Picture Archive Post 60

London United VA74 on Route 120, Southall Station, 23/03/12 (© Aubrey)

Route 120 moves to Metroline from the 24th June 2017, its second private operator after London United (under various owners of Transdev and RATP).

By 1934, the route ran from Hounslow Heath to Hayes, run from Hounslow and Southall Garages. In 1936, the route was shortened to a Southall-Hayes stub. Southall became the sole garage from 1938 when it was re-extended to Hounslow Heath. In 1951, the route was converted to RT. Under the trolleybus replacement program in 1960, the 207A replaced the 120 between Hayes and Southall. From 1965, the route was extended to Greenford. Between 1978 and 1979, the route was allocated DMSs (with one man operation), before switching to MCW Metrobuses From 1986, the 120 returned to Hounslow Garage. In 1987, Route 120 replaced Route 257 to Beavers Farm Estate by splitting the service to a yellow/black blind service southbound. Yellow blinds meant that the route went via Beavers Farm Estate and black blinds meant the route ran to Hounslow Bus Station. Southall-Greenford was withdrawn in 1988. In 1991, the route lost its Beavers Farm Estate loop to the new minibus H21.
However, in March 1993, the route was re-extended north of Southall, this time replacing the 232 to Northolt, as that route was being localised as the H32. January 1994 saw the route be fully converted to low-floor as one of the first routes to be converted. Dennis Lance SLF/Wright Pathfinder (LLW) buses were filled with passengers. That and unreliablility meant some MCW Metrobuses and other double decker buses from Hounslow strayed onto the route. From 2000, the route was converted to Volvo B7TL/ALX400 and President buses (VA/VP). Strays of Olympians arose when some transferred to Hounslow, and in general, the route became just another double decker route out of the night routes, 111, 120 and H32. After 2009, Scania N230UD/OmniCity buses started to stray onto the route, and SPs became the norm. Contract renewal in 2012 brought new Enviro 400s (ADE), which is where the route is at the moment.
From 24th June 2017, the route will gain Volvo B5LH/Wright Eclipse Gemini 3 buses from Metroline's Perivale West (PA) garage.

Volvo B7TL/Alexander ALX400 VA74 was a Hounslow machine, branded for Route 111 (oneeleven branding) initially. This branding wore out, and the bus was later repainted red with the grey skirt untouched when the 80% red rule became a skirt colour only rule. Between 27/09/12 and 26/10/12, the bus was based at Fulwell for a short time. Otherwise, throughout its life, it ran on the double decker Hounslow Garage routes. The bus became Hounslow's last Volvo B7TL/ALX400, with withdrawal on 4th November 2013.
This bus has since passed onto Whippet Coaches, where it still runs as WD416.