Ensignbus is celebrating an important anniversary in 2024 with a bus branded in commemorative livery. Wrightbus-bodied Volvo B9TL LX15 GPY is marking 20 years since the start of route X80, nowadays running from Lakeside to Bluewater.
In January 2004 major work began on the Higham and Strood railway tunnels in Kent, which would take a year to complete. A rail replacement bus route ran between Gravesend and Strood. Four companies provided vehicles: Ensign, which co-ordinated operations, ASD Buses, Redroute Buses and The Kings Ferry. The X80 was introduced as a commercial route by Ensign, initially using vehicles travelling to and from its depot at Purfleet to be used on the rail replacement duties. These could take advantage of an exemption from Dartford Crossing charges for buses in service, which would not have been available otherwise.
The route was later cut back from Gravesend to Bluewater but is still going strong. LX15 GPY is painted in the commemorative livery which was used by all four companies for the rail replacement service, and made its debut at the Ensignbus Heritage Bus Running Day on 2 December, which saw classic buses running on four routes.
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Also at this event and back on the road after many years was 1966 AEC Routemaster RML 2396, registration JJD 396D, which is now a member of the Ensign private hire fleet. This was the first running day since Ensign was taken over by First earlier this year. Paul Dickson, Ensign’s Customer Services Manager, said: “Despite the cold weather and train strikes having some impact it was a really good event and we had a lots of positive feedback.”
