Ipswich - 8 Jul 2022

Friday 8 July 2022 (1206) – Ipswich Buses 96 (YJ12 GWN), an Optare Tempo X1200SR new to Trent Barton (trentbarton) as their 336 in May 2012, seen at the Tesco Store at Copdock which is the outer terminus of service 13. The simple bus stop sign is a Tesco feature rather than one of Ipswich Buses. I had ridden on this bus from the town centre to re-join my car parked at the nearby Park and Ride site. Despite having a return ticket for the Park and Ride service operated by First Eastern Counties Buses I chose to ride back on service 13 which takes about 10 minutes more serving the Chantry Estate.

Friday 8 July 2022 (1104) – Ipswich Buses 94 (YJ12 GWL) seen in Dogs Head Street, Ipswich working service 13. I had a short ride on this bus to Tower Ramparts Bus Station. It is an Optare Tempo X1200SR new to Trent Barton (trentbarton) in May 2012 as their 330 with branding for ‘Chantry Connexions’ service 13. A low bridge in Ancaster Road, Ipswich has long been an obstacle for Ipswich Buses (and Ipswich Corporation before it) on the services to the large Chantry housing estate restricting operation of services 12, 13 and 14 to single deck operation.

Friday 8 July 2022 (1019) – Ipswich Buses 62 (PJ54 YZV), an East Lancs OmniDekka bodied Scania N94UD new in January 2005, seen in the Old Cattle Market bus station loading for the 1025 service 92 to Maningtree.

Friday 8 July 2022 (1020) – Ipswich Buses 62 (PJ54 YZV), an East Lancs OmniDekka bodied Scania N94UD new in January 2005, seen in the Old Cattle Market bus station loading for the 1025 service 92 to Maningtree.

Friday 8 July 2022 (1038) – Ipswich Buses 40 (YR61 RUW), a Scania N230UD OmniCity new to Centrewest (London) in October 2011 (SN36060) and 74 (DU60 LOJ), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D new to Lloyds of Machynlleth in December 2010 registered LC60 WYN. Seen in Dogs Head Street, Ipswich.

Friday 8 July 2022 (1027) – Ipswich Buses 82 (YX63 LGF), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D new in November 2013, seen arriving at the Old Cattle Market bus station in Ipswich when working the 0930 service 119 from Framlingham. The destination display has already been reset ready for the 1025 service 118 back to Framlingham.

Friday 8 July 2022 (0931) – Ipswich Buses 104 (SN16 OGK), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200 new in March 2016, seen inside the Constantine Road garage. A Scania OmniCity double decker stands behind. The Ipswich Buses fleet stands at just under 80 vehicles and visually is quite standardised. At the time of this visit the main body types were: Double deckers (33) of two body types: Scania N230UD OmniCity (23) East Lancs Myllenium/OmniDekka (10) Single deckers buses (41) of four body types: ADL Enviro200 (23) Optare Tempo X1200SR (13) Mercedes-Benz Citaro (3) Wright Eclipse Urban (2) To complete the fleet there were also three single deck coaches.

Friday 8 July 2022 (0932) – Ipswich Buses 83 (KX58 GUW), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200 new in December 2008 to NCP Parking Services, seen over the pit at the Constantine Road garage. When it was first acquired by Ipswich Buses it worked as a Covid-19 vaccination bus entering revenue service during March 2022 after re-furbishment.

Friday 8 July 2022 (1111) - Ipswich Buses 107 (YX66 WCL), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D new in September 2016, which is branded for the ‘Whitehouse’s Own’ service 8, seen in Tower Ramparts bus station.

Friday 8 July 2022 (1112) – Ipswich Buses vehicles seen in Tower Ramparts bus station 89 (YJ12 GWD) and 92 (YJ12 GWG) are branded for the ‘Whitton Wanderer’ services 9 and 10, clockwise and anti-clockwise services serving Whitton in the northern part of the town. They are both Optare Tempo X1200SRs that were new to Trent Barton (trentbarton) in May 2012 as their 325 and 328 respectively. In front is 107 (YX66 WCL), an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D new in September 2016, which is branded for the ‘Whitehouse’s Own’ service 8, also in the northern suburbs. In the far distance is 48 (SGZ 3348), a Scania N230UD OmniCity that was new to London United (SP40037) in July 2008 registered YN08 MRY. It was between runs on a school swimming contract, the Crown Pools swimming pool centre is across the road from the bus station.

Friday 8 July 2022 (0957) – A low bridge in Ancaster Road, Ipswich has long been an obstacle for Ipswich Buses (and Ipswich Corporation before it) on the services to the large Chantry housing estate restricting operation of services 12, 13 and 14 to single deck operation. In this view Ipswich Buses 94 (YJ12 GWL) was picking at the bus stop just before travelling beneath the bridge which carries railway tracks out of Ipswich railway station. It is an Optare Tempo X1200SR new to Trent Barton (trentbarton) in May 2012 as their 330 and is branded for service 13.

Friday 8 July 2022 (0958) – A low bridge in Ancaster Road, Ipswich has long been an obstacle for Ipswich Buses (and Ipswich Corporation before it) on the services to the large Chantry housing estate restricting operation of services 12, 13 and 14 to single deck operation. The bridge carries the railway tracks out of Ipswich railway station. In this view Ipswich Buses 94 (YJ12 GWL) is held at a red traffic light beneath the bridge when travelling towards the town centre. It is an Optare Tempo X1200SR new to Trent Barton (trentbarton) in May 2012 as their 330 and is branded for service 13.

Friday 8 July 2022 (1008) – A low bridge in Ancaster Road, Ipswich has long been an obstacle for Ipswich Buses (and Ipswich Corporation before it) on the services to the large Chantry housing estate restricting operation of services 12, 13 and 14 to single deck operation. The bridge carries the railway tracks out of Ipswich railway station. Two Ipswich Buses Optare Tempo X1200SRs having passed beneath the bridge are seen turning from Ancaster Road to Ranelagh Road heading to the town centre. 87 (YJ12 GWA), branded for and working service 12, leads 95 (YJ12 GWM), branded for and working service 13. Services 12, 13 and 14 are collectively marketed as ‘Chantry Connexions’. In early 2019 Ipswich Buses bought all thirteen of the batch of these newer style Tempos from Trent Barton (trentbarton) that were new in the early summer of 2012. Both were new in May of that year. Rather a pity that the bin lorry appears in the shot. I was waiting at the bus stop and boarded 87 for a ride to the town centre. During the main part of the day service 12 runs every 20 minutes and service 13 every 10 minutes. Bus 87 was running 8 minutes late and bus 95 about three minutes late. Sharing a common route from Hawthorn Drive/Mallard Road the driver of 87 has probably been the one to pick up the all the waiting passengers along the way therefore progressively losing time and giving the driver of 95 more of a clear run to catch 87 up. This is one of the reasons why ‘you wait for one and two appear together’. Service 14 operates hourly from 0930 until 1430 six days a week serving housing close to Gippeswyk Park and joins Ancaster Road at the end of Hawthorn Drive.

Friday 8 July 2022 (1008) – A low bridge in Ancaster Road, Ipswich has long been an obstacle for Ipswich Buses (and Ipswich Corporation before it) on the services to the large Chantry housing estate restricting operation of services 12, 13 and 14 to single deck operation. The bridge carries the railway tracks out of Ipswich railway station. Two Ipswich Buses Optare Tempo X1200SRs having passed beneath the bridge are seen turning from Ancaster Road to Ranelagh Road heading to the town centre. 87 (YJ12 GWA), branded for and working service 12, leads 95 (YJ12 GWM), branded for and working service 13. Services 12, 13 and 14 are collectively marketed as ‘Chantry Connexions’. In early 2019 Ipswich Buses bought all thirteen of the batch of these newer style Tempos from Trent Barton (trentbarton) that were new in the early summer of 2012. Both were new in May of that year. I was waiting at the bus stop and boarded 87 for a ride to the town centre. During the main part of the day service 12 runs every 20 minutes and service 13 every 10 minutes. Bus 87 was running 8 minutes late and bus 95 about three minutes late. Sharing a common route from Hawthorn Drive/Mallard Road the driver of 87 has probably been the one to pick up the all the waiting passengers along the way therefore progressively losing time and giving the driver of 95 more of a clear run to catch 87 up. This is one of the reasons why ‘you wait for one and two appear together’. Service 14 operates hourly from 0930 until 1430 six days a week serving housing close to Gippeswyk Park and joins Ancaster Road at the end of Hawthorn Drive.

Friday 8 July 2022 (1001) – A low bridge in Ancaster Road, Ipswich has long been an obstacle for Ipswich Buses (and Ipswich Corporation before it) on the services to the large Chantry housing estate restricting operation of services 12, 13 and 14 to single deck operation. The bridge carries the railway tracks out of Ipswich railway station. In this view Ipswich Buses 153 (BF65 HVT), one of the three Mercedes-Benz Citaro O 285 models added to the fleet in September 2015, is about to travel under the bridge as it turned from Ranelagh Road to Ancaster Road when working service 13.

Friday 8 July 2022 (1002) – A low bridge in Ancaster Road, Ipswich has long been an obstacle for Ipswich Buses (and Ipswich Corporation before it) on the services to the large Chantry housing estate restricting operation of services 12, 13 and 14 to single deck operation. The bridge carries the railway tracks out of Ipswich railway station. In this view Ipswich Buses 153 (BF65 HVT), one of the three Mercedes-Benz Citaro O 285 models added to the fleet in September 2015, is seen travelling under the bridge heading for Copdock on service 13. Ipswich Buses 153 (BF65 HVT) under Ancaster Road Bridge - 8 Jul 2022 (

Friday 8 July 2022 (1114) – A constant stream of traffic prevented any clear shots of Galloway European Coachlines 107 (BF68 LCM) as it stood in Crown Street, Ipswich between runs on National Express services 251 and 482. Today it performed the following trips: 0605 Ipswich-Stansted (0800) service 251 0925 Stansted-Ipswich (1105) service 251 (display showing is for that trip) 1135 Ipswich-London (Victoria) (1520) service 482 1630 London (Victoria)-Ipswich (2020) service 482 Galloway has operated for National Express for many years and currently has eight Caetano Levante III bodied Scania K410 EB6 in the fleet numbered 101-108 which were all new in January 2019. In addition to services 251 (1 round trip daily) and 482 (5 round trips daily) the other services worked by Galloway include service 250 (Ipswich-Stansted-Heathrow : 2 round trips daily) and service 075 (Bury St. Edmunds-Cambridge-London : (1 round trip on the complete service plus 1 short London-Cambridge round trip in between all daily).

Friday 8 July 2022 (1117) – A constant stream of traffic prevented any clear shots of Galloway European Coachlines 107 (BF68 LCM) as it stood in Crown Street, Ipswich between runs on National Express services 251 and 482. Today it performed the following trips: 0605 Ipswich-Stansted (0800) service 251 0925 Stansted-Ipswich (1105) service 251 1135 Ipswich-London (Victoria) (1520) service 482 (display showing is for that trip) 1630 London (Victoria)-Ipswich (2020) service 482 Galloway has operated for National Express for many years and currently has eight Caetano Levante III bodied Scania K410 EB6 in the fleet numbered 101-108 which were all new in January 2019. In addition to services 251 (1 round trip daily) and 482 (5 round trips daily) the other services worked by Galloway include service 250 (Ipswich-Stansted-Heathrow : 2 round trips daily) and service 075 (Bury St. Edmunds-Cambridge-London : (1 round trip on the complete service plus 1 short London-Cambridge round trip in between all daily).