First London was a bus company operating services in Greater London, England. It was a subsidiary of FirstGroup and operated buses under contract to Transport for London. It was formed in the late 1990s through the acquisition of three London bus operators. First London's garages were sold off between December 2007 and June 2013 with the last closing in September 2013.
Company history
In December 2007 the company's Orpington business, which had been established by CentreWest in 1995, was sold to Metrobus, along with 35 buses.
On 31 March 2012, Northumberland Park garage was sold to London General.
On 22 June 2013, FirstGroup sold Alperton, Greenford, Hayes, Uxbridge and Willesden Junction garages with 494 buses to Metroline and Atlas Road (Park Royal), Lea Interchange (Leyton) and Westbourne Park garages with 412 buses to Tower Transit.
First London ceased operating on 27 September 2013 after its remaining contracts with Transport for London expired.
First Capital East Limited
Operated one bus garage in Dagenham.
Dagenham (DM)
Dagenham garage operated London bus routes 165, 179 and 252, and 24-hour route 365 until 27 September 2013 when their contracts expired. They all passed to Stagecoach London.
History
Previously operated a garage in Harold Wood which closed in 2004, and was an outstation of Dagenham.
On 15 October 2005, First Capital commenced operating route 150.
On 24 March 2007, route 462 passed to Arriva London.
On 28 June 2008, First Capital commenced operating route 498.
On 16 October 2010, route 150 passed to Arriva London.
On 26 March 2011, First Capital commenced operating route 368.
On 3 September 2011, First Capital commenced operating routes 608 and 648.
On 10 March 2012, First Capital commenced operating route 667.
On 30 March 2012, the Northumberland Park allocation for route 58 was transferred to this garage.
On 22 June 2013, routes 193, 368, 498 plus school routes 608, 646, 648, 652, 656, 667, 679 and 686 passed to Blue Triangle.
On 17 August 2013 Essex route 265 passed to Amber Coaches.
First Capital North Limited
Operated two bus garages, Northumberland Park (NP) was sold to London General on 31 March 2012 and Lea Interchange was sold to Tower Transit on 22 June 2013.
Lea Interchange (LI)
Lea Interchange garage operated London bus routes 26, 30, 58, 236, 308, 339, RV1, W14, W15, 24-hour routes 25 and Night routes N26 and school route 686.
History
The garage opened in 2007 to replace the Waterden Road, Stratford garage that closed as part of the development of the Olympic Park for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Waterden Road was opened in 1996 after a number tender wins. In 2004 the garage received Mercedes-Benz Citaro Hydrogen buses for evaluation on route 25 and subsequently on route RV1.
On 25 June 2011, First Capital commenced operating routes 25, 26, 30 and N26.
On 17 September 2011 routes D6, D7 and D8 passed to Docklands Buses.
On 25 February 2012, First Capital commenced operating route W14.
On 3 March 2012, First Capital commenced operating route W15.
On 3 March 2012, route 309 passed to CT Plus and route W11 to Arriva London.
Northumberland Park (NP)
Northumberland Park garage operated London bus routes 67, 191, 231, 259, 299, 357, 389, 399, 476, W4, W10, W16 and school routes 616, 692 and 699.
History
On 4 March 2000, route W9 passed to Metroline.
On 24 March 2001, First London commenced operating route 263.
On 2 February 2002, route 263 passed to Metroline.
On 1 February 2003, route 76 passed to Arriva London.
On 23 June 2003, route W8 passed to Metroline.
On 25 July 2003, route N20 passed to Metroline.
On 30 August 2003, route N50 passed to Stagecoach East London.
On 5 March 2005, route 97 passed to Stagecoach London.
On 3 December 2005, route 212 was transferred to Hackney (H) garage.
On 11 November 2006, route 318 passed to Arriva London.
On 10 March 2007, route 379 passed to Arriva London.
On 7 June 2008, First London commenced operating route 231.
On 7 February 2009, routes 91 and N91 passed to Metroline.
On 28 March 2009, route 212 was transferred to this garage.
On 6 March 2010, route 212 passed to CT Plus and route 215 passed to East London.
On 16 October 2010, route 341 passed to Arriva London.
On 5 February 2011, route W6 passed to Arriva London and First London commenced operating route W4.
On 3 March 2012, First London commenced operating route W16.
CentreWest London Buses Limited
Operated eight bus garages. In December 2007, Orpington was sold to Metrobus. In June 2013 Alperton, Greenford, Hayes, Uxbridge and Willesden Junction were sold to Metroline and Atlas Road and Westbourne Park were sold to Tower Transit.
Atlas Road (AS)
Atlas Road garage operated London bus routes 28, 31, 328, 24-hour route 266 and night routes N28 and N31.
History
On 1 October 2011 this depot opened when part of Westbourne Park depot was closed to make way for Crossrail construction with operation of routes 28, 31, 328, N28 and N31 transferred. Atlas Road operated as an outstation for Westbourne Park, so buses were seen on Atlas Road routes and vice versa.
On 19 May 2012, First CentreWest commenced operating route 266.
Greenford (G)
Greenford garage operated London bus routes 92, 95, 282, E1, E3, E5, E7, E9 and E10.
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/Wrightbus midibuses, and Marshall minibuses but both types had a bad reputation and did not last long. In recent years the allocation has been much diverse, ranging from Marshall Capital bodied Dennis Darts to Plaxton President bodied Dennis Tridents.
On 25 May 2002, route E6 passed to Wings.
From late 2003 until 14 March 2009 Ealing Community Transport operated route 195 from the Greenford depot using garage code EY.
On 26 May 2007, route E11 passed to NCP Challenger.
On 14 March 2009, First CentreWest commenced operating route 195.
On 13 November 2010, route 92 was transferred to this garage from Alperton (ON) garage and route 195 was transferred from this garage to Hayes (HS) garage.
On 2 July 2011, route 105 passed to Metroline.
Hayes (HS)
Hayes garage operated London bus route 195, 207, 427 and night route N207.
History
On 9 April 2005, route 207 was transferred to this garage from Acton (AT) and Uxbridge (UX) garages.
On 15 March 2008, routes 427 and N207 were transferred to this garage from Acton (AT) garage.
On 13 November 2010, route 195 was transferred to this garage from Greenford (G) garage.
Alperton (ON)
Alperton garage operated London bus routes 223, 224, 245, 487 and 24-hour route 83.
History
In November 2001, First CentreWest commenced operating route 79.
On 6 March 2004, routes 226, PR1 and PR2 were transferred from this garage to Willesden Junction (WJ) garage.
On 6 March 2004, First CentreWest commenced operating route 487.
On 4 February 2006, route 258 passed to Arriva The Shires.
On 28 June 2008, route 487 was transferred from this garage to Willesden Junction (WJ) garage and First CentreWest commenced operating route 245.
On 13 November 2010, route 92 was transferred to this garage to Greenford (G) garage and route N18 was transferred from this garage to Willesden Junction (WJ) garage.
On 26 November 2011, route 79 passed to Metroline.
On 28 April 2012, route 487 was transferred to this garage from Willesden Junction (WJ) garage.
Uxbridge (UX)
Uxbridge garage operated London bus routes 331, 607, A10, U1, U2, U3, U4, U5 and U10.
History
On 16 September 2000, route 222 passed to London United.
Westbourne Park (X)
Westbourne Park garage operated London bus routes 9 (Heritage), 70 and 24-hour routes 23 and 295.
History
When privatised Westbourne Park operated two routes operated by AEC Routemasters, 7 and 23. These were replaced by Dennis Tridents in July 2004 and September 2003 respectively. In November 2005 Westbourne Park commenced operating 9 Heritage with Routemasters.
In June 2000, route 70 passed to Thorpes.
In October 2000, First CentreWest commenced operating route 295.
In November 2000, First CentreWest commenced operating route 27.
In February 2003, First CentreWest commenced operating route 10.
On 15 November 2003, route 18 was transferred from this garage to Willesden Junction (WJ) garage.
In November 2004, First CentreWest commenced operating route 414.
In November 2005, route 27 passed to London United.
In 2006, an arson attack destroyed around ten buses.
In June 2007, routes 7 and N7 passed to Metroline.
In November 2009, route 414 passed to Abellio London.
In January 2010, route 10 passed to London United.
On 23 June 2012, First CentreWest commenced operating route 70.
Willesden Junction (WJ)
Willesden Junction garage operated London bus routes 18, 187, 206, 226, 228 and night route N18.
History
On 15 November 2003, route 18 was transferred to this garage from Westbourne Park (X) garage.
On 6 March 2004, routes 226, PR1 and PR2 were transferred to this garage from Alperton (ON) garage.
On 6 March 2004, First CentreWest commenced operating route 187.
On 28 June 2008, route 487 was transferred to this garage from Alperton (ON) garage.
On 13 November 2010, route N18 was transferred to this garage from Alperton (ON) garage.
On 28 April 2012, First CentreWest commenced operating route 206.
On 28 April 2012, route 487 was transferred from this garage to Alperton (ON) garage.
Orpington (Y)
The Orpington garage operated London bus routes R1, R3, R4, R6, R9, R11 and T32.
History
On 18 August 2001, route 336 passed to Metrobus.
On 12 January 2002, First CentreWest commenced operating route 273.
On 2 December 2006, route 61 passed to Selkent.
On 2 December 2006, First CentreWest commenced operating route R6.
On 13 January 2007, route 273 passed to Selkent.
On 12 May 2007, route T31 passed to Arriva London.