Blue Triangle is a bus operator brand under London General Transport Services Limited,

trading as A trade name, trading name, or business name is a pseudonym used by companies that do not operate under their registered company name. The term for this type of alternative name is fictitious business name. Registering the fictitious name with ...

Go-Ahead London. It operates services in

East London East London is the part of London, England, east of the ancient City of London and north of the River Thames as it begins to widen. East London developed as London Docklands, London's docklands and the primary industrial centre. The expansion of ...

under contract to

Transport for London Transport for London (TfL) is a local government body responsible for most of the transport network in London, United Kingdom. TfL is the successor organization of the London Passenger Transport Board, which was established in 1933, and His ...

. It is the operator of the East London Transit service.

History

In August 2002, Blue Triangle took over route 185 at short notice after London Easylink ceased trading. On 29 June 2007, Blue Triangle was purchased by the

Go-Ahead Group Go-Ahead Group Limited is a Multinational corporation, multi-national transport group based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. While the majority of its operations are within Great Britain, it also operates services in Ireland, Australia, Singapo ...

. The sale included eight

and nine

Essex County Council Essex County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Essex in England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county; the non-metropolitan county excludes Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock which ...

routes and approximately 60 buses, but not the charter fleet which were retained by Roger Wright trading as The London Bus Company.

Garages

River Road (RR)

As of April 2024, River Road garage operates routes 5, 101, 104, 147, 304, 325, 364, 366, 368, 396, 608, 646, 652,

656 __NOTOC__ Year 656 (Roman numerals, DCLVI) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 656 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent metho ...

, 677,

679 679 or 679th may refer to: In general *679 (number), the number *AD 679, a year in the Common Era *679 BC, a year Before the Common Era Places *+679, the country dialing code for Fiji *679 area code, a telephone area code in Michigan, USA *679 Pax ...

686 __NOTOC__ Year 686 (Roman numerals, DCLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 686 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent ...

687 __NOTOC__ Year 687 ( DCLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 687 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Eur ...

, EL1, EL2, EL3 and N15. Some buses are regularly shared with Henley Road garage.

History

In May 2016 a new garage opened on River Road in Barking. It initially opened with an allocation of 22 buses to operate route 147 but has a capacity for 155 buses. It was built on the site of a former Ford commercial vehicle sales and repair site. In July 2016, all of the routes and buses from Rainham garage were transferred."Short Hops" ''Buses'' issue 737 August 2016 page 27

Henley Road (DS)

As of April 2024, Henley Road garage operates routes 5 (Early/late trips from route N15s allocation), 15, 69, 115, 129, 330,

376 __NOTOC__ Year 376 (Roman numerals, CCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valens and Valentinian II, Augustus (or, less frequently, year 1129 ''Ab urbe co ...

473 __NOTOC__ Year 473 ( CDLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Leo without colleague (or, less frequently, year 1226 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denominat ...

, 474, 651, D3, SL4 and N15. Some buses are regularly shared with River Road garage(like route 5). This garage also acts as a storage for the Here East bus fleet.

Former garage

Rainham (BE)

As of May 2015, Rainham garage operated routes 167,

193 Year 193 ( CXCIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sosius and Ericius (or, less frequently, year 946 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 193 for this ye ...

300 __NOTOC__ Year 300 ( CCC) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Valerius (or, less frequently, year 1053 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 300 ...

, 347, 362, 364, 368,

, 462, 498, 608, 646,

648 __NOTOC__ Year 648 ( DCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 648 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europ ...

, 649, 650, 651, 652,

, 667,

674 __NOTOC__ Year 674 ( DCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 674 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe ...

, EL1, EL2 and W19. On 27 June 2015, route 498 passed to

Stagecoach London Stagecoach London is a major bus operator in Greater London. It is a subsidiary of Stagecoach and operates services under contract to Transport for London mostly in East and South East London, as well as some services running into Central Londo ...

. In July 2016 the garage was announced closed with all operations transferred to River Road garage.

Previous routes operated

* Route 372 was won on a temporary contract as part replacement for route 324 which ran between Romford Market and

Bluewater Shopping Centre Bluewater Shopping Centre (commonly known simply as ''Bluewater'') is a large out-of-town shopping centre in Stone, Kent, Stone (postally Greenhithe, Kent, Greenhithe), Kent, England, just outside the M25 motorway ring, east south east of London ...

. Blue Triangle was awarded the temporary contract using four second hand

Plaxton Pointer The Plaxton Pointer (originally known as the Reeve Burgess Pointer, and later as the TransBus Pointer and Alexander Dennis Pointer) is a single-deck midibus body that was manufactured between 1991 and 2006, predominantly on the Dennis Dart chas ...

bodied

Dennis Dart The Dennis Dart is a Rear-engine design, rear-engined single-decker bus, single-decker midibus chassis that was introduced by Dennis Specialist Vehicles, Dennis of Guildford, England, in 1989, replacing the Dennis Domino. Initially built as a ...

s. In March 2004, Blue Triangle retained the contract for another five years. This route has since passed to

. * In 2001 Blue Triangle commenced operating route 248. In September 2008, the passed to

. * Route 375 was won on a temporary contract as a part replacement to Essex County Council route 500, which was withdrawn between Ongar and Romford, Transport for London stepped in with this replacement service using just one bus. On 4 July 2009 this passed to Arriva Kent Thameside. * In September 2003 Blue Triangle commenced operating

route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...

. In September 2010 this passed to

Arriva Southern Counties Arriva Southern Counties Limited, trading as Arriva Southern Counties, is a bus operator in Kent, Essex, Hertfordshire, and Surrey in England. It is a subsidiary of Arriva UK Bus, which is part of the Arriva group owned by Deutsche Bahn. The ...

. * On 3 November 2007 Blue Triangle commenced operating route 368. On 26 March 2011 this passed to First London but was re-acquired on 22 June 2013. * In September 2001 Blue Triangle commenced operating route 648. On 3 September 2011 this route passed to First London but was re-acquired on 22 June 2013. * In March 2012 Blue Triangle commenced operating route 20.

Special vehicles

Blue Triangle owned a number of special vehicles including an ex Green Line

AEC Routemaster The AEC Routemaster is a Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, front-engined double-decker bus that was designed by London Transport Executive, London Transport and built by the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) and Park Royal Vehicles. The ...

, ex London Routemasters and AEC Regent III RTs for use on charter duties. These vehicles were not included in the sale to Go-Ahead Group and remain in the ownership of Roger Wright's London Bus Company.Welcome to The London Bus Company
London Bus Company

Fleet

As at May 2015, Blue Triangle's London services had a peak vehicle requirement of 131 buses.

References

External links

Blue Triangle website
{{Bus companies in East England Go-Ahead Group London bus operators Transport in Epping Forest District Transport companies established in 1999 1999 establishments in England