/Wright Eclipse Gemini 3s from route 328, which are currently on loan to Metroline. Temporary northern line rail replacement service route 733 has also been won by Tower Transit, and will commence on the 15th January 2022 and last a month, the service runs between Moorgate and Oval. Their final gain of this tender was school route 678, notably Tower Transits first school route, this will commence on the 2nd April 2022 using 4 existing double deckers, most likely to be further VHs.


Notable Rare Workings of the Month:

HT22 - Route 466

HV90 - Route 34

MV38202 - Route 473

SEN29 - Route R8

VMH2553 - Route 245

WHV103 - Route 11



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