News issue 108 


Click on this logo to go to the web page and service changes

                 

My regular correspondent for First, Stephen Le Bras writes "Following the loss of Slough routes 5,10,15 and then 2 in January, plenty of buses have been taken out of use.

 

All the remaining unbranded Citaros were taken out of service, leaving the 11 branded ones to continue. One Citaro was even apparently scrapped after a period VOR, this being 64036, as 64019/21/33/35/42-45 awaited their fate. The remaining StreetLites have gone leaving their MAX brothers on the X74 and the lower numbered E20D's were redeployed.

 

To summarise the remaining routes:

 

Route 1 branded Citaro, 3 E20D,  4 Citaro, 6 Citaro, 7 hybrid, 8 hybrid and 2 branded Citaro, 12/13 E20D, X74 StreetLite MAX. There are around 39 buses left plus the yellow school buses, Railair coach link coaches and two trainers.

 

I should imagine that the X74 will continue to use hybrids if the regular buses are out of use. The remaining 'deckers have gone South for further use.

A very interesting time for Reading Buses and I hope that their Thames Valley venture goes well. When First gave up their routes, they did not pass over any of the buses used but retained them for other parts of the country.

 


First Berkshire 63314 seen in High Wycombe departing with an X74 working on February 2nd - picture by Malcolm Crowe.

I spent a pleasant few hours on the Colnbrook by-pass nearly two years ago and felt it appropriate to show these pictures of the services still remaining.


Citaro 64044 works the 76 along the Colnbrook By-Pass on April 6th 2016 by Malcolm Crowe.


Volvo B5LH Hybrid VSH69933 works the 75 along the Colnbrook By-Pass on April 6th 2016 by Malcolm Crowe.


Volvo B9R Rail-Air 20810 - YY63WBT heads along the Colnbrook By-Pass towards Heathrow on April 6th 2016 by Malcolm Crowe.

A visit to Slough and Winsor is called for to record an update on remaining services.

 

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