First London 2193334 224471989 2008-07-09T00:06:27Z 210.0.201.145 /* Bus types in use */ {{Refimprove|date=May 2008}} [[Image:First London DML44002.JPG|right|300px|thumb|One of First London's new [[Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 Dart]]s for [[London Buses route 498|route 498]], in snow. These buses are currently on loan to Uxbridge, but will shortly be returning to Dagenham for the start of the 498.]] [[Image:First DN33502.JPG|right|300px|thumb|One of First London's new [[Alexander Dennis Enviro 400]]s. The Destination shows a new Commercial Route that should come into effect late August.]] '''First London''' is one of many operators of [[London Buses]] and owned by [[First Group]]. They also run the [[Croydon Tramlink]] in a partnership with [[Tramtrack Croydon]]. Their registered office is at [[Paddington station]] in [[London]]. ==Company history== First entered bus operations in [[London]] in 1997 after acquiring First CentreWest and [[Capital Citybus|First Capital]] in 1998. More recently, the two divisions have been re-organised into one brand, "First London", split into two areas: First London West (the former CentreWest) and First London East (the former Capital area). Local identities, such as the old "First Gold Arrow" and "First Challenger" CentreWest brands have also been discarded in favour of the simpler "First" identity. First Berkshire's (the former First Beeline) operations have also been transferred to First London management. Legally, operations are split between four registered companies. They all share the same main address. ==First Capital East Ltd== First Capital East Ltd operates one bus garage based in [[Dagenham]]. ===Dagenham=== This garage holds 101 buses, and runs London bus routes [[London Buses route 150|150]], 165, [[London Buses route 179|179]], [[London Buses route 193|193]], [[London Buses route 252|252]], [[London Buses route 309|309]], [[London Buses route 323|323]], [[London Buses route 365|365]], [[London Buses route 498|498]], [[London Buses route D6|D6]], [[London Buses route D8|D8]], [[London Buses route ELW|ELW]], school routes [[London Buses route 370D|370D]], [[London Buses route 646|646]], [[London Buses route 649|649]], [[London Buses route 650|650]], [[London Buses route 652|652]], [[London Buses route 656|656]], [[London Buses route 679|679]] and [[London Buses route 686|686]]. They previously operated a garage in [[Romford]] which has since closed. ====Bus types in use==== * [[Volvo B7TL]]/[[Wright Eclipse Gemini]] (VNW) * [[Dennis Dart SLF]]/[[Caetano Nimbus]] (DMC) * [[Dennis Dart SLF]]/[[Marshall Capital]] (DM/DMS/DML) * [[Dennis Trident 2]]/[[Plaxton President]] (TN/TNL) * [[Alexander Dennis Enviro 400]] (DN) * [[Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 Dart]] (DML) ==First Capital North Ltd== First Capital North Ltd operates two bus garages - one in [[Hackney Wick]], and one in [[Northumberland Park, London|Northumberland Park]]. ===Lea Interchange=== This garage holds 129 buses, and runs London bus routes [[London Buses route 58|58]], [[London Buses route 212|212]], [[London Buses route 308|308]], [[London Buses route 339|339]], [[London Buses route 488|488]], [[London Buses route D7|D7]], [[London Buses route RV1|RV1]], [[London Buses route W11|W11]], [[London Buses route W12|W12]], and 24-hour route [[London Buses route 236|236]]. The garage was opened in 1996 to cope with the recent tender wins in the [[Stratford, London|Stratford]] area on a former industrial site. In 2004 the garage received Hydrogen 'Fuel Cell' buses for evaluation on route [[London Buses route 25|25]]. Some of the buses are parked at the rear of the staff car park on the opposite side of Waterden Road opposite [[East London (bus company)#Waterden Road|East London Bus Group's Waterden Road garage]]. ====Bus types in use==== * [[Dennis Dart SLF]]/[[Marshall Capital]] (DMS/DML/DM) * [[Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro|Mercedes-Benz Citaro]] (ES) * [[Dennis Trident 2]]/[[Plaxton President]] (TN/TNL) * [[Optare Solo]] (OOS) ===Northumberland Park=== This garage holds 125 buses, and runs London bus routes [[London Buses route 67|67]], [[London Buses route 91|91]], [[London Buses route 191|191]], [[London Buses route 215|215]], [[London Buses route 231|231]], [[London Buses route 259|259]], [[London Buses route 299|299]], [[London Buses route 318|318]], [[London Buses route 357|357]], [[London Buses route 385|385]], [[London Buses route 389|389]], [[London Buses route 399|399]], [[London Buses route 476|476]], [[London Buses route W6|W6]], [[London Buses route W10|W10]], school routes [[London Buses route 616|616]], [[London Buses route 692|692]] and [[London Buses route 699|699]], 24-hour route [[London Buses route 341|341]], and Night route [[London Buses route N91|N91]]. The garage was opened in 1991 to house the Walthamstow Citybus operation, an offshoot of Capital Citybus, the operation steadily grew especially after the collapse of the London Forest company. Capital Citybus was bought out by the management team in late 1995, and subsequently by First Group in 1998 becoming First Capital. ====Bus types in use==== * [[Dennis Dart SLF]]/[[Marshall Capital]] (DM) * [[Alexander Dennis Enviro 400]] (DN) * [[Dennis Trident 2]]/[[Plaxton President]] (TN/TNL) * [[Volvo B7TL]]/[[Plaxton President]] (VNL) ==First Centrewest London Buses Ltd== First Centrewest London Buses Ltd operate 7 bus garages in [[Alperton]], [[Greenford]], [[Hayes, Hillingdon|Hayes]], [[Uxbridge]], [[Westbourne Park]] and [[Willesden Junction]]. ===Acton (now closed)=== Acton Bus Garage held 27 buses running London bus route [[London Buses route 427|427]] and night route [[London Buses route N207|N207]] until its closure on the night of the [[14 March]] [[2008]]. Originally opened in 1896 as a horse tram depot, and later saw electric trams and trolleybuses before being used as a storage facility for LT's cables division storing underground electricity cables. It was opened as a bus garage in 1990 with buses for route [[London Buses route 207|207]], and in 1993 together with a new site at [[First London#Greenford|Greenford]] it replaced the large Hanwell garage. In 1996 to celebrate the centenary of the garage all the allocated buses were adorned with commemorative badges. On the conversion to articulated buses and splitting of route 207 in 2005, a new garage was built at Hayes, and the space at Acton was filled by a new route 427. The garage also handled maintenance for the [[Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro|ECA (Mercedes bendies)]] on route 18 whilst the garage at Willesden Junction was completed. The garage was still known as the Acton Tram Depot until its closure in 2008, with the [[Dennis Trident 2]]/[[Plaxton President]] TNLs for routes 427 and N207 relocating to Hayes garage. ===Alperton=== <!-- This section is linked from [[London Buses route N7]] --> Their Alperton garage holds 91 buses, and runs London bus routes [[London Buses route 79|79]], [[London Buses route 92|92]], [[London Buses route 223|223]], [[London Buses route 224|224]], [[London Buses route 245|245]], 24-hour route [[London Buses route 83|83]], and Night route [[London Buses route N18|N18]]. It was one of three garages built by the LPTB, and the only one to survive, Alperton Garage opened in June 1939. When it opened it had an allocation entirely of STL's which were reshuffled from Cricklewood, Hanwell, Harrow Weald, and Willesden garages. As Alperton was a new garage and had plenty of headroom it was one of the few garages able to take utility Guy Arabs, and at one stage these made up its complete allocation and lasted until 1954 when they were replaced by STL's! By 1972 the local area had grown faster than expected and even though Alperton was a new garage it still needed to park a dozen or so buses on nearby Glacier Metals car park overnight. The garage was enlarged in 1978, and encompassed the adjacent LT Lifts and escalators department which had to move out to new premises. During the reconstruction works 18 vehicles were outstationed at Stonebridge. in 1982 the garage allocation was entirely [[MCW Metrobus|Metrobuses]] both crewed and OPO. One Metrobus still remains although this is used exclusively on the 'Neasden Tesco' contract. By 1995 Alperton was doing most of the maintenance for the Centrewest operation and had also become the home of the training fleet. ====Bus types in use==== * [[Dennis Dart SLF]]/[[Marshall Capital]] (DM/DML) * [[Volvo B7TL]]/Plaxton President (VNL) * [[Volvo B7TL]]/[[Wright Eclipse Gemini]] (VNW/VNZ) * [[Volvo B7TL]]/[[East Lancs Vyking]] (VNE) ===Greenford=== The Greenford garage holds 107 buses, and runs London bus routes [[London Buses route 95|95]], [[London Buses route 282|282]], [[London Buses route E1|E1]], [[London Buses route E3|E3]], [[London Buses route E5|E5]], [[London Buses route E7|E7]], E9, [[London Buses route E10|E10]] and 24-hour route [[London Buses route 105|105]]. ====History==== 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 1990s were Renault/Wright midibuses, and [[Marshall Minibus]]es but both types had a bad reputation and did not last long. In recent years the allocation has been much diverse, ranging from [[Marshall Bus|Marshall]]-bodied Darts to [[Dennis Trident 2]]/[[Plaxton]] vehicles. In late 2003 [[Ealing Community Transport]] moved into the depot with their first London route - 195 using garage code EY. ====Bus types in use==== * [[Dennis Dart SLF]]/[[Marshall Capital]] (DMS/DML) * [[Dennis Trident 2]]/[[Plaxton President]] (TN/TNL) ===Hayes=== The Hayes garage holds 25 buses, and runs London bus route [[London Buses route 207|207]], [[London Buses route 427|427]] and Night bus [[London Buses route N207|N207]]. ====Bus types in use==== * [[Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro|Mercedes-Benz Citaro]] (EA) * [[Dennis Trident 2]] 10.5m / [[Plaxton President]] (TNL) ===Uxbridge=== <!-- This section is linked from [[London Buses route N207]] --> The Uxbridge garage was built for 76 buses, however holds 88, and runs London bus routes [[London Buses route 331|331]], [[London Buses route 607|607]], [[London Buses route A10|A10]], [[London Buses route U1|U1]], [[London Buses route U2|U2]], [[London Buses route U3|U3]], [[London Buses route U4|U4]], [[London Buses route U5|U5]], [[London Buses route U10|U10]], and night route [[London Buses route N207|N207]]. The original Uxbridge Garage was over a mile out of town on the Oxford road and was built by the LGOC in 1921, but passed to Thames Valley a year later. The garage was taken back by the LGOC in 1929 to work its new local routes which were operated mainly by single deckers. An extension was added in the late 1940s and a new garage was planned, although work didn't begin until the 1980s. The new garage came into commission in late 1983 and is situated next to the [[Uxbridge tube station|underground station]] occupying the lower ground floor of a multi use building. In 1989 the garage began operating the U-Line network of local routes in an initiative by [[London Regional Transport|London Transport]]. The garage also operated the busy [[London Buses route 207|207]] and express verion 607 from [[Uxbridge]] into [[Shepherds Bush]]. In 1995 the garage was allocated all 14 of London's first low-floor single decker, [[Dennis Lance SLF]]/[[Wrightbus|Wright]]-bodied vehicles. ====Bus types in use==== * [[Dennis Dart SLF]]/[[Marshall Capital]] (DML) * [[Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 Dart]] (DML) * [[Dennis Trident 2]]/[[Plaxton President]] (TN/TNL) * [[Dennis Dart SLF]]/[[Caetano Nimbus]] (DMC) ===Westbourne Park=== <!-- This section is linked from [[London Buses route 295]] --> The Westbourne Park garage holds 181 buses, and runs London bus routes [[London Buses route 9 (Heritage)|9 (Heritage)]], [[London Buses route 10|10]], [[London Buses route 28|28]], [[London Buses route 31|31]], [[London Buses route 328|328]], [[London Buses route 414|414]], 24-hour route [[London Buses route 23|23]], [[London Buses route 295|295]] and night routes [[London Buses route N10|N10]], [[London Buses route N28|N28]], and [[London Buses route N31|N31]]. ====Bus types in use==== * [[Alexander Dennis Enviro 400]] (DN) * [[AEC Routemaster]] (RM) * [[Dennis Trident 2]]/[[Plaxton President]] (TN/TNL) * Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President (VN) * [[Volvo B7TL]]/[[Alexander ALX400]] (VNL) * [[Dennis Trident 2]]/[[Alexander ALX400]] (TNA) * [[Volvo B7TL]]/[[Wright Eclipse Gemini]] (VNW) ===Willesden Junction=== The Willesden Junction garage holds 60 buses, and runs London bus routes [[London Buses route 18|18]], [[London Buses route 187|187]], [[London Buses route 226|226]], [[London Buses route 487|487]] and [[London Buses route PR2|PR2]].some bendy buses for the 207 are parked there over night. ====Bus types in use==== * [[Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro|Mercedes-Benz O530G Citaro (articulated)]] (EA) * [[Dennis Dart SLF]]/[[Marshall Capital]] (DM/DML) ==First Tram Operations Ltd== First Tram Operations Ltd (FTOL) are responsible for operating the tram service on [[Tramlink]]. FTOL provides the staff, operational control and other aspects of Tramlink operations, under contract to Tramtrack Croydon Limited (TCL), who hold the design, build, maintain and operate concession for the system on behalf of TfL. TCL takes direct responsibility for Tramlink’s infrastructure, including the track and tram stops.<ref name=fgukltl>{{cite web | title = FirstGroup - UK Bus London - Croydon Tramlink | url = http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/london/london/tramlink/index.php | publisher = FirstGroup Ltd | accessdate = 2008-05-19}}</ref> FTOL operates out of a single tram depot, at Therapia Lane in [[Croydon]].<ref name=fgukltl>{{cite web | title = FirstGroup - UK Bus London - Croydon Tramlink | url = http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/london/london/tramlink/index.php | publisher = FirstGroup Ltd | accessdate = 2008-05-19}}</ref> ===Therapia Lane=== This depot holds 24 trams, and runs Tramlink routes [[Tramlink route 1|1]], [[Tramlink route 2|2]] and [[Tramlink route 3|3]].<ref name=fgukltl>{{cite web | title = FirstGroup - UK Bus London - Croydon Tramlink | url = http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/london/london/tramlink/index.php | publisher = FirstGroup Ltd | accessdate = 2008-05-19}}</ref> ====Tram types in use==== * [[Flexity Swift|Bombardier Transportation Flexity Swift CR-4000]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.firstgroup.com/ First Group] <BR> {{Bus companies in Greater London}} {{London bus operators}} {{FirstGroup}} [[Category:First Group bus operators in England]]