WLTM Transport Blog

12/02/2018

More Go-Ahead electrics ...

Saturday 3rd February 2018 was a very busy day in London with no fewer than six routes changing operator on the same day; 153, 299, 343/N343, B14 and W4.

This mini-post though covers the operator change on route 153 which saw Go-Ahead's third batch of E200 BYD electric single deckers come into service.

The route, from Finsbury Park to Moorgate used to be operated by CT Plus from Ash Grove with a fleet of generic E200 single decks. The tender announcement for this route was cobbled together with routes 46, 214 and 274, which were all being tendered for as electric routes, but with varying start dates. The 153 start date came first, with the 46 & 274 (awarded hybrid double decks) in June 2018, and the 214 in summer 2019.

Go-Ahead's 153 10.8m electrics, SEe65-76, are based at Northumberland Park, as will the 214 and its SEes from 2019.

Go-Ahead SEe66 arrives at Finsbury Park displaying the latest version of the "Finsbury Park" blind display.
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/28281059399/in/dateposted/

Go-Ahead SEe67 leaves Finsbury Park heading towards Moorgate on the 153.
© Tommy Cooling

SEe66 picking up at Finsbury Park Station Interchange.
© Tommy Cooling

Post by Tommy Cooling
Some of these images and more can be found on my Flickr page:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/

Please do not reproduce any of my images without permission

10/02/2018

Branding Hayes

Following on from the route branding trial in Barkingside over summer 2017, Hayes became TfL's next target area to splash some colour over. An area with declining bus passenger usage, and an area soon to become home to Crossrail, TfL's idea is to brand the routes that traverse through Hayes to get people back onto the bus in time to draw them into Crossrail from late 2018/2019.

This branding has been applied on routes; 90, 140, 195, 350, 427, 607, A10, E6, H98, U4, U5 & U7.

Unlike the Barkingside trial, the Hayes scheme only features the route's "via points" on the near-side and rear of the bus, and the splashes of colour merely confined to these, and the Route number and frequency stickers. In addition to this, only around 25% of each route's allocation is being branded [cost saving], whereas Barkingside has 75% of each route.

TfL's poor current state of affairs is plain to see from this scheme with incorrect branding on no fewer than three of the twelve routes, with grammatical errors, and very questionable via points on others. Just to summarise these:

- the advertised frequencies on routes 350, E6 and U4 are incorrect following TfL's frequency cutbacks

- capital "B" but lowercase "s" in "Bus station"

- intu Uxbridge and Intu Uxbridge [a shopping centre]

- large parts of routes not showing, 140 nothing between Harrow & Hayes, or 427/ 607 Ealing & Uxbridge (no via point in the Hayes area!)

- use of Lake Farm country Park over Stockley Business Park [main purpose of the A10 route!]

Route 90

VW1176 with branding for Route 90 showing the front and side attempts.
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/39074862995/in/album-72157689844578782/

VW1176 showing the side and rear Route 90 branding.
© Tommy Cooling

VW1176 passing Hayes ASDA showing off the Hayes branding.
© Tommy Cooling

Route 140

VWH2237 passes the Lombardy Retail Park in Hayes showing the branding for Route 140.
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/28151787989/in/album-72157689844578782/

In detail view of the side branding on VWH2237.
© Tommy Cooling

View of the rear Route 140 branding.
© Tommy Cooling

VWH2237 showing of the branding in Hayes Town Centre.
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/39988140812/in/album-72157689844578782/

Route 195

Abellio 8876 showing the Route 195 branding in Hayes.
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/25115006777/in/album-72157689844578782/

Route 350

Abellio 8894 showing the branding for Route 350 by Hayes ASDA.
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/39074863075/in/album-72157689844578782/

Side-on view of the Route 350 branding.
© Tommy Cooling

Route 427

Abellio 2552 showing the Route 427 branding in Hillingdon Heath.
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/28151787999/in/album-72157689844578782/

Route 607

Metroline VW1570 showing the Route 607 branding on the approach to Hayes By-Pass.
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/28151787899/in/album-72157689844578782/

A view of the rear Route 607 branding attempts on VW1570.
© Tommy Cooling

Route Al0

Metroline DE1585 in Hillingdon Heath showing the Route A10 branding.
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/39309982664/in/album-72157689844578782/

Route H98

London United DLE3001 showing, what looks like incomplete, H98 branding in Hayes Town.
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/25149125377/in/album-72157689844578782/

The rear view of the H98 branding.
© Tommy Cooling

Route E6

Metroline DE1911 showing the E6 branding in Greenford.
© Tommy Cooling

The rear of the E6 branding.
© Tommy Cooling

The E6 branding is currently missing the route number & frequency stickers which are being replaced due to TfL errors.
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/40187760151/in/album-72157689844578782/

Route U4

Metroline TE1573 showing the Route U4 branding in Hayes.
© Tommy Cooling

Metroline TE1573 showing the front and side branding attempts for the U4.
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/39074863045/in/album-72157689844578782/

Route U5

Abellio 2579 showing the Route U5 branding in Hayes.
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/28206188719/in/album-72157689844578782/

Route U7

Abellio 8570 showing the Route U7 branding at Hayes Sainsbury's.
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/25115015107/in/album-72157689844578782/

Off the beaten track

VWH2188 showing off the 140 branding whilst in Cricklewood on Route 182!
© Tommy Cooling
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/26168515818/in/album-72157689844578782/

Post by Tommy Cooling
Some of these images and more can be found on my Flickr page:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/

Please do not reproduce any of my images without permission

03/02/2018

176

Another route that changed operator on Saturday 11th November was the 176, which Go-Ahead nabbed off Arriva London. This spelt this end of the VLA, Volvo chassied Alexander Dennis ALX400s, operation in Central London.

Route 176
One of the last remaining homes of the VLA class of bus was on Arriva's route 176, route 142 being another solid VLA home albeit until early 2018 only when RATP take the route.

VLA74 crawls along the Strand in heavy traffic with a curtailed 176 behind.
It should be noted that VLA74 was the second in a procession of three 176s caught up in this traffic.
© Tommy Cooling

Arriva London VLA17 circles St. George's Circus near Elephant & Castle on a Route 176 service to Penge.
The routes passes to Go-Ahead's Camberwell garage.
© Tommy Cooling

The route passed to Go-Ahead at Camberwell garage using a fleet of existing Euro 6 vehicles with a small top-up batch of 67-reg EHs. The 176 sees a daily allocation of MHVs and WHVs, with EHs (new and "old") forming the majority.

EH75 was one of the existing hybrid vehicles used on Route 176 which was won by Go-Ahead on a mixture of new and existing hybrid vehicles. The route uses older WHVs and EHs topped up with a small batch of new EHs.
© Tommy Cooling

Post by Tommy Cooling
Some of these images and more can be found on my Flickr page:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/127662272@N07/

Please do not reproduce any of my images without permission