Used Borismasters, New Conversion.

Arriva London LT234 on Route 48, London Bridge (© Aubrey)

Route 48 was a notable departure from Leyton Garage, with the route being partially converted to New Routemasters (Borismasters) off other Arriva routes, notably the 38 and 73. Those routes are having their resources scaled back, thus allowing the 48 to eventually go full-LT.


Arriva London DW227 on Route 48, Liverpool Street (© Aubrey)

In the interim, excess VDL DB300s (DWs) from other routes around North London have been drafted for the 48. This includes DWs initially starting out on the 38, ironically. The route is based at Ash Grove garage, where it shares LTs with Route 253/N253.


Arriva London DW244 on Route 48, Walthamstow Central (© Aubrey)

However, with the Route 73 curtailment to Oxford Circus as part of the reduction of buses through Oxford Street, the 48 will be able to fully convert to LT, thus confining one-door boarding on this route to stray buses. This is also the first LT conversion of a route fully with existing LTs, as no new LTs were ordered for the 48.


Arriva London LT234 on Route 48, Walthamstow Central (© Aubrey)

The route has been plying mostly along the same roads (save for a re-routing at Hackney/Dalston, and another one to divert it to Walthamstow Central instead of Whipps Cross) ever since it was introduced to replace parts of Routes 35 and 38A, has had a consistent history with Leyton Garage, being there for most of its life. The only two times it has not been at Leyton Garage was in the 1980s where it was at Walthamstow Garage, and now. Under sectiorisation, it moved to East London, which later became Stagecoach, ELBG and Stagecoach (again).


Stagecoach London 15143 on Route 48, London Bridge (© Aubrey)

The Scanias that ELBG ordered for the route later went off lease, and are with a few operators, including Sullivan Buses. Thus slowly, but surely, the ELBG influence of the former Stagecoach operations is continuing to diminish.

CT Plus + 397 + W11 + W16

CT Plus in February & March gained 3 more routes, and many more Enviro 200MMCs.

CT Plus 1260 on Route W16, Leytonstone Station (© Aubrey)

CT Plus also introduce the 17 reg into TfL service with these buses. The first day for these routes each had a few operational hiccups, but expected on the first day.


CT Plus 1251 on Route 397, Chingford Station (© Aubrey)

The 397 was the first route to go to CT Plus, moving from Arriva London. On 25th February, the 397 gained its new Enviro 200MMCs. The first day got a few hiccups, including this curtailment from Debden to Loughton. For a route that is low frequency (every 30 minutes), it's pretty severe to be late enough to curtail on a low frequency route.


CT Plus 1244 on Route 397, Chingford (© Aubrey)

Although since the first day, the service on the 397 has improved.


CT Plus 1252 on Route W11, Crooked Billet Sainsbury's (© Aubrey)

On March 4th, the W11 and W16 also moved to CT Plus. W11 was also from Arriva London, whilst W16 came from Go-Ahead London General.


CT Plus 1242 on Route W11, Walthamstow Central (© Aubrey)

Route W11 is a residential route between Walthamstow Central and Chingford Hall Estate via Crooked Billet Sainsbury's. The W11 was supposed to be diverted via Blackhorse Road, as a previous diversion of Route W15 temporarily proved to be very popular. However, due to cost cutting by TfL, this has been indefinitely postponed. Even though the consultation supported it.


CT Plus 1252 on Route W11, Crooked Billet Sainsbury's (© Aubrey)

Driver changes for Routes W11 and 397 are done at Crooked Billet Sainsbury's, only a few minutes walk through a car park to the new Walthamstow Avenue Garage:


Walthamstow Avenue Garage, CT Plus (© Aubrey)

The new garage at Crooked Billet, near Walthamstow Stadium holds community transport buses. It also is the base for Routes 385, 397, W11, W16 and W19. Also, there are some Solos off the W12 seen in the garage, thus the W12 may also be based at this garage. Coded AW (Walthamstow Avenue), the garage is fairly basic, with portacabins for offices, and basic storage.


CT Plus 1247 on Route W16, Leytonstone Station (© Aubrey)

The third route mentioned to move to CT Plus is former London General route W16. The route has always ran between Leytonstone Station and Chingford Mount. This route started out at the ill-fated London Forest operation, before eventually falling into the hands of Arriva London. Tendering moved the route to First Capital in 2012, for only a few months before Go-Ahead London bought out the Northumberland Park garage of First London. The route has since moved through tendering into the hands of CT Plus. On the first day, there was some bunching of buses and some ticket machines did not work. However, it was only the first day, and since then, things have improved.


CT Plus 1264 on Route W16, Leyton Midland Road (© Aubrey)

Overall, this is a fairly notable gain for CT Plus, especially over Arriva London. These are the big additions to the CT Plus operations in London.

Picture Archive Post 58

Metroline TP447 on Route 82, Victoria Station, 17/03/13 (© Aubrey)

Route 82 started out in 1986 as a route to replace Route 2B, running between Victoria and Golders Green, with garage journeys to North Finchley and the Sunday service going to Barnet, Chesterfield Road with MCW Metrobuses. Under sectorisation, Route 82 passed to London Northern, as it was at Finchley Garage. Leyland Titans were also introduced to the route. In February 1991, the Barnet journeys were cut to Golders Green. May 1991 saw the route being extended on Monday-Saturdays (except evenings) to North Finchley. The Sunday service was extended in November 1991, and the full service was extended to North Finchley in December 1993 as Finchley Garage closed. The route moved to Potters Bar, where it would stay until the route was withdrawn. London Northern then was bought out by MTL in 1994, and then Metroline in July 1998. New Volvo B7TL/Plaxton Presidents were bought onto the route in late 2001, before the allocated Trident/Plaxton Presidents arrived in 2002. These buses were replaced in March 2012 with ADL E40D/Enviro 400s.
The Enviros stayed allocated on the 82 before the route was withdrawn on the 31st March 2017, as part of the Finchley Road corridor cutbacks. Route 134 took those Enviro 400s, and the 82 was renumbered to 13. The "new" 13 is now run by Tower Transit using Volvo B5LH/MCV EvoSetis from Westbourne Park Garage.

TP447 was ordered for Routes 217, 231 and W8 back in 2003 at Potters Bar Garage. For most of its life, it has spent time on most Potters Bar routes. After withdrawal on January 2014, the bus passed to Watts Coaches in Wales, where it is still to this day.