London

First is a UK-based international passenger transport group and the UK's largest bus operator. It is also one of the largest train operators - running nearly one fifth of the UK rail network, and a major provider of transportation across the United States. In order to make it easier to find the information you require, we have split the London history into several sections.

Company background

First's operations in London came about after the acquisitions of Capital Citybus and CentreWest. Both companies share the same management in certain areas, but operate as separate legal entities. The companies are subsidiaries of FirstGroup plc, who purchased CentreWest on 26th March 1997 and Capital Citybus on July 7th 1998. Both companies had been previously owned by their management.

First Capital can trace its history back to Ensign Bus Services Ltd of Purfleet, who operated sightseeing tours of London in this newly-deregulated environment. Other local bus operations also followed including the operation of LT bus services under contract when tendering commenced in 1985. In 1989 the LT contracted bus services were transferred to a new facility at Dagenham, Essex, and in 1990 this now self-contained operation (without the sightseeing business) was sold to CNT Holdings Ltd, Hong Kong. The company operated as Ensign Citybus but during 1992 a new image, revised livery and new trading name of Capital Citybus was introduced. From 1995 to 1998 the company was owned by its management team.

First CentreWest was purchased from London Buses by its management on 2nd September 1994. The new independent CentreWest begun to grow and in 1995 was awarded contracts for bus services in the Orpington area. Then, in 1996, the company purchased Beeline and London Buslines from Q-Drive, bringing with it more London tendered bus services, plus bus networks in the Slough and Bracknell areas. Centre West's fleet carried local fleet names, including Gold Arrow, Orpington Buses, Ealing Buses, Uxbridge Buses and Challenger. These along with First Capital's fleet name have been replaced by First branding. Both companies mainly provide bus services on behalf of Transport for London.

On 8th December 2007 our Orpington operation was transferred to Metrobus.