Issue nr. 254
Wednesday, June 7th 2023

From the Editor

This has turned out to be rather interesting with news on rail closures, a visit to The North West Transport Museum in Liverpool and some updates regarding Stagecoach East, Ipswich and Leeds.

More Sprinters are arriving at Carousel for the PMU operation. The remaining

Tourismos for The Airline should arrive by month's end. Route operator change is noted for the 700 in Oxford.

New buses for Reading and increase in megabus services.

Ensign latest.

nwvrt.com

Sunday 4th June 2023 - Our Annual Open and Running day

Les Burton

   
   
A selection of vehicles at the show from Les Burton. 

Oxford - Didcot rail closure

Mike Walker

Nuneham Viaduct will reopen as planned on Saturday bringing to an end the extensive replacement bus services between Didcot and Oxford.  In fact, if all goes well freight services might resume tomorrow or Friday.

So late chance for some final photos. Ed. 

Mike Walker 

Chiltern Rail closures

Another big one coming up in August when Aylesbury will be shut 7-18 for replacement of a culvert near the station then Aylesbury to Princes Risborough shut 19 August to 30 October for HS2 works.

Jack Cooper

674 seen heading for Abingdon seems to be blending into  the  landscape. 

Lewis Nagle

In its element, 36 is seen at Heathrow.

      Coach visitors to Oxfordshire     

David Beynon

A couple from Redbridge earlier today, June 2nd.

 
City Circle YT19EFH and Silverdale BV71HZD at Redbridge

Incidentally, Busdata show BU18YST now belonging to First Choice (Brierley Hill), it has been seen recently on rail replacement duties.

The Mercedes-Benz Tourismo photographed at Peartree had First Choice Minibus Hire, Brierley Hill on a data panel next to the door.   

George Candelin

Went to Oxford today, nothing at Peartree despite being lunchtime but busy at St Giles.   The French Neoplan driver tried to charge me €20 to photograph his bus, needless to say I didn't pay as I'd already taken the photo before he saw me.

Here are my pictures referred to above.

     Fleet News and developments   

Peter Edgar

 
A couple of photographs of Arriva Herts & Essex new Green Line livery taken at Heathrow Airport,
not the Green Line livery that many of us older readers will remember !

 
Photographs of the recently introduced route X26 branding, Heathrow to West Croydon.

Ryan Butler 

Arriva's 3741 is a Wright Commander that's currently on loan from Ware.
I've attached an image of it at Booker ASDA at the end of route 32

It's currently showing on www.bustimes.org but is tracking on using the spare ticket machine.  

Frazer Peddle

An ex Oxford Tube coach seen at Norwich City centre. Copyright  David Green

Bob Chalmers

I notice two new bus stops have been 'signed' towards the eastern end of Dunmore Road, Abingdon (reasonably close to Peachcroft roundabout) - which will be presumably become added stops for the X1 Oxford/Wantage service at some point. Would be good if they could add an Oxford bound stop at the western end of Dunmore Road by Parsons Mead (they already have a Wantage bound one). Appreciate there is no space to create a lay by on the northern side of the road - but as with other stops in Dunmore Road - some are in lay by's, some are on the main carriageway. There is plenty of visibility for traffic if the council site it correctly.

The service seems to be well patronised especially since the reliability has improved when OBC took out the 4A service link to Botley. Main problem now is the slow moving traffic in Abingdon Road, Oxford due to the Botley Road situation.

A final thought - the normal daily X1 service uses 6 buses - yet only 5 have been put into the X1 livery - surely OBC could re-livery 675 to match??

Malcolm Crowe - Editor

By chance I had to go to Wycombe yesterday, June 7th, and came across 982 waiting for its next  journey. It was the first day in service.

Luke Marion

... in answer to my questions.

Carousel

The rest of the Sprinters are now with us and due to be graphic'd up this weekend, so you should see these out and about from next week. 

The Airline

The Tourismos will be a bit longer and will probably be around the end of the month / early next month as I understand things currently.

Chris Huntingford

“Route 700 is now changing operator and I guess this can be an opportunity to relaunch the route. This is a key link between three major residential areas (Kidlington, Marston and Headington), three main Oxford hospitals and two Park and Ride sites. Can there be a dedicated set of buses with the NHS logo on them? Is it possible to mention the route in other timetables and the new connections that become possible? As an example, with a simple change from the 400 at the Thornhill P&R, this opens many travel opportunities to the residents of Wheatley”.

https://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/services-changes-July-2023

Jack Cooper

..... a number of pictures of the new Airline coaches.

     
     
23, 24 and 25 provide the above pictures on May 29th.

... other pictures of Oxford's current coaches and buses in service.

24 seen in New Road on June 5th.

35 in Gloucester Green on May 29th.

39 and 40 promoting the Ashmolean in Gloucester Green on June 1st.

\
368 working the 5A in High Street on May 31st.

 
661 with a 5 road and 672 with an X1 pass Carfax tower on May 31st.

901 heads for Abingdon on May 30th.

Graham Low

All three remaining Volvo/Plaxton Elite i's were still working Airline journeys today, June 6th.

Lewis Nagle

The three latest Tourismos at the depot.

pignbob

351 with an 11X in St Aldates on June 6th.

Jack Cooper

252 is now nearly ten years old but looks smart with an X40 on May 31st.

 
451 shows off the Harwell branding in Parks Road on June 1st.

905 looking very smart at the top of New Road with an X2 on May 29th.

922 has recently returned to service, seen here with an X2 on May 30th.

The Scania's are still giving good service as seen by 944 at Carfax on May 31st

Graham Low

Here is a view of TT 922 which is unique among the nine Volvo B9TLs which have recently come from GoAhead London in having bonded glazing.
It originally belonged to First London, for whom bonded glazing was standard. 

Matthew Sewell

441 seen at Heathrow working a Carousel 102 on June 4th. 

pignbob

253 with a 97 working in Didcot on June 5th.

622 working th e X40 in Westgate on June 5th.

921 has entererd service at last seen with a 98 in Didcot on June 5th.

 
941 seen at Oxford Station with an X2 on June 5th.

942 , still in London  Go-Ahead livery, seen with a 23 on June 5th.

Mark Doggett

Ex Scania demonstrator just arrived. 

 
including Courtney, Newbury & District & Thames Valley

Andy Broom

Just seen this recent update from Reading Bus. Interesting to see they are dropping the Greenline branding for routes 702 & 703.

Martin Dowling

Due to licensing issues with Arriva, who own the trademark for the Green Line name which we use under licence, we have decided to introduce a new name with our new buses for the 702 and 703 in June. The livery will continue to be green to help ensure that nobody is confused if they are looking for a Green Line bus. The 702 will become “The London Line” and the 703 will become “Flight Line 703”. Both will also refer to “Windsor Express” to highlight the common core section of route. 

Delivery of the new ADL Enviro400 City double deckers has commenced, with details as follows: 

Fleet No          Registration     Body Number  Livery                                      Delivered

731                   RG23 BUS        N450/1             Reading Buses Generic            01/06/2023

732                   GL23 LDN        N452/1             The London Line                     Next week

733                   GL23 SLH         N434/1             The London Line                     01/06/2023

734                   GL23 WND       N434/2             The London Line                     Next week

735                   GL23 LGO        N434/3             The London Line                     01/06/2023

736                   GL23 BKL         N451/1             Flight Line 703                        01/06/2023 (to be allocated to Thames Valley Buses)

737                   GL23 LHR        N451/2             Flight Line 703                        Next week (to be allocated to Thames Valley Buses) 

Exact entry into service is pending completion of post-delivery tasks and a launch event, so I suspect it will be sometime w/c 19 June at the earliest. 

These are the first ever 11.5m diesel E400s constructed with the City bodywork. The seating capacity on all seven is 76, but with two slightly different lower deck layouts, 731-5 having two wheelchair bays, and 736-7 having one wheelchair bay and a luggage rack (for Airport work). The usual row of five seats across the back of both decks is reduced to four, and tables replace the rear facing seats downstairs. There is a table upstairs behind the stairwell. They have been built in a way that will allow up to 86 seats and seat belts to be added if desired in the future. 

Features include café style wood effect flooring, comfortable high back seating, USB and wireless charging pods at each seat, a glazed staircase, glazed roof lights and rear roof dome, upper deck air chill, mood lighting, and social seating with tables on both decks. Our next stop announcement system, with repeater in the wheelchair bay is also present, as is a CCTV screen in the stairwell to give customers a view of which seats are free upstairs. These buses also have electronic mirrors, and other mod cons for the driver. The branding will include some links to the locations referenced by the registration plates.

Peverel

has provided pictures of a few of these buses being delivered along the A34 near Oxford on June 1st.

     
Pictures provided by Peverel. 

Nick Ross

June 1st, Red Eagle Enviro YX10 FFB South of Cheddington with a service 62 from Aylesbury.

Jack Cooper

Ex Nottingham YX13BNV has yet to receive Redline livery as seen with an X20 in Oxford on May 31st. 

Charles Powell

Former Banbury gold 28742 in Gloucester on June 5th. Half term week so I’m on Pulhams service buses for the week.

pignbob

   
15976 seen on June 5th.

Tony Gaze

 
A couple of photos of 15976 on route 51 Swindon-Cirencester-Cheltenham today (07/06/23). 

Jack Cooper

   
15531 and 27719 recently transferred from West, in Magdalen Street on May 31st.

Gold style working the 1 in New Road, 10780 is seen on May 29th.

15535 with an 8 service by Carfax on May 31st.

pignbob

 
10905 was working a 1 in St Aldates on May 30th.

Paul Hawkins

Cambridge

15814 is seen promoting the new electric buses.

 
In a new series 86006 a 86013 working the PR2 on June 2nd.

50444 is away in Birmingham and 50447 is with Volvo. near Heathrow. 

New mega bus routes announced 

We've got some exciting news to share with you... We're partnering with megabusUK to offer even more trips to your favourite destinations! We've got great places to choose from, like Cardiff, Manchester, Southampton, and many more.

Glasgow to Cardiff will start on Thursday, 8 June, stopping in Manchester, Cheltenham, and Bristol! http://ow.ly/W4Ee50OHI2f

Glasgow to Southampton will start on Friday, 9 June, stopping in Manchester, Birmingham, and Oxford. http://ow.ly/FBen50OHI2g

We're ready for a new adventure... are you?

©️ Cardiff Castle | Shengpengpeng Cai

©️ Southampton | Connor Holyday

Thanks to Paul Hawkins for this update. 

     London operations    

Andrew Webb

Over a quarter of a century since the hit movie premiered in cinemas, Disney+ are streaming a sequel from 14 June showing what the steelworkers turned strippers are doing in 2023. 

Arriva's LT323 is one of several buses wrapped in this advert promoting the series to would be viewers. 
It is seen in New Oxford Street on 3 June. 

Andrew Webb

Since 27 May Transpora have been running route 2 linking Bournemouth with nearby Boscombe, returning an element of 'on the road' competition to the town's streets for the first time since Yellow Buses ceased trading in July 2022.  The route runs every 20 minutes on weekdays, with large gaps in the morning peak and mid-afternoon on schooldays to allow the buses to work school contracts in the area.   

 
On 1 June this former London United Scania and Abellio Travel London Enviro 400 were in use on the route,
both seen passing through The Square.  Also in use, but somewhat 'camera shy' was an Enviro 200MMC.

When Yellow Buses ceased trading in July 2022 Go Ahead stepped in at very short notice to cover most of the network, bringing in a range of vehicles from across the wider group. Despite some new deliveries and more on order, some of the key routes still have older vehicles in frontline service. 

The '1' group between Bournemouth and Somerford were Yellow Buses flagship group of services.  Three elderly ex London buses were in use on 1 June, with two former PVLs being the eldest at 22 years apiece. 

 
PVL239 is in plain blue, reflecting its use with Damory Coaches in Poole, whilst PVL242's livery shows that it has returned to revenue earning service
 after spending time training the next generation of bus drivers in Southampton. 

WVL267 spent time in Newcastle after leaving the capital.  Still in Go North East livery it is now one of the fleet in Bournemouth.

When Go Ahead took over Yellow Buses routes this led to duplication of route numbers in a relatively small area.  With the introduction of the new timetable on 27 May the opportunity was taken to renumber some routes.  Route 2 linking Bournemouth town centre with Boscombe and the large shopping centre at Castlepoint has now become route 22. 

Enviro 200MMC 256, branded for the M1 and M2, is seen in The Square on 1 June readying for departure on the renumbered route. 

Go Ahead operate open top buses all year round on the Purbeck Breezer routes linking Swanage with Poole and Bournemouth.  The 'Breezer' brand has been expanded this year with the introduction of 'Beach Breezer' for routes 70 and 80 which offer a combined 30 minute frequency over the core section between Alum Chine and Hengistbury Head. 

Optare Volvo 1405 is seen at The Square after arriving with a good load, but with just one hardy soul wanting to venture further on a sunny 1 June.

Paul Hawkins

Ipswich

Leeds - City of Culture 2023

Ensign

Please see May’s comings and goings