Current depots
First Essex operates four bus depots in the cities ofBasildon (BN)
History
Basildon depot is located on Cherrydown East, near toChelmsford (CF)
History
When the old Duke Street bus depot/bus station was demolished in autumn 2004, operations moved to a new site at Westway. The site was redeveloped, with a new and much reduced bus station opening in March 2007. Chelmsford had outstations atColchester (CR)
History
The garage in Quayside is the main garage in Colchester. It was built in 2016 to replace the old garage on Queen Street, which was on the site of the Theatre Royal that burned down circa 1917. Buses were kept in the old Colchester Corporation tram shed at Magdalen Street after it was vacated by Network Colchester in 2006. This ceased in July 2009 when the yard next door was used instead, also previously occupied by Network Colchester. First had another Colchester site at Haven Road, which was mainly used for engineering. This has since been bought by a local company that is not transport orientated; in 2015, First demolished the old timber yard (its former use) and built a new bus garage. Until 1973, Eastern National had a one bus outstation atHadleigh (HH)
Hadleigh garage operates routes: 20, 21/C, 22, 27/A,63, 28 and school services 820, 822 and 827.History
Hadleigh garage is located on London Road, just west of Hadleigh shopping centre. It is a former Westcliff on Sea Motor Services depot, controlled by Eastern National from 1955. Hadleigh took on the work of Canvey (CY) depot in April 1978. Canvey has since become a transport museum. Hadleigh further expanded its operations in 1992, after Southend (Prittlewell, PL) depot was closed. The predecessor of Prittlewell, Southend (SD) depot on London Road, closed in 1987 and has now disappeared under a Sainsbury's store.Former depots
Braintree (BE)
Braintree garage operated routes X32, 17, 21/A, 30, 70, 131, 132, 302, 306, 318, 347 and yellow school bus service 509.History
The former depot, on Springwood Drive, opened in April 2005. It replaced the long-standing premises on Fairfield Road, in Braintree town centre, which was redeveloped for retail/residential use. Springwood Drive was originally an outstation of Chelmsford, consisting of a secure yard andClacton (CN)
Clacton depot operated routes 5/B, 7/X, 8, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 74, 76 and former Harwich depot routes 3, 4, 20/A & 22A/B.History
Clacton depot has been at Telford Road, on the Gorse Lane industrial estate, since 1988 at premises previously occupied by Coastal Red, a one-time competitor on the Tendring peninsular later bought by Eastern National. Telford Road replaced the garage at Castle Road, near Clacton town centre, which was redeveloped as flats. There was an outstation of Clacton atGreat Dunmow (DW)
This outstation operated route 33.History
Dunmow was an outstation of Braintree. It reopened in 2008, having been closed in 2004, after the new Chelmsford depot opened. It is located on the premises of Dons Coaches.Harwich (DT)
History
The depot at Harwich Bus Station, off Main Road, was opened by Eastern National in 1974. It replaced the oldFleet
As at December 2020, the fleet consisted of 334 buses Current fleet: *Transbus Trident ALX400 *References
External links
*