London Bus Garages
E - HT

Enfield Bus Garage – Southbury Road, Ponders End, EN2

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	E
Garage opened –	1927
Max Bus Capacity –	140
Current Garage PVR –	108
Current Routes Operated –	121 192 279 307 313 317 349 377 491 N279
Current types operated -	DAF DB250LF/Alexander ALX400 (DLA)
	DAF DB250LF/Plaxton President (DLP)
	DAF SB120/Wright Cadet (DWL)
	Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2 (PDL)

Enfield was built in 1927 by the LGOC. Further land was soon acquired in the front of the depot for use as a bus stand, which later also got used as a terminus for trolleybuses. The garage was modernised at a cost of over £6M in the early eighties, and when it re-opened in 1984 it had space for 106 buses. More recently it has become a central part of Arriva London operations with the accident repair centre and undertaking of Major refurbishments. Over the years various types were allocated to the garage, but in 1994 the garages allocation was entirely Metrobus.

Edmonton Bus Garage –Unit 1E, Towpath Road, London E4

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	EM
Garage opened –	1961
Max Bus Capacity –	100
Current Garage PVR –	114
Current Routes Operated –	29 34 382 397 444 W13 W14 W15 W16
	School routes: W13
Current types operated –	Dennis Dart SLF/Alexander ALX200 (ADL)
	DAF DB250LF/Alexander ALX400 (DLA)
	Mercedes Benz Citaro Artic (MA)
	Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2 (PDL)

Opened in 1993 by London Suburban Bus to house it's two London Conracts for routes 4 & 271, and later route 41. The company was taken over in 1995 by MTL London Northern, with routes 4 & 271 transfered in to HT, and route 41 transfered to Cowie Leaside and the garage was closed in 1996. The garage was re-opened by arriva County Bus in 1997, and in 1998 this operation was merged with the 'Leaside Travel' unit. In 2005 the garage was adapted for Bendi-buses on route 149 and will be taking over route 29 with MA's in early 2006.

Edgware Bus Garage –Station Road, Edgware, Middx HA8.

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	EW (Metroline)/ BT (Sovereign)
Garage opened –	1925
Max Bus Capacity –	170
Current Garage PVR –	128
Current Routes Operated –	107 113 186 204 240 N5 N16 N98
	13 114 183 292 N13 School route: 606
Current types operated –	Metroline
	Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2 (DLD)
	Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President (VPL)
	Sovereign
	Scania / East Lancs (SLE)
	Volvo B7TL/President (VP)
	Volvo B7TL/East Lancs (VLE)

When Edgware garage was first opened by the LGOC in 1925 it had space for 24 buses, but there was plenty of room adjacent to the Underground station which had recently been built. In 1939 a new building was built next to the original building which was to become the new Bus Station, while the remaining open parking area was used to store vehicles for the trolleybus replacement program. In 1984 a new 100 bus garage was built on old railway land at a cost of £4.5 Million, However in 1992 Edgware garage was planned for closure, as Cricklewood garage was to become a fully functioning garage with new facilities. The outdoor parking area and the bus station then became a midibus base in 1993, with a new bus wash and light maintainance facilities provided in the yard. Then in 1999, Sovereign, who had won some recent tenders in the NE London area, took on a 10 year lease on half of Edgware garage and invested in new maintainance facilities which was to replace it's former base at Borehamwood. In late 2000 Metroline moved back into the other half of the garage, making it one of the few garages to be shared by two operators.

Blue Triangle – Unit 3C, Denver Industrial Estate, Ferry Lane, Rainham

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	FL
Garage opened –	?
Max Bus Capacity –	?
Current Garage PVR –	52
Current Routes Operated –	66 248 347 372 474
	School routes: 648
Current types operated -	Dennis Trident/East Lancs Lolyne (TL)
	Dennis Dart SLF/ Caetano Nimbus (DN)
	Dennis Dart/ Plaxton Pointer 2 (DP)
	Scania Omnidekka (SO)

Blue Triangle have long been known for their rail replacement services and also assisting London Buses when other companies gave up routes early, or in the case of London Easylink in 2002, folded completely. The yard is on an industrial estate and surrounded by Frieghtliner boxes.
THe yard is also adjacent to Arriva OLST depot and the rear of First London's Rainham Depot.
The yard also houses a number of special vehicles including an ex-Green Line RMC, RM's and RT's for use on Private Hire duties.
One of the aforementioned RT's recently ran a special marking the end of Blue Triangles assistance on route 185.

Fulwell Garage – Wellington Road, Fulwell, Midd, TW2

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	FW
Garage opened –	1962
Max Bus Capacity –	250
Current Garage PVR –	107
Current Routes Operated –	65 71 131 216 267 281 290 391
	School routes: 371 671 681
Current types operated -	Dennis Dart/SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2 (DPS)
	Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX400 (TA)
	Scania Omnidekker (SO)
	Scania / East Lancs (SLE)

When new, the 11 acre site was described as one of the finest plants in the country and was the main depot of London United Tramways with 20 covered tracks. The garage is nowadays divided into two sections, 1 used by London United & the other by Telling Golden Miller. The TGM side has been used by the Grundy company(manufacturers of metal school dinner trays), London Buses Sales Department (to sell of surplus London vehicles until privatisation in the late 1980’s), and Kelly construction before TGM moved in. Fulwell was the first garage in London to receive Trolleybuses, and together with Isleworth was the last to operate them some 31 years later. The last trams operarted from the depot in 1935, although some of the tram tracks were, until recently, still visible in the cobbled entrance surface. The garage has never reached it’s capacity, ene yaking in much of the work from Twickenham(AB) when it closed in 1970, and in 2001 107 buses were allocated. In 1999 the garage housed 13 London Country buses after Arriva Croydon & N. Surry shut its Leatherhead Garage. The buses on route 85 were operated from the forecourt with Arriva Drivers.

Greenford Garage – Council Depot, Greenford Road, UB6

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	G / EY
Garage opened –	1993
Max Bus Capacity –	135
Current Garage PVR –	120
Current Routes Operated –	105 282 435 E1 E3 E5 E7 E9 E10 E11
Current types operated -	Dennis Dart SLF/Marshall Capital (DMS/DML)
	Dennis Trident/Plaxton President (TN)
Ealing Community Transport	195
	Dennis Dart SLF/Caetano Nimbus

Greenford bus depot is part of a local council depot and was first used in 1993 as a midibus base. The opening of Greenford garage led to the closure of Hanwell, and in 1995 the garage was operating 110 midibuses. The standard fare of vehicles in the late 1990's were Renualt/Wright midibus', and Marshall minibuses but unfortunately both types had a bad reputation and did not last long. In recent years the allocation has been much diverse, ranging from Marshall bodied darts to Dennis Trident Plaxton vehicles.
In late 2003 Ealing Community Transport moved into the depot with thier first London route - 195 using garage code EY.

Victoria Bus Garage – Gillingham Street, SW1

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	GM
Garage opened –	1940 - CLOSED 1993
Max Bus Capacity –	195 (including basement)
Current Garage PVR –	N/A
Current Routes Operated –	N/A
Current types operated -	N/A

Victoria bus garage was planned in 1930 when the land was purchased at a cost of almost £250,000. The garage was unique (in London standards anyway) as it was built with a basement level that could house upto 70 single deck vehicles, Double deckers couldn't fit down the ramp. when it opened it took on many routes that were operated by garages remote from thier terminus, such as the 52 from Camberweell. The original purpose of the basement was to house the private hire fleet of coaches that were being stored at Peckham. Unfortunately during the war many of these were damaged by bombs and the basement was put to various uses over the years including the Heathrow Airport shuttle, servicing overnight coaches from Scotland and a period of being leased out to the post office for parking their mail vans. In it's latter years it was turned into a midibus base and used the code GB. Having a garage in the centre of town was not only useful for parking buses between the peaks and the Red Arrow routes, but was also used for many of the press briefings when new buses were launched which included XRM1 and the first Daimler Fleetline. Routemasters made up most of Victoria's allocation in it's latter years, with high profile routes 11, 19, and 22 being worked from there. In 1993 Kentish Bus won the contract for route 19 and reduced the garage PVR to a level that was unsustainable. The garage closed later that year with it's work being divided between AF, BB, RA, & SW garages. The garage remained standing for many years until planning consent was granted in 1999. The site now consists of luxury flats and shops.

Hackney Bus Garage – Waterden Road, Hackney Wick, E15

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	H
Garage opened –	1996
Max Bus Capacity –	145
Current Garage PVR –	127
Current Routes Operated –	58 212 236 308 309 323 339 D6 D7 D8 RV1 S2 W11 W12
Current types operated –	Dennis Dart SLF/Marshall Capital (DMS/DML)
	Mercedes-Benz O530/ Citaro (EC)
	Dennis Trident/Plaxton President (TN)
	Optare Solo (Narrow)

Opened in 1996 to cope with the recent tender wins in the Startford area on a former industrial site. In 2004 the garage recieved Hydrogen 'Fuel Cell' buses for evaluation on route 25 which stayed until ealry 2007 when the trial finished. Some of the buses are parked at the rear of the staff car park on the opposite side of Waterden Road opposite Stagecoach Waterden Road (WA) garage. The garage is due to move out soon to make way for the Olympic Village. A new site has been found near Wyke Road in Hackney and planning permission has been applied for.

Harrow Weald Bus Garage – 467 High Road, Harrow Weald HA3

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	HD
Garage opened –	1930
Max Bus Capacity –	75
Current Garage PVR –	54
Current Routes Operated –	140 182 H12 N16
	School route: 640
Current types operated –	Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President (VP/L)
	Dennis Trident/Alexander ALX400 (TA)
	Dennis Trident/E. Lancs Vyking (ET)

Harrow Weald garage was opened in 1930 by the LGOC to replace the much smaller South Harrow garage. The new garage had to be extended over the forecourt just two years later to provide additional space. In it's earlier years the garage was used by the LGOC to house it's experimental vehicles including the Daimler CH6's and the first diesel bus (ST). In 1987 Harrow Weald was the base for the new 'Harrow Buses' operation set up by London Transport which had won tenders for a new local network. The garage survived the collapse of Harrow Buses and passed to metroline and in 1994 just short of 60 buses were based there. The garage also undertook engineering work on buses based at North Wembley and Edgware garages.

Hounslow Heath Garage – Unit 6 Pullborough Way, Green Lane, Hounslow, TW2

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code –	WK (HH)
Garage opened –	1988
Max Bus Capacity –	75
Current Garage PVR –	58
Current Routes Operated –	116 285 411 H22 H23 H91 641
Current types operated –	Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2 (DP)
	Dennis Dart SLF/Alexander Pointer 2 (DPS)

Hounslow Heath was the original operating base of Stanwell Buses, a company set up by London Buses just prior to de-regulation. They traded as Westlink, hence the garage code WK, and initially operated routes 116/117/203 which were all joint London/Surrey contracts. Stanwell Buses was taken over by London United in 1999 and recoded HH. The depot has also been extended over the former Travellers Coaches yard next door.

Harlesden Bus Garage – Atlas Road, Harlesden, NW10 6DD.

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	PK (RI) (HR) (PR)
Garage opened –	1994
Garage closed –	2005
Max Bus Capacity –	75

Initially opened by Pullmans travel when they took over Atlas Bus and route 52 in 1994. Later in 1994 Metroline bought out Atlas Bus although the name continued until 1996. The site was used to house the operations of the Brents Travel Group that was purchased. Subsequently the garage was used to store vehicles ready for sale until the North Acton garage closed in 2000, and the work moved into Harlesden. Eventually the garage closed in 2005 when the lease was expired with work being distributed between Cricklewood, Perivale & Willesden garages.
The garage is now to re-open under NCP who have recently entered the London Tendered bus maket and have won more routes than can be operated from thier existing base in Twickenham.

Holloway Bus Garage – 37 Pemberton Gdns, London N19

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	HT
Garage opened –	1961
Max Bus Capacity –	230
Current Garage PVR –	189
Current Routes Operated –	4 17 24 43 134 214 271 603 C2 W5 W7
	N5 N20 N43 N274 N390 School Route 143
Current types operated –	Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer (DLS)
	Dennis Trident/Plaxton President (TP)
	Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President (VP)
	ADL Trident / Enviro 400 (TE)

Originally opened as Holloway Tram Depot in 1907, it was the largest of LCC’s sheds with space for 336 trams. It was renamed Highgate in 1950 to avoid confusion with Holloway Bus Garage (J), and then back to Holloway in 1971 following the closure of J. The garage then had an allocation of 210 buses although that drifted downwards until 1993 when the closure of Chalk Farm and the transfer of 5 routes into the garage. Today the garage is almost at capacity levels with around 200 buses allocated in addition to the outstation at Kings Cross.

Kings Cross Bus Depot – Goods Way, London N1

Street map reference - - Garage Photos

Garage code -	(KX)
Garage opened –	2003
Max Bus Capacity –	?
Current Garage PVR –	39
Current Routes Operated –	46 274 390
Current types operated –	Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer (DLD/DLM)
	Volvo B7TL / Plaxton President (VPL)

Opened in 2003 to take pressure off of the growing allocation at Holloway (HT). The depot is a former railway goods yard just behind Kings Cross station.

Kingston Bus Garage – Wood Street, Kingston Upon Thames, KT1

Street map reference - - Garage Photo's

Garage code -	K
Garage opened –	1922
Max Bus Capacity –	N/A
Current Garage PVR –	N/A

Kingston garage was basically a country area garage for most of its life, operating routes into North Surrey and South West London. The garage parking area was actually quite small and would only hold around 30 buses that were ample for its allocation of 18 buses for 5 routes in 1922. The garage grew as time went on and it had an allocation of 80 buses on 11 routes on its first closure in 1984. Many of the buses were allocated by parking overnight in the bus stations both at the front of the garage, which opened in 1952, and by the British Rail station. A former coal yard opposite the garage entrance in Cromwell Road was also used for parking and storage. One of the major problems the garage had was that the pits area was quite shallow meaning that longer buses, i.e. Leyland Nationals, obstructed the entrance to the bus station that was at the front of the garage. Kingston also had its place in the history books when in 1964 it ran 3 of the first routes in London to be converted to One Person Operation (routes 201, 206, and 216). The garage was considered for closure in the run up to privatisation in the mid 1980's when the low cost units were set up by London Transport to tender for services. London Country or the new companies Kingston Bus, bases at Norbiton Garage and Stanwell buses operating from a new depot at Pulborough Way, Hounslow Heath, operated most of the traditional Kingston routes. In 1987 however, Westlink, which was the trading name for Stanwell buses, won a contract to operate three new minibus routes in the area - K1Surbiton Station - New Malden, K2 Kingston Hospital - Hook, and K3 Kingston - Esher and the company took the decision to operate these from Kingston along with the 216 which was currently running from Hounslow Heath. Westlink grew as the next couple of years went by and four new minibus routes were introduced K4 Kingston-Mansfield Estate, K5 Kingston-New Malden, K6, and 513 Kingston-Downham. Further routes were won on tender as time went on with the 131 and the 57, being operated from the yard where the new Cromwell Bus Station is now, until the takeover of Westlink by London United who had also earlier taken over Kingston Bus and moved many of it's operations to Fulwell following the closure of Norbiton. By this time Transport For London had decided to sell off Kingston Garage for redevelopment and consequently London United needed to find alternative accommodation for it's buses. Some routes were due to move to Fulwell whilst others were due to be moved into a brand new 100-bus garage at Tolworth. A new recruitment Centre was set up in Tolworth Broadway in 2000 for the garage, but work didn't start on the garage itself until well into 2002. By this time the developers had claimed Kingston Garage for demolition and the yard had already been converted into a new bus station, so London United were forced to park up buses in a local car park (the Sainsbury car park in Richmond Road) overnight with all cleaning, fuelling, and maintenance being undertaken at Fulwell. Tolworth Garage finally opened in late 2002 ending Kingston's long association with a bus garage. The Kingston Garage site is now a Cinema and entertainment complex.

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