Essex and Kent services
In 2004, Ensignbus commenced operating a 12-month rail replacement contract in Kent for South Eastern Trains while the Higham and Strood tunnels were closed to strengthening. To avoid being charged the £2 crossing fee for each empty bus on the Dartford Crossing, as well as making use of the dead running from its Purfleet depot, a bus route was introduced between Chafford Hundred and Gravesend via Lakeside and Bluewater Shopping Centres, being numbered as X80.[23] Despite its infrequent timetable, the X80 proved successful and was kept going after the rail contract finished, albeit being cut back to run between Lakeside and Bluewater only.
In 2006, Ensignbus commenced operating services under contract to Thurrock Council and began operating services in Thurrock in competition with Arriva Southend.[24][25] As at October 2016, it operated 16 routes.[24] In April 2017, Ensign took over two further routes in Thurrock from Amber Coaches.[26]
Ensignbus had combined all their separate routes X21, X31 and X81 running between Ongar, Shenfield and Lakeside Shopping Centre[27] into one route numbered the X90 on February 18, 2019, between Brentwood and Lakeside Shopping Centre via Warley, Great Warley, North Ockendon, South Ockendon and Stifford.[28] However, route X90 did not last long as the service was withdrawn on June 15, 2019, due to an unviable amount of passengers as at the time the Elizabeth line was not fully open, with the intended replacement being the already existing commercial 269 service operated by NIBS between Brentwood and Grays.[29]
In June 2019, Jetlink X1, a night bus service between London Southend Airport and London Victoria via Lakeside Shopping Centre, Canning Town, and Embankment stations commenced.[30] It was withdrawn after a few weeks due to Ensignbus being denied access to Southend Airport.[31][32] It recommenced on 5 October 2019[33][34] but was withdrawn again in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
On 17 June 2019, Ensignbus' services in Brentwood were taken over by NIBS Buses.[35][36][37]
