Horrors At Harlow (1)

 Troubles At Townlink

Opportunism At Olympian

Revisions At Road Runner

Surprises at S M Coaches

Harlow was one of those places where privatisation did no favours for the reputation of the bus industry. Glasgow and Sheffield were the big names where competition was just plain crackpot. Quite why Harlow was such an ongoing omnishambles is unclear, but one reason is illustrated above.

Astute readers may just spot a passing similarity in the liveries of the above operators of Harlow Town services.

An enthusiast web site explain all- but probably doesn't!

Townlink Buses (previously SM Coaches, earlier SM Travel) was a Harlow based independent which operated buses in the town between 1986 and 2016. It was closely linked with the Olympian/Roadrunner buses also in the town. Both ran their last on 26th February after a ruling by the Traffic Comissioners

The story started in a small way just post deregulation when as SM Travel, route T15, then a peak hour ECC contract linking Potter Street with the industrial area at Templefields (omitting the town centre) was taken on. The route evolved into being a commercial operation providing an all day service on Monday to Saturday serving the Town Centre and had numerous extensions, deviations, withdrawals and reincarnations over the years. Expansion in general had been progressive for a number of years, and reached a peak in 2010 with intensive competition against Arriva and also Centrebus. Although this retracted and essentially settled, competitive flare-ups in Harlow were regular.

At one stage Townlink even produced a timetable book.

And what became of these companies. They were closed down after a Traffic Commissioner's Public Enquiry.

Various bus maps appear on line with a varied selection of route numbers. These are largely unfathomable and fbb will not try too hard in a brief blog which is only designed to paint a simplified (Ha!) picture of things historical (or even things hysterical!). The effort below is a more recent version and similarly poor.

A cynical observer would explain the multiple business names by referring to a technique often used in the early days of privatisation and competition. If things aren't going too well, close down, leave a trail of debts and start a new company.

In the days of the Great Britain Bus Timetable, colleague Barry was something of an authority on things in Greater London. Occasionally fbb would read his various newsletters which featured the ex London Country green bus area. Month by month, reports were included of changes, often at short notice, in the Harlow services and their operators.

Before the chaos, local London Transport country bus routes were numbered in the 800 series and there were plenty of variants back then.

And some livery changes when National Bus took over ...

... and later when National Bus was split for a future sell off.

By now, fbb was struggling with a mild attack of insanity. 

Centrebus appears for the fray with a longer distance C3 ...

...  amongst others; and Centrebus Value branding ...

... and competitive fares offers.

Then the C3 materialises on-line in the hands of Trustybus.

Or, perhaps, Trustybus C3 was taken over by Centrebus!

Galleon Travel, with the bus fleet originally trading as Trustybus, emerged from the Logic Bus operations that were started on 26th March 2012. That start was when route L3 was introduced to run between Harlow and Hammond Street, competing over much of its length with Centrebus C3, which was later taken over by Roadrunner.  Harlow local service 1 to Sumners & Katherines was later initiated, again competing with RoadRunner. This situation was resolved in June 2013 when a revised C3/C3A service was left to replace most of the former L3 and Roadrunner C3 route whilst the Sumners and Katherines route was left to Roadrunner. The 410 route today is the direct successor of this operation.

The Galleon private hire operation is a remnant of the original Trustline operation, being the part which wasn't sold to Centrebus.

fbb needs those tranquillisers again! Trustybus morphed into Central Connect ...

... which does, indeed, operate service 410 today!

And service 420.

And Vectare?

In Harlow they operate only service 31 ...

... but how, and why, fbb cannot fathom.

And, of course, we all know that it used to be numbered 381!

And don't forget Regal Busways.

Although operating largely in the Southend area, they ran a route 12 from Harlow to Staple Tye - but do so no longer.

fbb's intention with this blog was to provide some background to bus operation in Harlow.

He wishes he had not started!

Tomorrow's blog may be a bit less weird. It follows Arriva's activity in the town and might well be just a little more understandable.

 Next Harlow blog : Wednesday 12th April 

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Where Was The Loyal (?) Gang?

It was late that Sunday evening, and the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities.

You couldn't blame them - but, please note - not a word of expectation, just very real fear for their lives.

Then Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side.

Weird and certainly a bit scary.

The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.” 

Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 

If you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Looks like the disciples were being given a job to do. But one of the eleven (yes eleven, Judas had left, remember?) was not there.

So he did. There is a strong tradition that Thomas travelled to India and founded a Christian Church there which still bears his name today.

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