Simonds Refresh

Similarly, Simonds has published new information concerning their takeover of two Norwich Park and Ride routes from 30th March 2025.

Further details of the improved Harford and Postwick Park and Ride services, including routes, timetables and fares, can be viewed at https://www.simonds.co.uk/norwichparkandride

Photo: Dan High

Roy

Konectbus Refresh

Konectbus has announced on social media that it is unveiling its fresh new look and enhanced routes. Starting at the end of March, when the Norwich park and ride services begin, the operator is to improve routes and frequencies and introduce new links.



More information can be found on their website at https://konectbus.co.uk/march-2025-service-updates
Photo: Chad Lovick

Roy

Kings Lynn Bus Station

Our West Norfolk correspondent David Bell tells me that 'Kings Lynn bus station is undergoing extensive resurfacing work lasting three months and costing around £400,000. Work started on 10th February and will be carried out in stages with the bus station continuing to be operational.'



'During this work several services will depart from a temporary stop outside the former Lord Kelvin public house at the entrance to the bus station. The main work involves strengthening the areas where buses stand when loading. Over time the weight of vehicles had caused large uneven hollows to appear. I am enclosing a few photographs showing work in progress some taken from the roof of the adjoining multi-storey car park'.



'One photo shows Bus Stand G with its new concrete base whilst another shows Bus Stands A-F being ripped up.'



He continues 'By chance Stagecoach East Midlands decker 15651 FX10 AFK, in a special livery depicting the Lincolnshire flag, was on service 505 to Spalding'.



The last photo shows two Go to town Wright StreetLites on Kings Lynn local services with BX69 CVJ in front of SK18 TKN.

I am grateful to David for the information and photos.

Roy

First Norwich Loans

With a vehicle shortage at First Great Yarmouth, First Norwich have been loaning Volvo B9TL /Wright Geminis 36180 BD11 CDZ and 37722 YJ09 OBT to cover services. Both have subsequently returned to the city.



On Sunday evening the latter worked the 3B service from Great Yarmouth's Market Gates and is seen here in Bradwell by Cameron Robinson.



37722 has now been replaced with recently repainted/rebranded Wright StreetDeck 35196 SK16 GVV being on loan at the coast. This morning it was observed by Dan High at Norwich Bus Station with the X1 to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.

Cameron tells me that Volvo B9 36272 BG12 YKE is also on loan to First Great Yarmouth.

My thanks to Cameron and Dan for their photos.

Roy

Service Alterations Registered ~ 26th February 2025

For the third consecutive week there are no 'local' interest entries in today's East of England Traffic Commissioner's Notices and Proceedings Report.

However, following the retendering process on all Norwich Park & Ride services conducted last summer, Konectbus has been reassessing its operating centres. The operator is to increase the number of vehicles at its Postwick centre to 30 and remove its operating centres at Sprowston Park & Ride and Airport Park & Ride in Norwich.

The full Notices and Proceedings Report will be available to be viewed here soon.

Roy

Central Connect ~ Monday

Refreshed after his European break, Dan High was back in his usual spot at Castle Meadow earlier today and sends these photos of Central Connect buses operating on Simonds' 82 route



The first is of ADL Enviro400 SN11 BTE which was new to First London in June 2011 as their DN33653. (The interior still shows that fleet number) It was later acquired by Tower Transit through its purchase of First London assets in 2013. SN11 BTE later saw use with London Borough of Redbridge and is one many acquired from them by Central Connect for the Simonds' fleet.



Also operating on the 82 service between Norwich and Royden was ADL Enviro200 MMC YY24 HBJ



My thanks to Dan for the photos.

Roy

Another Rebranding

The second of Coach Services' recent acquisitions from Simonds has now also received its new corporate branding.



Jdraves1's photos shows Volvo B7RLE BT63 UUR with similar treatment to that of BT63 UUP (see Coach Services' Branding - 20th January 2025)

My thanks to Jdraves1 for the information and photo.

Roy

Green Machine

This morning's tracking of BorderBus vehicles on their website enabled me to identify that one of its former Newport Transport buses, still in green livery, was being employed on the 580 service.



This gave me the opportunity to get a photo of Scania OmniCity 112 YT11 LUH which I had been trying to achieve for sometime. Positioned outside Gorleston Library, I got my snap of 112 about to turn in to Gorleston High Street on the 14:16 580 service from Bungay to Great Yarmouth this afternoon.

Roy

Norwich Yesterday

Chad Lovick has supplied photos of his observations in Norwich during yesterday with the first showing newly repainted First Volvo B7RLE 69554 BF12 KWS with the 36 Purple Line on Rampant Horse Street. Formerly in First Wessex colours, the new livery comprises the latest First corporate colour scheme complete with the new logo.

As you will have seen from yesterday’s post, two First Ipswich Reds Wright StreetDecks began running on a very quiet Castle Meadow while street works are under way. Chad got a photo of 35931 MF72 WBL also at Rampant Horse Street.

Meanwhile, outside The Forum another double decker was present in the form of ADL Enviro 400 LX60 AFV advertising the Galaxy S25 Ultra, a Samsung smartphone. The bus was previously with Metroline as their TE1085

Many thanks to Chad for the photos.

Roy

Deserted Castle Meadow

With BT roadworks commencing in a deserted Castle Meadow in Norwich yesterday, the presence of two First Ipswich Wright Streetdecks was observed.

Ipswich Reds 35928 MF72 WBG and 35931 MF72 WBL were soon seen on Norwich services. The former was on service 13 between Spixworth and Attleborough while the latter was employed on the 38s from Ivy Road to Tuckswood.

My thanks to John Hutchinson for the photos and he apologises for their poor quality. 

Roy

Service Alterations Registered ~ 19th February 2025

For the second consecutive week there are no 'local' interest entries in today's East of England Traffic Commissioner's Notices and Proceedings Report. Nevertheless, the full Notices and Proceedings Report will be available to be viewed here soon.

Roy

Tuesday Contract Sightings

A bit of variety today in Yarmouth for workers heading out to various factories.

First up was Central Connect/Simonds ADL Enviro 400 MMC YY74OBV which was joined by Volvo B12B Coach TCF496 seen below awaiting their departure times at Beach Coach Station.

 

This was my first sighting of one of the Central Connect liveried Buses and a nice surprise as i was only driving past, so i did manage to park and get a better shot of it below.

Also spotted was Completely Coach Travel's ex Oxford Tube liveried X28CCT which was heading to Banham Poultry with a full load of workers

Grahame.

Stagecoach In Suffolk

We received two reports on the sighting of a Stagecoach double decker at the bus stop next to Pakefield’s Morrisons store in south Lowestoft earlier today.

It was ADL Enviro400 MMC 11730 SK23 CSF from Stagecoach East normally based in Cambridge with the bustimes website recording it was back on home ground working services to Cambourne and Fulborn earlier tonight.

My thanks to Christian Newsome who subsequently told me there were two of them visiting and to 'pw' for the photo.

Roy

Sizewell Sighting

ChrisL provides a photo of Specialist Passenger Solutions’ Wright StreetLite 47801 SK17 HGU which is based at First Eastern Counties Lowestoft for Sizewell shuttle operations.

The bus is seen leaving the Sizewell C site heading towards the car park to enable staff to access the construction site as parking is somewhat limited. A hydrogen powered Streetdeck is seen lurking in the left background.

My thanks to Chris for the information and photo.

Roy

Konectbus New Livery

Chad Lovick has provided us with photos of Konectbus ADL Enviro400 626 SN65 OAE following its repaint and rebranding.

The decker has received two tone blue livery with konectbus Norfolk fleet names as these photos show when operating in Dereham on service 8 earlier today.

My thanks to Chad for the information and for the use of his photos.

Roy

Sanders' Repaint

Tobey Jones was outside the Sixth Form College in Gorleston during yesterday afternoon when he observed Sanders Coaches' Volvo B8RLE/MCV eVoRa 531 BV23 NUU had received a repaint into Sanders colours.



It had also received 6A/X6 branding for the North Walsham to Great Yarmouth route. 531 had been delivered new in white in June 2023.

My thanks to Tobey for the information and photo.

Roy

Lowestoft Enviro200s To Return Soon

There are updates on two of Lowestoft's former London United Alexander Dennis Enviro200s.



44450 YX09 HJO is currently at First's Caister Road premises after its engine swap and is presently awaiting some welding work prior to returning to Lowestoft for service.



Similar 44454 YX09 HKO is currently awaiting an electric rewire at First's Lowestoft depot after its engine replacement.

My thanks to First for the information and photos.

Roy

Great Yarmouth Afternoon

This afternoon I popped into town to check on a number of locations and local workings with my first visit being to Beach Coach Station. All the area reserved for coach and HGV parking was unavailable as Great Yarmouth Borough Council is exploring the possibility of building 50 homes there. It is currently closed from Monday, January 27th until Friday, February 14th. This means all National Express services now start from North Drive but will revert to Beach Coach Station whilst Market Gates Bus Station works continue.



The visit there was not in vain as I saw one of Ambassador Travel's two Higer Fencer bodied Scania K280C’s awaiting time before operating its 271 service. The friendly driver invited me in asking if I wanted an inside photo which I naturally took advantage of. During the conversation he said that YT63 BDF was exhibited at the Euro Bus Expo exhibition held in Birmingham in 2022.



I then proceeded to North Drive, assuming that the workers' buses would also operate from there. True enough, Completely Coach Travel's Van Hool bodied Astromega X28 CCT was taking workers on board in its Oxford Tube colours with the destination Banham Poultry.



Outside the New Beach Hotel were two Alfa Travel Mercedes Benz Tourismos BV20 HNG and BF23 CFA - both regular visitors to the town.



Roy

Norwich Today

Dan High has forwarded a number photos taken earlier today on Norwich's Castle Meadow and these are three of them.



Simonds' 82 service to Roydon almost always provides something different and today it was an East Lancs bodied Scania N230UD. It was YN08 OBZ which was acquired from SBC Engineering of Leigh-on-Sea in August 2023.



First Eastern Counties were using Wright GB Kite Electroliner 63642 BK24 AAY on the 24 to Queen's Hills.



Finally, Simonds ' 82 route also provided Alexander Dennis Dart 9383 MX.

Thanks Dan for the photos.

Roy

Service Alterations Registered ~ 12th February 2025

There are no 'local' interest entries in today's East of England Traffic Commissioner's Notices and Proceedings Report. Nevertheless, the full Notices and Proceedings Report will be available to be viewed here soon.

Roy

Norwich Sightings

Dan High was in his usual position in Norwich’s Castle Meadow earlier today when he caught sight of a Simonds (Central Connect) Wright Gemini bodied Volvo B7TL.

It was former Lothian Buses SN56 AGV on its way to Roydon via Long Stratton and Diss with the 13:10 departure on the 82 service. Simonds acquired it from Weardale of Stanhope in July 2023

Also of interest was First Eastern Counties Volvo B9TL/ Wright Eclipse Gemini 36270 BG12 YKC laying over at Castle Meadow. It was previously with First West Yorkshire.

My thanks to Dan for the photos.

Roy

Independent Withdrawals

Regular contributor jdraves1 provides details of a couple of vehicle withdrawals by two mid Norfolk based independent operators.

Simonds of Botesdale have removed Volvo B7RLE/ MCV Evolution BT13 YWF from service with the image showing it in use in Bury St Edmunds Bus Station earlier this year.

The other withdrawal is PN06 KJZ by Coach Services. The Plaxton bodied Volvo B12 was new to Alfa Travel of Euxton and has visited Great Yarmouth’s Beach Coach Station when operated by Coach Services. The photo is from 2021.

My thanks to jdraves for his report and photos.

Roy

Room With A View

Contributor Jon tells me that he had an overnight stay at the Travelodge in Norwich last week with his room overlooking the bus station.

In his first photo he managed to capture a variety of Sanders Coaches’ vehicles from his vantage point.

He has sent some more images with one showing a BorderBus Scania waiting time for its departure to Southwold.

From ground level a wide variety of operators are featured including First Eastern Counties, Konectbus, Sanders and National Express.

Many thanks to Jon in providing his photos via his X account.

Roy

Soccer Specials

Dan High was at Carrow Road yesterday supporting the Canaries at yesterday's football match and recorded some Sanders Coach vehicles providing services to the ground.



He observed at least five of the fleet in attendance including Sanders' Caetano bodied Volvo B9R 907 WOA 521.

My thanks to Dan for the photos

Roy

Sunday Sightings

A few photos from this morning whilst I was out and about. No trains from Yarmouth today so bus replacements were in place.

Angies Tours Scania YN57FZL was one of a few vehicles noted at the station this morning.

First Eastern Counties Streetlites 47502 & 47512 were both parked up awaiting their turns.

Next stop was a look in on Ambasssor Travel's yard as I am still trying to get shots of their 24 plate arrivals, no such luck but National Express Caetano Laevante BV72XFB was noted ready for use.

Finally I managed to grab First Norwich loanee 36181 in use on the X1 service, seen below on the Magdalen estate heading for Lowestoft.

Grahame.