Armchair (bus company)
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Armchair is one of many private operators of London Buses and operates 9 routes in West London with 215 drivers.
Their main address is:
- Commerce Road
- BRENTFORD
- TW8 8LZ
Contents |
[edit] Garages
They have 1 bus garage.
[edit] Brentford
Their address is:
- Commerce Road
- BRENTFORD
- TW8 8LZ
This garage holds 91 buses, and runs London bus routes 117, 190, 209, 237, 493, E2, E8, and school routes 609 and 635.
Route 493 was taken over on 20 May 2006, on a 6-month temporary contract, following the closure of previous operator, Centra (bus company)
[edit] History
Started operating as a bus garage in 1990 by Armchair transport initially to house it's recently won route 260 buses. The base had previously been used as a coach operating base which at the time was Armchair's main business. Armchair was bought out in 2005 by ComfortDelgro Holdings, the parent company of Metroline, although it continues to trade separately under the Armchair name. Since the take over a number of buses from the Metroline fleet have operated on Armchair routes. This increased from 20/5/06, when extra vehicles where drafted in to cover roure 493
[edit] Bus types in use
- Dennis Dart SLF/Alexander ALX200 (DA)
- Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2 (DP)
- Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2 8.8m (MDP)
- Dennis Trident 2/Alexander ALX400 (DT)
- Dennis Dart SLF/Caetano (DN) On hire from Blue Triangle They are to cover the increaced requirement for route 493, but due to there length, they are used on other routes, mainly the E8
[edit] Livery
The company's livery is orange and white. When the first bus routes where introduced in 1990, buses were painted in this livery. Since 2002 London Buses have required all operators to use an allover red livery. Now only 9 DP's, allocated mainly to the 117 wear this livery.
A number of buses from the main Metroline fleet are in use to cover the 493, and these retain Metroline blue & red. The Darts on hire from Blue Triangle retain their red & cream livery.
[edit] Future
Armchair as a separate company identity is numbered as Metroline applied for an extra 205 discs from the traffic commissioner to encompass all of the buses of Thorpes' and Armchair. The buses will presumably be given Metroline names as will Thorpes' buses. This will provide Metroline a footing in south-west London but whether they will be completely Metroline by the TfL date of change (7th January) is to be seen.
[edit] See also
| Companies operating buses under contract to London Buses |
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Armchair | Arriva London | Arriva Shires & Essex | Arriva Southern Counties | Blue Triangle CT Plus | Docklands Buses | Ealing Community Transport | East London | East Thames Buses First London | London Central | London General | Metrobus | Metroline | NCP-Challenger Quality Line | Selkent | Sullivan Buses | Thorpes | Transdev London | Travel London | Uno |
| Also, see London's Bus Garages for operating codes. |
