First Leicester

Leicester Citybus, trading as First Leicester, is a bus operator providing services in Leicester. FirstGroup own 100% of the company after purchasing Trentbartons 6% shareholding in 2023.

History
In December 1874 the Leicester Tramways Company commenced operating. In July 1901 it was taken over by Leicester Corporation Transport with 39 tramcars and 30 horse-drawn buses and began to be electrified. In July 1924 the first motor buses entered service gradually replacing the trams with the last running in November 1949.

In 1972 Leicester Corporation Transit began operating services in partnership with Midland Red to South Wigston and Wigston Magna and in 1976 to Oadby. In August 1979 the business of Gibson Brothers, Barlestone was purchased which included two services from Market Bosworth to Leicester, one via Barlestone the other via Peckleton.

In 1983 Leicester Corporation Transport was rebranded as Leicester CityBus. To comply with the Transport Act 1985, in 1986 the assets of Leicester CityBus were transferred to a separate legal entity of the same name.

Leicester City Council put its 94% shareholding in Leicester CityBus up for sale in March 1993, which was purchased by the GRT Group the following November. After GRT Group merged with Badgerline to form FirstBus in April 1995, the operation was rebranded as First Leicester.

Fleet
As of June 2024, the First Leicester fleet consists of 106 buses, 68 of which are Wright GB Kite Electroliner battery electric single-deck buses that began entering service in May 2023; an additional 18 Streetdeck Electroliners were delivered during spring 2024. The fleet also consists of Wright StreetDecks new to the company between late 2015 and early 2016, as well as Alexander Dennis Enviro400s and Wright StreetDecks branded for FrequentFourteens services.

Liveries
Leicester City Transport buses were painted in crimson relieved by cream, this was reversed in the 1960s. When rebranded Leicester CityBus, a red, white and grey livery was introduced.

Upon the takeover in November 1993 by GRT Group, the fleet began to wear a version of the GRT corporate livery, with the base and relief colours associated with Leicester City municipal buses, but in the corporate GRT arrangement, with Leicester CityBus fleetnames and a spire motif. This was replaced by FirstGroup corporate livery.

During 2015/2016, First Midlands, the parent group of First Leicester, introduced a fuchsia fronted version of the latest corporate livery across their fleet.

During 2019, service 18 received four newer buses in a purple livery branded as 'theBraunstoneBus', with services 88/88A/88E branded as 'Saffron' referring to Saffron Lane which they serve in a yellow and crimson livery. Services 14 and 14a would later receive buses featuring orange FrequentFourteens branding.

Services
Most First Leicester bus services are operated from either Haymarket bus station or St Margaret's bus station.

Services operate from the City Centre to Glenfield, New Parks, Braunstone Frith & Kirby Frith, Glenfield Hospital, Braunstone, Eyres Monsell, Saffron Lane, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester General Hospital, Goodwood, Netherhall, Thurnby Lodge, Thurmaston, Rushey Mead, Mowmacre Hill, Beaumont Centre, Beaumont Leys, Anstey, Highfields and Birstall.

First Leicester also provide shuttle buses around East Midlands Airport. Aircoach services between Leicester (St Margaret's bus station) and Birmingham Airport are operated by First Leicester, the first such service to operate outside Ireland, Aircoach is operated by using a fleet of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter minibuses.

Depot
In 2007 a new depot was opened on Abbey Lane which is also the headquarters of First Midlands, replacing the former depot on Abbey Park Road which was once home to Leicester's tram network, where a fire in August 1999 destroyed three vehicles and parts of the former tram sheds.