Blog Update

It has been decided to move this blog to a Facebook group to allow more people to connect. This blog will be kept for archive purposes, but we will restart all tendering on the new Facebook group. Here is a link to our new Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/902415333184329/?fref=ts. We look forward to you joining us on Facebook!

An introduction to Chancellors Travel

                                                             Our history:

 Chancellors Travel is a small bus and coach company based in Knockholt, Kent running some TfL school routes, private hire coaches and Commercial routes in Kent. The company was established in 1986, specialising in private hire coaching, before expanding into commercial bus services in the 1990's. The company has come a long way since 1986, when it was established with 2 coaches, to a modern fleet of 130 buses and 10 coaches. The company currently comprises of Chancellors Travel, and also Western Greyhound and sussexbus, both of which were purchased in December 2014.

Our routes:

 Chancellors Travel currently runs the following routes:

 10 - Sevenoaks to Tunbridge Wells (Commercially run)

 20 - Sevenoaks to Strood (Commercially run)

 30 - Sevenoaks to Orpington (Commercially run)

 40 - Sevenoaks to Bluewater (Commercially run)

 50 - Sevenoaks to Redhill (Commercially run)

 594 - London Victoria to Edinburgh (Run on behalf of National Express Coaches)

 654 - Priory School to Addington Village (Run on behalf of Transport for London)

 664 - Charles Darwin School to New Addington (Run on behalf of Transport for London)

Western Greyhound currently runs the following routes:
 510 - Exeter to Newquay

520 -	St Austell to Truro
521	- Newquay to St Austell
522	- St Austell to Truro
524	- Fowey to Heligan Gardens
525 -	Fowey to Mevagissey
527 -	Newquay to Eden Project
529 -	St Austell to Bodmin
550 -	Truro to St Mawes
551 -	Truro to Veryan
555 -	Bodmin Parkway to Padstow
556 -	Newquay to Padstow
558 -	Newquay to Pentire
584 -	Wadebridge to Camelford
586 -	Newquay to Truro
587 -	Newquay to Truro
593 -	Plymouth to Newquay
594 -	Wadebridge to Truro
595 -	Wadebridge to Bude
597 -	Newquay to Truro

sussexbus currently runs the following routes:

17A - Henfield to Horsham

31 - Bolnore to Heathfield

33 - Haywards Heath to Brighton

37 - Haywards Heath to Crawley

39 - Haywards Heath Town Service

40 - Cuckfield to Brighton

40X - Haywards Heath to Brighton

134 - Burgess Hill Town Service

331 - Sayers Common to Downlands School

619 - Houghton to Steyning

SH1 - Partridge Green to Chichester

                                                                       Our fleet:

Our fleet has come a long way since the two Leyland Tigers acquired in 1986 for private hire. From the acquisition of new Volvo Olympians in the 1990's to new Dennis Dart's in the 2000's and new Caetano Levante bodied Scanias for use on our National Express route 594 in 2007, we have invested heavily in the fleet to ensure a modern fleet. In 2012 we bought 4 new Gemini 2's with a Volvo B9TL chassis, 1 Mercedes Citaro and also 2 Gemini 2's with a Volvo B5LH chassis, for which we received some Green Bus Fund money. One is used on TfL school service whilst the other is used on our flagship route 10. We have commited to upgrading the fleet at sussexbus and Western Greyhound, and so far we have bought and placed into service 4 10.8 metre Enviro 200's for use on route 40 and 3 11.4 metre Enviro 400's for use on route 40X at sussexbus, as well as purchasing 21 brand new 8.9 metre Enviro 200's to replace Mercedes Beavers at Western Greyhound. All vehicles purchased for use at sussexbus and Western Greyhound have been ordered to a high specifaction including ultra low emission Euro 6 engines, high backed Lazzerini seating, power sockets, audio-visual announcements, power sockets and free wifi. So far, the entire commercial fleet at Chancellors Travel and the entire fleet at Western Greyhound and sussexbus have been fitted with free wifi.

                                                                       Our future:

Our future here at Chancellors Travel currently looks very bright with the win of TfL routes 61, 314, 336, 352, 353, 354, 636 and 638 for which we are ordering new 10.5 metre B5LH/Gemini 3's for use on routes 61, 353, 636 and 638, new 8.9 metre Enviro 200's for use on routes 336 and 354, new 10.8 metre Enviro 200's for use on route 352 and new virtual electic Volvo 7900H's for use on route 314, with overhead charging points at New Addington and Eltham Station. We are also planning new commercial coach services under the Western Greyhound banner, more news on that soon. Below is the some more info of new routes we will be taking on for Transport for London.

Route 61 - Bromley North to Chislehurst

Route 314 - Eltham Station to New Addington

Route 336 - Locksbottom to Catford

Route 352 - Lower Sydenham to Bromley North

Route 353 - Ramsden Estate to Addington Village

Route 354 - Penge to Bromley North

Route 636 - Kemnal College to Coney Hall

Route 638 - Coney Hall to Kemnal College

We hope to expand so watch out for one of our vehicles near you soon!

Bennfield goes on the buses!

Bennfield Group has entered the bus industry with the purchase of two bus companies, London Buslines for £1 million and Arriva Buses Wales for £25 million. We plan to brand London Buslines as Bennfield London, and Arriva Buses Wales as Cymru & District. As part of this expansion, Bennfield will be ordering some new buses to improve these operations, and also as part of London Busline' contract wins of route 16, 32, 102, 139, 160, 189 and 321.

130 hybrid Enviro 400 MMC's with a Volvo B5LH chassis for routes 16, 32, 102, 139 and 189 from North Kensington garage and for route 321 from Lewisham garage.

16 diesel Enviro 400 MMC's for route 160 from Lewisham garage.

5 diesel Enviro 200's for Cymru & District

We hope to expand in this industry

Rail franchise result

London Midland franchise
Awarded to Hope Group plc

Anglian franchise

Awarded to Bennfield Group ltd

Great Western franchise

Awarded to Bennfield Group ltd

Scotrail franchise

Awarded to Bennfield Group ltd
More news soon

Rail franchise shortlist and update

*FRANCHISE NEWS* Capital Transport Services winning bids for the TSGN, ICEC, and ICWC franchises has been sold to shipping company Bennfield. More news soon.
London Midland franchise
Hope London Midland
Abellio London Midland
Scotrail franchise
Bennfield Scotrail
Abellio Scotrail
Govia Scotrail
Anglian franchise
Abellio Anglia
Bennfield Anglia
Hope Anglia
Great Western franchise
First Great Western
Bennfield Great Western

New TfL tenders

Tranche 30
Route 16
Metroline
London Buslines
22
25
New flywheel hybrid double deckers
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Route 32
Metroline
London Buslines
17
19
New flywheel hybrid double deckers
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Route 102
Arriva London
London Buslines
25
27
New flywheel hybrid double deckers
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Route 139
Metroline
London Buslines
20
22
New flywheel hybrid double deckers
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Route 189
Metroline
London Buslines
18
20
New flywheel hybrid double deckers
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Route 316
Metroline
Hope Buses
17
20
Existing diesel single deckers
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Tranche 31
Route 53
Hope Buses
Hope Buses
26
28
Existing diesel double deckers
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Route 108
London Central
Hope Buses
14
19
New diesel single deckers
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Route 160
Capital Logistics
London Buslines
11
14
New diesel double deckers
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Route 162
Hope Buses
Hope Buses
8
10
New diesel single deckers
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Route 178
Hope Buses
Hope Buses
8
10
New battery hybrid single deckers
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Route 202
Capital Citybus
Hope Buses
14
20
New battery hybrid double deckers
New contract will see the route extended to North Greenwich and to West Croydon
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Route 291
Hope Buses
Hope Buses
6
8
Existing diesel single deckers
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Route 321
London Central
London Buslines
19
25
New flywheel hybrid double deckers
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Route 336
Hope Buses
Chancellors Travel
7
8
New diesel single deckers
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Tranche 32
Route 37
London Central
Hope Buses
19
30
New battery hybrid double deckers and existing diesel double deckers
New contract will see the route extended to Richmond, seeing the route 337 withdrawn
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Route 44
Hope Buses
Hope Buses
20
22
Existing diesel double deckers
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Route 77
Hope Buses
Hope Buses
17
20
Existing diesel double deckers
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Route 220
London United
Hope Buses
28
34
New battery hybrid double deckers
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015
Route 270
Hope Buses
Hope Buses
13
16
Existing diesel double deckers
New contract begins on the 29th of August 2015