Buses in Basildon Buses in Basildon Basildon History Buses in Basildon Buses in Basildon
Basildon Bus Station
South Walk, Southernhay
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol KS5G
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 2300
Registration Number: DJN 554
Route Service Number: 241
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: October 1965
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: New in 1950 with ECW L27/28R body. Originally delivered to Westcliff-on-sea & seen leaving by the original western exit. Withdrawn 11/1967.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol KS5G
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 2269
Registration Number: ONO 78
Route Service Number: Unknown
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: August 1965
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: New in 1951 with ECW L27/28R body. Formerly numbered 1541 & withdrawn in 1967.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol LD5G
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 2527
Registration Number: 50 PPU
Route Service Number: 254
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: August 1967
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: New in 1959 with ECW H33/27R body. Formerly numbered 1558 & withdrawn in 1975.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol LD5G
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 2462
Registration Number: 324 GPU
Route Service Number: 244
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: September 1972
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: New in 1956 with ECW H33/27R body. Formerly numbered 3293 & withdrawn in 1973. Note the space now occupied by the Eastgate Indoor Shopping centre.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol FLF6B
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 1640
Registration Number: RWC 607
Route Service Number: X10
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: June 1963
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: FLF6B coach with ECW CH37/18F body new in 1963. Later renumbered 2604. Note the bus alight point Island, parallel with Southernhay & now the site of the taxi rank.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol FLF6G
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 2826
Registration Number: JHK 461C
Route Service Number: 147
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: 1970
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: New in 1965 with ECW H38/32F body & withdrawn in 1980. Note above the top deck windows, aluminium beading along the roofline. A significant feature of this bus was that it used much more glassfibre as an experiment - a foretaste of the future.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol FLF6G
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 2792
Registration Number: AVX 960B
Route Service Number: 2A
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: June 1970
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: New in 1964 with ECW H38/32F body. Originally numbered 1669 & withdrawn in 1979.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol FLF6G
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 2866
Registration Number: RVW 392D
Route Service Number: 400
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: 1971
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: New in 1966 with ECW H38/32F body. Withdrawn in 1971. Shortly afterwards this bus was exchanged with W.Alexander & Sons (Midland) for a Bristol VR.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol FLF6G
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 2814
Registration Number: GNO 790B
Route Service Number: 2
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: May 1971
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: New in 1964 with ECW H38/32F body. Withdrawn in 1980.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol FLF6G
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 2718
Registration Number: 98 TVX
Route Service Number: 259
Photographer: Chris Stewart
Year of photo: 5 September 1976
Copyright: Chris Stewart
Comments: New in 1960 with ECW H38/32F body. Originally numbered 1589 & withdrawn in 1977.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol FLF6B
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 2779
Registration Number: 992 KOO
Route Service Number: Not known
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: March 1977
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: New in 1963 with ECW H32/32F body. Originally numbered 1656 & withdrawn in 1978. Note the original wall mural above the shops.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol FLF6LX
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 2919
Registration Number: AEV 813F
Route Service Number: 26
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: August 1968
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: New in 1968 with ECW H40/30F body. Destroyed by fire at Prittlewell depot (Essex) 1981.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol FLF6LX
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 2887
Registration Number: WNO 975F
Route Service Number: 251
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: May 1970
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: New in 1967 with ECW H40/30F body & withdrawn in 1981.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol FLF6LX
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 2892
Registration Number: WNO 980F
Route Service Number: 151
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: August 1974
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: New in 1967 with ECW H40/30F body & withdrawn in 1981. Intermediate livery (NBC green/white) Yellow (Eastern National) above radiator.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol FLF6LX
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 2922
Registration Number: AEV 816F
Route Service Number: 2
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: May 1977
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: New in 1968 with ECW H40/30F body & withdrawn in 1981.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol FLF6LX
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 2894
Registration Number: WNO 982F
Route Service Number: 151
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: August 1980
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: New in 1967 with ECW H40/30F body & withdrawn in 1981.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol VRT/SL6LX
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 3000
Registration Number: CPU 979G
Route Service Number: X10
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: 1968
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: New in 1968 with ECW H39/31F body & withdrawn in 1986. The first VRT SL & was the chassis shown at the Earls Court Show in 1968. It is now preserved & privately owned by a bus enthusiast.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol VRT/SL6LX
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 3001
Registration Number: CPU 980G
Route Service Number: X10
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: March 1969
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: New in 1969 with ECW H39/31 body & withdrawn in 1986. Painted in duel-purpose livery.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol VRT
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 3019
Registration Number: SMS 45H
Route Service Number: 400
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: September 1971
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: Swopped in a deal involving 15 FLFs with W.Alexander & Sons (Midland). Seen with interim scrolls (no numbers) in Alexander blue livery.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol VRT
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 3008
Registration Number: SMS 34H
Route Service Number: 400
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: September 1972
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: Swopped for FLFs, seen here after re-paint into NBC green/white livery, but missing the NBC-style fleetnames and grey wheels.
Basildon Bus Station
Location: Basildon Bus Station
Bus Type: Bristol VRT
Bus Operator: Eastern National
Fleet Number: 3005
Registration Number: LFS 287F
Route Service Number: 400
Photographer: Bill Cansick
Year of photo: April 1974
Copyright: W.T. Cansick
(Paul Harrison Collection)
Comments: ENOC VRT in NBC green/white livery, ex Eastern Scottish AA287, with curiously small "T" box front destination box fitted by ENOC.
All photos and information appear courtesy of
The History of Southend Corporation Transport website.
No unauthorised use is permitted - see website link above for more information.

Abbreviations:
ENOC; Eastern National Omnibus Company, ECW; Eastern Coach Works (Lowestoft, Suffolk).
Bus Type Codes:
KSW5G=kchassis Short Wide 5 cylinder Gardner engine.
LD5G=Lodekka 5 cylinder Gardner engine.
FLF6B=Flat floor Long Forward 6 cylinder Bristol engine.
FLF6G=Flat floor Long Forward 6 cylinder Gardner engine.
FLF6LX=Flat floor Long Forward 6 cylinder Leyland engine.
VRT=Vertical Rear-engine Transverse.

Basildon Bus Station
In 1958 development of Basildon town centre was well under way with the first shops opening later that year. Bus services up to then had operated routes on existing pre-new town roads and the few new roads either completed or under development, without being able to serve the town centre directly.
Following the completion of Whitmore Way and Southernhay, from May 4th 1958 service numbers 243, 244, 254 & 255 all had their routes extended to become the first services to use the new bus station in Southernhay.
At the same time with Roundacre roundabout now operational the 244 route was extended again, during peak hours, to Laindon Railway station via the newly opened Laindon Link, thus becoming the first cross-town service.

Initially the passenger pick up point consisted of a double parallel island arrangement with buses entering from the eastern end. The South Walk pedestrianised shopping walk was at that time still under construction, with the parallel bus bay only partially developed against the entire length of South Walk.
During mid 1966 to August, the bus station was completely rebuilt and extended as one large bay. This meant the end of the double parallel arrangement - although a paved parallel section was retained, which some services would still continue to use for many years. Increased services and coaches had necessitated this work and the new 20 bay 'saw tooth' layout, numbered A - V (no letter I or O bays), with buses now entering from the western end has remained ever since.
Much later, further development of the waiting area resulted in a new closed in weatherproof design, with the only other change being the single parallel island section now given over to a re-sited taxi rank in the late 1990s.


Text written 2002 with revisions 2002-2006.
Copyright © 2002-2006, Basildon History Online. All rights reserved.

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