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Arriva London is a major bus company operating services in
Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness Greatness is a concept of a state of superiority affecting a person or object in a particular place or area. Greatness can also be attributed to individuals who possess a natural ability to be better than al ...
. It is a subsidiary of Arriva UK Bus and operates services under contract to Transport for London. It was formed in 1998 from a fusion of previously separate Arriva subsidiaries Grey-Green, Leaside Buses, Kentish Bus, London & Country and South London Transport. Operations are split between two registered companies, Arriva London North Limited and Arriva London South Limited.


History

The origins of Arriva London can be traced back to 1980 when the
Cowie Group Arriva plc is a British multinational public transport company headquartered in Sunderland, England.Grey-Green coach business in London.The Arriva London Story
Arriva London
In February 1987, Grey-Green commenced operating bus routes in north and east London under contract to
London Regional Transport London Regional Transport (LRT) was the organisation responsible for most of the public transport network in London, England, between 1984 and 2000. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operatio ...
. Meanwhile, on 1 April 1989 London Buses was divided into 11 separate business units, two of which were Leaside Buses and South London Transport.Companies House extract company no 2328559
Arriva London North Limited formerly Leaside Bus Company Limited
Companies House extract company no 2328467
Arriva London South Limited formerly South London Transport Limited
As part of the privatisation of London bus services, the Cowie Group purchased these business units in September 1994 and January 1995. On 1 August 1996, the Cowie Group purchased
British Bus British Bus was a bus group in the United Kingdom. It was sold to the Cowie Group in August 1996. History British Bus was founded in November 1992 when the Drawlane Transport Group split its bus interests from its National Express in the lead ...
, which owned the Kentish Bus and London & Country businesses that also operated London bus services. In November 1997, the Cowie Group was rebranded as
Arriva Arriva plc is a British multinational public transport company headquartered in Sunderland, England.Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city an ...
operates routes
158 Year 158 ( CLVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Tertullus and Sacerdos (or, less frequently, year 911 ''Ab urbe ...
, 259 and N279.


History

The garage was reopened by County Bus & Coach in 1997, and in 1998 this operation was merged with the Leaside Travel unit. In 2005 the garage was adapted for
Mercedes-Benz Citaro The Mercedes-Benz Citaro is a single-decker, rigid or articulated bus manufactured by Mercedes-Benz/ EvoBus. Introduced in 1997, the Citaro is available in a range of configurations, and is in widespread use throughout Europe and parts of Asia ...
articulated buses on route 149. Having closed in September 2012, on 1 March 2014, Edmonton reopened to replace Lee Valley.


Enfield (E)

Enfield garage operates routes
121 121 may refer to: *121 (number), a natural number *AD 121, a year in the 2nd century AD *121 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC *121 (Eagle) Sqn *121 (MBTA bus) *121 (New Jersey bus) *Road 121, see list of highways numbered 121 *Russian cruiser Mosk ...
, 191, 192, 279,
313 __NOTOC__ Year 313 ( CCCXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantinus and Licinianus (or, less frequently, yea ...
, 349, 377, and W6.


History

Enfield garage was built in 1927 by the London General Omnibus Company. Further land was soon acquired in the front of the garage for use as a bus stand, which later also got used as a terminus for trolleybuses. The garage was modernised at a cost of over £6 million in the early 1980s, and when it reopened in 1984 it had space for 106 buses. More recently it has become a central part of Arriva London operations with the accident repair centre and undertaking of major refurbishments.


Palmers Green (AD)

Palmers Green operates routes 34,
102 102 may refer to: *102 (number), the number * AD 102, a year in the 2nd century AD *102 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC * 102 (ambulance service), an emergency medical transport service in Uttar Pradesh, India * 102 (Clyde) Field Squadron, Royal En ...
, 141, 329, 340 and 675./ Opened in July 1912 by the London General Omnibus Company to house their
Central London Central London is the innermost part of London, in England, spanning several boroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local government. Its characteris ...
bus fleet operating in competition with the MET trams. Just before
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
the allocation at Palmers Green was entirely AEC Regents, whilst afterwards it was allocated AEC Regent III RT, RTL, RTW and SRTs, making Palmers Green the only London Transport garage to be allocated all four standard double deck types, although none could fit in the garage until the roof could be raised by 10 inches, which was completed in 1952 after a process taking 20 weeks. The garage was further modernised in 1974 by which time 60 buses were allocated.
AEC Routemaster The AEC Routemaster is a front-engined double-decker bus that was designed by London Transport and built by the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) and Park Royal Vehicles. The first prototype was completed in September 1954 and the last on ...
s arrived in 1969 replacing the RTs, but the RTs lasted there until 1978. One man operated buses in the form of
AEC Regal VI The AEC Regal VI was an underfloor-engined single-decker bus chassis manufactured by AEC in the 1960s. It was unveiled at the 1960 Commercial Motor Show and was intended to be a purely export chassis. It was an updated version of the underfloo ...
s began arriving and were followed in time by AEC Swifts,
Daimler Fleetline The Daimler Fleetline (known as the Leyland Fleetline from circa 1975) is a rear-engined double-decker bus chassis which was built between 1960 and 1983. It was the second of three bus models to have a marque name as well as an alphanumeric ...
s, and MCW Metrobuses. The Routemasters lasted on route 29 until the late 1980s, and in 1994 the allocation was 51, entirely MCW Metrobuses. In latter years the allocation has increased slightly and other than Metrobuses,
Volvo B10M The Volvo B10M was a mid-engined city bus and coach chassis manufactured by Volvo between 1978 and 2003. It succeeded the B58 and was equipped with the same 9.6-litre horizontally mounted Volvo diesel engine mounted under the floor behind the ...
s and Alexander ALX400 bodied DAF DB250LFs have been allocated.


Tottenham (AR)

Tottenham Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Wal ...
garage operates routes 19, 41, 123,
149 149 may refer to: *149 (number), a natural number *AD 149, a year in the 2nd century AD *149 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC *British Airways Flight 149 British Airways Flight 149 was a flight from London Heathrow Airport to Sultan Abdul Azi ...
,
243 __NOTOC__ Year 243 ( CCXLIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Arrianus and Papus (or, less frequently, year 996 ''Ab u ...
, 318, 341, N19 and N41.


History

Tottenham garage was built in 1913 by the MET to run buses to support their tram network. The buses were requisitioned during
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, and then between 1917 and 1919 the garage was loaned to AEC. Before World War II in 1939 the allocation consisted of ST, STL and LTs, but during the war it was the first garage to receive utility Guy Arabs, and later in 1949 London's first 8 ft wide buses. When route 236 moved with its RFs to Dalston in 1971 it signalled an absence of single deckers at the garage that would last until 2001 when route W4 was won. MCW Metrobuses and
AEC Routemaster The AEC Routemaster is a front-engined double-decker bus that was designed by London Transport and built by the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) and Park Royal Vehicles. The first prototype was completed in September 1954 and the last on ...
s were the staple diet of the garage for many years until the new Alexander ALX400 bodied DAF DB250LFs arrived. The final Routemasters left Tottenham in September 2004 when route 73 was converted to
Mercedes-Benz Citaro The Mercedes-Benz Citaro is a single-decker, rigid or articulated bus manufactured by Mercedes-Benz/ EvoBus. Introduced in 1997, the Citaro is available in a range of configurations, and is in widespread use throughout Europe and parts of Asia ...
articulated bus operation and moved to Lea Valley. However, Tottenham has retained a single Routemaster for the Arriva London Heritage fleet for use at shows and special events. It is probably the most famous too, being the (numerically) first production Routemaster, RM5.


Wood Green (WN)

Wood Green Wood Green is a suburban district in the borough of Haringey in London, England. Its postal district is N22, with parts in N8 or N15. The London Plan identifies it as one of the metropolitan centres in Greater London, and today it forms a m ...
garage operates routes 29,
144 144 may refer to: * 144 (number), the natural number following 143 and preceding 145 * AD 144, a year of the Julian calendar, in the second century AD * 144 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * ''144'' (film), a 2015 Indian comedy * ''14 ...
,
221 __NOTOC__ Year 221 ( CCXXI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gratus and Vitellius (or, less frequently, year 974 ''Ab ...
, W3, W4 and night route N29.


History

Transformed in the early 1900s from a horse tram depot to a modern tram depot with a capacity of 67. It was completely remodelled in the late 1930s to allow for trolleybus operations and a capacity of 108. The garage was further adapted again in 1960 for buses.
AEC Routemaster The AEC Routemaster is a front-engined double-decker bus that was designed by London Transport and built by the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) and Park Royal Vehicles. The first prototype was completed in September 1954 and the last on ...
s arrived to replace trolleybuses in April 1961, and with the closure of West Green in 1962 more work arrived.


Arriva London East


Ash Grove (AE)

Ash Grove bus garage operates routes 78 and 254.


History

One of three new garages opened in 1981 by
London Buses London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL) that manages most bus services in London, England. It was formed following the Greater London Authority Act 1999 that transferred control of London Regional Transport (LRT) bus s ...
at a cost of £3.5 million, it had space for 140 buses undercover and a further 30 in the yard. The roof was unusual in being carried by 10 35-ton triangular
trusses A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure. In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so that the assembla ...
, said to be the largest in the UK, supported on reinforced concrete columns. Although technically in Hackney, buses showed "CAMBRIDGE HEATH Ash Grove Garage" on their blinds. On opening the garage took over Hackney's operation of Red Arrow routes 502 and 513 using brand new Leyland Nationals which had been stored at the garage, and also the entire Hackney and Dalston allocations. Unfortunately, Ash Grove found itself in the London Forest operation, and also had a reputation for staff militancy and closed in 1991. The garage was reopened in 1994 by Kentish Bus to operate their Leyton area route gains, although they referred to it as Cambridge Heath. It was also used over the years to house stored vehicles for the
London Transport Museum The London Transport Museum (often abbreviated as the LTM) is a transport museum based in Covent Garden, London. The museum predominantly hosts exhibits relating to the heritage of London's transport, as well as conserving and explaining the h ...
, and again in 2000 to store additional
AEC Routemaster The AEC Routemaster is a front-engined double-decker bus that was designed by London Transport and built by the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) and Park Royal Vehicles. The first prototype was completed in September 1954 and the last on ...
s that had been acquired to supplement shortages in London. In 2000 it was reopened by the London Buses subsidiary East Thames Buses which took over the former Harris Bus routes after that company ran into financial difficulties. Hackney Community Transport also moved into the garage yard in recent times to house its routes won in the London area although East Thames Buses later moved to new premises in Mandela Way,
Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...
and were replaced at the garage by Arriva's new
Mercedes-Benz Citaro The Mercedes-Benz Citaro is a single-decker, rigid or articulated bus manufactured by Mercedes-Benz/ EvoBus. Introduced in 1997, the Citaro is available in a range of configurations, and is in widespread use throughout Europe and parts of Asia ...
articulated bus An articulated bus, also referred to as a banana bus, bendy bus, tandem bus, vestibule bus, wiggle wagon, stretch bus, or an accordion bus, (either a motor bus or trolleybus) is an articulated vehicle used in public transportation. It is u ...
es for route 38 following the conversion from Routemasters in November 2005. On 27 April 2013, Arriva London commenced operating route 106. In addition, from May 2014, route 38 was operated with New Routemasters. On 26 September 2015, route 168 was passed to Metroline. On 25 February 2017, Arriva London commenced operating route 48. On 12 October 2019, route 48 was withdrawn.


Barking (DX)

Barking garage operates routes
150 150 may refer to: *150 (number), a natural number *AD 150, a year in the 2nd century AD *150 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC *150 Regiment RLC *Combined Task Force 150 See also * List of highways numbered 150 The following highways are numbered ...
,
175 Year 175 ( CLXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Piso and Iulianus (or, less frequently, year 928 ''Ab urbe condita ...
,
325 __NOTOC__ Year 325 ( CCCXXV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Proculus and Paulinus (or, less frequently, year 1078 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 3 ...
and 368.


History

Barking garage was opened in 1992 by Grey-Green to meet the demands of their expanding North East London operations. Dix Coaches was a subsidiary of Grey-Green operating from a base in the
Dagenham Dagenham () is a town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Dagenham is centred east of Charing Cross. It was historically a rural parish in the Becontree Hundred of Essex, stretching from Hainault Fore ...
area, which moved to the new garage on opening, hence the DX code. Route 135 was taken over by Docklands Buses on 23 May 2015. On 30 April 2016, Arriva London took over the operation of route 368 from
Blue Triangle Blue Triangle is a bus company operating services in East London. It is a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group and operates most services under contract to Transport for London. It is the operator of the East London Transit service. History ...
.


Clapton (CT)

Clapton garage operates routes 38, 73, 242, 253 and night routes N38, N73, N242 and N253.


Grays (GY)

Grays garage operates routes 66,
103 103 may refer to: *103 (number), the number *AD 103, a year in the 2nd century AD * 103 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC * 103 (Tyne Electrical Engineers) Field Squadron, a territorial regiment * 103 (Newcastle) Field Squadron, Royal Engineers *103 ...
,
248 __NOTOC__ Year 248 ( CCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Philippus and Severus (or, less frequently, year 1001 ' ...
, 347, 370,
375 __NOTOC__ Year 375 ( CCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year after the Consulship of Augustus and Equitius (or, less frequently, year 1 ...
.


History

As part of a decision to consolidate all of Arriva's Transport for London routes with Arriva London, Grays garage was transferred from on 1 January 2016.


Arriva London South

Arriva London South Limited operates five bus garages.


Brixton (BN)

Brixton Brixton is a district in south London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th cent ...
garage operates routes 50, 59,
133 133 may refer to: *133 (number) *AD 133 *133 BC *133 (song) 133 may refer to: *133 (number) *AD 133 *133 BC __NOTOC__ Year 133 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Scaevola ...
, 137,
319 __NOTOC__ Year 319 ( CCCXIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantinus and Licinius (or, less frequently, year 1 ...
,
333 __NOTOC__ Year 333 ( CCCXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Dalmatius and Zenophilus (or, less frequently, year 10 ...
and N133.


History

Originally built as a depot for cable trams which ran up Brixton Hill in 1892, it was re-built between 1904 and 1906 for use by electric trams. In 1993 it was extended onto a site formerly owned by the water board and containing a large water main, and then in 1949 reconstruction started to bury the main and convert the depot into one large building instead of two smaller ones. The last trams ran from the depot in 1951, by which time AEC Regent III RTs had started to arrive with the last remaining until 1976. In 1971 Brixton became one of the first to receive
Daimler Fleetline The Daimler Fleetline (known as the Leyland Fleetline from circa 1975) is a rear-engined double-decker bus chassis which was built between 1960 and 1983. It was the second of three bus models to have a marque name as well as an alphanumeric ...
s and then in 1984 MCW Metrobuses. The garage also received the first production
Wright Cadet The Wright Cadet was a low floor midibus body built on the DAF/VDL SB120 chassis by Wrightbus between 2000 and 2006. It was sold via VDL dealer Arriva Bus & Coach. Of the 681 produced, 366 were for Arriva subsidiaries including eight for its N ...
bodied
DAF Daf ( fa, دف) also known as Dâyere and Riq is a Middle Eastern (mainly Iranian) frame drum musical instrument, used in popular and classical music in South and Central Asia. It is also used in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Iran, Uzbe ...
single deckers in 2001. Brixton was also the last depot to operate
AEC Routemaster The AEC Routemaster is a front-engined double-decker bus that was designed by London Transport and built by the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) and Park Royal Vehicles. The first prototype was completed in September 1954 and the last on ...
s in regular service in London on route 159 until December 2005. Now the garage has only double-decker buses, all the other single-decker buses have been transferred to other garages. From 12 December 2015, route 159 passed to
Abellio London Abellio London is a bus company operating services in Greater London. A subsidiary of Abellio, it operates services under contract to Transport for London (TfL). Until September 2018, services were operated in Surrey under the Abellio Surrey ...
with New Routemaster buses, marking Brixton's last night route.


Croydon (TC)

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an exten ...
garage operates routes 60,
166 Year 166 ( CLXVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Pudens and Pollio (or, less frequently, year 919 ''Ab urbe condita' ...
, 194, 264, 312, 405, 412, 466,
612 __NOTOC__ Year 612 ( DCXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 612 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era be ...
, 627, and
685 __NOTOC__ Year 685 ( DCLXXXV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 685 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era ...
.


History

Built by the London General Omnibus Company in 1915, the garage was handed over to Thomas Tilling on opening as part of an agreement between the two operators. The garage had to have roof reconstruction in the early 1930s to allow roofed double deckers to use the garage and was totally destroyed in 1941 after an air raid which also killed four staff and destroyed 56 buses. The reconstruction was finally completed in the mid-1950s. AEC Regent III RTs mainly monopolised the garage until the arrival of
AEC Routemaster The AEC Routemaster is a front-engined double-decker bus that was designed by London Transport and built by the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) and Park Royal Vehicles. The first prototype was completed in September 1954 and the last on ...
s in 1964. In 1969 experimental XAs and later FRM1 were tested on route 233. When the XAs departed in 1973 they were replaced by
Daimler Fleetline The Daimler Fleetline (known as the Leyland Fleetline from circa 1975) is a rear-engined double-decker bus chassis which was built between 1960 and 1983. It was the second of three bus models to have a marque name as well as an alphanumeric ...
s which lasted until January 1993. LSs started to arrive in the late 1970s and MCW Metrobus in 1985 until they were replaced by Leyland Titans. When Elmers End closed a reshuffle took place with the Routemasters departing and the garage became fully one man operated, and later in 1994, the garage became fully double deck with the departure of the last Leyland Nationals.


Dartford (DT)

Dartford Garage operates routes 99, 229, 269, 301, 335, 401,
428 __NOTOC__ Year 428 ( CDXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Felix and Taurus (or, less frequently, year 1181 ''Ab urb ...
,
492 Year 492 ( CDXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Anastasius and Rufus (or, less frequently, year 1245 ''Ab urbe c ...
,
B13 B13 may refer to: * 130 mm/50 B13 Pattern 1936, Soviet naval gun * B13 (New York City bus) serving Brooklyn * B13 road (Cyprus) * B13tech, a futuristic fictional technology created by the character Brainiac 13 * Bensen B-13, a Bensen aircraft * ...
and B15.


History

As part of a decision to consolidate all of Arriva's Transport for London routes with Arriva London, Dartford garage was transferred from Arriva Southern Counties on 1 January 2016.


Norwood (N)

Norwood garage operates routes 2, 137, 157, 202, 249,
417 __NOTOC__ Year 417 ( CDXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Honorius and Constantius (or, less frequently, year 117 ...
,
450 __NOTOC__ Year 450 ( CDL) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 450th Year of the Common Era ( CE) and Anno Domini ( AD designations, the 450th year of the 1st millennium, the 50th ...
,
468 __NOTOC__ Year 468 ( CDLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Anthemius without colleague (or, less frequently, year ...
and night routes N2, and N137.


History

Norwood garage was opened in 1909 by the London General Omnibus Company. The garage has had a steady allocation over the years and in 1951 took over some of the vehicles for the
Festival of Britain The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition and fair that reached millions of visitors throughout the United Kingdom in the summer of 1951. Historian Kenneth O. Morgan says the Festival was a "triumphant success" during which people: ...
services from the nearby Norwood Tram Depot. In 1981 the garage underwent complete reconstruction, with the buses and staff being transferred temporarily to the reopened
Clapham Clapham () is a suburb in south west London, England, lying mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, but with some areas (most notably Clapham Common) extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth. History Early history ...
Garage until 1984. The allocation has mainly been
Leyland Olympian The Leyland Olympian was a 2-axle and 3-axle double-decker bus chassis manufactured by Leyland between 1980 and 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production. Construction The Olympian had the same chassis and running gear as ...
s and
AEC Routemaster The AEC Routemaster is a front-engined double-decker bus that was designed by London Transport and built by the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) and Park Royal Vehicles. The first prototype was completed in September 1954 and the last on ...
s until recently when Alexander ALX400 bodied
DAF DB250 The VDL DB250 (originally the DAF DB250) was a twin-axle double-decker bus chassis manufactured by VDL Bus & Coach. DB250 The DAF DB250 was launched in October 1991 and originally only available with Optare Spectra bodywork with 260 built, mai ...
s were allocated in its completely double-deck allocation which included the
Northern Counties Palatine The Northern Counties Palatine was a High-floor bus, step-entrance 2-axle and 3-axle double-decker bus body built by Northern Counties Motor & Engineering Company, Northern Counties from 1988 to 1999 in Wigan, England. The Palatine was built ...
bodied Volvo Olympians which came with the operation of the former Londonlinks routes 176/ route 188. The garage previously supplied some buses and drivers for route 19 following the conversion from Routemaster operation in 2005, but this ceased with the closure of Battersea, with the whole of the route transferring to Brixton.


Thornton Heath (TH)

Thornton Heath Thornton Heath is a district of Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon. It is around north of the town of Croydon, and south of Charing Cross. Prior to the creation of Greater London in 1965, Thornton Heath was in the Co ...
garage operates routes 64, 250,
255 __NOTOC__ Year 255 ( CCLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valerianus and Gallienus (or, less frequently, year 1008 '' ...
, 289, 410, 689 and night route N250.


History

Originally opened as the garage for the first horse tramway in
Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an exten ...
in 1879 it was later rebuilt as an electric tram depot in 1901. Initially, it could house 26 trams but was extended the following year to take 43 cars. Thornton Heath was earmarked for closure as a tram depot for reconstruction at the tram replacement program of 1950–52 but actually shut before the last tram finished with the work and staff moving to Purley. Buses were starting to operate from the new garage before reconstruction was complete in 1951 with 54 AEC Regent III RTs, just half of its capacity.
AEC Routemaster The AEC Routemaster is a front-engined double-decker bus that was designed by London Transport and built by the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) and Park Royal Vehicles. The first prototype was completed in September 1954 and the last on ...
s arrived in the early 1960s bringing it up to 84 buses. The RTs lasted until 1976, outlasting the RMs which were replaced by
Daimler Fleetline The Daimler Fleetline (known as the Leyland Fleetline from circa 1975) is a rear-engined double-decker bus chassis which was built between 1960 and 1983. It was the second of three bus models to have a marque name as well as an alphanumeric ...
s in 1971, although they did return between 1976–1978 and 1982–1987 when the garage became entirely one man operated. By 1994 the garage was worked almost entirely by
Leyland Olympian The Leyland Olympian was a 2-axle and 3-axle double-decker bus chassis manufactured by Leyland between 1980 and 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production. Construction The Olympian had the same chassis and running gear as ...
s and MCW Metrobuses with a few Dennis Dart and
MCW Metrorider The MCW Metrorider, launched at the 1986 Motor Show, was a minibus designed built by Metro Cammell Weymann (MCW) between 1986 and 1989. Constructed in two lengths, 7.0 m and 8.4 m, the Metrorider was an integral bus, marking it out from its van ...
s. There was also a period where the then South London Transport regularly transferred vehicles about, and whilst Thornton Heath retained its Olympians throughout, they were joined not only by Metrobuses but also Leyland Titans. Thornton Heath also briefly flirted with SR-class StarRiders, as well as sharing vehicle evaluation duties with Bromley for the DA/SA classes of vehicle, operating SA1 From October 1989 to February 1990 before swapping it for DA1, which stayed here for a further 6 months before being moved to Westlink.


Former Garages


Battersea (BA)


History

The original
Battersea Battersea is a large district in south London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and extends along the south bank of the River Thames. It includes the Battersea Park. History Batt ...
garage was opened in 1906 by the London Roadcar Company on the north side of Hester Road, but by 1914 more space was needed and an annexe was built on the south side. Two modernisation schemes were undertaken, first in the 1960s to allow for
AEC Routemaster The AEC Routemaster is a front-engined double-decker bus that was designed by London Transport and built by the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) and Park Royal Vehicles. The first prototype was completed in September 1954 and the last on ...
s to be allocated and again in 1971 when a new canteen and recreation room was built. The garage closed in 1985 with its allocation being split between Victoria and
Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Toponymy Wandsworth takes its nam ...
garages. Battersea was however given a reprieve some time later when it was used to house the London Buses coaches and sightseeing operations until 1988 when the entire operation moved to Wandsworth garage. In 1993, a yard adjacent to the old garage was opened as a base for Kentish Bus route 19 operation after it had moved out of its
Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...
Market base. Most of the area formally occupied on both the North and South sides of Hester Road has now been built into a luxury flats complex. The only section remaining is the small shed which was originally an outstation from Brixton garage housing the route 19 Routemasters. When the Routemasters left in July 2005 the garage received an allocation of Alexander ALX400 bodied
Volvo B7TL The Volvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus chassis which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of the Volvo Olympian (its 3-axle version was replaced by the Volvo Super Olympian). It was built as the British bus operators ...
s for route 19, although some of these need to be parked at (and use drivers from) Norwood garage because there was not enough space for these larger buses. In November 2009, Battersea garage was closed and the site redeveloped.


Beddington Farm (CN)


History

A modern purpose built depot that was largely open air. Opened in 1990 by London Country Bus Services, it ran 73 vehicles, although had space for 120. Beddington Farm was to replace the existing garages at
Godstone Godstone is a village and civil parish in Surrey, England, east of Reigate at the junction of the A22 and A25 roads, near the M25 motorway and the North Downs. Godstone railway station is separated from it by agricultural land. Blindley H ...
and Chelsham and operated both LB tendered routes and existing London Country
Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an exten ...
area routes. Beddington Farm became a Londonlinks depot when the Non-London work moved away before coming under Arriva South. It was transferred to Arriva London in 1999 with six routes and buses painted red, green or blue. In 2007 route 450 was transferred to Beddington Garage from Thornton Heath in a swap with route 289. On 3 March 2012, route 455 passed to
Abellio London Abellio London is a bus company operating services in Greater London. A subsidiary of Abellio, it operates services under contract to Transport for London (TfL). Until September 2018, services were operated in Surrey under the Abellio Surrey ...
. In July 2011 Arriva confirmed Beddington Farm would close by 31 March 2012.


Garston (GR)

As of June 2018, Garston garage operated London routes 288,
303 __NOTOC__ Year 303 ( CCCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. It was known in the Roman Empire as the Year of the Consulship of Diocletian and Maximian (or, less frequently, ye ...
, 305, H18 and H19.


History

Opened on 18 June 1952, Garston became part of London Country North West in 1986, being included in the sale of the business to Luton & District Transport in 1988 which in turn was rebranded
Arriva Shires & Essex Arriva Shires & Essex is a bus operator providing services in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire, with services extending to Oxfordshire and Greater London. Until 2002 its operations included Colchester. It is a subsidiary o ...
. In 1986 it became a
London Regional Transport London Regional Transport (LRT) was the organisation responsible for most of the public transport network in London, England, between 1984 and 2000. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operatio ...
contractor when it began to operate route 142. As part of a decision to consolidate all of Arriva's Transport for London routes with Arriva London, Garston garage was transferred from Arriva Shires & Essex on 1 January 2016.Arriva London adds four more garages
Arriva London
"Arriva London" ''Buses'' issue 731 February 2016 page 66 It closed on 31 August 2018 coinciding with the expiry of its last Transport for London contracts.


Heathrow (HE)


History

The depot was originally operated by
Tellings-Golden Miller Tellings-Golden Miller is a charter coach operator in England. It was a subsidiary of Arriva twice previously, but once again has returned to family ownership. The company is now a subsidiary of Falcon Coaches based in Byfleet, Surrey. History ...
. On 31 May 2014, the garage gained route E10 from Metroline. It used new Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 single deckers. As part of a decision to consolidate all of Arriva's Transport for London routes with Arriva London, Heathrow garage was transferred from Tellings-Golden Miller on 1 January 2016. During December 2017, the operation of route E10 was transferred to London United. As a result, the depot closed soon after.


Lee Valley (LV)


History

The depot is at the back of an industrial estate alongside the
River Lea The River Lea ( ) is in South East England. It originates in Bedfordshire, in the Chiltern Hills, and flows southeast through Hertfordshire, along the Essex border and into Greater London, to meet the River Thames at Bow Creek. It is one of ...
close to Northumberland Park. The depot was opened in 2005 to house the
Mercedes-Benz Citaro The Mercedes-Benz Citaro is a single-decker, rigid or articulated bus manufactured by Mercedes-Benz/ EvoBus. Introduced in 1997, the Citaro is available in a range of configurations, and is in widespread use throughout Europe and parts of Asia ...
articulated buses for route 149 which were later joined by more with the conversion of route 73. On 15 October 2011, route W3 was transferred to this garage. On 28 January 2012, route 318 was transferred to this garage. On 25 February 2012, route 397 was transferred to this garage. On 3 March 2012, Arriva London commenced operating route W11. On 10 March 2012, route 379 was transferred to this garage. On 24 March 2012, routes 34, 444 and 657 were transferred to this garage. On 3 September 2012, routes 628, 653, 683 and 688 passed to
Sullivan Buses Sullivan Buses is a bus company based in South Mimms, Hertfordshire, England. Founded in 1998, it operates local bus services in and around Hertfordshire and north London including school services, rail replacement bus services in and near Londo ...
. On 1 March 2014, Lee Valley garage closed with the site acquired by National Grid with operations transferred to a reopened Edmonton."Arriva London" ''Buses'' issue 703 page 66


Stamford Hill (SF)


History

Stamford Hill opened in February 1907 as a London City Council
tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport ...
depot. In February 1939, it was converted into
trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or trol ...
depot and in July 1961 for bus use. It was closed in 1995, before reopening in 2006. It closed again in November 2020.


Fleet

As at May 2015, the fleet consisted of 1,460 buses. As at March 2021 it numbered 1,590 buses, the second highest of the London Buses operators.


The Heritage Fleet

The Heritage Fleet was operated between 2006 and 2022 by Arriva. It used
AEC Routemaster The AEC Routemaster is a front-engined double-decker bus that was designed by London Transport and built by the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) and Park Royal Vehicles. The first prototype was completed in September 1954 and the last on ...
s for private hire work, and was formed after Routemasters in London were withdrawn from normal service in December 2005.


History

Arriva London inherited four Routemaster operator services when it purchased Leaside Buses and South London Transport: routes 19, 38, 73 and 159. Routes 19 and 159 were replaced by one man double deckers and 38 and 73 by
Mercedes-Benz Citaro The Mercedes-Benz Citaro is a single-decker, rigid or articulated bus manufactured by Mercedes-Benz/ EvoBus. Introduced in 1997, the Citaro is available in a range of configurations, and is in widespread use throughout Europe and parts of Asia ...
articulated buses. Route 159 was the last London route to be converted on 9 December 2005, bringing 50 years of Routemaster operation to a close. Following this, Arriva London collected some of the more significant Routemasters in their fleet and set up the Heritage Fleet in early 2006. In November 2022, Arriva London announced it would put all vehicles from the Heritage Fleet up for sale by the end of 2022, ending 17 years of service with the division. Routemaster RM2217 operated special services on route 137 on 2 December to commemorate the end of the Heritage Fleet, with proceeds from the event being donated to the
Royal British Legion The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants, as well as all others in ...
.


Operations

The Heritage Fleet offered their vehicles for private hire, such as events celebration and weddings. The buses were also hired to attend other public events, and often the buses appeared at bus events, such as Showbus and the London Bus Preservation Trust Cobham bus rally.


Fleet

The Heritage Fleet was made up of nine
AEC Routemaster The AEC Routemaster is a front-engined double-decker bus that was designed by London Transport and built by the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) and Park Royal Vehicles. The first prototype was completed in September 1954 and the last on ...
s. As Arriva was the biggest operator of Routemasters before they were withdrawn from normal services, they operated some of the most significant Routemasters. These included; *RM5: This is the lowest numbered production Routemaster, although RM8 was actually built first. *RM6: In 2002, this Routemaster was painted in a gold livery to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee, the livery which it now carries. *RML901: This was part of the first batch of 24 RMLs (Routemaster Lengthened) to enter service. *RM1124: This was retained as it contains a
Cummins Cummins Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, filtration, and power generation products. Cummins also services engines and related equipment, including fuel systems, controls, air ...
Euro II engine, meaning it already meets emission standards to be set for London. *RMC1453: This was the first production Green Line Routemaster Coach. *RMC1464: This is an open top bus, so is popular for private hires. *RM2217: The last production standard length Routemaster built. This bus operated the final regular Routemaster service in December 2005. *RML2355: This is still in the condition as when it left service, but is awaiting restoration. It is unusual in retaining its original body and chassis after the Routemaster overhaul scheme. *RML2360: This is being looked after for the
London Transport Museum The London Transport Museum (often abbreviated as the LTM) is a transport museum based in Covent Garden, London. The museum predominantly hosts exhibits relating to the heritage of London's transport, as well as conserving and explaining the h ...
. It has been converted inside for exhibition use.


References


External links

*
Arriva London website
{{London bus operators
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
London bus operators Transport companies established in 1998 1998 establishments in England