First Bus East of England
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA FirstGroup bus operating brand serving Norfolk, Suffolk and surrounding parts of eastern England.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
First Bus East of England is the regional bus operating brand formerly known as First Eastern Counties. It provides local, interurban, rural, coastal and park-and-ride services across eastern England, with its principal operating footprint in Norfolk and Suffolk. The business operates from five main locations: Norwich, Ipswich, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and King's Lynn. Its network includes urban services, links between towns and villages, and longer routes connecting East Anglia's main population centres and tourist destinations. The operation traces its institutional history to the formation of the Eastern Counties Omnibus Company in July 1931. That company was created by combining four existing East Anglian operators and began with a fleet of 534 buses. Its early shareholder structure included United Automobile Services, Tilling & British Automobile Traction, the London & North Eastern Railway and the London Midland & Scottish Railway. The associated coachbuilding business in Lowestoft was renamed Eastern Coach Works and became an important supplier of bus bodies within the wider group. Eastern Counties expanded through acquisitions during the 1930s. After the administration of Tilling & British Automobile Traction in 1942, its shareholding was transferred to the Tilling Group. Nationalisation followed in 1948, when Eastern Counties became part of the British Transport Commission. It subsequently passed into the Transport Holding Company and then the National Bus Company. In preparation for deregulation, the Cambridgeshire operations were separated into Cambus Limited in 1984. Eastern Counties itself was privatised in February 1987 through a management buyout. The business entered the modern FirstGroup structure through a sale to GRT Group in 1994. GRT merged with Badgerline in 1995 to form FirstBus, later FirstGroup. The acquisition of Great Yarmouth Transport in 1996 enlarged the regional operation. The King's Lynn operations were sold to Norfolk Green in 2011, although First continued to operate services in the wider area and King's Lynn later remained an important base for the Excel network. Today, the brand is organised around several recognizable service families. Network Norwich uses colour-coded route branding for services in Norwich and nearby towns and villages. Ipswich services were rebranded as Ipswich Reds in 2019. Longer-distance services operate under the Excel name, including routes linking Peterborough, King's Lynn and Norwich, while X1 and related Coastlink services connect Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. Coastal Clipper services serve seaside communities and seasonal tourism demand, including open-top Cabriolet services on the Great Yarmouth seafront. The operator has also been involved in notable transport initiatives. Its Superoute 66 between Ipswich, Kesgrave and Martlesham Heath began in 1995 as the United Kingdom's first commercially operated guided bus system. First later resumed operation of Ipswich's park-and-ride service in 2017 after an earlier period of operation between 2008 and 2013. In the 2020s, Network Norwich began receiving battery-electric buses supported by the UK government's Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas programme, marking a transition toward lower-emission urban operations. First Bus East of England therefore combines a long-established regional operating heritage with branded networks, interurban corridors and fleet modernisation under FirstGroup ownership.
History
The business's predecessor, Eastern Counties Omnibus Company, was formed in July 1931 through the merger of four bus companies serving East Anglia. It started with 534 buses and inherited a substantial regional operating and engineering presence. By the end of the 1930s, it had acquired a further 50 operators. Its Lowestoft coachbuilding operation became Eastern Coach Works, supplying bodies for buses built on several chassis types. The company's ownership changed during the wartime and post-war restructuring of the British bus industry. Following the 1942 administration of Tilling & British Automobile Traction, the Eastern Counties shareholding moved to the Tilling Group. Eastern Counties was nationalised in 1948 and became part of the British Transport Commission. In 1969, the commission's bus interests were consolidated into the National Bus Company. The approach of bus deregulation brought organisational change. In September 1984, the Cambridgeshire operations were transferred to a separate company, Cambus Limited. Eastern Counties was then privatised in February 1987 through a management buyout, and its coaching operations were transferred to Ambassador Travel later that year. A highly publicised incident occurred in Norwich on 3 March 1988, when a Bristol VRT double-decker fell into a 26-foot sinkhole caused by an underground medieval chalk mine. Everyone aboard escaped before the vehicle fell further. The rupture of a gas main caused an overnight evacuation nearby. Cadbury subsequently used an image of the incident in advertising for its Double Decker chocolate bar. In July 1994, Eastern Counties was sold to GRT Group for £6.7 million. GRT merged with Badgerline in June 1995, creating FirstBus, which later became part of FirstGroup. Great Yarmouth Transport was acquired in September 1996 and incorporated into the First Eastern Counties operation. In April 2011, the King's Lynn operations were sold to Norfolk Green. The modern operation developed a portfolio of branded networks. Network Norwich launched in 2012 with colour-coded route identities. Ipswich's services became Ipswich Reds in 2019. The Excel family developed into a major interurban offering linking Peterborough, King's Lynn and Norwich, with the X1 connecting Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. Coastlink services cover the eastern end of the former long-distance corridor, while Coastal Clipper serves coastal communities and seasonal visitor traffic. The operator has also experimented with distinctive infrastructure and service formats. Superoute 66 began in 1995 between Ipswich and the Kesgrave and Martlesham Heath area, becoming the first commercially operated guided bus service in the United Kingdom. Electric fleet investment began to reach Network Norwich in 2023 through ZEBRA-supported procurement, including Wright StreetDeck Electroliner double-deck buses and planned Wright GB Kite Electroliner single-deck buses.
- 2023
Battery-electric buses enter Network Norwich
[1]The first Wright StreetDeck Electroliner buses from a larger electric fleet order enter service in Norwich.
- 2021
Coastal Clipper Cabriolet launches
[1]A seasonal open-top route begins operating between Hemsby Beach and Great Yarmouth seafront.
- 2019
Ipswich Reds introduced
[1]First rebrands its Ipswich operation and introduces a red identity for town services.
- 2012
Network Norwich launches
[1]A colour-coded branded network is introduced for Norwich and surrounding communities.
- 2011
King's Lynn operations sold
[1]First Eastern Counties sells its King's Lynn operations to Norfolk Green.
- 1996
Great Yarmouth Transport acquired
[1]Great Yarmouth Transport's operations are purchased and merged into First Eastern Counties.
- 1995
Superoute 66 begins
[1]A guided bus service starts between Ipswich and Kesgrave/Martlesham Heath in partnership with Suffolk County Council.
- 1995
FirstBus is created
[1]GRT Group merges with Badgerline, bringing the Eastern Counties operation into the FirstBus structure.
- 1994
Sale to GRT Group
[1]Eastern Counties is sold to GRT Group.
- 1987
Eastern Counties is privatised
[1]The company leaves the National Bus Company through a management buyout.
Products and positioning
A regional public transport operator combining urban networks, cross-county routes, coastal services and branded interurban corridors across Norfolk and Suffolk.
Urban bus network · 2012
Network Norwich
Network Norwich is First's branded urban and suburban network in Norwich and nearby Norfolk communities. It uses colour-coded route identities, with buses displaying line-related branding on their fronts. The network includes services within the city and routes extending roughly 20 miles into surrounding towns and villages. It has also become a focus for fleet renewal, including the introduction of battery-electric double-deck and planned single-deck buses.
Urban bus network · 2019
Ipswich Reds
Ipswich Reds is the local service identity used for First's Ipswich operation. Introduced in 2019, it gave the town's routes a red livery and a unified local-market presentation. The operation serves Ipswich and surrounding communities, historically extending across a radius of approximately 30 miles, and includes the Ipswich park-and-ride service.
Interurban bus services
Excel
Excel is the principal long-distance service family in the regional operation. Its routes connect Peterborough, King's Lynn and Norwich, while related services continue toward the east of Norfolk and Suffolk. The network uses high-specification double-deck vehicles on major corridors, with features including enhanced interiors, passenger information announcements and camera mirrors.
Coastal and regional bus services · 2018
Coastlink
Coastlink comprises feeder and regional services at the eastern end of the wider Excel corridor. Its routes link Norwich with Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and intermediate communities. The family includes the X1, X2, X11, X21 and X22, with differences in routing, stopping patterns and destinations. It replaced the former through Excel operation between Norwich and Lowestoft in stages.
Coastal and seasonal bus services · 2021
Coastal Clipper
Coastal Clipper services connect seaside settlements in Norfolk and Suffolk, including Lowestoft, Southwold, Great Yarmouth, Gorleston-on-Sea and Hemsby. The family includes year-round routes using distinctive coastal branding and the seasonal Cabriolet open-top service on the Great Yarmouth seafront. It is aimed at both everyday coastal travel and seasonal tourism.
Guided bus service · 1995
Superoute 66
Superoute 66 was a guided bus service linking Ipswich with Kesgrave and Martlesham Heath. Introduced in 1995 in partnership with Suffolk County Council, it began with six Plaxton Pointer-bodied Dennis Darts. It was notable as the first commercially operated guided bus system in the United Kingdom and was later upgraded to use double-deck buses.
Brand decisions
2023
Electric fleet deployment in NorwichProduct launchBackground
FirstGroup operations were selected for support through the UK government's Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas programme.
Action taken
Network Norwich began introducing Wright StreetDeck Electroliner battery-electric double-deck buses, with additional single-deck electric buses planned.
Aftermath
The programme was intended to replace existing diesel buses at the Roundtree Way depot and reduce emissions from Norwich services.
2019
Ipswich service rebrandingStrategyBackground
First sought to give its Ipswich services a more distinct local identity.
Action taken
The Ipswich operation was rebranded as Ipswich Reds with a new red livery.
Aftermath
Ipswich Reds became the principal local brand for the operator's Ipswich services.
2011
Sale of King's Lynn operationsM&ABackground
First Eastern Counties reviewed the structure of its regional operations and divested its King's Lynn business.
Action taken
The King's Lynn operations were sold to Norfolk Green.
Aftermath
King's Lynn remained associated with First's wider regional network through later Excel operations and an outstation.
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