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LATEST NEWS
| January 2025 |
| Arriva |
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The slightly revised town
route structure which coincided with the opening of the temporary
bus station has started to settle. There is probably more
interworking than previously and some slightly revised 'norms' of
vehicle type allocation have emerged. Notable is that the 511 in
Bishops stortford has tended to be operated with Versas, meaning
that the 2/3, 4 and 6/8 are dominated by Solos and solitary E200.
The 1 and 10 are interworked in the day time and will often use
Volvos, backed up with spare Versas. The 508/9/10 tend to use the
longer-serving E200MMCs, whilst the 724 is a mix of the more
recent MMCs and the remaining VDL/Pulsars.
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Central Connect |
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Whether a visitor or a
transfer, Central Connect have used Alexander-Dennis E400 SN12EHC
from their Simmonds of Bury St Edmunds fleet on the 25 - seen here
on Thursday 9th. The livery is London Borough of Redbridge and the
vehicle originated with First in London. It was not tracking when
seen.
An additional Monday to Friday morning journey on
route 31 from Tylers Cross to Harlow seems to have been added.
This utilises the bus which operates on school route 801 and then
goes on to operate the daytime route 26 (Harlow to Little Parndon)
hence is often, although not always, double deck. See EFCT below.
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| First |
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First bus news will appear here. |
| Epping Forest
Community Transport |
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From a lack of
any observations, confirmed in January with the travel office in
the bus station, it seems that DaRT route 87 (Harlow to Debden
area) is no longer operating, potentially from the start of
December. The additional morning journey from Tylers Cross to
Harlow on Central Connect route 31 (see above) seems to have
started at the same time.
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| 25 years ago |
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This site went live just over 25 years ago
in October 1999 and so each month we'll take a look back at what
was happening a quarter of a century ago.
In fact not too
much happened in January 2000. Perhaps everyone was too afraid of
the millennium bug? Anyway, we had just (October 1999) been
through the start of the transformation of the local network from
the 8xx route numbers that had existed (although not the same
ones) since LT days to new local numbers. Route 805, the Potter
Street local, was renumbered 5 and extended to Little Parndon,
replacing route 807 which otherwise was the Churchgate Street
route, on that section.
Route 10 was introduced and
brought with it 2 dedicated Dart SLF/Pointer IIs that were the
mainstay of the route for more than the next decade. Routes 815,
817 and 818 were withdrawn, although Church Langley peak-hour and
Sunday 856 continued. |
| December 2024 |
| Arriva |
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It seems clear that with the
arrival of more E200MMCs from Kent, that the fleet of VDL
SB200/Wrightbus Pulsar 2s that have been the mainstay of the 724
for the last couple of years is now very much in decline, those
operating at Stevenage in the first week of December being 3770,
3774, 3797 and 3799.
Joining the new E200MMC arrivals from
last month are 4110 (SN17MXJ) and 4112 (SN17MXL).
Also departed is elderly Solo
KE55KTD (1466). In return Streetlite GN64DXX (1660) has taken its
place. Unusually this is of the wheel-forward, rather than door
forward, variety. Further examples of the same batch are expected
to see off the remaining Solos shortly. An upgrade.
Following the report of 3882 being in the wars, it has now
reappeared in service, showing that it seems these will be hanging
around a little longer.
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR BUS
SERVICES
Monday 23rd December
- normal Monday to Friday service.
Tuesday 24th
December - Saturday service with earlier finished on most
routes.
Wednesday 25th December - no service
except route 510 (plus 309 and 133 at Stansted).
Thursday 26th December - no service except routes 510 and
724 (plus 309 and 133 at Stansted).
Friday 27th
December - Saturday service.
Saturday 28th
December - normal Saturday service.
Sunday
29th December - normal Sunday service.
Monday
30th December - Saturday service.
Tuesday 31st
December - Saturday service with earlier finished on most
routes.
Wednesday 1st January - no service
except routes 510 and 724 (plus 309 and 133 at Stansted).
Thursday 2nd January - normal Monday to Friday
service.
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Central Connect |
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Former Arriva E400s and 587
and 588 (LJ59LYG and LJ59LYX) have joined 586 in having been
neatly converted to single door. They continue to operate almost
daily on local services, whilst at the same time members of the
E200MMC fleet have been running on school route 801.
The
vehicle rebrand continues but a new milestone achieved is the
first of the Mercedes Sprinters to gain the Central Connect name.
217 RX23TUV is the vehicle in question, although the silver base
colour is retained.
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| First |
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First news will appear here. |
| Other news (ECC,
EFCT) |
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| The temporary bus station in
Post Office Road opened today, reported as working well, but on a
Sunday that's maybe more easily achieved than it will be tomorrow.
The trees may be a welcome addition to the environment. The lack
of shelter from the wind may not be. |
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| November 2024 |
| Arriva |
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A number of new Arriva Kent
Thameside internal transfers arriving in Harlow are
Alexander-Dennis E200MMC's 4103, 4104, 4105, 4107 and 4109 (SN17MXB, SN17MXC,
SN17MXD, SN17MXF and SN17MXH).
They join recent arrivals 4106 and 4108, making a continuous set
of 7. Could the days of the Solos, a
couple now over 20 years old, be numbered?
Volvo/Wright 3882
(KX11PVD) was
involved in an accident on 8th November and has not worked since
(as at 23rd November).
A new local route will be introduced
starting 2nd December. Route 7 will shuttle between the bus and
train stations every 20 minutes on Mondays to Saturdays. It will
replace the station journeys on Arriva-operated elements of routes
2, 3 and 10, severing the direct commuter links from other parts
of Harlow that those services provided. Routes 2/3 will have a
slightly improved peak-hour frequency, mainly every 20 minutes on
each (previously every 24 minutes).
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Central Connect |
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