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Quality Line
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East Lancs Esteem at the Longcross bus rally in April 2007

Founded1980
Spun off from Epsom Coaches
HeadquartersEpsom
Service areaSurrey and South West London
Service typeBus services
Routes14 (London Buses)
5 (Non-London Buses)
Total: 19
DestinationsCobham, Epsom, Kingston, Dorking, Sutton & Morden
OperatorEpsom Coaches
Web sitewww.epsomcoaches.com
File:Quality Line Citaro.jpg

Mercedes-Benz O530 Citaro

Quality Line is the trading name of the bus division of Epsom Coaches,[1] and operates over 60 buses throughout the South London and Surrey area, with many under contract to Transport for London or Surrey County Council. On 20 April 2012 it was announced that the Epsom Coaches Group will be taken over by the RATP Group.[2] The company will operate as an independent division and the Epsom Coaches branding and Quality Line brand will continue.

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History[]

In the mid-1980s Epsom Coaches took advantage of the deregulation of the bus industry, and initially began operating hopper type services around the Epsom area.

Since 1997, Epsom Buses have expanded into the London Bus market initially winning the tenders for routes S1 and 413. Other London tenders were successfully tendered for including route 293.

In 2003, Epsom Coaches decided to rebrand its bus division as Quality Line and repainted its vehicles from their traditional cream and brown into all over red to comply with Transport for London contractual requirenments.

From July 2006 with the introduction of routes E15 and E16, Quality Line began to return to operating outside of London with buses in their traditional cream and brown livery, however since the displacement of Alexander bodied Darts from route S1, buses outside of London have been appearing in red once again. In late 2012 out of London buses were starting to appear in all over cream with burgundy flashes.

Until May 2007 the whole fleet consisted of only single decker buses. Since June 2007 Quality Line have operated Alexander Dennis Enviro400 double-deck vehicles on routes 406 and 418. A number of single decker Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart were delivered at the same time.

Garage[]

Quality Line operates one garage.

Epsom (EB)[]

Epsom garage operates 413 and S1

On 14 April 2012, Quality Line copmmenced operating route X26.[3]

On 30 June 2012, Quality Line gained the contract for route 465.[4][5]

On 12 October 2012, Quality Line took over the commercial operation of Surrey County Council route 479, from Countryliner, who had gone into administration earlier in the week. On 15 October a service registration by Sunray Travel was accepted by the regulator, while Quality Line's was not, so Quality Line ceased operating the route on 16 October 2012.[6]

Bus types in use[]

  • Mercedes Benz Citaro K 10.5m (MCL) for route 413
  • Optare MetroCity 9.9m (OM) for route S1


See also[]

References[]

  1. Companies House extract company no 281992 HR Richmond Limited
  2. RATP buys Epsom Coaches - busandcoach.com :: Bus and Coach Magazine
  3. Bus tender results Route X26 Transport for London 3 August 2011
  4. Bus tender results Route 465 Transport for London 3 August 2011
  5. Orders placed for new buses Epsom Coaches 12 October 2011
  6. Notices and Proceedings The Traffic Commissioner for the South Eastern and Metropolitan Area 26 October 2012

External links[]

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Template:London bus operators Template:Bus companies in South East England

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