View Latest Data |
|
Log-in Register |
||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The use of the Atlas Road (Harlesden) site as a bus garage is due to end within the next few months. It is currently operated by First Bus London as their Park Royal Depot, coded either PK or RP. Bus route 220 was transferred to Stamford Brook (V) in October 2025, while the 18 is due to move to Westbourne Park (X) once electric charging facilities are completed. However, this may now be delayed as there is a plan to move the Tootbus sightseeing fleet into X for a few months while electric charging points are installed at Wandsworth (WD) garage. This photo taken on 23rd February 2026 shows some of the Dacia Sandero cars based here for use as crew ferries. These retain their RATP fleetnumbers in the D751xx range, though the company logos have been removed and not (yet) replaced by First ones. Cars here also have local fleetnumbers in the windows, as seen on 6 (MJ69ZBX) on the left. The history of this location is short but surprisingly complicated. It was opened by First London in 2011 (coded AS) to act as an overflow for X, even though it was only quarter of a mile away from another First garage (WJ - Willesden Junction, on the other side of the railway lines). When First withdrew from London bus operation in 2013, AS passed to new company Tower Transit, while WJ went to Metroline. Extension work at X allowed AS to be closed in June 2017, but not for long. Trunk route 18 had been operated from WJ (now Metroline) but was won on tender by London United, who had a very small base (Park Royal - PK) also on Atlas Road! Too small to run the 18, London United took over the former AS location from November 2017, moving the Park Royal name and PK code, although the official TfL code was RP. Meanwhile, Tower Transit sold out, with X passing to RATP in 2021, and then in 2024, RATP decided to sell out, with the entire London operation passing to First, who decided to have another go at London bus operation. You couldn't make this up... I should also mention that, although it is doomed and losing bus routes, RP gained a route as recently as 17th January 2026, when new route N118 was introduced to normalise short workings on route N18. Spare capacity at RP has been used for storage of withdrawn buses by First, as well as holding many of the new electric buses awaiting service on the 18. It has also been used in recent months to store new buses for Metroline, though this seems to have ended. Once the base is closed, the whole site is expected to be cleared for redevelopment. |
|||
| Photographer: | Photo ID: | 8318 | |
| Photo date: | 23/02/2026 | Size: | Regular. An extra large copy of this photo is available. |
| Subject/s: | |||
| Location/s: | |||
| Tags: | |||
| Date added: | 28/02/2026 | ||