The Big one Post: 100th London Bus Moquettes Over The Years By Jibran, George, Naeem, Lawrence & Lhuan

Well after months on end work, we have managed to compile the last remaining bits of our 100th post. As I reflect on the last 6 months that the blog has been open, I would like to thank the following people who without them, we would not be here today: Rhys Daniel, David Mckay, Jamaal Wilson, Neil Gordhan and Lewis Nagle and many more for their support and constant advice towards the blog.


Over the years, London's Bus Companies have changed their seating styles and moquettes to suit passenger comfort. Either their preferable design stays or companies merge and standardise their moquettes throughout the fleet. So we have dedicated this post solely on the different moquettes that London's Bus Companies have used on their buses over the years, ranging from the late 90s to present.

We have tried to include as many as possible, but in some minor cases we have been unable to fully provide every moquette due to practical reasons.

                     The Former Transdev Group (London United & London Sovereign)

We firstly start with London United which date back to the late 90s.

The year is 1998, and London United are coming to terms with their recent purchase of the company of Transdev, a French group who are wanting to make there mark in the UK transport system. Their tactic is to buy out London United Busways who are failing to make profits at the time.
Transdev saw them as a an easy target to try and fix up and make their mark on their International agenda. However, Transdev were leaving London United to continue normally with their sister company London Sovereign, who were unaware of what was to come in the near future.

As London United were continuing as normal, purchasing of buses and their seat moquettes were still in the original standard that they had specified them to be which can be shown below:

You can find this moquette on some Poineters
(Y Reg and Below) aswell as V/W Reg VAs and the unrefurbed 51reg TAs

This can be found on the 52 reg VAs, un-refurbished or repainted 02, 03reg
 TAs and Unrefurboshed or Repainted 51,02 and 03reg Pointers

We now skip to the year 2003, and Transdev have just purchased LU's sister company London Sovereign who were part of Blazefield group. A bus company in Yorkshire, which was also sold to Transdev.

Blazefield owned London Sovereign at the time, and were also converted to Transdev operation and from that point, Transdev started to standardise their moquettes on their buses as shown below:

This Moquette can be found on any un-refurbished LS or LU
bus which is from 53 onward until 08reg.
The last buses to be ordered with this before
this moquette made a short disappearance
were the 56reg SPs. This Moquette  then made
a return in 2011 on the DLEs for the 423 and H98
 the OTs for the H37 and the ADHs for the 94

The 'Transdev Group' decided to stick with the moquette featured above up, until mid 2008 when they switched to the next moquette, which was used before in buses during the enviromental services group.

Veolia merged with Transdev in the summer of 2009, with this moquette used until London United was sold to the RATP group in 2010. However, Transdev operations offically ceased in Spring 2011 and this moquette was continued by both London United and London Sovereign.

This is one of the moquettes LU and LS used when owned by Transdev.
This can be found on the 08, 58, 09 DEs and SDEs and Scania Omnicities
above 08reg and buses that were refurbed after
 this moquette started being used until Transdev sold London United to
RATP Group a company who own shares in Transdev/Veolia

This Moquette can be found on LS's 11 reg DEs

This Can Be Found on MCLs 1 - 7 that operate on the 203

Abellio London 

In 1996, a small bus company was created as a small subsidary of the French group (Veolia Enviromental Services Group). The name was Connex and they had recived a few London Bus Contracts here and there, until they won the contract for the high profile route: 3. In 1999, London Central and they ordered a batch of 30 9.9m Trident/ALX400s with the moquette shown below on the seats.

This can be found on the ex tridents for the 3 and tridents for the 211 and 157

In 2004, National Express Group created the Travel London Group in which they purchased the Connex Group.

All future buses and re-furbished buses now had the moquette shown below. In 2005, Travel London purchased the London Bus Subsidary of Telling's Golden Miller who ran routes in the south west of London.

They rolled out their logo on most buses but some of TGM's buses retained the original livery.
TGM Moquette:

this moquette can be found on some darts left at Hayes (WS)

Travel London Moquette Below:

This Moquette can be found on any unrefurbished
bus up to mid 2009 so such as the 56 reg E400s for the 452 

In 2009 National Express sold Travel London to the Abellio Group as subisdary of NS Dutch Railways based in the Netherlands and the moquette used from then on was the one below which is actually a former National Express one.

This can be found on newer buses and some of older ones.
(09reg and newer and DDs refurbed from 09reg Onwards
and 09reg and newer and SDs refurbed from 09reg onwards.
 Oddly enough, Abellio Greater Anglia (Formerly NXEA) Class 379 trains use this moquette.
It seem that NX and Abellio still have close ties

First London

First London entered the London Bus Market in 1997, after aquiring two companies based in the complete opposite sides of London. These were Centrewest and Capital Citybus based in the West and East of London, this gave them an advantage... they were able to purchase many routes in the centro and outskirts of London giving them an advantage amongst other companies. This tactic worked, leading to major breakthroughs and winning more, and more routes. Most of First's route were won buy this tactic. Recently, First London started to lose profit, and were forced to sell one of the main garages (Northumberland Park) to Go-Ahead London.

First up we have the old moquette which was featured on buses up until 2007

First London's Old Moquette

The moquette featured below was used exclusively on the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Citaros allocated to route 25 although they were TFL funded and designed FirstBus owned the route at that period so we thought the TFL designed moquette should be put here.

This moquette used to be found on the Fuel Celled Citaros on route 25. Sadly these have been Withdrawn. One is At LTMs Acton Depot currently

The moquette below is currently used on all First Buses from 2007. First wanted to keep a momentum original moquette, so used the ideas of random lines, but this time with a purple background with blue and light purple lines.

Current First London Moquette

 Stagecoach London/ ELBG (East London Bus Group)

Stagecoach London was formed in 1989 as a subsidary of London buses.

In 1989, Stagecoach ordered their first ever ALX400 bodied Trident (known now as TA1). This kick started their craze for tridents from then on they contained the moquette below.

This can be found on all of Stagecoach's
Unrefurbed Buses that are X reg and older
Including TA1

In 2001, Stagecoach opted for a new moquette which is featured below. It was used all the way up to 2006. It depicts the "Stagecoach Swirls livery" in which Stagecoach use for their out of London Operations.

This can be found on all of Stagecoach's Buses
 Younger than X reg excluding ELBG and Selkent buses and buses that
were refurbished under ELBG and Selkent

In 2006, Stagecoach sold their London operations to Maquire BANK  PLC. Under Maquire parenting the name was changed to ELBG and buses were changed to an allover red livery that TFL were in favour for and to show that it ties with stagecoach were fully broken this moquette was added.

This one is from when ELBG ran Stagecoach services. It
 can be found on new and refurbished buseswhen under
ELBG ownership. The Selkent and Thameside
 buses have the same moquette on their new
and refurbished buses when ELBG owned them

In October 2010 Stagecoach Purchased ELBG and Selkent back of Maquire BANK PLC  and Changing the name Back to Stagecoach but retaining the allover red livery and reverting the moquettes back to the one that included the "Swirls"

In January 2012, Stagecoach put their first ever Hybrid Enviro 400s into service. These buses have a styled interior to suit the green eco theme of the buses including a green variation of the Stagecoach Moquette

This Moquette can be found on the Hybrids for the
15 at Bow garage  (C) Rhys Daniel

Arriva London
Arriva London as we know it today is split into two Subsidarys Arriva London North and Arriva London South. Founded in 1997, from two companies: Grey Green and Cowie Leaside.
the earliest buses with the moquette feautured below are the S reg DLAs

this moquette can be found on any unrefurbished
 Arriva London bus up until 2009

In 2009 with a convert to an allover red livery also came with a moquette upgrade so from then on refurbishments and new buses were given this moquette.

This can be found on any bus new or  refurbished from 2009 onwards

Arriva Shires & Essex (Garston only)

Garston is the only Garage in the Arriva Shires & Essex subsidiary to operate London routes.

although some of the buses there use both moquettes above some DLAs and S reg Pointer darts contain the moquette featured below

The Arriva Shires moquettes have now been
discontinued as it was found on
their  post 03 reg ALX400s or  S reg Darts. 

NB4L

The NB4L moquette, this is classed as Arriva because the NB4L will operate on

route 38 from Victoria-Hackney Central.

One of the moquettes on the seats on the NB4L

The other Moquette on the NB4L. 

The Wheelchair Backrest Moquette on the NB4L

Go-Ahead London

Go Ahead in the late 80's, were a small company based in the North East of England, who then later in 1994 purchased London Bus Subsidiary London Central.
Later in 1996, they purchased the privatised company which is London General forming the Go-Ahead London Group. The moquette featured below was featured on all buses ordered by these companies until 2008.

London General and London Central's old Moquette can
be found on their old buses and the ones that are not refurbed.

Within the period of 1999 and 2009, GAL managed to purchase four more companies -
Metrobus (1999) Docklands Buses (2006) Blue Triangle (2007) East Thames Buses (2009)

GAL's Current Moquette can be found on all
 New and Refurbished buses from 06 onwards apart from Metrobus.
This moquette may also be put on the buses run from NP.

Docklands Buses (part of GAL now Purchased in 2006)
Docklands Buses gained the first contract in 2002, for route 167 and then soon others such as the 549 they used MCV Evolution bodied Dart 4s. The moquette used below featured on all buses up until 2006

This moquette can be found only on the MCV Evoultions for the 549

Blue Triangle (Part of GAL now Purchased in 2007)
Blue Triangle was formed in the late 80s early 90s they ran mostly Essex routes, they were know to provide cover sevices such as when Easylink went bust in 2002 as Blue Triangle were drafted in to provide the service for route 185. they operated a few minor routes in East London including the 103 using Presidents with the moquette below,  

This moquette can be found on any
unrefurbished Blue triangle bus up to 2007

The Mouqette featured below is the one used for the East London Transit routes EL1 & EL2  which both run from Ilford  to Thames View Estate (Route EL1) or Dagenham Docks (Route EL2) they replaced route 369 on the 20th February 2010. The routes  are operated by Blue Triangle using WVL class buses  in a special livery from their Rainham Garage 

East London Transit moquette, this can be found
on the East London transit branded WVLs

East Thames Buses ( Purchased in 2009)

East Thames was a government owned (TFL) company. It was formed in 1999 to take over Harris Bus who collapsed. Later on it took over the 42 & 185 from also failed London Easylink. They also operated new route 393 which was won because no other company wanted it. It has since been re-tendered to Arriva London. In October 2009 Go Ahead London Gained Aast Thames buses along with Mandela Way and Belvedere bus garages

                                                                       Metroline








Metroline as we know it today was really estsablished in 1999 once the purchase of MTL London Northern had settled in Metroline purchased some 9.9m Plaxton President bodied Tridents with the moquette featured below these moquette has never been altered and is a symbol of Metroline 

Metroline's moquette. Can be found on all buses except
the DELs for Metroline's Commercial Routes 84 and 242
or any unrefurbished bus when under Armchair or Thorpes operation

Thorpes (Part of Metroline)

Thorpes were formed in 1998 running only 4 London bus routes including routes:143/326 and 210 all terminating at Brent cross. With Garages in Perivale and Wembley in 2004 Metroline saw an opportunity to buy out the company along with its garages and routes allowing Metroline to expand.

This Moquette was used by the Long forgotten DLF classed buses.
Yes the moquette is similar to Blue Triangle's and the former TGM one

Armchair (Part of Metroline)

Armchair along with Thorpes was sold to Metroline in 2004 with their Brentford Garage Metroline fully took over in 2007 and the livery was changed from Armchair's Orange and Black to Metroline's Blue and red skirt.

Armchair used two Moquettes both featured below

This can be found on DP37 (the last DP at AH and any darts that appear on the 232)

This Moquette can be found on the DPs that operate
on the 234 (DP1000 -DP1014 Excluding DP1007 which can be seen on the 232)

Quality Line (Epsom Buses)
Quality Line is the bus division of Epsom Coaches group, they run routes in the South London and Surrey areas from their Epsom (EB) garage

This Moquette can be found on every bus in the fleet

Sullivan Buses 
Sullivan Buses are well known in London for providing Rail Replacement services and operating Hertforshire county council routes but on the 4th of February Sullivan Buses Entered the London bus market with the contract win of route 298 on the 4th of February 2012 from their South Mimms garage (SM)

this Moquette can be found on the AEs for the 298

CT Plus
CT Plus won their first contract for route the 153 in 2001 from their Ash Grove (HK) garage.
throughout their 11 years of sevice they have changed their moquette three times they are features below

this moquette can be found on Tridents for the 388 and other various single deckers  at HK

this moquette can be sen on the OSs for the 309 and W5
and the East Lancs bodied Tridents for the 388

This moquette can be found on the OSs
for the W12 and Scanias for the 212 ECT

METROBUS

Metrobus are an operator based in South East London with routes in Kent,Croydon and Orpington. Founded in 1983 and later aquired by Go Ahead in 1999 but still operate under the Metrobus name

their London operations used the moquette below until 2009

This Moquette can be found on any
unrefurbished bus from 1999 up to 2009

This Moquette can be found on any refurbished bus
 or any new Bus Metrobus have ordered from 09 onwards

Well, all the team thank all you guys for reading this post.
Please comment below!

Also, If there are any errors, please tell us by commenting below and we will correct them

It has been an amazing 6 months, and hopefully we will have a successful future!!