London Central
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| Parent | Go-Ahead Group |
| Founded | December 1988 |
| Headquarters | Merton |
| Service area | South London |
| Service type | Bus services |
| Hubs |
Bexleyheath Camberwell New Cross Peckham |
| Fleet |
Alexander Dennis Enviro200Dart Alexander Dennis Enviro400 DAF SB120 Dennis Dart SLF VDL SB120 Volvo B5L Volvo B5TL Volvo B7TL Volvo B9TL Volvo Olympian |
| Operator | Go-Ahead London |
| Website | www.londoncentral.com |
London Central is a bus company operating in South London. It is a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group and operates services under contract to Transport for London.
History
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London Central was established in December 1988[1] as one of 12 operating subsidiaries of London Buses in preparation for privatisation. In September 1994 it was sold to the Go-Ahead Group.
In August 2008, Go-Ahead's London bus operations all took up the new trading name of Go-Ahead London.
Garages
London Central operates four bus garages.
Bexleyheath (BX)
Bexleyheath garage operates London bus routes 89, 132, 229, 401, 422, 486, 625, 658, 661, 669, B11, B16 and night routes N21 and N89.
History
Built as a trolleybus depot by the London Passenger Transport Board, Bexleyheath is 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, which was used as a terminus for route 122. Bexleyheath closed in 1986, with work transferred to Catford, Plumstead and Sidcup garages.
In 1988 it re-opened 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 Hoods and MCW Metroriders to Leyland Olympians and Daimler Fleetlines. The move to set up the new company to tender for routes backfired, and in the next round of tendering only route B16 was awarded to Bexleybus, whilst London Central won nine.
London Central took control of Bexleyheath garage and routes in 1990. Lately the garage has had a good utilisation figure, up to 139 in 2001 which necessitated parking in the rear yard and the forecourt. In January 2007, the garage received its first Alexander Dennis Enviro400s for use on route 486.
On 7 November 2009, route 132 was transferred to this garage.
On 1 May 2010, routes 321 (part of its allocation), 661 and 669 were transferred to this garage.
On 31 December 2011, London Central commenced operating routes 625 and 658.[2][3]
Bus types in use
- Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart 10.2m (SE) for routes B11 and B16
- Alexander Dennis Enviro400 10.1m (E) for routes 89, 132, 229, 422, 486 and N89
- Volvo B7TL 10.1m / Plaxton President (PVL) for routes 132, 401, 661, 669 and as trainers [4]
- Volvo B7TL 10.1m / Wright Eclipse Gemini (WVL) for route 625
- Volvo B9TL 10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 (WVL) for routes 229, 422, 658 and N21
New Cross (NX)
New Cross garage operates London bus routes 21, 129, 171, 225, 436, 24-hour route 36, 108 and 321, and night routes N21 and N171.
History
Said to be the largest of London's bus garages with space for over 300 buses New Cross garage was originally a tram depot and opened in 1906. In 1952 with the trams withdrawn, the depot was converted into a bus garage. 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 LPG East Lancs Myllennium bodied DAF SB220s for Millennium Dome services M1 and M2. In 2003 the garage also began operating Mercedes-Benz Citaro articulated buses on route 436. In January 2005 route 36 ceased to be operated by Routemasters with one man operated double deckers taking over.
On 29 September 2012, the Bexleyheath allocation for route 321 was transferred to garage.
On 13 October 2012, route 621 passed to Stagecoach London.[5][6]
Bus types in use
- Alexander Dennis Enviro400 10.2m (E) for routes 36 and 436
- Alexander Dennis Enviro400H 10.2m (EH) for route 436
- DAF SB120 10.8m / Volvo Merit (DWL) for route 108
- Dennis Dart SLF 10.2m / Alexander Dennis Pointer (LDP) for route 225
- Dennis Dart SLF 10.8m / MCV Evolution (ED) for routes 108 and 129
- Dennis Dart SLF 10.8m / Plaxton Pointer 2 (DP) for route 108
- Volvo B7TL 10.1m / Plaxton President (PVL) for routes 108 and 321
- Volvo B9TL 10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 (WVL) for routes 21, 171, 321, N21 and N171 [7]
Camberwell (Q)
Camberwell garage operates London bus routes 45, 68, 185, 355, 360, 468, P5, 24-hour routes 12 and 345, express route X68, and night route N68.
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 London's largest garages and also carried out body overhauls in 1940/41. The garage was bombed during World War II in 1940 with four buses being destroyed and 13 seriously damaged.
During the early 1950s the garage underwent modernisation with the welfare and 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 the adjacent Walworth garage, 350 buses in all.
The allocation at Camberwell 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 three Leyland Titans fitted with electronic blinds which were used on night bus standby duties.
On 1 April 2006 London Central commenced operating routes 68, 468, N68 and X68.[8][9][10]
In November 2004 route 12 ceased to be operated by Routemasters with Mercedes-Benz Citaro articulated buses taking over.
On 1 May 2010, routes 42 and 185 were transferred to this garage.
On 31 March 2012, routes 345 and 355 were transferred from fellow Go-Ahead subsidiary London General's Stockwell and Merton garages.
Bus types in use
- Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart 9.4m (SE) for route P5
- Alexander Dennis Enviro400 10.1m (E) for route 345
- Dennis Dart SLF 10.2m / Plaxton Pointer 2 (LDP) for route 355
- VDL SB120 10.4m / Wright Electrocity (WHY) for route 360
- Volvo B5L 10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 (WHV) for route 12
- Volvo B5TL 10.4m / Wright Gemini 3 (V) for route 12 [11]
- Volvo B7TL 10.1m / Plaxton President (PVL) for route 45
- Volvo B7TL 10.1m / Wright Eclipse Gemini (WVL) for routes 68, 185, 468, X68 and N68
- Volvo B9TL 10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 (WVL) for route 12
Peckham (PM)
Peckham garage operates London bus routes 36 (mornings and nights), 63, 363, P12, 24-hour route 37, express route X68 and night route N63.
History
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 Alexander ALX400 bodied Volvo B7TL low-floor vehicles into service on route 63. Peckham 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.
Bus types in use
- Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart 10.2m (SE) for route P12
- Alexander Dennis Enviro400 10.1m (E) for route 37
- Volvo B7TL 10.1m / Plaxton President (PVL) for routes 363 and X68
- Volvo B7TL 10.1m / Wright Eclipse Gemini (WVL) for route 63
- Volvo B9TL 10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 (WVL) for routes 36, 63 and N63
- Volvo Olympian / Northern Counties Palatine I/II (NV) as Training buses
See also
References
- ↑ Companies House extract company no 2328565 London Central Bus Company Limited
- ↑ Bus tender results Route 625 Transport for London 18 March 2011
- ↑ Bus tender results Route 658 Transport for London 18 March 2011
- ↑ http://www.lots.org.uk/
- ↑ Bus tender results Route 621 Transport for London 15 December 2006
- ↑ Bus tender results Route 621 Transport for London 28 September 2011
- ↑ http://www.londonbusroutes.net/details.htm
- ↑ Bus tender results Route 68/N68 Transport for London 12 August 2005
- ↑ Bus tender results Route 468 Transport for London 12 August 2005
- ↑ Bus tender results Route X68 Transport for London 12 August 2005
- ↑ http://www.lots.org.uk/
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Go-Ahead Group buses in the United Kingdom. |
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