London Central

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London Central is one of many operators of London Buses and owned by Go-Ahead Group.

Their main address is:

No 18 Merton High Street
London
SW19 1DN

Contents

[edit] Garages

They have four bus garages.

[edit] Bexleyheath

Bexleyheath bus garage
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Bexleyheath bus garage

Their address is:

Erith Road
BEXLEYHEATH
DA7 6BX

As of November 2006, this garage holds 132 buses, and runs London bus routes 51, 89, 229, 244, 401, 422, 469, 486, B11, B12, B16, school routes 601, 602, and 625, and Night routes N21 and N89.

[edit] History

Built as a trolleybus depot by the LPTB, the only new garage built for trolleybuses. The depot is a large and imposing building, slightly set back from the main road to enable parking on the forecourt and being used as a terminus for route 122. Bexleyheath closed in 1986, with work moved to Plumstead, Catford, and Sidcup garages, although it re-opened in 1988 under the guise of Bexleybus, a unit set up by London Buses under de-regulation, and had a large and varied allocation from Iveco/Robin Hood's & MCW Metroriders to NC Olympians & Fleetlines. the move to set up the new company to tender for routes backfired, and in the next round of tendering only the B16 was awarded to Bexleybus, whilst London Central won nine. London Central took control of the Bexleyheath routes (including B16) from 1990 instead of 1991 and also took over the garage from Stagecoach London. Lately the garage has had a good utilisation figure, up to 139 in 2001 which necessitated parking in the rear yard and the forecourt.

[edit] Bus types in use

[edit] Camberwell

Camberwell bus garage
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Camberwell bus garage
A Mercedes-Benz O530G (Articulated) bus operating on London Buses route 12
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A Mercedes-Benz O530G (Articulated) bus operating on London Buses route 12

Their address is:

1 Warner Road
Camberwell
London
SE5 9LU

As of November 2006, this garage holds 170 buses, and runs London bus routes 35, 40, 45, 68, 360, 468, 484, P5, 24-hour route 12, express route X68, and Night routes N35 and N68.

[edit] History

Although built in 1914, Camberwell garage was not used as a bus garage until 1919 as it had been requisitioned for the war effort. Once it came into use it was one of Londons biggest garages and also carried out body overhauls in 1940-1941. The garage was bombed during WW2 in 1940 which resulted in 4 buses being destroyed and a further 13 seriously damaged. During the early 1950's the garage underwent modernisation with the welfare & operational block reconstructed and the parking area extended. The new building also incorporated a new pit and workshop layout in a separate self contained block which also undertook heavy maintenance for Walworth Garage, 350 buses in all. The allocation at Q decreased slightly over the years from 165 in 1952 until the closure of Walworth in 1985 increased the allocation to 142. Camberwell was also the home of the three Titans fitted with electronic blinds which were used on the night bus standby duties.

[edit] Bus types in use

  • Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President (PVL)
  • Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer (LDP)
  • Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2 (LDP)
  • Volvo B7TL / Wright Eclipse Gemini (WVL)
  • Mercedes-Benz O530G (Articulated) (MAL)

[edit] New Cross

New Cross bus garage
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New Cross bus garage

Their address is:

208 New Cross Road
London
SE14

As of November 2006, this garage holds 149 buses, and runs London bus routes 21, 36, 171, 172, 225, 321, 436, C10, school route 621, and Night routes N21, N36, and N171.

[edit] History

Said to be the largest of Londons bus garges with space for over 300 buses the garage was fully opened in 1906. The garage has never been even close to its capacity due to the close proximity of other garages, but has at various times been used to store surplus vehicles. The garage allocation has fluctuated over the years, from 191 in 1966 to 132 in 2001. The garage also houses some of the private hire fleet which is painted in the style of the former London General company. New cross was also the garage for two special services, first in 1972 when it operated en ex-Tilling ST on route 100 and the DAF/East Lancs Mylennium LPG powered buses for the Millennium Dome services M1 & M2. In 2003 the garage also began operating Mercedes Benz articulated buses on route 436.

[edit] Bus types in use

[edit] Peckham

Peckham bus garage
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Peckham bus garage

Their address is:

Blackpool Road
Peckham
London
SE15 3SE

As of November 2006, this garage holds 66 buses, and runs London bus routes 36, 63, 363, P12, 24-hour route 37, and Night routes N36 and N63.

[edit] History

The new Peckham garage was converted from a local authority maintenance depot and opened in 1994 with a capacity for 75 buses. In 2000 the garage put London's first Volvo B7TL/Alexander ALX400 bodied low floor vehicles into service on route 63 alongside NC Palatines and Plaxton Pointers. Peckham Garage won bus garage of the year in 2004, although this turned out to be a poisoned chalice for the garage, losing almost half of its work in the next year's tender awards.

[edit] Bus types in use

[edit] See also


Companies operating buses under contract to London Buses

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.

[edit] External links