Tower Transit was a bus company operating in East and West London. It was a subsidiary of Kelsian Group and had operated services under the Transport for London contract. The company had transferred its operations to London Transit RATP Dev for Westbourne Park garage and the final operations were sold to Stagecoach London therefore the operator was defunct and entirely defunct when they sold their 12.5% stake to RATP Dev on 11 September 2023.
Operation history[]
On 22 June 2013, Tower Transit was formed after First London sold their Atlas Road, Lea Interchange and Westbourne Park garage operations.
On 1 July 2017, all of Atlas Road (AS) route operations were transferred to Westbourne Park (X) as the Crossrail work had concluded and the garage was officially announced closed.
On 11 November 2017, London United RATP Group commenced operation on the Atlas Road (AS) site under the garage name Park Royal (RP).
On 11 December 2021, Westbourne Park (X) garage was transferred to London Transit RATP Dev.
On 24 June 2022, Lea Interchange (LI) garage was sold to Stagecoach London under the Lea Interchange Bus Company Limited legal entity but are still branded under the Stagecoach London entity.
On 11 September 2023, Tower Transit sold its stake (12.5%) of London Transit RATP Dev to RATP Dev Transit London ceasing their London operation entirely and becoming fully defunct.
Garages[]
Atlas Road (AS)[]
Atlas Road garage operated London bus routes 28, 31, 266, 328 and night routes N28, N31 and N97.
Atlas Road operated as an outstation for Westbourne Park (X), so buses were seen on Atlas Road routes and vice versa.
History[]
On 1 October 2011, this garage opened when part of Westbourne Park garage was closed to make way for Crossrail construction with operation of routes 28, 31, 328, N28 and N31 transferred to this garage.
On 5 March 2016, Tower Transit commenced operating night route N97.
On 1 July 2017, Atlas Road was announced closed, as the works at Westbourne Park (X) because of Crossrail, concluded. At the same time, routes 28, 31, 266, 328, N28, N31 and N97 were transferred from this garage to Westbourne Park (X) garage.
On 11 November 2017, London United RATP Group began operations here under the garage name Park Royal (RP).
Bus types that were used:[]
- VDL DB300 10.4m / Wright Gemini 2 [WN] (Allocated to route 266)
- Volvo B7TL 10.1m / Wright Eclipse Gemini [VNW] (Allocated to routes 31 and N31)
- Volvo B9TL 10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 [VN] (Allocated to routes 28, 266 and N28)
- Volvo B5LH 10.6m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 3 [VH] (Allocated to routes 328 and N97)
Lea Interchange (LI)[]
Lea Interchange garage operated London bus routes 58, 135, 236, 262, 308, 339, 473, 488, D8, W14 and school route 678.
History[]
On 6 July 2013, Tower Transit commenced operating route 425.
On 31 August 2013, Tower Transit commenced operating night routes N550 and N551.
On 28 February 2015, Tower Transit commenced operating route 488.
On 7 March 2015, Tower Transit commenced operating routes 212 and 444.
On 6 February 2016, Tower Transit commenced operating route 69.
On 27 February 2016, routes 26 and N26 passed to CT Plus.
On 23 June 2018, route 30 passed to Metroline.
On 1 September 2018, routes N550 and N551 passed to CT Plus.
On 15 September 2018, Tower Transit commenced operating route D8.
On 30 March 2019, Tower Transit commenced operating routes 262 and 473.
On 15 June 2019, the only river route RV1 was withdrawn.
On 7 March 2020, routes 212 and 444 passed to London General.
On 23 May 2020, routes 25 and N25 passed to Stagecoach London.
On 4 July 2020, route 425 passed to Stagecoach London.
On 1 May 2021, route 69 passed to Docklands Buses.
On 17 January 2022, Tower Transit commenced operating temporary route 733.
On 5 March 2022, route W15 passed to London General.
On 2 April 2022, Tower Transit commenced operating route 678.
On 14 May 2022, route 733 was withdrawn.
On 21 May 2022, Tower Transit commenced operating route 135.
On 24 June 2022, Stagecoach London took over the operations of this garage.
Bus types that were used:[]
- Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 Dart 9.3 & 9.6m [DM] (Allocated to route 339)
- Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 Dart 10.8m [DMV] (Allocated to routes 488 and W14)
- Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 10.1m [DN] (Logistical spares)
- Volvo B5LH 10.5m / MCV EvoSeti [MV] (Allocated to routes 58, 308 and 678)
- Volvo B9TL 10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 [VN] (Allocated to routes 58 and D8)
- Volvo B5LH 10.6m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 3 [VH] (Allocated to route 135)
- Wright StreetDeck 10.6m [WH] (Allocated to routes 262 and 473)
- Wright StreetLite 9.7m [WM] (Allocated to route 339)
- Wright StreetLite 10.8m [WV] (Allocated to route 236)
Westbourne Park (X)[]
Westbourne Park garage operated routes 218, 228, 414, 452, C3, night route N97 and 24 hour routes 13 and 23.
History[]
On 31 October 2015, route 295 passed to Metroline.
On 1 April 2017, Tower Transit commenced operating route 13.
On 24 June 2017, route 70 passed to London United.
On 1 July 2017, routes 28, 31, 266, 328, N28, N31 and N97 were transferred from Atlas Road (AS) garage to this garage.
On 29 July 2017, route 266 passed to Metroline.
On 28 April 2018, routes 31 and N31 passed to Metroline.
On 1 December 2018, Tower Transit commenced operating route 452.
On 19 January 2019, Tower Transit commenced operating route 228.
On 7 December 2019, Tower Transit commenced operating route 218.
On 3 October 2020, Tower Transit commenced operating route C3.
On 1 May 2021, routes 28 and N28 passed to London United and route 328 passed to Metroline respectively.
On 13 November 2021, Tower Transit commenced operating route 414.
On 11 December 2021, London Transit RATP Dev took over the operations of this garage.
Bus types that were used:[]
- Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 Dart 10.2 [DML] (Allocated to route 218)
- Alexander Dennis Enviro 400H 10.2m [DNH] (Allocated to routes 414 and N97)
- Optare MetroDecker EV 10.5m [OE] (Allocated to routes 23 and C3)
- Volvo B5LH 10.5m / MCV EvoSeti [MV] (Allocated to routes 13 and 452)
- Volvo B5LH 10.6m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 3 [VH] (Allocated to route 452)
- Volvo B9TL 10.4m / Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 [VN] (Allocated to route 452)
- Wright StreetLite 10.8m [WV] (Allocated to routes 218 and 228)
- Wright StreetDeck 10.6m [WH] (Allocated to route 452)