Sunday 5 May 2024 – A line up of Scania N230UD OmniCity double deckers seen through the fencing at the Ipswich Buses garage yard in Sir Alf Ramsey Way, Ipswich. Around 23 buses like this are in the fleet which were new to different operators to work Transport for London (TfL) contracts.

The buses in this line up had all been new to Centrewest in October 2011 which were later operated by Metroline West. Both companies were related.

Left to right:

43 (YR61 RVL) Centrewest (SN36038)/Metroline West (SN1956)
35 (YR61 RTV) Centrewest (SN36050)/Metroline West (SN1938)
32 (YR61 RRU) Centrewest (SN36037)/Metroline West (SN1925)
40 (YR61 RUW) Centrewest (SN36060)/Metroline West (SN1948)
44 (YR61 RRZ) Centrewest (SN36041)/ Metroline West (SN1929)
33 (YR61 RRV) Centrewest (SN36038)/Metroline West (SN1920)
36 (YR61 RUC) Centrewest (SN36054)/Metroline West (SN1942)

For a number of years Ipswich Buses named all of its vehicles but now only a few carry names. Only two buses in this line up carry names which remember Ipswich Town Football Club personnel. Bus 44 is named ‘Sir Alf Ramsey’ (Manager of the club for many years and manager of the England team in 1966) and bus 36 is named ‘Kevin Beattie - ITFC No. 6’, (a player who died from cancer at the age of 64 in 2018).