307 to Metroline

Nearly the end of 2015. At the start of the last month of 2015, route 307 ended up in the hands of Metroline from Arriva London North. Yeah...
With the usual assortment of stuff.

Metroline VWH2114 on Route 307, New Barnet (© Aubrey)

No, this isn't the allocation. This is:

Metroline TE1098 on Route 307, New Barnet (CC Aubrey)

Buses displaced from the 168 and 16 conversions to LT. More specifically, the Enviro 400s.


Metroline TE923 on Route 307, Barnet Hospital (© Aubrey)

However, native PB Enviro 400s are also used on the route. Metroline are expanding into Enfield and Brimsdown.


Metroline TE921 on Route 307, Barnet Hospital (CC Aubrey)

Overall, the Metroline takeover shows how good they are at bidding for bus routes, with many retains and gains, even with the loss of the rest of the E-Line network. The buses aren't too bad. The service isn't too bad.

Style Without Impracticality

Here's to a happy Friday!

It's more likely to rain rather than snow this Friday, so get the umbrellas. Big retail companies are laughing at the money received from objects bought for this day. Transport for London stop for this Friday. Not us, or indeed National Express (non-stop through Chiswick, grrr), Oxford Bus Company or First Berkshire (shock!) who are running bus/coach services to Heathrow. Yep, flipping SLOUGH gets a better service than the rest of London.

But back to the point, a new TfL bus came along and made us look at the LT again and realise, what if ADL got the contract to build the LTs instead of Wrightbus.

Arriva London HA5 on Route 78, Tower Bridge (CC Aubrey)

Mix an LT, an Enviro 200 MMC and an Enviro 400 MMC and you get that.


Arriva London HA4 on Route 78, Tower Hill (© Aubrey)

It rides just like an Enviro 400H, as it is one with a different body cosmetically. Otherwise, it's just like any other Enviro 400MMC.


Arriva London HA7 on Route 78, Liverpool Street (© Aubrey)

It has opening windows, something the LT should have but doesn't. The staircase is glassed throughout. The rear of the bus is curved, thus giving an Enviro 200MMC rear style feel to the back, with the double window.


Rear of Arriva London HA7 on Route 78, Liverpool Street (© Aubrey)

That double window at the rear does give the upper deck a more brighter feel, when the weather outside is bright.


(CC Aubrey)

Otherwise, the LT-esque interior complete with moquette with roundels just shows this is ADL's response to the LT.


Arriva London HA6 on Route 78, Bermondsey (© Jacek)

No fancy fonts, or seats. The poles and moquette may be LT-esque, as well as the front upper deck window and the staircase windows, but otherwise it's just like a normal bus. It's not as fancy, or as restrictive as the LT.
And it isn't as such as a political weapon, even if it does pass near City Hall!


Arriva London HA7 on Route 78, Tower Bridge Road/Druid Street (© Aubrey)

Overall, it seems just like a glorified Enviro 400 MMC, if I'm honest. With the blind box set a tad too high. Great advantage is that it's just like another bus, and the hybrid system actually works!

Routemaster to "New Routemaster"

Route 159 seems to be coincidentally a plaything for the Mayor of London. Under Ken Livingstone, this route was the last route to lose its Routemasters back on the Friday 9th December 2005. This was under a midst of a lot of politics involving disability discrimination, even with protests within the last hours. They were replaced by B7TL/ALX400 buses, which were largely in service throughout that day.
Ten years and three days later, politics enter Route 159 yet again!

Abellio London LT636 on Route 159, Westminster Bridge (© Aubrey)

Abellio London have won the 159, and at the same time, converted the 159 to LT operation all at once. OPO, of course.


Abellio London LT629 on Route 159, Marble Arch (© Aubrey)

The bus, apparently "iconic" to London is actually a not so very good attempt to replicate/copy the Routemaster in being distinctive. Really, the Routemaster became distinctive as all the buses around it disappeared and were replaced, so the Routemaster stood out more as it looked different. It wasn't so different to other designs of similar buses back when it was introduced. However, it was deemed as old-fashioned back in the 1960s as new rear engined double decker buses like the Daimler Fleetline and the Leyland Atlantean which were deemed as modern at the time.


Abellio London LT608 on Route 159, Marble Arch (CC Aubrey)

Therefore, the so-called "New Routemaster" (the LT) is just a very distinctive bodied bus who has no other possible body. Or anything else. It's not even hybrid at times. Does it even make any economic sense?!


Abellio London LT629 on Route 159 with two Go-Ahead London Central LTs at Westminster Bridge (© Aubrey)

When in Central London, there are very few places without LTs nearby now! Westminster and the TfL office 'coincidentally' have a high proportion of LTs passing through!


Abellio London LT614 on Route 159, Marble Arch (© Aubrey)

Just conveniently, the next LT conversion Abellio may have is the 3 or the 211, both which pass Westminster. A 211 destination is show on this photo. The 211 is also the last bus route to be run by conventional buses outside the TfL offices! The route is cleared for the buses, practically with the existence of the 507 and the N11 conversion. Yeah... Just keep on coming, they do.

Picture Archive Post 42

Metroline DLD138 on Route 70, Acton Market Place, 08/06/12

DLD138 new to Metroline was ordered for the C2 in 2000. In 2002, this bus moved to Edgware for the 251, 288, 303 and 305, where it stayed until 2008. This bus then had a few spells at Metroline garages at Wembley (NW) and Perivale (PA/PV) with a spell at 2010 at Cricklewood. In January 2012, this bus moved with the closure of PA from PA to PV, where it is seen on Route 70 in this photo. A few days after the photo was taken, this bus was put into store at PV. In October 2012, the bus was sold to Ensignbus, where it was temporarily used as its 809 on Central Line replacement. The bus was bought by Imperial Buses in 2013, before it was sold back to Ensign in 2014 and bought by Flagfinders Coaches where it is today.

Route 70 was made as a part replacement of a short section of Route 7 (Acton Horn Lane-East Acton) running with MA (Mercedes 811D vans with Alexander bodywork) running Monday-Saturday, intially running between Acton Horn Lane and Kensington. It was extended to South Kensington in 1993, where larger Dennis Dart/Wright Handybus buses were introduced. In 2000, Thorpes won the contract for the 70, initially from Wembley with a Sunday service being introduced. In 2003, the route moved to PA (Perivale) where it stayed when Metroline took over Thorpes. Metroline took the actual contract of the 70 in January 2007 along with the other contracts of Armchair and Thorpes. In December 2010, the route moved from PA to PV (Perivale East to West). In June 2012, Route 70 moved to First Centrewest from Westbourne Park (X), back where it used to run under Centrewest with new Enviro 200s (see post). In June 2013, the route moved to Tower Transit under the sale of First Centrewest, where it is today.

The route is supposed to be extended to Chiswick Business Park via Acton Town and Bollo Lane, but this extension seems to be indefinitely on hold. Even with the new bus stop on Bollo Lane in place.

Yep, that (© Aubrey).
Please get the extension running. Please.

The First Transfer

Route 295 was moved from one part of ex-First London to another part of ex-First London, the first route to do so since First left London on the 22nd June 2013. I know it's over a month late, but sod it, most of the post was done already!

Metroline West VWH2130 on Route 295, Clapham Junction (© Aubrey)

Route 295 is an evolved trunk route that runs from Ladbroke Grove Sainsbury's to Clapham Junction. When First split, the 295 was part of what became the Tower Transit section.


Tower Transit TN33198 on Route 295, Hammersmith (© Aubrey)

However, this meant that the two pieces of former First Centrewest can now compete with each other for bus routes. This means that the first route to transfer between the portions of former First Centrewest.


Metroline West VW1208 on Route 295N, Hammersmith (© Aubrey)

Initially, B9TLs from other parts of Metroline Travel did the inital night service of the 295.


Metroline West VWH2114 on Route 295, Clapham Junction (© Aubrey)

Then hybrids from Potters Bar and Willesden Garages took over most of the route alongside the diesel B9TLs.


Metroline West VWH2048 on Route 295, Hammersmith (© Aubrey)

Eventually, the Gemini 3 (new style) buses intended for the 295 were being gradually added into service:


Metroline West VWH2139 on Route 295, Hammersmith (© Aubrey)

The Gemini 3s aren't too bad, albeit the obvious thing with the upper deck windows being too small overall.
Oh, and not all photos are in the dark!


Metroline West VWH2128 on Route 295, Hammersmith (© Aubrey)

Metroline West have since run the 295 at a level. And it still exists. The night service is slower, which causes the bus to not travel very fast when there is a clear road. Otherwise, the 295 is run sufficiently.

We are very busy people, remember! :P

Tight Night Borismasters

Route N11 somehow became cleared for Borismaster operation, after some minor road work in the Acton area (between Turnham Green Station and Acton Town Station) has somehow made it clear that Borismasters could actually do the N11.

London General LT501 on Route N11, Hammersmith (© Aubrey)

Buses mainly from the 88 batch are being used on the N11. Therefore, interesting blind fonts are shown here. Compared to an N11 display on the 11 batch vehicles as shown:


London General LT43 on Route 11 (Blinded for N11), Fulham (CC Aubrey)

There are more condensed font blind displays on the 88 batch LTs.
Yep, I'm that bored.


London General LT458 on Route N11, Hammersmith (© Aubrey)

This does mean that most of the 211 is practically cleared for LT operation as well, hence that may turn to LTs. If the 211 converts, all buses via TfL's headquarters are LT operated. Coincidentally(!). This also means that this is the first conversion of a night bus route where the day route was already converted a significant time prior.


London General LT458 on Route N11, Hammersmith (© Aubrey)

Yep, got a photo of the same bus in consecutive days. Oh how coincidental! The conversion has been the least noteworthy of the lot, as it is just a night bus route. However, that does mean that the LT is now penetrating deeper and deeper into suburban London. Which will only get more intrusive with the new shorter LT. Oh lovely spread for the political machine!