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First Aberdeen
Wright StreetDeck Hydroliner in Peterculter, Aberdeen in 2022
ParentFirstGroup
Founded1986
HeadquartersAberdeen
Service areaAberdeen
Service typeBus services
Routes23
Fleet129 (July 2022)
Websitewww.firstbus.co.uk/aberdeen

First Aberdeen is the main bus company operator in Aberdeen, Scotland, operating local bus services including daytime, school, hospital and night routes. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup.[1]

History

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Preserved Alexander AL bodied Leyland Atlantean in Grampian Regional Transport livery

Aberdeen Corporation

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Aberdeen Corporation Tramways was established on 26 August 1898. Following the withdrawal of tram services on 3 May 1958, the undertaking became a bus-only operator and was renamed the Aberdeen Corporation Transport Department.

Grampian Regional Transport

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See also: GRT Group

Under local government reorganisation in 1975, responsibility for Aberdeen’s municipal bus services transferred from Aberdeen Corporation to Grampian Regional Transport, which operated as a department of the Grampian Regional Authority.

In order to comply with the Transport Act 1985, Grampian Regional Transport was incorporated as a separate company in 1986, with ownership retained by the regional authority. In January 1989 the company was privatised under an employee stock ownership plan led by its general manager, Moir Lockhead. At the time of privatisation, the company operated a fleet of approximately 200 buses and employed around 500 staff.[1][2][3]

Unlike many later bus privatisations in the United Kingdom, the sale of Grampian Regional Transport was undertaken voluntarily by the local authority, which had no overall political majority and no strong ideological opposition to privatisation. The sale was negotiated directly with a single buyer, rather than through a competitive bidding process, and involved the transfer of a financially stable, operationally complete business rather than a distressed or politically mandated disposal.[4]

First Grampian

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Although bus services in Aberdeen continued to operate under the Grampian Regional Transport name, the holding company, GRT Bus Group, pursued an expansion strategy through the acquisition of six former nationalised bus companies in England and Scotland. In April 1994, GRT Bus Group was converted into a public limited company.[5]

In April 1995, GRT Bus Group merged with Badgerline to form FirstBus, creating a nationwide operator with services across England, Wales, and Scotland. Aberdeen was selected as the headquarters of the new group. In February 1998, Grampian Regional Transport was formally rebranded as First Aberdeen.

Liveries

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Optare Prisma bodied Mercedes-Benz O405 in Grampian Regional Transport livery in March 1998

Aberdeen Corporation vehicles were initially finished in a dark green and white livery, which was later revised to a pea-green and cream colour scheme. Following the transfer of operations to council-owned Grampian Regional Transport, the livery was modified by removing the upper green band and replacing it with a thinner orange band, accompanied by Grampian fleetnames and a council crest.

After privatisation, a revised scheme was introduced featuring a predominantly cream base colour, supplemented by a two-tone green stripe pattern. This design subsequently became the standard corporate livery of the GRT Bus Group, with variations in stripe colours applied across different subsidiaries.

Under the First Grampian branding, the existing livery was retained, with the fleetname updated to the FirstBus corporate style incorporating the stylised “f” logo. Upon rebranding as First Aberdeen in 1998, the company adopted the standard FirstGroup corporate livery.

Fleet

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Mercedes-Benz Citaro G articulated bus on Union Street in September 2022

As of March 2013, the First Aberdeen fleet comprised 173 buses and coaches. By the mid-2020s, the most common vehicle types in service included Alexander Dennis Enviro300 and Yutong E12 single-deck buses, alongside double-deck vehicles such as the Wright StreetDeck and Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini.[6]

During the 1970s and early 1980s, a core element of the Grampian Regional Transport fleet consisted of Alexander AL-bodied Leyland Atlantean double-deckers, supplemented by Leyland National single-deck buses. From 1985, the fleet transitioned to Alexander RH-bodied Leyland Olympians, which remained in service until 1988. Between 1991 and 1997, the company undertook a sustained programme of fleet renewal with the acquisition of Mercedes-Benz O405 single-deck buses.

Grampian Regional Transport was among the earliest operators in the United Kingdom to introduce articulated buses, taking delivery of a single 17.6-metre (58 ft) Alexander-bodied Mercedes-Benz O405G in November 1992. Aberdeen subsequently became one of the principal centres for articulated bus operation in the UK, with approximately 35 such vehicles in the fleet by December 2013.[6][7]

In 2014, First Aberdeen expanded its low-emission fleet with the purchase of 26 Wright StreetLite micro-hybrid buses.[8]

In January 2021, First Aberdeen became the world’s first operator of double-deck hydrogen fuel-cell buses, taking delivery of 15 Wright StreetDeck Hydroliners. These vehicles were withdrawn from service in January 2022 due to technical issues and were temporarily replaced by Euro VI diesel buses loaned from First Glasgow. The first hydrogen buses returned to service in April 2022, with a further 10 vehicles entering service later that month, bringing the Hydroliner fleet to 25. This was followed by the introduction of 24 Yutong E12 battery-electric buses in July 2023, and a further 24 Wright StreetDeck Electroliners and repowered StreetDeck vehicles from March 2025.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

As part of its wider decarbonisation strategy, First Aberdeen has committed to operating a fully zero-emission fleet by 2035. By the mid-2020s, the fleet included hydrogen fuel-cell double-deck buses, battery-electric single- and double-deck vehicles, and a number of repowered buses. To support battery-electric operations, the King Street depot has been upgraded with rapid-charging infrastructure, including 16 dual-headed DC charging points.[16]

In addition to its scheduled bus operations, First Aberdeen is associated with King Coaches, a coach hire business providing private hire and contract services.[17]

King Street headquarters

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Headquarters of FirstGroup on King Street, Aberdeen

The company has occupied the former King Street Barracks building at 395 King Street, Aberdeen, since 1914. The site was originally constructed in 1862 and was later acquired by Aberdeen Corporation Tramways.[2] Since the formation of FirstGroup in 1995, the site has also served as the company’s global headquarters.

On 21 June 2007, FirstGroup received planning permission to redevelop the site as a combined Aberdeen bus depot and global headquarters. The redeveloped facility was officially opened by Anne, Princess Royal, on 15 July 2010.[18]

Revenue

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Most First Aberdeen services are operated on a commercial basis. An exception is Service 40, which operates between Guild Street and Dubford on Sundays and is subsidised by Aberdeen City Council. The operator uses an exact-fare policy, with no change given by drivers, and accepts contactless payment and mobile ticketing. In early 2017, First Aberdeen was one of two FirstBus divisions selected to trial new electronic ticketing machines.

The company operates 23 local bus services across Aberdeen, providing regular daytime routes alongside dedicated school, hospital, and night bus services. Night services operate on Friday and Saturday nights, with five routes (N1, N17, N18, N23 and N201) running from the city centre to suburban and regional destinations. These night services are funded by Aberdeen City Council through bus lane enforcement revenue, with funding secured for an initial three-year period. Standard fares apply, and concessionary travel is accepted.[19]

First Aberdeen operates a network of night bus services on Friday and Saturday nights. As of 2025, five night routes (N1, N17, N18, N23 and N201) operate from Aberdeen city centre to suburban and regional destinations. These services are funded by Aberdeen City Council through bus lane enforcement revenue, with funding secured for an initial three-year period. Standard fares apply, and concessionary travel, including the Scottish Under-22s National Entitlement Card, is accepted.[20]

First Aberdeen participates in the Scottish Government’s Under-22 free bus travel scheme, accepting the National Entitlement Card (NEC) for eligible passengers. The company also accepts national concessionary bus passes and participates in multi-operator and national ticketing schemes, including Grasshopper and PlusBus.[21]

Services operated by First Aberdeen provide public transport access to major higher education institutions in the city, including the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University.[22] The operator has also entered into promotional partnerships with local organisations, including Aberdeen Football Club, under which free matchday bus travel has been offered to ticket holders attending home fixtures at Pittodrie Stadium.[23]

Journey planning, ticket purchase, and service information are available through the First Bus mobile application.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Companies House extract company no SC097420 First Aberdeen Limited formerly Grampian Regional Transport Limited
  2. ^ a b The History of 395 King Street FirstGroup
  3. ^ Andy Milne talks to Moir Lockhead by www.railwaypeople.com 11 April 2006
  4. ^ Buses Magazine issue 648 March 2009
  5. ^ Badgerline links with GRT The Independent 5 April 1995
  6. ^ a b FirstGroup Fleetlist Steve White
  7. ^ Simpson, Richard (14 November 1992). "Merc artic makes its debut". Coach & Bus Week. No. 39. Peterborough: Emap. p. 7. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  8. ^ "First Aberdeen welcomes 26 brand new micro-hybrid buses into fleet". Intelligent Transport. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  9. ^ Randall, Chris (24 July 2019). "Aberdeen orders another 15 hydrogen buses". electrive. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  10. ^ "Aberdeen's hydrogen buses taken off the road due to technical issue". BBC News. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  11. ^ Peat, Chris (9 February 2022). "Wrightbus upgrading Aberdeen hydrogen fleet". Bus & Coach Buyer. Peterborough. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Aberdeen's hydrogen buses returning to service after technical issue". BBC News. 20 April 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Hydroliners clock up first million miles". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  14. ^ Halford, Paul (12 July 2023). "First Aberdeen adds 24 Yutong E12 electric buses". routeone. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  15. ^ Halford, Paul (7 November 2024). "First Bus invests £12 million into Aberdeen zero-emission fleet". routeone. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  16. ^ "Zero Emission Mission | First Bus". www.firstbus.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  17. ^ "King Coaches | First Bus". www.firstbus.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  18. ^ The Princess Royal opens FirstGroup's new Aberdeen base BBC News 15 July 2010
  19. ^ "Aberdeen | First Bus". www.firstbus.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  20. ^ "Aberdeen Night Bus Services | Fri & Sat | First Bus". www.firstbus.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  21. ^ "Tickets | First Bus". www.firstbus.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  22. ^ "Student Travel | First Bus". www.firstbus.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  23. ^ "Aberdeen FC | First Bus". www.firstbus.co.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
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