1.
Crawley
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Crawley is a town and borough in West Sussex, England. It is 28 miles south of Charing Cross,18 miles north of Brighton and Hove, Crawley covers an area of 17.36 square miles and had a population of 106,597 at the time of the 2011 Census. The area has been inhabited since the Stone Age, and was a centre of ironworking in Roman times, Crawley developed slowly as a market town from the 13th century, serving the surrounding villages in the Weald. Its location on the road from London to Brighton brought passing trade. A rail link to London opened in 1841, Gatwick Airport, nowadays one of Britains busiest international airports, opened on the edge of the town in the 1940s, encouraging commercial and industrial growth. After the Second World War, the British Government planned to move large numbers of people and jobs out of London, the New Towns Act 1946 designated Crawley as the site of one of these. The town contains 13 residential neighbourhoods radiating out from the core of the old market town, the nearby communities of Ifield, Pound Hill and Three Bridges were absorbed into the new town at various stages in its development. In 2009, expansion was being planned in the west and north-west of the town, economically, the town has developed into the main centre of industry and employment between London and the south coast. Its large industrial area supports manufacturing and service companies, many of them connected with the airport, the commercial and retail sectors continue to expand. The area may have been settled during the Mesolithic period, locally manufactured flints of the Horsham Culture type have been found to the southwest of the town. Tools and burial mounds from the Neolithic period, and burial mounds, Crawley is on the western edge of the High Weald, which produced iron for more than 2,000 years from the Iron Age onwards. Goffs Park—now a recreational area in the south of the town—was the site of two late Iron Age furnaces, ironworking and mineral extraction continued throughout Roman times, particularly in the Broadfield area where many furnaces were built. In the 5th century, Saxon settlers named the area Crows Leah—meaning a crow-infested clearing and this name evolved over time, and the present spelling appeared by the early 14th century. By this time, nearby settlements were established, the Saxon church at Worth, for example. Although Crawley itself is not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, the first written record of Crawley dates from 1202, when a licence was issued by King John for a weekly market on Wednesdays. Crawley grew slowly in importance over the few centuries, but was boosted in the 18th century by the construction of the turnpike road between London and Brighton. When this was completed in 1770, travel between the fashionable seaside resort and London became safer and quicker, and Crawley prospered as a coaching halt. By 1839 it offered almost an hourly service to both destinations, the George, a timber-framed house dating from the 15th century, expanded to become a large coaching inn, taking over adjacent buildings
2.
Bus rapid transit
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Bus rapid transit is a bus-based public transport system designed to improve capacity and reliability relative to a conventional bus system. BRT aims to combine the capacity and speed of a metro with the flexibility, lower cost, the first BRT system was the Rede Integrada de Transporte in Curitiba, Brazil, which entered service in 1974. This inspired many similar systems around Brazil and the world, such as TransMilenio in Bogotá, Colombia, as of November 2016, a total of 207 cities in six continents have implemented BRT systems, accounting for 5,468 km of BRT lanes. The Latin American countries with the most daily ridership are Brazil, Colombia, in the other regions, China and Iran also stand out. Currently, TransJakarta considered as the longest BRT route in the world with approximately 210 kilometres length connecting the Indonesian capital city, BRT uses buses on a wide variety of rights-of-way, including mixed traffic, dedicated lanes on surface streets, and busways separated from traffic. Critics have charged that the bus rapid transit has sometimes been misapplied to systems that lack most or all the essential features which differentiate it from conventional bus services. The first BRT system in the world was the Rede Integrada de Transporte, implemented in Curitiba, Brazil, most of the elements that have become associated with BRT were innovations first suggested by Curitiba Mayor Architect Jaime Lerner. Other systems made further innovations, including platooning in Porto Alegre, in the United States, BRT began in 1977, with Pittsburghs South Busway, operating on 4.3 miles of exclusive lanes. Its success led to the Martin Luther King Jr, east Busway in 1983, a fuller BRT deployment including a dedicated busway of 9.1 miles, traffic signal preemption, and peak service headway as low as two minutes. After the opening of the West Busway,5.1 miles in length in 1990, new Orleans ran buses on Canal Street in a dedicated right of way beginning in the 1960s. This style of service was maintained until 2004 when streetcar service was restored on this 4-mile route segment, in 1995, Quito, Ecuador, opened trolleybus BRT. The success of TransMilenio spurred other cities to develop high quality BRT systems, in January 2004 the first BRT in Asia, TransJakarta, opened in Jakarta, Indonesia. As of 2015, at 210 kilometres, it is the longest BRT system in the world, africas first BRT system was opened in Lagos, Nigeria, in March 2008 but is considered as a light BRT system by many people. Johannesburg’s BRT, Rea Vaya, was the first true BRT in Africa, in August 2009, Rea Vaya and MIO were the first two systems to combine full BRT with some services that also operated in mixed traffic, then joined the BRT trunk infrastructure. BRT systems normally include most of the features, Bus-only lanes make for faster travel. Separate rights of way may be elevated, in a cutting, or in a tunnel, Transit malls or bus streets may also be created in city centers. Centre of roadway or bus-only corridor keeps buses away from the busy curb-side, fare prepayment at the station, instead of on board the bus, eliminates the delay caused by passengers paying on board. Prohibiting turns for traffic across the bus lane significantly reduces delays to the buses, Bus priority will often be provided at signalized intersections to reduce delays by extending the green phase or reducing the red phase in the required direction compared to the normal sequence
3.
Metrobus (South East England)
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Metrobus is a bus operator with routes in south London, and parts of Surrey, Kent & Sussex. Formed through a management buyout in 1983, Metrobus was purchased by the Go-Ahead Group in September 1999, Metrobus previously operated many routes under contract to Transport for London in south and south-east London, but following a restructure, on 1 April 2014 these were transferred to Go-Ahead London. The remaining operations were brought under the control of Brighton & Hove on 1 July 2014, in July 1983, Metrobus Limited was formed when two directors, Gary Wood and Peter Larking, purchased the subsidiary. The newly formed company acquired the former Orpington & District garage at Green Street Green, Orpington, along with six employees, three routes were operated by Metrobus at the time it was set up,353,355 and 357. In May 1982 a shopper bus service was introduced, running from Sanderstead to Bromley town centre via New Addington, in keeping with the route numbers of the former Tillingbourne services, this route was numbered 354. In October 1983 the 354 was rerouted to cut out New Addington, due to requests from residents, the route also began to serve Bourne Vale, which was some distance from other bus services. In 1986 route 355 was discontinued for short journeys between Croydon and Forestdale, and the 354 frequency increased and rerouted via Selsdon Vale, the route was also curtailed at Selsdon, although it was extended back to East Croydon the next year. In 1995 route 357 was withdrawn after routes 353 and 354 were retimetabled, two coach operators, Southland Travel and RB Coaches, were taken over by Metrobus in October 1991 along with the ten vehicles originally owned by the companies. These coaches were used on the existing private hire business. In 2005, Southland Travel was purchased by Sullivan Buses, along with Polhill Garage, the business was later resold to its management. In the summers of 1994 and 1995, Metrobus operated their Wealdsman service to complement the Surrey Hills weekend leisure bus network. Throughout the late 1990s, Metrobus introduced other commercial routes operated under Section 3 of the London Regional Transport Act 1984, all such routes were later transferred to Transport for London in mid-2002, although the 358 still remains tendered to Metrobus as of 2012. In September 1999, Metrobus was purchased by the Go-Ahead Group, routes 353 and 354 were altered due to the opening of Croydon Tramlink on 20 May 2000. Both routes were transferred to standard TfL contract, the 353 was withdrawn between Addington Village and Croydon, and the 354 was withdrawn between Addington and Bromley, on 8 December 2007, Metrobus took over the operations of First Londons Orpington garage. All the staff and 35 vehicles were included, although the garage itself was closed, with the R prefix routes transferring to the Orpington garage, and the T32 going to Croydon. Routes 526/527 were lost in a Surrey County Council contract to Southdown PSV in January 2008 although regained in September 2012, Metrobus purchased 19 buses as part of the sale and moved operations away from Arrivas site at Warnham to their existing depot in Crawley. Both continue to trade under the Metrobus brand, in March 2003, two Metrobus vehicles were involved in a fatal accident at Crawley bus station. A bus crashed into the back of bus, and mounted the kerb where passengers were waiting
4.
Surrey
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Surrey is a county in the south east of England. It shares borders with Kent to the east, East Sussex to the south-east, West Sussex to the south, Hampshire to the west and south-west, Surrey County Council sits extraterritorially at Kingston upon Thames, administered as part of Greater London since 1965. With a resident population of 1.1 million, Surrey is the most densely populated and third most populated county in the South East region, after Kent, the London boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark, Wandsworth, and parts of Lewisham and Bromley were in Surrey until 1889. The boroughs of Croydon, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Sutton and Richmond upon Thames south of the River Thames were part of Surrey until 1965, when they too were absorbed into Greater London. In the same year, the county was extended north of the Thames by the addition of Spelthorne, due to this expansion, modern Surrey also borders on the London boroughs of Hounslow and Hillingdon. It has the highest GDP per capita of any English county, Surrey is divided in two by the chalk ridge of the North Downs, running east-west. To the north of the Downs the land is mostly flat, the geology of this area is dominated by London Clay in the east, Bagshot Sands in the west and alluvial deposits along the rivers. Much of Surrey is in the Metropolitan Green Belt and it contains a good deal of mature woodland. Among its many notable beauty spots are Box Hill, Leith Hill, Frensham Ponds, Newlands Corner and Puttenham & Crooksbury Commons. Surrey is the most wooded county in England, with 22. 4% coverage compared to an average of 11. 8%. Box Hill has the oldest untouched area of woodland in the UK. Surrey also contains Englands principal concentration of lowland heath, on soils in the west of the county. Agriculture not being intensive, there are many commons and access lands, together with a network of footpaths and bridleways including the North Downs Way. Accordingly, Surrey provides much in the way of leisure activities. The highest elevation in Surrey is Leith Hill near Dorking and it is either 293,294 or 295 metres above sea level and is the second highest point in southeastern England after Walbury Hill 297 metres in West Berkshire. Surrey has a population of approximately 1.1 million people and its largest town is Guildford, with a population of 66,773, Woking comes a close second with 62,796. They are followed by Ewell with 39,994 people and Camberley with 30,155, towns of between 25,000 and 30,000 inhabitants are Ashford, Epsom, Farnham, Staines and Redhill. Guildford is the county town, although the county administration was moved to Newington in 1791
5.
Gatwick Airport
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Gatwick Airport is a major international airport in south-east England,29.5 miles south of Central London and 2.7 nautical miles north of Crawley. It is the second-busiest airport by passenger traffic in the United Kingdom. Gatwick is the eighth-busiest airport in Europe, Gatwick opened as an aerodrome in the late 1920s, and has been in use for commercial flights since 1933. The airport has two terminals, the North Terminal and the South Terminal, which areas of 98,000 m2 and 160,000 m2 respectively. It operates as a airport, using a main runway with a length of 3,316 m. A secondary runway is available but, due to its proximity to the main runway, in 2016,43.1 million passengers passed through the airport, a 7. 1% increase compared with 2015. The land on which Gatwick Airport stands was first developed as an aerodrome in the late 1920s, the Air Ministry approved commercial flights from the site in 1933, and the first terminal, The Beehive, was built in 1935. Scheduled air services from the new terminal began the following year, major development work at the airport took place during the 1950s. The airport buildings were designed by Yorke Rosenberg Mardall between 1955 and 1988, further rapid growth of charter flights at Gatwick was encouraged by the Ministry of Aviation, which instructed airlines to move regular charter flights from Heathrow. Following the takeover of BUA by Caledonian Airways at the beginning of the following decade, while continuing to dominate scheduled operations at Gatwick for most of the 1980s, BCal was also one of the airports major charter airlines until the end of the 1970s. Following the demise of Air Europe and Dan-Air in the early 1990s and these moves resulted in BA becoming Gatwicks dominant airline by the turn of the millennium. BAs subsequent decision to de-hub Gatwick provided the space for EasyJet to establish its biggest base at the airport, BAA Limited and its predecessors, BAA plc and the British Airports Authority, owned and operated Gatwick from 1 April 1966 to 2 December 2009. From 1978 to 2008, many flights to and from the United States used Gatwick because of restrictions on the use of Heathrow implemented in the Bermuda II agreement between the UK and the US. US Airways, Gatwicks last remaining US carrier, ended service from Gatwick on 30 March 2013 and this leaves Gatwick without a scheduled US airline for the first time in nearly 40 years. On 17 September 2008, BAA announced it would sell Gatwick after the Competition Commission published a report about BAAs market dominance in London, the sale was completed on 3 December. The sales were part of GIPs strategy to syndicate the equity portion of the acquisition by issuing bonds to refinance bank debt. Although this entails bringing additional investors into the airport, GIP aims to retain management control, the Californian state pension fund CalPERS acquired a 12. 7% stake in Gatwick Airport for about $155 million in June 2010. This transaction completed GIPs syndication process for the airport, reducing its stake to 42%, the airport is owned and operated by Gatwick Airport Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ivy Holdco Limited
6.
Guided bus
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Guided buses are buses steered by external means, usually on a dedicated track or roll way that excludes other traffic, permitting the maintenance of schedules even during rush hours. Guidance systems can be physical, such as kerbs or guide bars, or remote, Guided buses may be articulated, allowing more passengers, but not as many as light rail or trams that do not also freely navigate public roads. There are only a few examples, but more have been proposed in various countries, the first guided busway in the United Kingdom was in Birmingham, the Tracline 65,1,968 feet long, experimentally in 1984. Several guided busways have been planned or built in the United Kingdom and it was discontinued as the majority of buses fitted with guide wheels were withdrawn for age reasons. There are no plans to convert newer buses, the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway between Cambridge and St Ives is the worlds longest guided busway. The Nagoya Guideway Bus in Nagoya, opened in March 2001 and is the guided bus line in Japan. The kerb-guided bus guidance mechanism is a development of the early flangeways, the Gloucester and Cheltenham Tramroad of 1809 therefore has a claim to be the earliest guided busway. Earlier flangeways existed, but were not for passenger carrying, optical guidance relies on the principles of image processing. A camera in the front of the vehicle scans the bands of paint on the ground representing the reference path, the signals obtained by the camera are sent to an onboard computer, which combines them with dynamic parameters of the vehicle. The calculator transmits commands to the motor located on the steering column of the vehicle to control its path in line with that of the reference. Optical guidance is a means of approaching light rail performance with a fast, the distance between the door steps and the platform is optimized not to exceed 5 centimetres. Level boarding is possible, and there is no need to use a mobile ramp for people with mobility impairments. Other experimental systems have non-mechanical guidance, such as sensors or magnets buried in the roadway, in 2004, Stagecoach Group signed a deal with Siemens AG to develop an optical guidance system for use in the UK. Two bus lines in Eindhoven, Netherlands, are used by Phileas vehicles, Line 401 from Eindhoven station to Eindhoven Airport is 9 km long, consists largely of concrete bus lanes and has about 30 Phileas stop platforms. Line 402 from Eindhoven station to Veldhoven branches off from line 401 and adds another 6 km of bus lanes, the regional authority for urban transport in the Eindhoven region has decided not to use the magnetic guidance system any more for some years. The Douai region in France is developing a public network with dedicated infrastructure. The total length of the lines will be 34 km, the first stage is a line of 12 km from Douai via Guesnain to Lewarde, passing close to Waziers, Sin-le-Noble, Dechy and Lambres-lez-Douai. 39 stop platforms will be provided with a distance between the stops of 400 m
7.
Scania OmniCity
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The Scania OmniCity is an integrally constructed transverse-engined low floor city bus that was available from Scania on the European market between 1997 and 2012. The OmniCity was introduced in September 1996 as the first product based on the 4-series bus range, the first prototypes were built in the former DAB plant in Silkeborg, Denmark, and serial production continued there in 1997, joined by Scanias plant in Katrineholm, Sweden. From 1999 it was built at the plant in Słupsk. Production in Silkeborg ended in early 2000, and Katrineholm in 2004, since then all have been built in Poland. With a total of more than 2200 units, the last few OmniCities were built in 2012, the single-decker OmniCity was first introduced in 1996 in left-hand drive form and in 2002 in right-hand drive for the UK market. The earlier version of the single-decker OmniCity was known as the CN94UB, but the Euro IV version was known as the CN230UB or CN270UB, the 230 and 270 indicate the maximum power of the engine. The Scania OmniCity single-decker has a rounded dome with a single-curvature windscreen. Unlike the Scania L94UB and OmniLink, the OmniCity features a low floor without the need for steps or ramps to reach the rear seats. The OmniCity is popular in several European cities, notably with SL in Stockholm, Sweden, the first right-hand drive city bus entered service with Nottingham City Transport in January 2002, following conversion from left-hand drive. In February–March 2008 Metrobus, Crawley took delivery of the first 10. 7m OmniCities in the UK for the new Fastway route 100 and they featured part-leather seating and only one door – most Fastway buses have two – and entered service on 10 May 2008. In 2005, Scania announced the introduction of the OmniCity 2-axle double-decker bus in order to complement its OmniDekka double-decker bus sold in the UK and it has a full low floor and is a complete Scania product, unlike the OmniDekka which features a body by East Lancashire Coachbuilders. The early 2-axle double-decker OmniCity uses the N94UD chassis, the same as the OmniDekka, a demonstrator was delivered to Travel West Midlands and entered service in November 2005. The first order is five buses for Lothian Buses of Edinburgh, later Lothian Buses ordered a further 10 buses to replace the Tridents on the route, these buses entered service in late 2007. There are also 15 for Transdev London which entered service in late 2006, at first, it was in limited production, until the Euro IV version was launched. The reason for this is because the new Euro IV Scania engine is a five-cylinder 9-litre EGR engine as opposed to its Euro III predecessor, the chassis designation has also changed to N230UD or N270UD. Further orders were announced in late 2007, with many Go-Ahead companies buying them, such as Solent Blue Line, Southern Vectis, Metrobus also cancelled an order for two Scania/Darwen Olympus, for two OmniCitys, following the very long delays in production of the Olympus. In 2008, Transdev London ordered 22 more OmniCitys,9 for new route 482, national Express West Midlands took five more OmniCitys in early 2008. In May 2008, Reading Buses took delivery of 14 ethanol-fuelled OmniCitys These have now converted to diesel
8.
Wright StreetLite
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The Wright StreetLite is a low-floor midibus introduced by Wrightbus in 2010. It was originally available in one body style before the door forward. The StreetLite is available in two differing styles and five lengths between 8.8 metres and 11.5 metres with seating ranging from 33 to 45 passengers. All variants are of the width and height, except for the StreetVibe. Wrightbus claims that in length, the StreetLite offers more seats than the equivalent competitors. The Wheel Forward StreetLite variant, also known as the StreetLite WF, was launched in 2010 and it is available in two lengths of 8.8 metres and 9.5 metres with seating for up to 33 and 37 passengers respectively. To save space in these variants the axle is positioned ahead of the door which is similar to the Optare Solo midibus, the first example entered service with Anglian Bus in October 2010. The Door Forward StreetLite variant, also known as the StreetLite DF, was launched in 2011 and it is available in two lengths of 10.2 metres and 10.8 metres with seating for up to 37 and 41 passengers respectively. In this variant the axle is positioned behind the door and there is an option for dual door configuration for Transport for London specifications, the first example was trialed by First London. The StreetLite Max was launched in 2012 and it is 11.5 metres long with capacity for up to 45 passengers seated. Deliveries of the StreetLite Max commenced in Autumn 2012, the StreetLite Micro Hybrid was launched in 2013. It is available in all of the standard StreetLite lengths and capacities, while not a hybrid in the usual sense, the StreetLite Micro Hybrid recovers energy lost from braking to power the vehicle electrics and compressed air systems, saving up to 10% in fuel costs. The bus itself runs from a conventional StreetLite drivetrain, as opposed to a diesel engine. The StreetLite EV was launched in 2014, like the Micro Hybrid, it is available in all of the standard StreetLite lengths and capacities. The StreetLite EV is an electric bus with no diesel engine. An updated version of the StreetLite EV, the StreetAir EV WF, was launched in August 2016, the StreetVibe was launched in 2014 following Wrightbus purchase of Nu-Track. It is a development of their Nu-Vibe StreetLite-based concept vehicle, modified to Wrightbus specifications, the StreetVibe is based on the StreetLite WF, measuring 9 metres long. However, the StreetVibe is 290 mm shorter and 167 mm narrower than a standard StreetLite, as such, the StreetVibe is designed to compete directly with the Optare Solo SR Slimline, another narrow midibus
9.
Volvo B7RLE
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Volvo B7RLE is a low-entry single-decker bus chassis manufactured by Volvo Buses since 2001. In markets where the Euro VI emission requirements are enforced, it was replaced by the B8RLE in 2013 in some markets, B7RLE is similar to its predecessor, the B10BLE. In essence the B7RLE is the front section of the B7L chassis mated with the section of the B7R chassis. Originally, the B7RLE featured the D7C 6-cylinder,7. 3-litre diesel engine with a turbocharger and intercooler, producing 250 or 275 bhp and this was replaced by the 7. 1-litre Volvo D7E engine producing 290 bhp, to Euro IV/Euro V/Euro III incentive emission standards. Unlike the B7L, the B7RLEs engine is mounted at the center of the rear overhang as opposed to the nearside, the Volvo B7RLE is also equipped with disc brakes and ABS. B7RLE was launched in mainland Europe and Australia in 2001, and then in the United Kingdom in 2003 to supplement the B7L single-decker, the B7RLE appealed more to UK operators, with whom the B7L was unpopular and has sold well compared to its predecessor. Initially the B7RLE was only available in the UK with Wright Eclipse Urban bodywork, since 2004 it has also been used as a low-floor single-decker coach, with a longer front overhang and Wright Eclipse Commuter body. From late 2006 the B7RLE in the UK is available with Plaxton Centro bodywork followed by Alexander Dennis Enviro300 and Optare Esteem bodywork in 2008. The B7RLE can also be found in other countries, including most European countries, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Greece. However, many of these buses use local bodywork, the bus uses Bustech, Custom Coach and Volgren bodywork, designed and built in Australia. In June 2011 Mercedes-Benz lost the contract with Transperth and Volvo won, all of the Volvos in the Transperth fleet have Volgren bodywork. The earlier B7RLEs featured the Volgren CR228L body, the models feature the Volgren Optimus body. All Transperth Volvo B7RLEs have McConnell urban seats and are air-conditioned by the Thermo King Citi-RT, B7RLE, also known as SUNWIN SWB6120V4LE/SWB6120V6LE, manufactured by Shanghai Sunwin Bus, is very common on Shanghai streets. In 2003, Huangbus purchased five B7RLEs with Jit Luen JL-08 bodies and D7E-290 7142cc engines. All 70 AVCs has put in service in 2012, and these buses are deployed on short distance routes such as 7M, 16M, 34M,270,273 or routes with very low ridership such as 72A. In India, B7RLEs were introduced into service in Bangalore in 2006 by BMTC and they were later inducted into the fleets of NMMT, and BEST for use in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Custom made B7RLE chassis are assembled at Volvos factory outside Bangalore, the bodywork adopted by Malaysias B7RLE, operated by Kuala Lumpur-based bus operator RapidKL as a wheelchair accessible bus, features a more radical design by Gemilang Coachworks. Some Volvo B7RLEs also operate in Surabaya, Indonesia and it is the first wheelchair-accessible bus in Indonesia fitted with a Euro IV engine
10.
Manor Royal
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Manor Royal is an industrial zone within the town of Crawley in West Sussex, England. Manor Royal is in the north of the town near to Gatwick airport, the area is devoted to light industry and offices and was designed for industry as part of the Crawley new town project. Manor Royal was officially named and opened by HRH Princess Elizabeth on 25 January 1950 and it is bordered by Northgate and Three Bridges to the south, Langley Green to the west, Gatwick to the north and the London - Brighton railway to the east. The area falls largely within the local government ward of Northgate, manor Royal is served by the Crawley Fastway 24-hour bus service, providing regular services to Gatwick Airport, Crawley and Three Bridges Stations, as well as many other local areas
11.
Redhill, Surrey
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Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey, England. The town, which adjoins the town of Reigate to the west, is due south of Croydon in Greater London, Redhill is sited about 3 miles south of a minor pass at Merstham in the North Downs, through which passes the London-Brighton road. A major factor in the development of the town was the coming of the railways, Redhill railway station continues to be an important junction. A town formed here in part of the parishes of Reigate Foreign. The settlement was known as Warwick Town after Warwick Road. Redhill is one of the few places in the UK where Fullers Earth can be extracted, alfred Nobel demonstrated dynamite for the first time at a Merstham quarry,2 miles north of Redhill in 1868. Georges Fields, London, relocated to Earlswood in what was the south of Redhill in 1855, another inmate James Henry Pullen was an autistic savant. He was a brilliant craftsman and artist whose work was accepted by Queen Victoria, some of Pullens ship models, designs and art work used to be on display at the towns Belfry Shopping Centre but have now been moved to the Langdon Down Museum in Teddington. The principal building has been converted to apartments and the grounds provide green open space to balance the large common south-west of Earlswood railway station. Richard Carrington, an astronomer, moved to Redhill in 1852. Dome Way, where Redhills only tower block stands, is named after it, the site suited an isolated observatory, being on a spur of high ground surrounded by lower fields and marsh. Here in 1859 he made observations that first corroborated the existence of solar flares as well as their electrical influence upon the Earth. In 1863 he published records of observations that first demonstrated differential rotation in the Sun. In 1865 ill health prompted him to sell his house and move to Churt, St John the Evangelist, built in 1843, was the first of Redhills three Anglican parish churches. The parish originally stretched from Gatton in the north to Sidlow in the south, the construction, to the east of Redhill, of the M23 motorway between 1972 and 1975 reduced north-south traffic through the town. The natural gap in the North Downs north of Merstham is at an elevation of 120 metres above sea level, from this point run gently undulating slopes of significant chalk, sand, and some fullers earth deposits, underlying regular humus topsoil in the distance to Redhills town centre. Similarly, Reigate High Street, further along the Holmesdale gap, is at an elevation of around 85 metres or 280 feet with a hill immediately to the north where Reigate Castle is sited. Redhill Common, now built on at St Johns, is on the Greensand Ridge
12.
British Airways
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British Airways, often shortened to BA, is the flag carrier and the largest airline in the United Kingdom based on fleet size. When measured by passengers carried, it is second-largest in the United Kingdom behind easyJet, the airline is based in Waterside near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. On 31 March 1974, all four companies were merged to form British Airways, after almost 13 years as a state company, British Airways was privatised in February 1987 as part of a wider privatisation plan by the Conservative government. The carrier soon expanded with the acquisition of British Caledonian in 1987, followed by Dan-Air in 1992, British Airways is a founding member of the Oneworld airline alliance, along with American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, and the now defunct Canadian Airlines. The alliance has since grown to become the third-largest, after SkyTeam, IAG is listed on the London Stock Exchange and in the FTSE100 Index. A long-time Boeing customer, British Airways ordered 59 Airbus A320 family aircraft in August 1998, in 2007 it purchased 12 Airbus A380s and 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, marking the start of its long-haul fleet replacement. The centrepiece of the airlines fleet is the Boeing 777. British Airways is the largest operator of the Boeing 747-400, with 51 registered to the airline, on 1 September 1972 the management service functions of both BOAC and BEA were combined under the newly formed British Airways Group. British Airways was established as an airline on 31 March 1974 by the dissolution of BOAC, British Airways and Air France operated the supersonic airliner Aerospatiale-BAC Concorde, and the worlds first supersonic passenger service flew in January 1976 from London Heathrow to Bahrain. Services to the US began on 24 May 1976 with a flight to Washington Dulles airport, service to Singapore was established in co-operation with Singapore Airlines as a continuation of the flight to Bahrain. The final commercial Concorde flight was BA002 from New York JFK to London Heathrow on 24 October 2003, in 1981 the airline was instructed to prepare for privatisation by the Conservative Thatcher government. Sir John King, later Lord King, was appointed chairman, while many other large airlines struggled, King was credited with transforming British Airways into one of the most profitable air carriers in the world. The flag carrier was privatised and was floated on the London Stock Exchange in February 1987, British Airways effected the takeover of the UKs second airline, British Caledonian, in July of that same year. The formation of Richard Bransons Virgin Atlantic Airways in 1984 created a competitor for BA and this campaign included allegations of poaching Virgin Atlantic customers, tampering with private files belonging to Virgin and undermining Virgins reputation in the City. As a result of the case BA management apologised unreservedly, Lord King stepped down as chairman in 1993 and was replaced by his deputy, Colin Marshall, while Bob Ayling took over as CEO. Virgin filed an action in the US that same year regarding BAs domination of the trans-Atlantic routes. In 1992 British Airways expanded through the acquisition of the financially troubled Dan-Air, British Asia Airways, a subsidiary based in Taiwan, was formed in March 1993 to operate between London and Taipei. That same month BA purchased a 25% stake in the Australian airline Qantas and, with the acquisition of Brymon Airways in May, in September 1998, British Airways, along with American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, and Canadian Airlines, formed the Oneworld airline alliance
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