Electric buses enter service on Dartford Fastrack network
A new fleet of electric buses has begun operating on Fastrack routes serving Dartford and nearby towns including Gravesend.
Kent County Council gave the contract to Go-Ahead last year after previous operator Arriva declined to bid on operating the service.
A total of 28 electric buses were due to enter service by April though the deadline has now been extended to July.
Go-Ahead recently sought planning permission for a new depot on Crossway Boulevard near the Dartford crossing.
Whether the company will make further attempts to compete with Arriva remains to be seen. Arriva often appear to be in managed decline across this part of Kent.
Fares for Fastrack have been held at £2. London buses also serve parts of the Dartford area where fares were frozen at £1.75. Arriva’s fares on their remaining few services locally reach up to £3.
Arriva woes
Arriva have also just announced more cuts and of those services that operate many finish early. One example is the 477 which stops just after 6pm. Cuts there will ensure “the section between Dartford and Bluewater, and Orpington to Orpington Station, will no longer operate.”
Considering they’ve long served areas seeing some of the UK’s highest housebuilding its impressive how they’ve squandered opportunities. Last week I looked at the many thousands of homes built or planned in the area when covering poor rail services to the Elizabeth line at Abbey Wood.
Issues such as the closure of Galley Hill Road havn’t helped but decline long pre-dates that. Combined poor services and high fares ensures Arriva appear ripe for replacement.
The new electric buses being introduced on to the fast track services in the Dartford are the same as the new ie tram style electric single decker buses recently introduced on to TFL bus service 358 between Orpington Station and Crystal Palace.
Ate Arriva planning to close their Dartford Garage as some routes have been awarded to Go Ahead London Central at Bexleyheatb Garage. Or are Arriva making room for new electric charging infrastructure to be installed for existing routes to be operated by electric buses in the future. Installing new electric charging infrastructure takes time and uses more space has buses need to be charged at charging points before being parked.
The tram buses mainly on the A route have been in service since end of April going into May.
Perhaps there should be a direct bus service to operate from Dartford to Thurrock Lakeside via the A282 Dartford Crossing and QEII Bridge. Just like the X80 bus that goes to Bluewater from Lakeside.
I would like to see the Dartford Fastrack to add a new route to Thurrock Lakeside via the A282 Dartford Crossing and QEII Bridge. Is the EnsignBus X80 still operating from Thurrock Lakeside to Bluewater?
I would also like to see the Dartford Fast Track services expanded to Lakeside via Dartford Tunnel and Queen Elizabeth Bridge. I would also like to see a service between Bexleyheath and Gravesend via Crayford and Dartford.
Arriva bus route 477 Orpington Station Bluewater could become a fast track route running more frequently on Monday to Saturdays.
I think there is a lot of scope for the Dartford Fast Track service to be expanded and improved now they are being operated by the Go Ahead Group..