Prepared on Notepad by Ian Smith,
This page created 6th November 2017.
Part10: 2016 onwardsThe Euro-II engined "spare" PVLs all had to come off TfL service by the end of March 2016. There were still early PVLs to be seen, with Camberwell's sizeable training fleet, plus those retained by commercial services for contract or railway replacement work. This included the remaining PVNs at Northumberland Park. There was a steady dribble towards Ensigns at Purfleet.Hybrid WHVs came into service at Merton, displacing PVLs from route 155. Dispersal of the PVLs was still slow, penny numbers transferring to Camberwell and Stockwell. This might have been as insurance until the new buses had been fully bedded in. Something different then happened. Some of Merton's redundant PVLs were moved to Croydon, which used 21 Scania Omnidekkas normally to operate route 64. The older PVLs used less fuel, and the Scanias were rapidly being removed from Croydon. The PVLs were also used on the 127, where some had once been on loan before. But they soon settled on the 64. But not for long, as Arriva took over the route in August 2016. They then had a holiday on the Isle of Wight before being split up between Belvedere and Stockwell. Also in spring 2016 Stockwell sent thirteen WVLs to Rainham to enhance East London routes EL1 and EL2. These came off Stockwell's 249 allocation, so Stockwell received twelve PVLs (378-389) in replacement, from Merton, to complete the last year of the contract until Arriva took over in April 2017.
Bexleyheath's Commercial operations continued to operate an outstation at Sittingbourne for South-Eastern trains using four or five of their allocation of PVLs. Bexleyheath's indigenous service PVLs continued to be loaned to Belvedere for forays on the 180 to Lewisham. In July Merton gained route 57, so made room by moving the 77 plus fifteen of its PVLs to Stockwell (plus some Es). Peckham surrendered its PVL329-342, used on the 363, in November, displaced by an influx of MHVs and EHs. They promptly went off to Ensign Bus, who took some of them into their operational fleet. 2017February 2017 saw New Cross lose all but two of its PVLs, when Borisbuses arrived to take on route 21, which allowed WVLs to oust the PVLs from the 321.March saw the Stockwell bunch displaced off the 249, and put into store or sold. Stockwell still had its route 77 contingent. In the summer Go-Ahead had a surplus of Citaro single-deckers, and decided that these could make a useful dual-purpose fleet, for commercial services, including railway replacements, and training. These began to displace the fleet of early PVLs from training duties at Camberwell, which went for sale. Merton also lost many of its PVLs during the summer, as they were replaced, in June and September mainly. After trying some out during the major hires season in May/June (Chelsea Flower Show, Wimbledon, Derby Day..) PVL390-396 were earmarked for replacing older PVLs from the commercial fleet. They were repainted and given electronic displays. Route 45 was lost to Abellio in November 2017, so Camberwell said farewell to its twenty-five PVLs, most of which had been there since new in 2003. They nearly all went to Ensign's and onward for scrap.
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