 | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Location | Mare Street, Hackney Central |
| Characteristics | |
| Operator | Stagecoach London |
| History | |
| Opened | 25 April 1981 |
Ash Grove bus garage is a bus garage in Hackney, East London owned by London Buses. It is located on Ash Grove, off Mare Street, north of the Regent's Canal and is occupied by Stagecoach London. The garage was opened in April 1981 by London Transport and has been leased to a number of bus operators over the years.
Ash Grove is one of three new garages opened in 1981 by London Transport at a cost of £3.5 million. It had space for 140 buses undercover and a further 30 in the yard. [1] The roof was unusual in being carried by ten 35-ton triangular trusses supported on reinforced concrete columns. [1] The garage assumed Hackney's operation of Red Arrow routes 502 and 513 using new Leyland Nationals, and replaced two garages in Hackney and Dalston that had opened in 1889 and 1906 respectively. [2]
When London Buses was split into eleven separate companies Ash Grove became part of the London Forest operation, but closed in 1991 when London Forest was wound up. [3] [4] [5]
The garage was re-opened in 1994 by Kentish Bus, who had gained a small number of routes in the Leyton area, including former Boro'line route 108. Kentish referred to the garage as Cambridge Heath. [6]
At various times, Ash Grove was used to store vehicles for the London Transport Museum. [7]
Ash Grove re-opened again in 2000 for use by the London Buses company East Thames Buses which took over the former Harris Bus routes after that company ran into financial difficulties. East Thames Buses later moved to new premises at Mandela Way. CT Plus used the garage yard to house its routes won in the London area. [5]
Arriva London used the depot as the base for their new Mercedes-Benz Citaro articulated buses for route 38 following the conversion from AEC Routemasters in November 2005. [5] This has ended following the route's conversion back to double-deck operation, but routes 78 and 168 have been transferred to operate from the garage. [7]
On 24 February 2024, Arriva London vacated their buses and their only route allocated to this garage from the premises. This was due to route 254 transferring to Stamford Hill garage. [8]
The garage has suffered from a number of industrial relations difficulties in its history. In 1991, London Forest won a group of eleven tendered routes in the Walthamstow area on the basis of very low prices. This led to the company proposing a pay cut of around 18% to all staff, which saw staff at all of its four garages strike. Following these events the company was wound up and the garage closed. [3] [5]
In June 2008, forty CT Plus employees based at the garage protested against the dismissal of a shop steward who had refused to drive a bus with a health and safety defect. [9] October 2010 saw strike action by CT Plus workers in a dispute over pay, although most services were not disrupted significantly. [10]
The AEC Routemaster is a front-engined double-decker bus that was designed by London Transport and built by the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) and Park Royal Vehicles. The first prototype was completed in September 1954 and the last one was delivered in 1968. The layout of the vehicle was conventional for the time, with a half-cab, front-mounted engine and open rear platform, although the coach version was fitted with rear platform doors. Forward entrance vehicles with platform doors were also produced as was a unique front-entrance prototype with the engine mounted transversely at the rear.
Arriva London is a major bus operator operating services in Greater London. It is a subsidiary of Arriva UK Bus and operates services under contract to Transport for London. It was formed in 1998 from a fusion of previously separate Arriva subsidiaries Grey-Green, Leaside Buses, Kentish Bus, London & Country and South London Transport. Operations are split between two registered companies, Arriva London North Limited and Arriva London South Limited.
Blue Triangle is a bus operator brand under London General Transport Services Limited), trading as Go-Ahead London. It operates services in East London under contract to Transport for London. It is the operator of the East London Transit service.
First London was a bus company operating services in east, west and south-east 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.
East Thames Buses was the trading name of London Buses Limited, an arms length subsidiary of Transport for London. In 2009, it was sold to Go-Ahead London.
London Buses route 19 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Battersea Bridge and Finsbury Park bus station, it is operated by Arriva London.
London Buses route 38 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Clapton Pond and Victoria bus station, it is operated by Arriva London.
East London Bus & Coach Company Limited, trading as Stagecoach London, is a bus company operating in East London. The East London brand is a subsidiary of Stagecoach London and operates services under contract to Transport for London from seven garages.
London Country Bus Services was a bus company that operated in South East England from 1970 until 1986, when it was split up and later sold as part of the bus deregulation programme.
London Buses route 26 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Hackney Wick and Victoria station, it is operated by Stagecoach London.
London Country South West (LCSW) was a bus operator in South East England and London. It was formed from the split of London Country Bus Services in 1986 and operated a fleet of around 415 buses from 10 garages, with its headquarters in Reigate.
London Buses route 65 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Ealing Broadway station and Kingston upon Thames, it is operated by RATP Dev Transit London.
London Buses route 97 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Chingford station and Stratford City bus station, it is operated by Stagecoach London.
London Buses route 253 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Hackney Central station and Euston bus station, it is operated by Arriva London.
HCT Group was a social enterprise providing transport services and community services in several areas of the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1982 as Hackney Community Transport in the London Borough of Hackney, to provide transport services for local voluntary organisations, charities, and community groups. HCT Group was registered as a company limited by guarantee. The company was also a registered charity.
London Forest was a subsidiary of London Transport that operated bus services in London between April 1989 and November 1991.
Kentish Bus was a bus operator in South East England and London. It was formed from the split of London Country Bus Services in 1986 as London Country South East (LCSE) and operated a fleet of around 170 buses from four garages, with its headquarters located in Northfleet, subsequently rebranding to Kentish Bus in 1987. Its former garages and operations now form part of Arriva Southern Counties and Arriva London.
London Country North East was a bus operator in South East England and London. It was formed from the split of London Country Bus Services in 1986 and operated a fleet of around 350 buses from six garages, with its headquarters located in Hatfield.
London Coaches was a former bus and coach operator operating open top tourist services in London and commuter services from Kent to London.
Media related to Ash Grove Bus Garage at Wikimedia Commons