Gorleston Diverts

Following Norfolk County Council roadworks in Church Lane in Gorleston, all entries and exits on the Middleton Road roundabout are closed from today (25th October) until Saturday 1st November. This is to allow for resurfacing and the provision of a cycle lane on Church Lane. Therefore, diversions are in place on all Gorleston services (except 1/1A).



The changes are as follows:-
Service 2 is diverting via Beccles Road between William Adams Way in Southtown and Burgh Road and will not travel into Gorleston High Street.
Services 3/3B are running between William Adams Way in Southtown and Shrublands Way, again omitting Gorleston High Street.
Service 8 operates between Southtown Road and Shrublands Way via Beccles Road also avoiding the High Street
Services X1/X11/7 travel from Gorleston High Street to the James Paget Hospital via Lowestoft Road, Albemarle Road, Middleton Road returning to Lowestoft Road.

Temporary bus stops are on Shrublands Way in both directions, close to the Church Lane junction for services 3/3B and 8.

Additionally, there is an half hourly free circular shuttle service from 0700 and 2300 between Magdalen Estate, Shrublands Estate and the The Feathers Public House in Gorleston High Street.

Roy

Sanders Fleet Update

LiamS provides an update to the Sanders Coaches fleet which includes the return of two Scania single deckers to active service. They are ex Reading Buses Wright Solar bodied 317 YN06 NXS and 318 YN06 NXR.



The former is pictured on Cadogan Road in Cromer in October 2016 while the latter is shown awaiting its next duty on Regent Road in Great Yarmouth in April 2022.



On the negative side, the number of ex Go South Coast B7RLEs continues to fall, just 505 HF55 HHA and 513 HF54 HGA remain in service with 507 HF55 HGJ and 511 HF55 HHM being withdrawn last week. No 511 is seen leaving Gorleston's East Norfolk Sixth Form College on 22nd September 2022.

My thanks to Liam for the update.

Roy

Recent Arrivals Active

Following Saturday's post regarding the transfer of two Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B9TLs from First Essex to First Eastern Counties, both of them were out in use today.



Firstly green fronted 37134 SN57 HDJ was being employed on the X29 on Castle Meadow in Norwich this morning. Both Harry Holmes and Dan High sent photos which are reproduced here with Harry's first and Dan's second in the order they were received.



More than an hour later the other ex First Essex decker 37136 SN57 HCU, still with its Essex branding, was also observed by Dan on the 17 heading in the opposite direction for Broadland Gate.



Dan additionally provides a photo of one of the two StreetLites recently transferred from First Essex. This was 63168 SN64 CJU at Castle Meadow on a service to Harleston today. The other one, 63167 SN64 CJO, has yet to appear in service in the city.



My thanks to you both for the photos.

Roy

Service Alterations Registered ~ 22nd October 2025

Today's East of England Traffic Commissioner's Notices and Proceedings Report contains a couple of entries which may be of local interest

Thompsons Coaches of Framlingham has received authorisation to increase the number of vehicles at their Charnwood Estate premises to thirteen.

Simonds of Botesdale has a new operating centre at the Postwick Park and Ride site on the outskirts of Norwich for three vehicles.

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

Roy

New At BorderBus

The latest addition to the BorderBus fleet is this former Bee Network (Stagecoach Manchester) Scania N230UD OmniCity double decker. Newly painted in the BorderBus livery is YT59 RYM which has been given fleet number 220.



Roy

Norwich Activity

Dan High was in position in Norwich this morning and sends a couple of photos of bus activity in the city.



First Eastern Counties Wright StreetDeck Electroliner 36575 BK73 AKG was on the 24 route to Thorpe St Andrew.



The other picture features an operator not normally gracing the pages of this site. It is Sunbeam Coaches with their Mercedes-Benz Vario / Plaxton Cheetah YN06 CYX appearing in Castle Meadow

My thanks to Dan for the photos.

Roy

First Bus Changes

Starting from Sunday 2nd November, First Eastern Counties is making improvements to bus services in the coastal area with some of the funding coming from the Government and Norfolk County Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan



In Great Yarmouth there will be increased evening and Sunday frequencies on the 1/1A between Great Yarmouth and Martham with amendments to service 8 which will no longer extend evening journeys to Martham . There will also be improvements on the 7 between Great Yarmouth and Norwich with buses running every two hours during the day Monday to Saturday plus additional evening journeys.

Over the border in Suffolk, First is introducing a new 107 Monday to Saturday service between Gunton St Peter and Lowestoft town centre in partnership with Suffolk County Council. There will also be a revised timetable on the X2/X21/X22 Lowestoft - Norwich corridor to improve punctuality with evening service improvements

Further information can be found on the First Bus website here. My thanks to Mark Cockrell for bringing this information to my attention.

Roy