Luton/Dunstable - 14 Apr 2023

Friday 14 April 2023 (0941) – The first of the seven buses I rode on today on my outing to Luton and Dunstable was Arriva 3783 (MX61 AVY), a Wright Pulsar bodied VDL SB200 new to Arriva Merseyside in September 2011. In this shot the bus was seen at Luton Airport as it reversed out to continue the journey to Luton town centre. This was the 0843 service 100 from Stevenage to Luton via Hitchin and Luton Airport. On the left is a Stagecoach double decker on service MK1 and a car park shuttle bus.

Friday 14 April 2023 (0926) – The first of the seven buses I rode on today on my outing to Luton and Dunstable was Arriva 3783 (MX61 AVY), a Wright Pulsar bodied VDL SB200 new to Arriva Merseyside in September 2011. This was the 0843 service 100 from Stevenage to Luton via Hitchin and Luton Airport.

Friday 14 April 2023 (1033) – The second of the seven buses I rode on today on my outing to Luton and Dunstable was Arriva 3973 (LF71 DLU), an MCV eVoRa bodied Volvo B8RLE new in December 2021. It was seen at Luton Airport working the 1035 service A to Dunstable via Luton town centre, a journey of 30 minutes overall which uses the Busway between the centres of the two towns. Buses run every 10 minutes on this service.

Friday 14 April 2023 (1034) – The second of the seven buses I rode on today on my outing to Luton and Dunstable was Arriva 3973 (LF71 DLU), an MCV eVoRa bodied Volvo B8RLE new in December 2021. It was about to depart from Luton Airport when working the 1035 service A to Dunstable via Luton town centre, a journey of 30 minutes overall which uses the Busway between the centres of the two towns. Buses run every 10 minutes on this service.

Friday 14 April 2023 (1047) – The second of the seven buses I rode on today on my outing to Luton and Dunstable was Arriva 3973 (LF71 DLU), an MCV eVoRa bodied Volvo B8RLE new in December 2021. It was seen at Luton Interchange (Luton town centre) when working the 1035 service A from Luton Airport to Dunstable.The overall journey time is 30 minutes and from here the service uses the Busway to reach Dunstable. Buses run every 10 minutes on service A.

Friday 14 April 2023 (1125) – Two of the seven buses (the third and fourth rides) that I rode on today seen at Dunstable. Left: I had arrived on Grant Palmer Passengers Services 709 (BU57 WAY) working the 1110 service C from Luton via the main Busway and was now continuing to Beecroft to the west of the town centre. It is a Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B9TL new to Lothian Buses (866) in October 2007 registered SN57 GMU. Creatively Grant Palmer has applied registrations containing the letters BU5 and WAY to some of its vehicles operating on the Luton-Dunstable Busway network. Right: I then rode on Arriva The Shires 3894 (KX11 OSF) working the 1128 Busway service Z to Luton via Houghton Regis - a different and circuitous route which initially uses a different section of the Busway system to the north of Dunstable. It is a Wright Eclipse 2 bodied Volvo B7RLE new in August 2011. As I boarded the bus the driver made a point of telling me he didn’t like his photograph being taken. Note that he had pulled down the sun visor.

Friday 14 April 2023 (1136) – On board Arriva 3894 (KX11 OSF), the fourth of the buses I rode today on my outing to Luton and Dunstable. It is a Wright Eclipse 2 bodied Volvo B7RLE new in August 2011 which was working the 1128 Busway service Z to Luton via Houghton Regis. Service Z travels northbound out of Dunstable using a different section of Busway to get clear of the town centre area. On reaching the end of the Busway (which is unguided at this point) the buses continue seamlessly straight into an industrial estate (Blackburn Road) that is otherwise a dead-end road for general traffic. (To see on Google Streetview: tinyurl.com/2fj8x5cz ) A Centrebus MCV Evolution is passing en route towards Dunstable.

Friday 14 April 2023 (1140) – Two of the seven buses (the fourth and fifth rides) that I rode on today on my outing to Luton and Dunstable which were seen at Houghton Regis. Both are Wright Eclipse 2 bodied Volvo B7RLEs new in August 2011 operated by Arriva that were working Busway service Z. Left: I had just alighted from 3894 (KX11 OSF) working the 1128 service from Dunstable to Luton. Right: I returned to Dunstable on 3892 (KX11 OSD) which was working the 1057 service from Luton to Dunstable. It would appear to be the normal working routine is the interworking of services A and Z in the pattern of a westbound service A then an eastbound service Z followed by a westbound service Z and an eastbound service A. Coincidentally both drivers made reference to the photographing of their buses. Whereas the surly driver of 3894 told me that he didn’t like having his photograph taken (and pulled down the sun visor at the time), the far more amenable driver of 3892 was quite the opposite and asked if I thought he looked good for a photograph.

Friday 14 April 2023 (1241) - The sixth of seven buses that I rode on today on my outing to Luton and Dunstable was Centrebus 634 (BU16 UWL) seen here during a downpour in New Bedford Road, Luton. Rather than terminating at the Luton Interchange a small number of bus services start from this point outside the Galaxy Centre on which, despite the road name, is now somewhat of a backwater from the days it was a main thoroughfare out of town. Note the road sign on the right in the background which indicates where the main Busway crosses the normal roadway. The Interchange is on the right of that crossing. The bright orange livery contrasts with the murky light and dark surroundings. It is an MCV Evolution bodied Volvo B8RLE that had been new to Roberts Coaches, Hucclecote in March 2016 to operate the Leicester Park & Ride contract. From a batch of eight such buses that Roberts used on the contract Centrebus now has five of them. On my visit today I saw three of them (BU16 UWL/N/M). Busway service G has seven trips Monday to Saturday with hourly departures between 0858 and 1458 (out and back taking 41 minutes). Having just completed the 1158 trip the bus was loading as the 1245 Busway service E to Toddington via Dunstable and Houghton Regis.

Friday 14 April 2023 (1241) - The sixth of seven buses that I rode on today on my outing to Luton and Dunstable was Centrebus 634 (BU16 UWL) seen here during a downpour in New Bedford Road, Luton. Rather than terminating at the Luton Interchange a small number of bus services start from this point outside the Galaxy Centre on which, despite the road name, is now somewhat of a backwater from the days it was a main thoroughfare out of town. The bright orange livery contrasts with the murky light and dark surroundings. It is an MCV Evolution bodied Volvo B8RLE that had been new to Roberts Coaches, Hucclecote in March 2016 to operate the Leicester Park & Ride contract. From a batch of eight such buses that Roberts used on the contract Centrebus now has five of them. On my visit today I saw three of them (BU16 UWL/N/M). Busway service G has seven trips Monday to Saturday with hourly departures between 0858 and 1458 (out and back taking 41 minutes). Having just completed the 1158 trip the bus was now loading as the 1245 Busway service E to Toddington via Dunstable and Houghton Regis.

Friday 14 April 2023 (1241) - The sixth of seven buses that I rode on today on my outing to Luton and Dunstable was Centrebus 634 (BU16 UWL) seen here during a downpour in New Bedford Road, Luton. Rather than terminating at the Luton Interchange a small number of bus services start from this point outside the Galaxy Centre on which, despite the road name, is now somewhat of a backwater from the days it was a main thoroughfare out of town. The bright orange livery contrasts with the murky light and dark surroundings. It is an MCV Evolution bodied Volvo B8RLE that had been new to Roberts Coaches, Hucclecote in March 2016 to operate the Leicester Park & Ride contract. From a batch of eight such buses that Roberts used on the contract Centrebus now has five of them. On my visit today I saw three of them (BU16 UWL/N/M). Busway service G has seven trips Monday to Saturday with hourly departures between 0858 and 1458 (out and back taking 41 minutes). Having just completed the 1158 trip the bus was now loading as the 1245 Busway service E to Toddington via Dunstable and Houghton Regis.

Friday 14 April 2023 (1241) - The sixth of seven buses that I rode on today on my outing to Luton and Dunstable was Centrebus 634 (BU16 UWL) seen here during a downpour in New Bedford Road, Luton. Rather than terminating at the Luton Interchange a small number of bus services start from this point outside the Galaxy Centre on which, despite the road name, is now somewhat of a backwater from the days it was a main thoroughfare out of town. The bright orange livery contrasts with the murky light and dark surroundings. It is an MCV Evolution bodied Volvo B8RLE that had been new to Roberts Coaches, Hucclecote in March 2016 to operate the Leicester Park & Ride contract. From a batch of eight such buses that Roberts used on the contract Centrebus now has five of them. On my visit today I saw three of them (BU16 UWL/N/M). Busway service G has seven trips Monday to Saturday with hourly departures between 0858 and 1458 (out and back taking 41 minutes). Having just completed the 1158 trip the bus was loading as the 1245 Busway service E to Toddington via Dunstable and Houghton Regis.

Friday 14 April 2023 (1313) - The last of the seven buses that I rode on today on my outing to Luton and Dunstable was Arriva 3552 (KX09 GYB), an Alexander Dennis Enviro300 new in July 2009. This was the 1315 service 101 from Luton Interchange to Stevenage.

Friday 14 April 2023 (1107) – Arriva 4277 (GN14 DXV), a Wright StreetLite DF new in July 2014, seen at Luton Interchange. I sometimes find it a little difficult to follow the structure of Arriva’s British operations so am always apprehensive to use any subsidiary or regional titles in my descriptions for fear of error. This bus was based at Stevenage and so is part of Arriva Southern Counties (Arriva Kent Thameside Limited) but running into Luton it is seen in what is Arriva the Shires operating area.

Friday 14 April 2023 (1150) – Red Eagle Buses Limited of Dinton near Aylesbury GX57 BXH parked in Court Drive, Dunstable having arrived as the 1030 service 61 from Aylesbury. It would work the 1200 service 61 back tio Aylesbury. The journey takes 65 minutes. It is an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200 bodied Dart which had been new to Southdown PSV in January 2008. It had also been operated by Faresaver of Chippenham where it carried one of their cherished registrations FA54 VER representing the company name. In the background is the local Wetherspoons establishment named after Gary Cooper, the American movie star (1920s to 1950s) 'High Noon' etc etc. His father was brought up in Houghton Regis near Dunstable and emigrated to the United States in the late 1890s. His English mother wanted him to have an English education and so for a few years he attended Dunstable Grammar School later returning to the U.S.

Friday 14 April 2023 (1212) – High Street North, Dunstable. Left is Red Eagle Buses Limited of Dinton near Aylesbury LX11 AVV, an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D that had been new to Stagecoach East London (36265) in April 2011, working the 1205 service 34 from Dunstable (Asda) to St. Albans. Right is Arriva 3957 (KX12 GZU), a Wright Eclipse bodied Volvo B7RLE new in June 2012, working Busway service A to Luton and Luton Airport. Tucked in behind 3957 was similar bus 3896 (KX11 PZZ) working Busway service Z to Luton via Houghton Regis.

Friday 14 April 2023 (1212) – High Street North, Dunstable. Left is Red Eagle Buses Limited of Dinton near Aylesbury LX11 AVV, an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D that had been new to Stagecoach East London (36265) in April 2011, working the 1205 service 34 from Dunstable (Asda) to St. Albans. Two Arriva Wright Eclipse bodied Volvo B7RLEs follow on. They were 3957 (KX12 GZU) (new in June 2012) working Busway service A to Luton and Luton Airport and 3896 (KX11 PZZ) (new in August 2011) working Busway service Z to Luton via Houghton Regis.

Friday 14 April 2023 (1212) – Red Eagle Buses Limited of Dinton near Aylesbury LX11 AVV picking up in High Street North, Dunstable when working the 1205 service 34 from Dunstable (Asda) to St. Albans. It is an Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro200D that had been new to Stagecoach East London (36265) in April 2011.