General Note:
Due to fleet shortages because of overhauling E40H dating from 2008, ex-Metroline VPs that are for sale are temporarily used as spares across all garages. This means they are all refurbishment cover. 3 ex-GAL Volvo B7TL/Wright Geminis will also be used.
Fleet:
ex-Metroline VP317-347, 466-472, 474, 476, 477, 479. Code VPN
ex-GAL WVL124-126, on loan from Southdown PSV. Code WVN
The 15 and 392 conversion to NBfL leaves 70 spare TEs. In addition, around 40 more spares are made by the loss of routes 266 and 267. However, the 40 buses will be sold to either London United for replacement of SPs or Abellio for the new 14/14N contract.
L1/Heathrow Buses
The following routes will be transferred from First Berkshire (Slough) to Heathrow Buses (daily unless stated):
2: Slough-Burnham
3: Slough-Manor Park
4: Slough-Cippenham
6: Slough-Wexham Park Hospital
6A: Slough-Wexham Park Hospital
8: Slough-Cippenham
65: Slough-Goldsworthy Way (Mon-Sat Shopping Hours)
For these routes, DEs are transferred from WE, not in use due to the loss of routes 187, 245 and 487. They will run in a red London livery, as a "London bus" until the full delivery of new TempoSRs and Citaros for the Beeline services in November, when these buses (and current Enviro 200H on the 70/70A) will be painted to the L1/Beeline livery.
Until November, these routes will be marketed as the "Slough Locals", to distinguish them from other non-London services.
The full list of DEs to be transferred to HN for the "Slough Locals":
DE391-399, DE494-504
Also, L1/Heathrow Buses have also bought the operations of Abellio Surrey.
The following routes will be transferred from Abellio Surrey to Heathrow Buses (daily unless stated):
39A: Chobham-Woking (Mon, Wed, Fri)
39B: Hermitage Estate-Woking (Thurs)
39C: Claydon Road-Woking (Tues, Thurs)
40: Ripley-Woking (Tues)
81: Woking-Barnesbury Estate
84: Chobham-Collingwood College SCHOOLDAYS ONLY
400: Staines-Walton On Thames (Mon-Fri Limited Service)
438: Shepperton-Staines
459: Kingston-Woking
461: Addlestone, St Peter's Hospital-Kingston
461A: Walton Church Street-Walton Station (Mon-Fri 1 journey this direction AM peak only)
513: Downside-Kingston
514: Hersham-Kingston
515/515A: Kingston-Guildford
564: Whiteley Village-Xcel Leisure Centre (Mon-Sat)
566/567: Thorpe-Staines (Mon-Sat)
570: Ashford Tesco/Staines-Grovebarns loop (Mon, Wed, Fri)
571/572: Staines-Grange Farm (Mon-Fri Limited Service)
574: Ashford-Sunbury Tesco (Tues, Thurs)
637: Byfleet-Salesian School SCHOOLDAYS ONLY
663: Walton-Esher High School SCHOOLDAYS ONLY
690: Worplesdon-Kingfield Green SCHOOLDAYS ONLY
814: Field Common-Esher High School SCHOOLDAYS ONLY
Currently, due to a lack of existing Enviro 200Hs and the late delivery of TempoSRs (OTN), the current buses are being used from Byfleet. When sufficient buses are ready, then the new buses would replace the old buses to return to Abellio in one day.
The OTNs will be coded OTN686-OTN727. All except OTN700-710 are registered in HN:
OTN 686-699: LP13 FJP-FKD
OTN 700-710: CU13 STN-STZ - These have Swansea registrations.
OTN 711-727: LP13 FSA-FSS
For when First Beeline Bracknell is recieved, new Optare TempoSR will supplement the existing Citaros. Existing buses will be used on Green Line services.
Route N69 is extended from Southall, Ascot Gardens to Heathrow Terminal 6 via 482 route, and Bath Road. This means that PVR will increase to 13.
In August, HN will temporarily operate 408 using existing DEs until London OmniBus are ready to operate 408. This is in order to allow it to enter the TfL ticketing system.
With the buyout of Abellio London West Fulwell Garage, Routes 481 and H20 are transferring to HN. New DES752-763 will be used on both routes.
On 8th July and for 2 weeks in August, a Plaxton President/Volvo B5LH will be on trial at HN. At other times, it will be on trial at other garages.
DPNs that are in storage ex-L1/Group are now being refurbished for further use by Tower Transit on route 283. Thankfully, as they leave the fleet, we now have a non-full size single decker fleet that is totally hybrid, in addition to the already 99% hybrid double decker fleet.
In order to speed up journeys along Uxbridge Road, 607 stops are being removed or re-sited. The following stops are withdrawn: Christchurch (Ealing Broadway), Adelaide Grove, Hayes End, Park Road (Uxbridge), Acton Old Town Hall*
*Acton Old Town Hall stop will be replaced by Acton High Street Station stop.
Also, Route 607 will now be fully allocated to HN. Extras when needed will come from SA.
Southall (SA)
The Route 456 trials will end at the end of July 2013. However, decisions have already been made for buses, and the decisive double deckers are the Volvo B5LH, VDL DB300H and the current E40H. However, for single deckers, it is found the only alternative to the Enviro 200H is the Volvo system used on the 7900, which isn't usually available for smaller lengths. However, the "new L1/Group" E20H with larger engine is yet to be tested on the 456.
The last new buses to be tested for the 456 will be a Plaxton President/Volvo B5LH, Mercedes Benz Citaro Hybrid (normally used on 335), Volvo 7900, Optare TempoSR hybrid and Optare Metrocity Hybrid.
The double deckers have strayed, and will stray onto other routes such as 392. Also, buses longer than 11.1m would be restricted to run between Chiswick and Southall Town Hall.
Route 395 has been gained from Metroline using existing and new E20H. The new E20H are to the new L1/Group specification, which the exact same hybrid system and engine as the E40H. DE658-668 are the new buses for 395. These buses will stray onto the 456 as part of the trials.
After the 456 trials, TEN69 will be permanently allocated to Southall.
Route 607 will completely leave SA (except for extras) on the 1st August as the whole allocation will run from HN.
Brentford (DI)
VP1090 will be temporarily be based in DI for 456 trials.
Route 23 arrived into DI as planned on the 22nd June, and all buses are currently re-logo'd. From November 2013, all buses that are ex-First will be refreshed into full L1/Group interior (and spec - E40H + TEN111 only).
Wembley (WE)
We say goodbye to Routes 187, 245 and 487 as it passes onto London Sovereign/London United, as part of the deal of selling Alperton (ON) to RATP. This means the spare DEs will move to HN.
Fulwell (TF)
And we say hello to Fulwell, bought from Abellio London. Routes 85 and 213 will eventually run here, but at the moment, only routes R68 and R70 will run from here, using new DEs. The ex-Abellio London buses have been moved to the Surrey operations temporarily, allowing older buses to leave the fleet immediately
Byfleet (BF)
Byfleet will temporarily operate the L1/Heathrow Buses "Surrey Locals" routes, using existing buses until new Optare Tempo SR and existing spare E20H are refurbished. They will be in a new livery, especially for Surrey Locals.
Slough (SH)
As of the 22nd June 2013, Slough Garage shut down, as all routes were transferred to HN, using L1/Group existing buses. All staff have joined the large team at HN. The services are transferred under the L1/Heathrow Buses "O-Licence". First Berkshire Bracknell will follow in November 2013, when those routes and "Slough Locals" will be rebranded as "L1/Beeline".
L1/Romford Buses
Upminster (UP)
The 265 turns out not to be gained by L1/Group after all, as Essex County Council tender the route, and we lost. Initially, the plan was that First Capital would hand over the route to us, but the route was tendered instead.
575 will move to Romford Buses as planned, using existing TEs. The official date will be from November 2013
Hackney (HO)
The garage is renamed from "Lea Interchange", to reflect the garage code.
25 may, under a plan, move fully HO or SD.
Route 425 was gained by HO from Go-Ahead, using existing TEs at the moment, even though there are barely any spares. This is mainly due to them transferring from SD where DWs have been delivered and taken over other routes temporarily.
Stratford (SD)
DWs for the 205 and 438 are being used on existing routes already in order to move TEs for the 425. When the new TEs arrive, the DWs will wait until the gain of 205 to run in service again. Also, TELs for the 8 are being used across the fleet in order to fill in for other buses until the 8 is gained and running.
Deliveries of NBfL for 15 have started with LT152 in SD. This will not be used on the route until November, and will be used to type train SD staff.
Upton Park (U)
No new changes
575 will move to Romford Buses as planned, using existing TEs. The official date will be from November 2013
Hackney (HO)
The garage is renamed from "Lea Interchange", to reflect the garage code.
25 may, under a plan, move fully HO or SD.
Route 425 was gained by HO from Go-Ahead, using existing TEs at the moment, even though there are barely any spares. This is mainly due to them transferring from SD where DWs have been delivered and taken over other routes temporarily.
Stratford (SD)
DWs for the 205 and 438 are being used on existing routes already in order to move TEs for the 425. When the new TEs arrive, the DWs will wait until the gain of 205 to run in service again. Also, TELs for the 8 are being used across the fleet in order to fill in for other buses until the 8 is gained and running.
Deliveries of NBfL for 15 have started with LT152 in SD. This will not be used on the route until November, and will be used to type train SD staff.
Upton Park (U)
No new changes
