On 27th July 2019, Route 81 moved down Kingsley Road from London United to Metroline at their new base on Spring Grove Road in Lampton. Used Volvo B9TLs were passed onto the route.
VW1386 running through Colnbrook Village on the first day of Metroline service on Route 81
© Aubrey Morandarte
Yet another Metroline win on the western front from RATP. It increases the Metroline presence in Hounslow to an extent that it has most of the routes on the Bath Road corridor
A view from Spring Grove Road of the new Metroline base in Lampton
© Aubrey Morandarte
The buses are based in the old Westbus depot as the Westbus moved to Hayes Garage, allowing the 81 to be based in Lampton. However, Metroline are not the only tenant in the site, with a light industrial site squeezed within the site as well.
Operation with London United started with Westlink winning the route in 1995 from Hounslow Heath. London United bought Westlink, and moved the route to Hounslow (AV) completely in 2000. Prior to tendering in 1985 as the first LT route to be tendered to a private operator (London Bus Lines), it was based in Hounslow as well.
ADE21 passing through the village of Longford, which will be demolished when Heathrow Airport gains its third runway.
© Aubrey Morandarte
The route is now based out of the former Westbus depot at Lampton (SG). Existing Volvo B9TLs displaced from Harrow Weald and spares from Brentford were drafted for the route.
One of the various buses, VW1833, is a former First bus that was allocated to the 427. It ended up at Alperton and Brentford, before moving over to Lampton for the 81.
© Aubrey Morandarte
81 is unique in that it sticks out into Berkshire (technically Slough Borough Council) as the only TfL route to go there. Thanks to the cuts caused by First Berkshire scaling down their operations in Berkshire, the 81 is the most frequent and the main route out of Slough. First (9) and Reading Buses (703) both operate parallel stopping services down the Bath Road, although they do not get nearly as much custom as the 81.
VW1255 heads out for another journey to Hounslow, whilst VW1382 waits to use the stop at Slough Bus Station.
© Aubrey Morandarte
VW1255 was a Holloway bus to start, but ended up at Brentford for the E8 extension, prior to a temporary move to Lampton for the 81. It is now (as of August 2019) back at Brentford. VW1382 meanwhile started at Holloway too, but went via Perivale to Lampton. However, apart from said VW1833, the allocation has settled to the 62 reg buses mostly ex-Harrow Weald.
VW1385 passes Mondial Way on the Bath Road, north of Heathrow Airport.
© Aubrey Morandarte
Driver changes are handled similar to when it was under London United, with buses running to the garage. However, as the garage has now changed, buses go along the short bit of Kingsley Road and Spring Grove Road to the garage, where changeovers occur on the forecourt.
VW1255 heads out of service on Kingsley Road enroute to Lampton for a driver change.
© Aubrey Morandarte
The arrival of Metroline on the route has led to a more descriptive qualifier for the Slough destination, stating it will terminate at the bus station. VW1379 exhibits this display heading out of Hounslow.
© Aubrey Morandarte
As these buses are approximately the same age as the ADEs that were on the route under RATP, the route will receive newer buses upon the next contract. Meanwhile, these diesel buses will continue to ply the route until either the end of the contract, or when the route is affected heavily by the Heathrow Airport third runway construction, which may begin during this contract.
Post and photographs by Aubrey Morandarte
All rights reserved © WLTMTB 2019
VW1386 running through Colnbrook Village on the first day of Metroline service on Route 81
© Aubrey Morandarte
Yet another Metroline win on the western front from RATP. It increases the Metroline presence in Hounslow to an extent that it has most of the routes on the Bath Road corridor
A view from Spring Grove Road of the new Metroline base in Lampton
© Aubrey Morandarte
The buses are based in the old Westbus depot as the Westbus moved to Hayes Garage, allowing the 81 to be based in Lampton. However, Metroline are not the only tenant in the site, with a light industrial site squeezed within the site as well.
Operation with London United started with Westlink winning the route in 1995 from Hounslow Heath. London United bought Westlink, and moved the route to Hounslow (AV) completely in 2000. Prior to tendering in 1985 as the first LT route to be tendered to a private operator (London Bus Lines), it was based in Hounslow as well.
ADE21 passing through the village of Longford, which will be demolished when Heathrow Airport gains its third runway.
© Aubrey Morandarte
The route is now based out of the former Westbus depot at Lampton (SG). Existing Volvo B9TLs displaced from Harrow Weald and spares from Brentford were drafted for the route.
One of the various buses, VW1833, is a former First bus that was allocated to the 427. It ended up at Alperton and Brentford, before moving over to Lampton for the 81.
© Aubrey Morandarte
81 is unique in that it sticks out into Berkshire (technically Slough Borough Council) as the only TfL route to go there. Thanks to the cuts caused by First Berkshire scaling down their operations in Berkshire, the 81 is the most frequent and the main route out of Slough. First (9) and Reading Buses (703) both operate parallel stopping services down the Bath Road, although they do not get nearly as much custom as the 81.
VW1255 heads out for another journey to Hounslow, whilst VW1382 waits to use the stop at Slough Bus Station.
© Aubrey Morandarte
VW1255 was a Holloway bus to start, but ended up at Brentford for the E8 extension, prior to a temporary move to Lampton for the 81. It is now (as of August 2019) back at Brentford. VW1382 meanwhile started at Holloway too, but went via Perivale to Lampton. However, apart from said VW1833, the allocation has settled to the 62 reg buses mostly ex-Harrow Weald.
VW1385 passes Mondial Way on the Bath Road, north of Heathrow Airport.
© Aubrey Morandarte
Driver changes are handled similar to when it was under London United, with buses running to the garage. However, as the garage has now changed, buses go along the short bit of Kingsley Road and Spring Grove Road to the garage, where changeovers occur on the forecourt.
VW1255 heads out of service on Kingsley Road enroute to Lampton for a driver change.
© Aubrey Morandarte
The arrival of Metroline on the route has led to a more descriptive qualifier for the Slough destination, stating it will terminate at the bus station. VW1379 exhibits this display heading out of Hounslow.
© Aubrey Morandarte
As these buses are approximately the same age as the ADEs that were on the route under RATP, the route will receive newer buses upon the next contract. Meanwhile, these diesel buses will continue to ply the route until either the end of the contract, or when the route is affected heavily by the Heathrow Airport third runway construction, which may begin during this contract.
Post and photographs by Aubrey Morandarte
All rights reserved © WLTMTB 2019
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