#AYearOfBuses 136: N136 Oxford Circus – Chislehurst
Today’s winner here on #AYearOfBuses is our very first night bus! And it’s an interesting one, too. The N136 is actually a night bus version of TWO daytime routes – its namesake, the 136 (run by Stagecoach), and commuter route 436 (run by Go Ahead). During the daytime, the 136 runs between Elephant and Castle, […]
#AYearOfBuses 135: Manchester – Bury
There could only be one winner today on #AYearOfBuses – it’s Manchester’s long-established, former bendybus route 135. In a rare masterstroke move from First Manchester in 1998/99, a fleet of ‘Gold service’ branded Volvo B10LA bendies were introduced on to the 135, boosting frequency, capacity, and supposedly heralding a new era for customer service. A […]
#AYearOfBuses 134: North Finchley – Tottenham Court Road
Today’s feature here on #AYearOfBuses has a strong accolade – it’ll be the first route in London to be run purely by all-electric Optare Metrodecker EVs. 31 of Optare’s double decker battery-electric buses are on order for Metroline’s Potters Bar garage, part of an order for 68 electric buses for the 134 and 43 (Friern […]
Rail revolution: Azuma launches on the East Coast
LNER has officially launched the next generation of trains for the East Coast Main Line. At a star-studded ceremony at London’s King’s Cross station, LNER ushered in the new era for the ECML by revealing one of the first of its new trains to hit the rails. Built using Japanese bullet train technology at Hitachi’s […]
#AYearOfBuses 133: Braintree – Stansted Airport
Day 133 on #AYearOfBuses takes us to Essex, for a look at Arriva Kent Thameside’s recently-upgraded link to Stansted Airport. Previously part of the ‘sxconnect’ network (Essex Connect), the core of the 133 links the town of Braintree with Great Dunmow and Stansted, with a couple of buses a day running to and from Colchester […]
#AYearOfBuses 132: Connector Oxford – Wantage
It’s day 132 here on #AYearOfBuses, and following on from yesterday, we’re sticking with the Go-Ahead Group for a look at Thames Travel’s Connector. Connector is a network of interurban routes centred around Didcot and Oxford, linking the two towns with Abingdon, Harwell Campus Oxford, Chilton and Wantage. A fleet of smartly-presented two-tone silver and […]
#AYearOfBuses 131: Toonlink Newcastle – Stanley
We’re going doon Toon! Today’s winner here on #AYearOfBuses is Go North East’s Toonlink X31. Go North East is well-known for its array of quirky brands, and today’s entry here on #AYearOfBuses is no different! Toonlink is a network of routes running southwest out of Newcastle and Gateshead towards the former colliery town of Stanley. The […]
#AYearOfBuses 130: Macclesfield – Manchester
One of Manchester and Cheshire’s longest and well-established cross-boundary bus routes is our focus today here on #AYearOfBuses – the 130. Established in 1928 as a joint venture between Manchester Corporation and North Western Road Car, it previously ran from the centre of Manchester, through South Manchester and East Didsbury, and into Cheshire via Handforth, […]
#AYearOfBuses 129: North Greenwich – Cutty Sark
How many bus routes can say they start with a cable car, and finish at an 1869-built clipper ship? Well, London’s route 129 can, and it’s today’s feature here on #AYearOfBuses. A particularly short route at just 2 miles in length, the 129 was introduced in 2006 to connect Greenwich town centre (from the Cutty […]
#AYearOfBuses 128: DalesBus 821 Keighley – Scar House
With a touch of creative license, we’re taking a trip on DalesBus 821 today on #AYearOfBuses, into the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The DalesBus network was created to help people get around the breathtaking Yorkshire Dales and surrounding landscape on public transport. One of the most scenic routes of them all is the […]