My Picture Archive Post 32

Stagecoach London 34317 (Route 314), Metrobus 153 (Route 162), Eltham Station, 21/04/12

34317(m), the Dennis Dart SLF/Alexander ALX200 started out as SLD317 for Route 202 at Plumstead in September 2001. In June 2002, it was renumbered to DM317, before being renumbered to the Stagecoach national scheme in 2003 as 34317 with the added suffix of "m". In 2005, it moved to TL (Catford). In June 2006, Macquarie Bank bought Stagecoach London and named it as East London Bus Group. The South London operations were renamed (back) to Selkent. The bus then moved to TB (Bromley) in 2007. Stagecoach re-bought their London operations at a profit in October 2010. The bus, all red by then, was taken as per seen, and 4 months later, it was stored in Rainham for disposal. It ended up at Ensignbus sales and ended up at Harlow with Roadrunner/SM Coaches/Olympian (i.e. Townlink/Olympus) by October 2012, where it probably still is.
Route 314, from July 1990 has always been Eltham Station to New Addington and always has been run from Bromley Garage. In bus type terms, it started with MRLs (Optare/MCW Metroriders) before low floor Darts (ALX200 then Plaxton Pointers) and finally the current crop of Enviro 200s.

Metrobus 153 is a significantly younger bus, an Enviro 200 from 2011 ordered for Route 162. This bus is still at Green Street Green Garage for Route 162 and any other routes at Green Street Green for Metrobus (now London General trading as Metrobus).
Route 162 started in March 1994 with Kentish Bus running between Beckenham Junction and Petts Wood initially at Deptford before moving to Dunton Green. In September 1997, it moved to Stagecoach from TB and was curtailed to Chislehurst in March 2001 before being extended to Eltham Station in October 2001. In March 2006, it ended up at Arriva Kent Thameside (Dartford), albeit after loaning Stagecoach Darts for a month. In March 2011, the 162 moved to its present home with Metrobus.