‘Scene’ at Nottingham’s Victoria Bus Station

Todays bus station was built on the site upon which Nottingham’s Victoria Railway Station used to stand.

 

 

The railway station was designed by Albert Lambert who coincidentally designed Nottingham’s other railway major railway station for the Midland Railway.

 

The land for the station was bought at enormous expense and required the demolition of over 1,000 houses and a couple of dozen pubs.

 

Some 600,000 cubic yards of spoil were removed creating a large hole in which the station was built. Access for trains was via tunnels cut in the Northern and Southern ends.

 

Owned by the Great Central and Great Northern Railways it was eventually opened in May 1900.

 

Some of the brickwork that supported the sides of the ‘hole’ is still readily visible today.

 

The multi-storey car park sits on what would have been ballast, trackwork and platforms etc.

 

 

At the Northern end can be seen the boarded up entrance to Mansfield Road tunnel.

The station was closed in September 1967 and the building of The Victoria Centre and flats was commenced.

 

The only part of the station that was not demolished was the Clock Tower (which still tells the correct time) and this was incorporated in the design of the centre.

 

There are a total of 10 bays serving routes provided by ‘trentbarton’ (tb) and ’Stagecoach’.

YX65 ZHM ‘trentbarton’ 82 Volvo B11R / Plaxton Elite.

 

Working on the ‘red arrow’ service that operates every 10 minutes during the day from Derby to Nottingham.

 

New in October 2015.

 

BF65 WLE ‘trentbarton’ 770 Volvo 8R / Wright Eclipse 3. 

Working on ‘tb’s ‘the ‘two’ from Cotmanhay and Ilkeston.

 

Also new in October 2015.

 

YJ12 GVE ‘trentbarton’ 997 Optare Solo Electric.

 

Working on the cross city ‘centrelink’ service that links the ‘Victoria Bus Station’ with the ‘Broadmarsh Bus Station’ via the city centre.

 

FN04 HSE ‘trentbarton’ 655 Scania L94UB / Wright Solar Urban.

Helping out on the ‘centrelink’ on one of the times when a dedicated Electric Solo is not available.

 

It should be noted that although many ‘tb’ vehicles share the same dark red ‘fleet’ livery that there are many ‘sub  liveries’ in use on the side panels.

 

YJ14 BTF ‘trentbarton’ 837 Optare Versa.

 

Working a ‘rainbowone’ service to Alfreton. (my italics)

 

The ‘rainbowone’ is a group of routes to Nottingham worked from the towns of Alfreton, Heanor and Ripley in Derbyshire which all work seperately into Eastwood in Nottinghamshire. 

 

From there they provide a 10 minute headway service ito Nottingham.

 

YJ14 BSO ‘trentbarton’ 850 Optare Versa.

 

Arriving on a ‘rapidone’ service.

 

The ‘rapidone’  works in conjunction with the ‘rainbowone’ from Ripley only as  far as Langley Mill from where it runs as an express service into Nottingham.

 

This gives the residents of Ripley the choice of a fast direct or slow (via Eastwood) service into Nottingham.

 

YJ12 PKO ‘trentbarton’ 826 Optare Versa.

Working on ‘the threes’ service.

 

A group of routes called A, B and C that all work in they same way from Mansfield to Sutton in Ashfield.

 

After where they diverge to serve a variety of different communuties before reaching Nottingham.

 

X628 ERB ‘trentbarton’ 428 Optare Solo.

 

Deputising for a route branded Optare Versa on a ‘three’s working.

 

FX09 DCU ‘Stagecoach East Midland’ 22775 MAN 18.240LF / ADLtd Enviro 300.

 

Working in on the jointly operated (with trentbarton’ ‘Pronto’ service from Chesterfield.

 

Both companies vehicles share the same livery.

 

FJ55 AAF ‘trentbarton’ 671 Scania L94UB /  Wright Solar Urban.

Deputising for a route branded vehicle on the ‘Pronto’ into Chesterfield.

 

 

SK63 ATO ‘Stagecoach East Midland’ 37005 Dennis Dart SLF / ADLtd. Enviro 200.

On a short ‘Pronto’ working terminating in Mansfield.

 

Interestingly carrying branding for the ‘Mansfield Move’ which was the opening of the new bus station in Mansfield that took place 3 years ago this year.

 

 

FJ08 VPY ‘Stagecoach East Midland’ 36006 Dennis Dart SLF / ADLtd Enviro 200,

 

Carrying route branding for the ‘Sherwood Arrow’ which sees alternate hourly services going from Nottingham to Worksop and Retford.

 

One of the outstanding scenic journeys in the East Midlands.

 

 

FX61 HGG ‘Stagecoach East Midland’ 27761 ‘Dennis Enviro 300 / Alexander Enviro 300’.

 

‘Stagecoach’s fleet list gives this description..

 

Working a ‘Sherwood Arrow’ service.

 

M130 PRA ‘trentbarton’ 130 Volvo B10B / Northern Counties Paladin.

 

A link with the past is this Volvo B10B with Northern Counties Paladin bodywork working as a driver trainer in the ‘Wellglade’ fleet.

 

Quite possibly the last bus carrying the traditional ‘Trent’ livery of red and cream.

 

The ‘Trent’ fleetname is just decipherable below the windscreen.