Issue nr 295
Thursday April 4th, 2024
Past Issues : https://www.oxford-chiltern-bus-page.co.uk/
From the Editor
Interesting times with many new buses in Oxford, service cuts in Buckinghamshire and delivery of new coaches to various local operators.
Airport and London coach services have been subject to delay when the M40 recently suffered a spate of accidents.
Your Editor is somewhat grateful to have retired a few years ago and I don't think I could handle the traffic especially in London. I remember that when I started driving PSVs in 1961 motorways were scarce and drivers seemed to have more courtesy than some 60 years later.
The weather has been less than pleasant lately but contributors continue to provide excellent support, thank you all.
In this issue
A moment in time at VCS with Gavin Francis
Oxfordshire Bus Enthusiasts Society next meetings
Oxford Bus re-register their Hybrids
Croydon Tramlink Closure
Easter Rail Replacements
ELECTRIC BUSES ENROUTE TO READING
New Pulhams Coaches bus app includes other operators’ services
Readers Write - Brian Butler, Chris Fletcher and James Allum
Buses in the Landscape
Coach visitors to Oxford
Fleet News & Development
Numerous pictures for our operators
More new Electroliners for Oxford Bus
A visit to Langston & Tasker
SC West fleet update
London Operations from Andrew Webb and Gavin Francis
Some interesting memories
A visit to Lakeside
A moment in time at VCS with Gavin Francis on March 30th.
The coach variety was most interesting.
Oxfordshire Bus Enthusiasts Society
The next two meetings will be on Wednesday 10 April
and Wednesday 8 May.
Wednesday April 10th
Short Annual General Meeting
(the first since 2019!)
A CROSSLEY GALLERY
- a nostalgic, feel-good presentation, on Crossley Buses, including the
story of Ian's own ex-Reading Corporation Crossley DD42 under restoration.
Wednesday May
CROSSLEY: NOT A
DISTRESS PURCHASE a look at
Crossley Brothers and Crossley Motors in their happy and not so happy days,
with a little more technical detail.
These meetings will be from
7 to 9 p.m. at the Norman Brown Room 2, Rose Hill Community Centre, Carole's
Way, Rose Hill, Oxford, OX4 4HF.
Oxford Bus Co service 3
passes the centre and services 3A and Thames Travel service X40 pass within
five minutes walk.
A bar is available after the meetings: there are snacks but no meals are served. Parking is available.
Oxford Bus re-register their Hybrids
Ex-hybrid 302 now registered as OE11 YMY, seen in the city centre
on April 3rd working the 6 by James Lambeth
It will be interesting to see where these buses end up ! Ed.
Croydon Tramlink Closure
https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/trams/
On March 29th a whole section of
The Croydon Tramlink was closed until April 24th. All track
to the East of East Croydon is subject to engineering work over the next
4 weeks. This means that New Addington, Elmers End and Beckenham
Junction terminus are not being served.
To
help cover this closure local bus services are being enhanced but also a
Bus Replacement service is in operation.
This is being operated by 2 companies, Go-Ahead Commercial
Division and Transport U.K.
Go-Ahead supplied E284, WHV 3, E9, E10, E 281, E256 and E259
Transport UK supplied 9524, 9519, 9525, 3414, 9522, 2425, LT 992, 2427,
9521 and 2438
The trams were terminating in George Street outside East Croydon Station
where 2534 and 2564 await their next trip West
Easter Rail Replacements
Gary Seamarks from Milton Keynes
Few from the Rail Replacements at MK Central on Good Friday, was a 4 day closure
of West Coast Main, south of MKC, two routes were a high frequency one to
Bedford for connections to London, and a less frequent all stations (except
Cheddington) to Watford Junction that took over 2 hours. Unsure if KN23FUM was
involved (legal's is the photo) but nice to see a Van Hool to me now RR is
getting to much coach based. The two South Staffs E400's were nice, the former
Ipswich E200, now with A1 of Luton one was of a trio of E200s I saw.
James Allum from Newcastle-on-Tyne
Today 30th March I ventured out to Newcastle to sample the delights of the Tyne and Wear metro rail replacements.
ELECTRIC BUSES ENROUTE TO READING
Electric buses are en-route to Reading.
£4.7m of government funding has been obtained for 24
electric double deck buses to run on Reading Buses popular routes purple 17 and
claret 21.
The funding also includes help for the installation of
charging infrastructure at the Reading Buses depot.
Robert Williams, Reading Buses Chief Executive Officer,
said today: “We are delighted to have secured this funding to enhance our fleet
with zero emission vehicles.
“This sizable project will result in even quieter,
smoother journeys for our customers. Equally important, these electric buses
will also highlight the significant environmental benefits that already exist
when switching to public transport.
“We hope this will be yet another reason for people to
give our services a try as well as helping to encourage a reduction in private
car emissions and congestion.“Both of these issues have such a significant
impact on all the residents of the town.”
The electric buses will enter service in 2025 starting
with purple 17 which runs from Tilehurst in the west of Reading to the Three
Tuns in the east.
Purple 17 is the most frequent and well used service in
Reading, running 24 hours a day. Currently operating with buses running on
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) the purple buses are already extremely low carbon
which in itself is helping the town’s air quality.
“With the electric buses providing zero emission
credentials it is expected that they will further improve air quality and
encourage more bus users,” Robert added.
The claret 21 service also runs 24 hours a day from
Reading Station to Lower Earley via Reading University.
The £4.7m is from the Department for Transport Zero
Emissions Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) fund and will provide 75% of infrastructure
costs at the Reading Buses Great Knollys Street depot.
The funding will also provide 75% of the difference in
cost of a zero emission bus compared to a regular diesel bus with the remaining
amount funded by Reading Buses as part of its normal fleet replacement
programme.
The bus operator point to their fleet of 66 CNG buses as
their commitment to greener fuel alternatives. These will continue to supplement
the electric vehicles for several years, ensuring the town and surrounding area
gets better air quality.
Reading Buses has been trialling different zero emission
vehicles around Reading over the past year to help with the decision on which
buses they should purchase. The latest generation of vehicles can do a full
day’s work after just three to four hours charge.
Orders will be placed by the end of April.
The app will allow bus customers to plan journeys, check real-time updates and buy passes and tickets in advance or on the day of travel. Some new fare products are available via the app, which uses QR codes.
In addition to information on Pulhams’ own bus services, the app will give details of those provided by multiple other operators, including Stagecoach. Such an approach will “provide a joined-up view of the area’s bus services for the first time,” the Go-Ahead subsidiary says.
Also part of the app is a ‘things to do in the Cotswolds’ function via an events and attractions section. That works alongside the travel planning tool, which additionally includes details of the features that are available aboard buses.
Speaking about the enhanced app and website, Pulhams Coaches Area Director Alex Chutter says: “We are committed to making coach and bus travel as accessible and convenient as possible for customers, and out latest investment in digital technology takes our services to the next level.
“It provides customers with access to live travel information, travel planning tools, more ticketing options, and convenient ways to pay. We have launched various new services recently, and the app and website will help customers to research all the coach and bus travel options available to them.”
Brian Butler about Arriva AYL & WYC
You invited comment on Arriva's upcoming service alterations. As far as
Aylesbury based services (already much reduced from previous levels) are
concerned it continues a worrying trend which I suspect may well end with the
company abandoning Aylesbury altogether. There are no doubt many reasons for the
decline in Arriva service provision in the Aylesbury area but it seems to me
that, while not the only reason, it is not unconnected with the company's
inability or unwillingness to react to the expansion of the Red group.
I personally view the decline of Arriva with a great deal of sadness.
Chris Fletcher refers to Reading
Great to see the improvements in Reading. Most operators respond to reliability issues by reducing frequency rather than adding resources.
James Allum
Does anyone have any photos of Arriva Dennis darts in Hemel that they could
please email me for my own personal collection. It can be SLF, MPD or any other
darts.
Charles Powell
Cheltenham and Chipping Norton at each end of the
extended 801.
Richard Sharman
Pulham's Just Go!-liveried Mercedes-Benz Tourismo PU19 HAM is seen
travelling away from Oxford city centre and St.Giles.
Enviro400-bodied Scania 202 is now entering its final days in service before transferring elsewhere in the Go-Ahead Group. Later tour departures were introduced from the 31st of March, with the last tour now at 1800hrs, with a 15-minute headway from 0930hrs,
202 is captured next to the Jenkin Building
operating one of these later evening departures.
Coach visitors to Oxfordshire
David Beynon
Fleetwood Town support coaches at The Kassam plus one in Redbridge from earlier
today
Jack Cooper
Autokarem.cz 2BI4228 turning into St. Aldates on
March 26th.
Richard Sharman
PC Coaches of Lincoln's smartly liveried Scania Touring RC16 PCC is seen
overnighting at Pear Tree Services.
Fleet News and developments
Jack Cooper in Oxford
Single decks still work the X7 and X8 - 3032 and
3816 on March 26th.
5462 with a backdrop of Oxford's buildings
on March 26th.
Malcolm Crowe
4211 and 4212 at Cressex depot on March 30th.
3029 at Cressex depot on March 30th.
3016 has a super rear advert seen on March
30th.
Kevin Fuller
I was in Langley last Tuesday, 26th March, and took the attached pics of
First buses around the village centre:
34385 heads towards Heathrow with a route 7
working.
47687 is working route 3 from Slough to Uxbridge
69401 pauses during its route 7 working from Heathrow to Slough.
Jack Cooper in Oxford
A regular for the 275, 533 or 2203 turns off St
Aldates on March 26th.
Malcolm Crowe
217 at the depot on March 30th.
I noticed that 975 worked the WYC PMU last
week and here it is at the depot on March 30th.
Allan Hollis with the latest arrivals at Grayson's for Oxford Bus
| 749 | BJ73WYR | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000477 | Wt AV213 | H44/26F | 2/2024 | |
| 750 | BJ73WYS | Wt StDk Elr SC5DDREXU23000478 | Wt AV214 | H44/26F | 2/2024 |
749 and 750 on April 4th en route to Oxford. One presumes
these will be re-registered with 24 plates ?
Brian Lomas
I used a picture in the last issue which ha d a copyright shadow across and have now updated issue 294 and repeat this picture below. Ed.
SCMcr 13176 the first of the
Oxford Hybrids (352) in service on March 24th by Brian
Lomas
Christian Wylie
Wasn't long ago I was tending to these in the yard at Wigan, now they're on
my doorstep,
OE62 ZRX at Shaw Tram Stop on the 402 on March 27th.
Mike McNiven
Stagecoach Manchester OE62ZSD (V17OXF) 13191 seen on High Street, Manchester
on Bee Network 81 to Oldham Bus Station on April 2nd.Picture courtesy
Mike Mc Niven.
Gavin Francis in Watlington
303 is seen working 11 road on April 2nd, not yet
re-registered.
Jack Cooper
670 and 902 near Abingdon on April 1st.
Soon to be re-registered with OE11 plates, 303 - 309 - 313 in Oxford on
March 26th.
492 from both sides working the 11X on March
26th.
611, 663, 670 and 677 all seen near St Aldates on
March 26th.
683, 684, 686 and 688 working their branded routes all seen near St Aldates
on March 26th.
The new face of Brookes - 706, 708, 713 and 721 in Central Oxford
on March 26th.
728 turns into St Aldates on March 26th.
Still giving sterling service the remaining Oxford Citaros work most days as
847 seen working the 35 on March 26th.
491 in Bicester on April 2nd.
The new Electroliners are seeing additional buses arrive each week. Above
are 740 and 746 into service since the last Weekly Briefing.
Richard Sharman
City15-livered StreetDeck 682 is seen putting
a relatively rare turn in on City6 to Wolvercote as it passes new
Electroliner 728,
showing the styling differences.
Coach 29 has now been fully branded which means all the fleet is now in standard livery.
202 at work on March 26th, nearing the end of its days in Oxford
Peter Edgar
Photographs of Oxford Bus Company 191 and 192 taken in Magdalen Street East,
Oxford .
CSS 196 seen in Oxford's Frideswide Square on March 28th.
Charles Powell
School holidays so I’m doing a bit of service work. The 801 is now extended to Chipping Norton and here’s my three vehicles I’ve driven today, April 4th.
Jack Cooper
441seen near Abingdon with a 33 on April 4th.
226 seen in Oxford on March 26th.
A nice shot of 602 showing its livery turning off
St. Aldates on March 26th.
868 showing the Citaro with TT in St. Aldates on
March 26th.
908seen near Abingdon with an X2 on April 1st.
Peter Edgar
941 still carries Carousel fleet names
raising the question is it on loan to Thames Travel ? In St. Aldates on
April 2nd.
Richard Sharman
Woods Coaches 2015 Levante 2's are seeing out their final days on the 210 service as more recent 73-reg Levante 3's are in progress of being delivered to their Aston depot.
93, which hasn't carried full livery for some months now, is seen heading
for home.
including Courtney, Newbury & District &
Thames Valley
Gavin Francis
734 in Buckingham Palace Road on March 30th.
Jack Cooper in Oxford
Working the X20, YX63LJE turns off St Aldates on March 26th.
Gavin Francis
Red Rose E15RRT heads to High Wycombe through Stokenchurch with a 40 on
April 2nd,
Dave & Deric
These are the changes for Stagecoach West on the
Fleet Card for Period 12 (29/03/2024). Though, things are extremely quiet
and there is very little to report! The changes affecting Oxford depots
being shown in yellow.
|
On Loan |
10987, 10994 |
Swindon |
To |
Loan to
Stagecoach Manchester |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Transfers |
10983 |
North Bristol |
To |
Swindon |
|
|
11239 |
Oxford |
To |
North Bristol |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gone |
47297 |
Disposal |
To |
Gone |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Richard Sharman
Recent loans from Stagecoach West depots to Oxford are Gloucester Scania
15361 and Swindon's ADL 10992, seen on 03/04/24.
Jim Wright
10779 has finally arrived back at Horspath after
accident repairs.
It has a new front & virtually completely repanelled,it
has also been repainted in Local bus livery, Oxford's first MMC in new livery!
I drove Swindon Gold MMC 10992 on S3 at
Enstone on March 31st.
Jack Cooper
10673, 10677 and 10679 in St. Aldates on
March 26th.
10990 from Swindon working the 1 in St.
Aldates on March 26th.
Now based in Oxford, 11243 is seen in High
Street working the 8 on March 26th.
The other poppy bus in Oxford is 15989
originally from the South Coast turns into St. Aldates on March 26th.
Peter Edgar
West's 15361 seen in Magdalen Street East
with an S5 on April 2nd.
pignbob
10779 newly repainted on March 28th.
80002 in Magdalen Street East with driver training on April 3rd.
Richard Sharman
Stagecoach Oxford's E200 36982 is seen with
the lesser photographed Department of Engineering Science building in
the background
as it heads towards the JR Hospital on the 14.
Jack Cooper
50423 looking very clean in Oxford on March 26th.
50452 turns into St. Aldates giving a fine
view of its branding.
London operations
Andrew Webb
London United's BCE47027 is the first bus to appear in a campaign for
McCain's chips,
highlighting the company's commitment to regenerative farming. It is
seen at a quiet Oxford Circus early on Good Friday.
Nike's latest trainers are the subject of a new campaign on London buses.
In two views taken at Parliament Square,
LT620 illustrates the offside whilst LT865 shows the nearside of the new
advert.
Since 29 January route 464 has been unable to reach Tatsfield owing to long term work by Thames Water.
Journeys from New Addington, operated by Transport UK, have been terminating at Biggin Hill Valley from where a connecting shuttle has operated.
The narrow roads on the diversionary route necessitate the
use of this route branded minibus which is operated by Go Coach.
The
timetables on both routes are very tight so connection between buses can be 'hit
and miss' with a resulting 30 minute wait, although in this view at Biggin Hill
Valley on 30 March, through passengers have been fortunate.
Gavin Francis
LT 155 Transport UK Samsung S24 in Vauxhall Bridge Road
Metroline LT 757 L'Oreal in Buckingham Palace Road
RATP have converted SP 40191 to open top for their sightseeing tour.
Before (March 7th 2023 and March 30th 2024)
Gavin Francis and a preserved RT
RT 2083 ready for duty on April 1st.
Gary Seamarks
I managed to get out Fri and Sat for a while, even though I worked Friday night. Next weekend off Thurs-Sunday nights so hoping..
A
few from Lakeside Easter Saturday, with sun included !!!!
Only there an hour, but did get selection of Ensignbus and First, the Arriva
London was being recovered by the boys in orange.
The Arriva seems at an odd angle ! Ed.
James Allum from Newcastle-on-Tyne
I couldn't resist this shot
of Arriva Northumbria's 7547 stricken on a corner of Regent Centre causing some
issues for passing buses!