 | |
| Parent | RATP Dev Transit London |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Stamford Brook |
| Service area | Greater London |
| Service type | Bus services |
| Routes | 20 (November 2023) |
| Depots | 3 |
| Fleet | 152 (May 2015) |
| Fuel type | Diesel, Electric and Hybrid |
| Website | www |
London Sovereign is a bus operator brand under London Sovereign Limited, [1] trading as RATP Dev Transit London, which operates bus services in Greater London. It is a subsidiary of RATP Dev Transit London and operates bus services under contract to Transport for London.
London Sovereign can trace its roots back to independent Borehamwood Travel Services which ran a fleet that included ex-Kelvin Central MCW Metrobuses and Northern Counties Palatines bodied Leyland Olympians and a collection of other vehicles. In 1993 it won its biggest London Buses contract, to operate route 13 with leased AEC Routemasters in its orange livery. In August 1994, Borehamwood Travel Services was sold to the Blazefield Group's Sovereign subsidiary, with the two operations merged as Sovereign London. On 3 November 2002, the business was sold to Transdev, and renamed Transdev London Sovereign. [2] [3]
After London United was transferred to RATP Group as a result of the wider Transdev group's merger with Veolia Transport in March 2011, London Sovereign became Transdev's only London bus company. In March 2014, London Sovereign was sold to RATP and resumed trading as London Sovereign. [4] In December 2021, RATP's London bus operations including London Sovereign were transferred to a RATP joint venture with Australia's Kelsian Group (parent company of Tower Transit) known as RATP Dev Transit London. [5]
London Sovereign operate three garages.
As of November 2023, Edgware garage operates routes 79, 125, 226, 326, 340, H12 and N5. Some buses are regularly shared with Parr Road garage. [6]
Edgware garage was first opened by the London General Omnibus Company in 1925 with space for 24 buses, but there was plenty of room adjacent to the Underground station which had recently been built. In 1939 a new building was built next to the original building which was to become the new bus station, while the remaining open parking area was used to store vehicles for the trolleybus replacement program. In 1984 a new 100 bus garage was built on the site of the long closed Edgware railway station at a cost of £4.5 million. In 1992 plans were made to close Edgware garage as Cricklewood garage was to become a fully functioning garage with new facilities. The outdoor parking area and the bus station then became a midibus base in 1993, with a new bus wash and light maintenance facilities provided in the yard.[ citation needed ]
In 1999, London Sovereign, having won some tenders for bus services in North-West London, took a 10-year lease on half of Edgware garage and invested in a new maintenance facility which was to replace its former base at Borehamwood. In late 2000, Metroline moved back into the other half of the garage, making it one of the few garages to be shared by two operators.[ citation needed ] On 25 July 2015 London Sovereign commenced operating route 326. London Sovereign commenced operating route 125 in January 2022 with electric buses being introduced in October. Route 142 passed to Metroline on 7 January 2023 with 226 commencing operations by London Sovereign at the same time with electric buses being introduced in May. Route 251 passed to Metroline on 2 September 2023 and London Sovereign commenced operation of route 340 at the same time using existing hybrid buses.
As of November 2023, Harrow garage operates routes 183, 395, 398, H9, H10, H18, H19, SL9 and SL10. [7]
Harrow garage opened in 1994. It is RATP Dev's smallest London garage holding just 42 buses. The low roof beam across the middle of the depot building was raised to allow double deckers. The garage has a plot of land next to it, owned by London Sovereign, which is now used to park most of the single deckers due to the 183 allocation, which started on 24 July 2015. Route 183 is now fully allocated to Harrow, with routes 398 & H17 transferred to Park Royal (RP) to make room. As of 7 September 2019, route H13 has moved to Uxbridge garage, which is owned by Metroline. In 2020, London Sovereign started operating routes 398 and H17. In December 2021, RATP Dev started operating their first electric buses for routes H9 and H10. More electric buses were introduced into routes 183, 398 and X140 (now SL9).
As of November 2023, Parr Road garage operates routes 288, 303, H11 and H14. Buses are regularly shared with Edgware garage. [6]
North Wembley garage operated routes H9 and H10.
On 26 January 2019, part of the allocations of routes H9 and H10 were temporarily transferred from Harrow (SO) garage to this garage.
On 5 September 2020, North Wembley (NW) was announced closed. Routes H9 and H10 were transferred to Parr Road (CP) garage at the same time.
The RATP Group is a French state-owned enterprise (EPIC) that operates public transport systems. Headquartered in Paris, it originally operated under the name Régie autonome des transports parisiens. Its logo represents, in a stylized version, the Seine's meandering through the Paris area as the face of a person looking up. The company had described itself as the fourth-largest presence in public transport.
South Harrow is a London Underground station in South Harrow, north-west London. It is on the Uxbridge branch of the Piccadilly line between Rayners Lane and Sudbury Hill stations. It is located on Northolt Road (A312). The station is in Travelcard Zone 5. There are several bus stands outside the station as well as overnight train stabling sidings.
Metroline is a bus operator which operates bus services in Greater London and Hertfordshire. It is a subsidiary of ComfortDelGro and primarily operates bus services under contract to Transport for London and also to Hertfordshire County Council. Operations are split between two registered companies, Metroline Travel Limited and Metroline West Limited.
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.
Transdev was an international public transport group based in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris, France, and operating in several countries. Originally created as Société centrale pour l'équipement du territoire in 1955 and developing transportation activities since 1973, Transdev was a subsidiary Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, a French state-owned financial institution. On 3 March 2011, the group merged with Veolia Transport, one of its main competitors, into Veolia Transdev. During 2013, Veolia Transdev was renamed Transdev, recognising the planned withdrawal of Veolia Environnement from ownership of the group.
London Buses route 13 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between North Finchley bus station and Victoria station, it is operated by RATP Dev Transit London.
London Buses route 18 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Sudbury & Harrow Road station and Euston bus station, it is operated by RATP Dev Transit London.
RATP Dev Transit London Limited, trading as RATP Dev Transit London, is a bus company operating mostly in west and south-west Greater London. The London United brand is a subsidiary of RATP Dev Transit London and operates services under contract to Transport for London.
London Buses route 10 was a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. It ran between Hammersmith bus station and King's Cross station, and was last operated by London United.
London Buses route 98 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Willesden bus garage and Red Lion Square, it is operated by Metroline.
London Buses route 183 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. Running between Pinner and Golders Green stations, it is operated by RATP Dev Transit London.
London Buses route 142 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London and Hertfordshire, England. Running between Watford Junction station and Brent Cross bus station, it is operated by Metroline.
The privatisation of London bus services was the process of the transfer of operation of buses in London from public bodies to private companies.
The London Night Bus network is a series of night bus routes that serve Greater London. Services broadly operate between the hours of 23:00 and 06:00.
Edgware Bus Station serves the Edgware suburb of the London Borough of Barnet, Greater London, England. The station is owned and maintained by Transport for London.
Transdev, formerly Veolia Transdev, is a France-based international private-sector company which operates public transport. It has operations in 17 countries and territories as of November 2020.
Transit Systems Group is an Australian-based public transport company, which also operates overseas through its subsidiary Tower Transit Group. Transit Systems Group is a subsidiary of the Kelsian Group, formerly SeaLink Travel Group.
Tower Transit Operations Limited, which traded as Tower Transit, was a bus company operating in East and West London. They were a subsidiary of the Kelsian Group and operated services under contract to Transport for London. In December 2021, Tower Transit's West London operations were transferred to RATP Dev Transit London. In June 2022, their remaining operations were sold to Stagecoach London.
RATP Dev Transit London is a bus operator owned by RATP Dev in London, England. It owns London Sovereign, London United and London Transit. It commenced on 11 December 2021 as a joint venture between RATP Dev and Kelsian Group. In September 2023, it became a wholly owned RATP Dev subsidiary.
London Buses route SL9, formerly London Buses route X140, is a Transport for London contracted Superloop express bus route in London, England. Running between Heathrow Central and Harrow bus stations, it is operated by London Sovereign under the RATP Dev Transit London brand.
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