The story
History
The origins of Arriva London can be traced back to 1980 when the Cowie Group purchased the Grey-Green coach business in London.
In February 1987, Grey-Green commenced operating bus routes in north and east London under contract to London Regional Transport (LRT).
On 1 April 1989, London Buses was divided into 11 separate business units, two of which were Leaside Buses and South London Transport. As part of the privatisation of London bus services, the Cowie Group purchased these business units in September 1994 and January 1995 for £25.5 million (equivalent to £53,805,000 in 2025) and £17 million (equivalent to £35,870,000 in 2025) respectively. As a result of London Transport stipulating in 1995 that buses operating in London must feature a livery painted 80% red, Leaside Buses and South London Transport were both rebranded by design consultants Sigmund Shalit & Associates as Cowie Leaside and Cowie South London in January 1996, with buses receiving a livery of red with yellow striping and blue and white Cowie fleetnames.
On 1 August 1996, the Cowie Group purchased British Bus, which owned the Kentish Bus and London & Country businesses that also operated London-area bus services. In November 1997, the Cowie Group was rebranded as Arriva. The combined group of London operations - Grey Green, Kentish Bus, Leaside Buses, London & Country and South London Transport - initially maintained their liveries with added Arriva logos and fleetnames until a new London red variant of the national livery scheme was eventually introduced.
On 1 January 2016, as part of a decision to consolidate all of Arriva's Transport for London operations with Arriva London, Arriva Herts & Essex, Arriva Kent Thameside and Tellings-Golden Miller's Transport for London operations were each transferred to Arriva London.
History
One of three new garages opened in 1981 by London Buses at a cost of £3.5 million, Ash Grove garage had space for 140 buses undercover and a further 30 in the yard. The roof was unusual in being carried by 10 35-ton triangular trusses, said to be the largest in the UK, supported on reinforced concrete columns.
On opening the garage took over Hackney's operation of Red Arrow routes 502 and 513 using brand new Leyland Nationals which had been stored at the garage, and also the entire Hackney and Dalston allocations. Ash Grove found itself in the London Forest operation, and also had a reputation for staff militancy and closed in 1991. The garage was reopened in 1994 by Kentish Bus to operate their Leyton area route gains, although they referred to it as Cambridge Heath. It was also used over the years to house stored vehicles for the London Transport Museum, and again in 2000 to store additional AEC Routemasters that had been acquired to supplement shortages in London.
In 2000, it was reopened by the London Buses subsidiary East Thames Buses which took over the former Harris Bus routes after that company ran into financial difficulties. Hackney Community Transport also moved into the garage yard in recent times to house its routes won in the London area although East Thames Buses later moved to new premises in Mandela Way, Southwark and were replaced at the garage by Arriva's new Mercedes-Benz Citaro articulated buses for route 38 following the conversion from Routemasters in November 2005.
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History
The original Battersea garage was opened in 1906 by the London Roadcar Company on the north side of Hester Road, but by 1914 more space was needed and an annexe was built on the south side. Two modernisation schemes were undertaken, first in the 1960s to allow for AEC Routemasters to be allocated and again in 1971 when a new canteen and recreation room was built.
The garage closed in 1985 with its allocation being split between Victoria and Wandsworth garages. Battersea was however given a reprieve some time later when it was used to house the London Buses coaches and sightseeing operations until 1988 when the entire operation moved to Wandsworth garage. In 1993, a yard adjacent to the old garage was opened as a base for Kentish Bus route 19 operation after it had moved out of its Covent Garden Market base.
Most of the area formally occupied on both the North and South sides of Hester Road has now been built into a luxury flats complex. The only section remaining is the small shed which was originally an outstation from Brixton garage housing the route 19 Routemasters. When the Routemasters left in July 2005 the garage received an allocation of Alexander ALX400 bodied Volvo B7TLs for route 19, although some of these need to be parked at (and use drivers from) Norwood garage because there was not enough space for these larger buses.
In November 2009, Battersea garage was closed and the site redeveloped.
History
A modern purpose-built depot that was largely open air. Opened in 1990 by London Country Bus Services, it ran 73 vehicles, although had space for 120. Beddington Farm was to replace the existing garages at Godstone and Chelsham and operated both LB tendered routes and existing London Country Croydon area routes. Beddington Farm became a Londonlinks depot when the Non-London work moved away before coming under Arriva South. It was transferred to Arriva London in 1999 with six routes and buses painted red, green or blue. In 2007 route 450 was transferred to Beddington Garage from Thornton Heath in a swap with route 289.
In July 2011 Arriva confirmed Beddington Farm would close by 31 March 2012.
History
Opened on 18 June 1952, Garston became part of London Country North West in 1986, being included in the sale of the business to Luton & District Transport in 1988 which in turn was rebranded Arriva Shires & Essex. In 1986 it became a London Regional Transport contractor when it began to operate route 142. As part of a decision to consolidate all of Arriva's Transport for London routes with Arriva London, Garston garage was transferred from Arriva Shires & Essex on 1 January 2016. It closed on 31 August 2018 coinciding with the expiry of its last Transport for London contracts.
History
The depot was originally operated by Tellings-Golden Miller. On 31 May 2014, the garage gained route E10 from Metroline. It used new Alexander Dennis Enviro200 single deckers. As part of a decision to consolidate all of Arriva's Transport for London routes with Arriva London, Heathrow garage was transferred from Tellings-Golden Miller on 1 January 2016.
During December 2017, the operation of route E10 was transferred to London United. As a result, the depot closed soon after.
History
Lee Valley garage was at the back of an industrial estate alongside the River Lea close to Northumberland Park. The depot was opened in 2005 to house the Mercedes-Benz Citaro articulated buses for route 149 which were later joined by more with the conversion of route 73.
On 1 March 2014, Lee Valley garage closed with the site acquired by National Grid with operations transferred to Edmonton garage, which reopened on the same day.
From Wikipedia’s article on Arriva London, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3