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