A brief history

Maidstone's municipal transport history began on 14 July 1904, when a tram service was introduced between the Queen's Monument and Barming (Fountain Inn). Beyond the West Station, a single line continued via the Tonbridge Road with passing loops at intervals along the route. A depot was established close to the junction with Queens Road.

The Corporation proposed extensions to Loose, Penenden Heath and Holland Road. However, only the Loose route was eventually built, services commencing from the Cannon on 16 October 1907. Some months later, a further service was introduced to Tovil, the site of a number of paper mills on the Loose stream which joined the Medway at this point.

Proposals for a service to Penenden Heath were revived in the early 1920s, to be operated with trolleybuses rather than trams. Eventually a motorbus service (using vehicles from the local firm of Tilling Stevens) was introduced on 7 April 1924 between London Road (Queens Avenue) and Penenden Heath. 1926 saw a further new motorbus service between Fant and Park Avenue.

Trams on the Barming route were replaced by trolleybuses in 1928, followed 2 years later by the Loose service which was then linked to the Barming route to provide a new cross town facility. Tovil's trams were replaced by Leyland motorbuses in 1929 and the service was extended to Fant.

Significant development of housing estates, notably in the south east of the town brought about further new services including Sutton Road (1928) and Foster Clark Estate (1930). 1930 saw the conversion of the Sutton Road service to trolleybus operation - like the Loose service, it was linked to the Barming route. In 1931, the Tovil service was linked with a service to Park Avenue, the latter destination losing its service to Foster Clark Estate. Various extensions to the route network continued until the outbreak of the Second World War.

During the war, vehicles were parked overnight at various locations to minimise potential damage arising from enemy action. However, the end of the war saw significant orders to replace life expired vehicles. Twelve new trolleybuses were received in 1946/47 followed by a batch of new motorbuses the following year.

The post war demand for housing manifested itself in the development of Shepway, a sprawling Council estate to the south of Mote Park. Motorbus services were gradually extended into the estate, including a new cross town link from Ringlestone in 1949. The 1950s saw extensions of the Sutton Road trolleybus service, reaching the new Park Wood development in 1959. Increasing demand necessitated the acquisition of some second hand vehicles, including two from Llanelli and further vehicles from Brighton and Hastings on abandonment of the systems in those towns. 1956 saw the arrival of the first Leyland PD2 motorbuses fitted with Massey bodywork - 26 vehicles were received in all, the ultimate of which survived into the early 1990s.

The last PD2 was received in 1963 when a decision was made to convert the two trolleybus services to motorbus operation. Like M&D in Hastings, the Corporation selected Leyland Atlanteans as their successors, fitted with unusual Massey bodywork in a new fiesta blue and cream livery. The final trolleybuses ran on 15 April 1967, leaving the Corporation with a fleet based entirely on Leyland chassis with Massey bodywork. The final batch of Atlanteans were bodied by Northern Counties (who had recently taken over Massey) and were among the first AN68 versions in the UK.

Massey bodied Atlantean 29 at the Cannon in 1978 (click to enlarge)

Service development continued, with new routes to Barming Heath and Vinters Park introduced (eventually linked in 1974 to provide a new cross town link), together with extensions of existing services to Gatland Lane and Senacre Wood. One man operation was introduced, the PD2s moving to peak hour services and relief workings. Other changes included extension of some Loose journeys to Loose Village and the introduction of a joint service with Maidstone & District to Madginford - this was the only service to carry a route number (80) until the introduction of a general numbering scheme in 1978.

1974 saw Maidstone Corporation transformed into Maidstone Borough Council and was a turning point in the history of the undertaking. Walter Kershaw, General Manager and Engineer since 1953 retired - his successor, Alan Price was responsible for the wholesale replacement of the fleet (which at the time consisted entirely of double deck vehicles) with lightweight single deckers, mainly based on Bedford chassis. The initial batch of Bedford YRQs had Willowbrook bodies and spent some months in service with blinds taken from double deck vehicles, the lettering of which was larger than the aperture giving a very untidy appearance. These were followed by a batch of YMTs with Duple Dominant (bus) bodies. The final batch were based on the YRT chassis with 61 seat (3+2) bodywork, although passengers treated the 3 seats as 2 and the 2 seats as 1, somewhat negating the intention.

Maidstone 46 at the Cannon in a revised livery applied to a number of Atlanteans.

In 1976, 14 Leyland Leopard coaches were acquired from Nottingham City Transport. They retained their "Lilac Leopard" livery and branding and enabled the withdrawal of the remaining double deck vehicles in the fleet. Some of these vehicles were fitted with bus seating, giving them an odd appearance. Also acquired in 1976 was a dial-a-ride service operated by Freeman's serving Coxheath and Loose, together with two Ford Transits. There was also a short-lived minibus service in the village of Staplehurst, linking the shopping area with the railway station via housing estates on the Marden Road.

In the same year, the Stoneborough Centre Bus Station leading to a number of service revisions. Alternate journeys from Penenden Heath were diverted via Stoneborough to Tovil. The former Park Avenue (Hatherall Road) to Tovil service was revised to operate to Allington Way, replacing the alternate Penenden Heath journeys. Daytime buses from Park Wood to Barming and from Oxford Road to Ringlestone were also diverted through Stoneborough.

Titan Twilight: Two Massey bodied Leyland PD2s await disposal at Armstrong Road in 1978 (click to enlarge)

100% one person operation was achieved late the following year, although occasional use of conductors was made at peak periods. 1978 saw the end of double deck operation, providing an opportunity to introduce route numbers in a system co-ordinated with Maidstone & District services. An industrial dispute delayed the introduction of these and as a temporary measure, the numbers were painted on destination blinds, a practice which was particularly inappropriate where one destination was served by several different services. A different service pattern operated during the evenings and weekends - the following table shows the an index of services as at 12 November 1978.

Leyland PD2/Massey 26 survived until the end of operations in 1992. It is now preserved. (click to enlarge)

Remarkably, the double deck vehicle remained was perhaps an unusual choice - Leyland PD2/Massey number 26 which was repainted into ochre/cream and survived until the end of Boro'line operations in 1992.

For the 75th anniversary of the undertaking in 1979, Bedford YMT 175 was painted into a special livery of brown and cream. This was adopted as the standard livery although the fleet contained a variety of liveries until 1992. A batch of Bedford YMT's were delivered with Wadham Stringer Vanguard bodies in this livery, together with a further batch with angular bodywork by Wrights of Ballymena. Maidstone also took delivery in 1981/82 of the only Bedford JJL buses to be built - these had Marshall bodywork and later saw service in Brighton.

In 1981, Maidstone Borough Council's services were co-ordinated with those of Maidstone & District under the Maidstone Area Bus Services banner. M&D closed its Knightrider Street premises and diverted some inter-urban services to serve estates within the town. In turn, Maidstone Borough Council took over former M&D routes to the south west of the town, a purpose for which its Bedford fleet was better suited.

A further exercise in co-ordination took place in May 1983 when Maidstone participated in a joint service with fellow municipals Burnley & Pendle and Leicester for a through service between Blackpool and Dover. By 1985, the service had been truncated to operate between Todmorden and Maidstone, the northern undertakings having abandoned the venture in favour of Halifax independent, Abbeyways. Remarkably, a day return Leicester to Maidstone fare was advertised, even though this would allow only 40 minutes in Maidstone!

The peaceful co-existence between Maidstone Borough Council and its larger neighbour M&D came to an abrupt end on 26 October 1986. The 1985 Transport Act required the Council to set up an arms length company and a new image designed by Best Impressions (who were later to design a new livery for M&D) was adopted. The fleetname Boro'line Maidstone was adopted, together with a striking new livery of blue and yellow, relieved with a red band and grey skirt. The first new double deckers since 1971 entered service, based on Scania's K92 coach chassis with East Lancs 92 seat bodywork. A number of single deck buses based on the same combination were ordered.

Maps from Boro'line Maidstone launch publicity showing town routes at 26 October 1986 (click to enlarge)

Impressive new publicity accompanied Boro'line's launch (although subsequent leaflets were photo-copies of typewritten timetables). Boro'line retained its share of the former Maidstone Area Bus Services network, also winning Kent County Council tenders on some inter-urban journeys including service 10 to Ashford.

Boro'line 279, a Bedford YMT with Wadham Stringer body at the Queens Monument (click to enlarge)

A number of minibuses were also acquired, including four East Lancs bodied Dodge S56s and three East Kent Bristol LHS vehicles (which had been used on an Ashford town service which required low height single deckers). Atlanteans were hired from Eastbourne and Southampton. Further heavyweight vehicles in the form of three Leyland Lynxes were acquired in May 1987.

Maidstone Borough Council had long held ambitions to operate outside of its traditional urban home. The introduction of franchised bus services in London gave it an unexpected opportunity to realise this goal and in 1987, the company was granted contracts for a number of services in the Eltham area as part of the Bexley scheme. Eleven Leyland Olympians with Optare bodies were acquired, although late deliveries necessitated the hiring of vehicles from Hull, Grimsby and Ipswich. Ipswich vehicles were also used in 1988 when Boro'line was awarded the contract for route 188 (Euston & Greenwich), together with Nottingham Atlanteans, some of which were subsequently transferred to Maidstone for use on local services. Further London services were awarded including the Blackwall Tunnel route (108), although the 188 was won back by Selkent in 1989.

Despite successes in London, Boro'line's financial situation was causing some concern back in the county town. It was widely believed that the cost of setting up the London operation (which was based in a council yard in Crayford) had been under-estimated. Alan Price, who had been responsible for the wholesale disposal of double deckers in the mid 1970's left abruptly and a small profit in 1989 became a £1.25 million loss the following year. Despite a subsequent improvement, the Council decided in October 1991 to place the company on the market. Maidstone & District made a number of offers to purchase Boro'line but were rejected, ultimately not even being shortlisted as a potential purchaser.

M&D had re-established a presence in Maidstone some years after selling its depot in he form of an outstation based in Maidstone Borough Council's Transport Depot in Armstrong Road (also the home of Boro'line). Having failed to make the shortlist to purchase Boro'line, M&D formed the opinion that the eventual buyer may not be so disposed to preserving the status quo. Consequently, its buses moved out of Armstrong Road to a site close to the West Station and a number of services in competition with key Boro'line routes were registered, commencing from 2 December 1991.

Boro'line 271 (GVO 722N), an ex Nottingham (602) Leyland Atlantean with East Lancs H47/30D bodywork seen in King Street in April 1991 (click to enlarge).

In response to M&D's onslaught, Boro'line registered services from Maidstone to Chatham and Cranbrook, together with some local services in the Medway Towns. However, the Pentagon Bus Station in Chatham was leased by M&D who threatened to take legal action to prohibit Boro'line from using the facility. Boro'line's vehicles could not compete against M&D's heavyweights in either Maidstone or the Medway Towns (the lightweight multi-step entrance Bedfords had always been unpopular with passengers compared to their Atlantean predecessors). In addition, the cost of maintaining an operation away from home, together with abstraction of revenue in Maidstone (M&D's buses carried stickers proclaiming that they were "low fare" buses) quickly exhausted Boro'line's resources. On 17 February 1992, the London operations were taken over by Kentish Bus, together with most of the leased vehicles involved in the operation. Two days later, Boro'line fell into administrative receivership.

Left with only its original Maidstone operation, a buyer was sought by the receivers KPMG Peat Marwick. The operation was kept running and new fare deals were introduced, together with increased double deck operation of town services (including some former Tayside Ailsas acquired for the London operation). A major setback occurred in March when five vehicles including three Leyland Lynxes acquired in 1987 were re-possessed by their dealers.

The end came suddenly. On 29 May 1992, the receiver announced that operations would stop at the end of the day. The assets of the company (including the Armstrong Road depot) were sold to Maidstone & District for just under £1 million. Having established a strong presence in the town through competition, M&D decided to dispose of Boro'line's fleet, retaining only number 26 (the surviving Leyland PD2) and ex-Southdown 290, a PD3 "Queen Mary" which had been used by Boro'line on Christmas Park & Ride services, together with a handful of other vehicles which passed to the New Enterprise subsidiary.

The M&D identity was soon applied to the depot and bus stops around the town (none of which had carried a Boro'line logo in any event). Boro'line were perhaps more vulnerable than many former municipals, given its non-standardised fleet and failure to seize opportunities which were open to it. Whereas it may have been inevitable in the final years that Boro'line would cease to exist as a separate entity, the manner of the company's passing is unfortunate. For the majority its 87 year history, Maidstone was proud of its municipal transport. Unfortunately, the seeds of its demise were probably sown with the sale of the first Atlantean back in 1976.

• Maidstone Municipal Transport • Maidstone Corporation in 1966 • Maidstone Corporation in 1973 • Maidstone Trolleybuses •

• Boroline in London

• Maidstone Municipal Buses on Flickr