Welwyn Hatfield Line VO7 (E516 PWR) in Welwyn Garden City – 18 Jan 1989 (80-19)

Wednesday 18 January 1989 – Welwyn Hatfield Line was a post deregulation company set up in August 1987 by a group of former London Country drivers which provided competition with London Country (North East) later Sovereign Bus and Coach. Sovereign took over the business in January 1990 and operated it as a subsidiary for a few years.

Initially Welwyn Hatfield Line set up operation on seven services employing eleven Optare City Pacer mini-buses, a model based on Volkswagen running units. VO7 (E516 PWR), new in August 1987, is the bus nearest the camera in this shot taken which was taken in the area around Howardsgate, Welwyn Garden City. This area now paved with gardens was being used as a temporary bus station during the period of the building of the Howard Shopping Centre. The construction site is in the background and the vehicles are facing the shops at 57-61 Howardsgate.