Random buses in the ex-coach park at Stratford station

[bluerun46]

On the plot of land at Stratford where MSG Sphere was going to be (bordered by the GEML, a Lea Valley line and HS1), a bunch of old-looking buses have appeared. I say old-looking, as I’ve only observed their roofs from a train, and I wasn’t able to get a photo.

Does anybody have any idea what those buses are doing there, or a picture of said buses? I thought it was rather bizarre.

 

[Simon75]

On the plot of land at Stratford where MSG Sphere was going to be (bordered by the GEML, a Lea Valley line and HS1), a bunch of old-looking buses have appeared. I say old-looking, as I’ve only observed their roofs from a train, and I wasn’t able to get a photo.

Does anybody have any idea what those buses are doing there, or a picture of said buses? I thought it was rather bizarre.

I went past yesterday (29/7/25) and saw it too, a white double decker, but I was too puzzled

 

[bluerun46]

Still not a clue what these are. They seem to have come from all over the place.

 

[Andyh82]

With the scaffolding up to top deck height maybe they are for some sort of filming

They are possibly scrappers, the Arriva one is definitely, so maybe they are going to stage some sort of accident

 

[t rex]

Looks like theres an ex bristol film and television plaxton president dining bus at stratford station coach park
know ripleys collected two from bristol film and television back in may this year
Unsure of the registrations but here's a photo of them on the side of m32 when they collected from bristol

 

[bluerun46]

As of 11/10/2025, it appears there are now more buses with the majority graffitied (with rather intricate designs, I might add). Any new hypotheses?

 

[mangad]

Some digging around on the internet and it sounds like some sort of art installation thing. If you search Stratford Junction you'll find it on Instagram but as I don't have an account I can't find much out other than that several graffiti artists appear to have been invited to paint the buses. I would assume it's an organised thing with some funding behind it which makes it rather strange that there is so little information about it. Unless they are waiting for all the buses to be painted and then opening the site up?

 

[RS465]

A rumour I’ve heard that it’s supposed to be a ‘blight’ on the area by the land owners as protest after they were refused planning permission.

 

[fgwrich]

The vehicles themselves I would say either are or probably have come via Ensign, but as mentioned above this appears to be some kind of installation presumably.

 

[Joe Paxton]

A rumour I’ve heard that it’s supposed to be a ‘blight’ on the area by the land owners as protest after they were refused planning permission.

Hmm... if the desired result was 'blight', then having old buses painted up with what look like some very intricate compositions isn't IMO achieving that!

 

[yorkie]

Reopened to enable @mangad to post an update

 

[mangad]

So what do you do with a site with 40 old buses on it? Turn it into a food-led market site it seems. I read about it yesterday on IanVisits, whose blog post states:

The site’s design would be a mix of adapted shipping containers and repurposed buses and train carriages for commercial, cultural, and community purposes. In total, they expect to have 40 London double-decker buses, forming the world’s largest bus-based street art installation. The buses are already on site if you want to see them.

The plan would be for it to operate for three years whilst longer term plans for the site are made. Also in the article it mentions that the site was sold last year, although who knows whether that was before or after the buses arrived. Either way, it appears they've decided to use the buses as a feature in the site design.

More information on IanVisits: Stratford's abandoned Sphere site could become giant bus-themed food market

​

 

[Towers]

So what do you do with a site with 40 old buses on it? Turn it into a food-led market site it seems. I read about it yesterday on IanVisits, whose blog post states:



The plan would be for it to operate for three years whilst longer term plans for the site are made. Also in the article it mentions that the site was sold last year, although who knows whether that was before or after the buses arrived. Either way, it appears they've decided to use the buses as a feature in the site design.

More information on IanVisits: Stratford's abandoned Sphere site could become giant bus-themed food market

​

I love the ‘artist’s impression’ depicting a Routemaster on top of a shipping container - one rather suspects them costing forty to fifty grand a piece might rule out any featuring here!

 

[Forty29]

Hi thanks for info stayed at the Roxy Hotel overlooking the site a little time ago and wondered what it was about.

 

[Bristol LHS]

Sounds like a rip-off of Bahnwärter Thiel in Munich, which uses former U-Bahn carriages in a similar way.