Boro'line (London)

Boro'line (London) describes the London operations of the former municipal bus company Boro'line Maidstone. Boro'line Maidstone was the arms length bus company of Maidstone Borough Council. Seeking to expand its business it saw the new system of tendering for London Bus routes as a prime opportunity for expansion.

It experienced initial rapid success, gaining and operating some of the first services to be contracted out by London Transport (later Transport for London), in the Bexleyheath area of South East London. Later services reached Greenwich, Stratford and Euston. However, the company quickly encountered problems, and on 17 February 1992 sold its London operations to Kentish Bus. Two days later, Boro'line was placed into administration.

Boro'line Maidstone were eventually sold to Maidstone & District in May 1992 after financial difficulties in the main caused by expansion into London.

History
Boro'line exploited the deregulated market to tender for several London bus routes, with the first contracts being won in 1987. In January 1988 Boro'line started its London operations with Bexley based routes from a Bexley council site in Crayford. Another site in Greenwich later came into use for two Greenwich services working into Euston, Stratford and Lewisham. Contracts were won initially in competition with the London Buses low cost Bexleybus unit. Further routes in the area were gained after being given up by the poorly performing strike prone Bexleybus operation.

Routes awarded were operated with a mixture of purposely ordered new buses, and second hand vehicles. The large orders were in marked contrast to the piecemeal fleet replacement in Maidstone. Boro'line's bright blue livery contrasted with the traditional red of London Buses in the centre of the capital. Later tenders, well after the demise of Boro'line, would see a condition of contracts for a majority red livery. Additionally, while waiting for new deliveries of buses for its tenders, a motley crew of second hand buses were hired or bought to operate in the meantime, a large number being ex-Ipswich Atlanteans, bringing more odd bus types and liveries to London.

Routes
The following London bus routes had been operated by Boro'line:
 * 108
 * 132
 * 188
 * 228/328 Circular
 * 233
 * 272
 * 422
 * 492

In 1990 Boro'line lost the tender for route 188 to Selkent due to performance issues.

Vehicles
The vehicle batches used in London were as follows:


 * Double-deck buses
 * 1989 built Alexander RV-bodied Volvo Citybuses
 * 1976 built Alexander AV-bodied Volvo Ailsa B55s (ex-Tayside)
 * 1988 built Optare-bodied Leyland Olympians
 * 1991 built Northern Counties-bodied Leyland Olympians
 * 1988 built Alexander RH-bodied Scania N112


 * Single-deck buses
 * 1978 built Leyland Nationals (ex London LS class)
 * 1989 built Leyland Lynxes
 * 1991 built Leyland Lynxes

Boro'line also used liveried vans as crew transfer vehicles. Upon sale of the London operations, all vehicles purchased specifically for London contracts passed to Kentish Bus. Some of the second hand vehicles used were moved to Maidstone. Ironically some of the London Lynxes later found their way into Maidstone & District colours and then passed into Arriva Southern Counties Kent and Sussex division.

One of the London Scania N112s met an ignominious end in Dublin.