First London facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
First London

Alexander Dennis Enviro400 on route 23 at Oxford Circus
Parent	FirstGroup
Founded	26 March 1997
Defunct	27 September 2013
Headquarters	Paddington
Service area	Greater London
Service type	Bus operator
Fleet	1,004 (March 2013)
Web site	www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/greater_london archive 1 June 2013

First London was a big bus company that used to run many bus routes in Greater London. It was part of a larger company called FirstGroup. First London operated its buses for Transport for London (TfL), which manages all public transport in London. The company started in the late 1990s by buying other bus companies. First London stopped operating its bus services in London by September 2013.

What Was First London?

First London was a major bus company. It ran many of the famous red buses you see in London. These buses served different parts of Greater London. The company was owned by FirstGroup, which is one of the biggest transport companies in the United Kingdom.

First London worked closely with Transport for London (TfL). TfL is the group that plans and manages all public transport in London. This includes buses, trains, and the Underground. Bus companies like First London won contracts to operate specific bus routes for TfL.

How First London Started

First London was created in the late 1990s. This happened when FirstGroup bought three other bus companies that were already running services in London. These companies were:

• CentreWest
• Capital Citybus
• London Buslines

By combining these companies, First London became a very large bus operator. It had many buses and garages across London.

The End of First London

First London operated buses for about 16 years. From December 2007, FirstGroup started to sell off its bus garages and routes in London. This process continued for several years.

The last of First London's garages closed in September 2013. This meant that First London no longer operated any bus services in London. Other bus companies took over the routes that First London used to run.

Images for kids

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  Northern Counties Palatine II-bodied Volvo Olympian on 158 at Stratford bus station in July 2000

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  Alexander ALX400-bodied Dennis Trident 2 on route 10 at Marble Arch in October 2007, painted in the "willow leaf" livery introduced in 1999 and used until 2013.

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  London's first HyFLEET:CUTE hydrogen fuel cell bus, a Wright Pulsar 2 bodied VDL SB200, on route RV1 at Covent Garden in January 2011

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  Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TL on route 31 at White City bus station in August 2010

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  Marshall Capital bodied Dennis Dart SLF on route 95 in Shepherd's Bush in June 2009

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  Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TL on route 79 in Wembley in August 2008

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  Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart on route U5 in Uxbridge in August 2010 painted in the company's final livery, all-red with white First fleetnames, introduced in 2009

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  AEC Routemaster on route 23 on the Strand, circa 2001