Eastern Counties Omnibus Company
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transport |
| Predecessor | Eastern Counties Omnibus Company |
| Founded | July 1931 |
| Headquarters | East Anglia , England, United Kingdom |
Area served | Norfolk and Suffolk, England |
| Parent | FirstGroup |
First Bus East of England, previously known as First Eastern Counties, operates bus services across Norfolk and Suffolk in the eastern region of England as a subsidiary of FirstGroup. It manages five depots located throughout East Anglia in the towns of Norwich, Ipswich, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, and King's Lynn.
History
The Eastern Counties Omnibus Company was founded in July 1931 through the consolidation of four East Anglian bus firms, including the Eastern Counties Road Car Company and Ortona Motor Company. Its principal shareholders were United Automobile Services holding 43%, Tilling & British Automobile Traction with 28%, the London & North Eastern Railway owning 24%, and the London Midland & Scottish Railway possessing 3%. The company also absorbed United's coachbuilding division based in Lowestoft, renamed as Eastern Coach Works, which produced bus bodies for the group. By the late 1930s, the company had expanded by acquiring an additional 50 operators.
In 1942, after Tilling & British Automobile Traction entered administration, ownership of Eastern Counties' shares transferred to the Tilling Group. Nationalisation occurred in November 1948 under the British Transport Commission, which later became part of the National Bus Company in 1969.
Prior to bus deregulation, Eastern Counties separated its Cambridgeshire operations into Cambus Limited in September 1984. The company underwent privatisation through a management buyout in February 1987, while its coaching division was sold to Ambassador Travel later that year.
A notable incident occurred in March 1988 when an Eastern Counties Bristol VRT double-decker bus sank into a 26-foot deep sinkhole caused by an ancient chalk mine beneath Earlham Road, Norwich. This event disrupted local gas supplies and led to evacuations in the area. The incident gained attention when Cadbury used an image of the bus to advertise their Double Decker chocolate bar.
In July 1994, the Eastern Counties business was acquired by the GRT Group for £6.7 million. Following GRT’s merger with Badgerline in June 1995, it became part of FirstBus. Subsequently, FirstBus purchased Great Yarmouth Transport’s operations in September 1996 and merged them into First Eastern Counties.
In April 2011, First Eastern Counties divested its King's Lynn operations to Norfolk Green.
Divisions
First operates from five primary depots, each serving its local vicinity:
Network Norwich
Within Norwich city centre and surrounding towns within a radius, First Eastern Counties operates services under the Network Norwich brand. This network was launched on 23 September 2012 and features colour-coded route branding on buses to identify individual lines.
On 22 March 2017, First introduced the X41 direct service connecting Norwich with Bungay, Suffolk, passing through Ditchingham. This route is part of the Charcoal colour line introduced in April 2016 alongside service 40 to Poringland.
Network Norwich was selected as one of five FirstGroup divisions to begin deploying battery electric buses during 2023, supported by funding from the UK government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme. The initial seven Wright StreetDeck Electroliner double-deckers entered operation in October 2023, with eleven Wright GB Kite Electroliner single-deckers planned for delivery in 2024. This fleet renewal will replace diesel vehicles at First’s Roundtree Way depot.
First Great Yarmouth
First Great Yarmouth provides services within Great Yarmouth and Gorleston-on-Sea, along with dedicated routes extending to Norwich and Lowestoft under the Coastlink brand. Operations are based out of the historic Caister Road depot, a listed structure that preserves its original mid-20th-century façade.
First Lowestoft
Operating within Lowestoft, First Lowestoft offers routes to Great Yarmouth, Beccles, and Norwich. Its base of operations is located at Gordon Road, near Ness Point, which is recognized as the easternmost bus depot in the UK.
First Ipswich
Serving Ipswich and its surrounding areas within a defined radius, First Ipswich runs from a depot situated on Star Lane close to the Old Cattle Market bus station.
In February 1995, First Ipswich introduced Superoute 66, the UK's inaugural commercially-operated guided bus system, linking Ipswich town centre with the suburbs of Kesgrave and Martlesham Heath. The service began with six Dennis Darts fitted with Plaxton Pointer bodies and was subsequently upgraded to double-decker buses under FirstBus management.
Between 2008 and November 2013, First Ipswich managed the town's park and ride service, which resumed operations in July 2017. In 2019, the company rebranded as Ipswich Reds, unveiling a new red livery for its fleet.[1]
Excel
The Excel brand covers major routes such as Peterborough to Norwich via King's Lynn, as well as the X1 route connecting Norwich, Great Yarmouth, and Lowestoft. The X1 is operated by nineteen Alexander Dennis Enviro400 City bodied Scania N250UD buses delivered in early 2020, featuring red paintwork, premium interiors, next stop announcements, and camera mirror technology.
Prior to July 2014, Excel and X1 were combined into one continuous 107-mile service running from Peterborough to Lowestoft. Currently, Excel is operated solely from the King's Lynn outstation, while depots in Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft manage the X1 alongside associated Coastlink routes.[2]
Coastlink
First Eastern Counties runs multiple Coastlink feeder routes at the eastern terminus of the Excel corridor using Alexander Dennis Enviro400 buses that were formerly assigned to the main route. Since February 2018, Coastlink has replaced Excel services operating between Norwich and Lowestoft.
The X2 route connects Norwich bus station with Lowestoft bus station, making frequent stops via Gillingham, Beccles, Worlingham, and Carlton Colville. It operates every 30 minutes during daytime hours Monday through Saturday. Variants X21 and X22 serve nearby villages such as North Cove and Whitton; X21 offers three morning and five evening peak trips while X22 runs hourly Monday to Saturday daytime.[3]
The X11 follows the same path as the X1 between Norwich and Gorleston-on-Sea via Great Yarmouth but diverges at James Paget University Hospital to terminate at Belton instead of continuing to Lowestoft. It operates every half hour during daytime hours Monday through Saturday.[3]
Coastal Clipper
First Eastern Counties provides continuous Coastal Clipper routes that connect prominent coastal destinations in Norfolk and Suffolk throughout the year. The 99 service, utilizing closed-roof buses adorned in blue, operates between Lowestoft and Southwold, passing through Pakefield and Kessingland. A shorter variation, the 99A, offered five daily trips linking Bungay and Southwold after Konectbus (part of the Go-Ahead Group) ceased operations in early 2019. Additionally, Coastal Clipper manages routes 1 and 1A, which travel from Hopton-on-Sea to Lowestoft via Martham, Hemsby, Caister-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth, and Gorleston-on-Sea; notably, service 1A was highlighted by Snaptrip in June 2023 as one of the most picturesque bus routes in the UK.
Between April and September each year, six open-top buses branded as Coastal Clipper Cabriolet operate on route 1C originating from Great Yarmouth. Introduced in March 2021, this seasonal service connects Hemsby Beach with the Great Yarmouth seafront, stopping at Hemsby, Scratby, and Caister-on-Sea along the way.