Issue nr 316
Thursday September 5th, 2024

Past Issues : https://www.oxford-chiltern-bus-page.co.uk/ 

From the Editor 

After a rather longer than usual run of weekly issues, I will be taking a well earned break for  two weeks with issue 317 now to be published on Thursday, September 26th.

I will be away from my desk but welcome any updates you may wish to send.

The electric buses for Stagecoach  appear impending and we await news of their arrival.

In this issue

Buses Festival 2024 in pictures

Reading Festival 2024 bus services

Grahame Wareham's memories of OBC 316

Oxford Bus services cancelled due to noise vibrations

Aylesbury area - buses on demand

Oxford Bus X15 service launches

Thornhill Park & Ride update

SHOWBUS reminder

Readers Write

Fleet News

Red Rose fleet renumbering

Buses in Lichfield

Adrian Small from Cambridgeshire and Suffolk

Gordon Scott at ADL


2024 - Sywell Aerodrome, Northamptonshire 
       Buses Festival | Buses Magazine (keybuse)

Tony Bungay reports

Buses magazine 'Buses Festival' today, which was blessed with good weather and a good attendance.

There were to my mind some stand out vehicles, such as an Enviro 400mmc for Delaine looking superb in that livery, and a good what might have been Volvo/Northern Counties in a form of early London Country livery. 

Photos are self-explanatory, and as you may well get several contributions, you have a selection to choose from.

 

     
     
     
     

Last year's festival featured an air display by a Spitfire and Hurricane. While this did not feature this year, visitors were still treated to a take-off and landing by a resident Spitfire. A Mark XIV, I think!

 


Also, Friends of King Alfred attended bringing the sad remains of their Olympic vehicle
which was severely damaged along with the loss of other vehicles as a result of an awful fire late last year.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A winner this year was a 74 plate driven by Charles Powell

 


PU74HAM to buses festival on its very first outing and won the award for best modern coach

I can appreciate how Charles felt having had my own success many years ago with an Oxford tube. Ed. 

by Martin Dowling

The Reading Festival took place as usual on the last weekend of August.  Reading Buses ran special services to take festival goers to and fro and also a service for staff.   

The main route is 98 from the north side of the station to the festival site using about seven double deckers as a shuttle service.  This is very well organised with staff supervising the queuing and loading of buses.  Photos show one of the signs in the subway under the station to send passengers to the stop and 211, 1211 and 755 waiting at the station.  

      


Single deck gas buses run the staff shuttle, route 99; 419 and 420 are seen in photos also at the station.
 

A third service, 97, runs from the festival into Friar Street in the town centre.  806, which is nearly 20 years old and likely to be withdrawn soon, and 1202 are in Friar Street. 

 
1202 is being overtaken by one of the new buses, 243, on route X4. 

The final photo shows a shuttle bus for Thames Valley Park operated by Stewarts.  This is an electric BYD Enviro 400, LG73FME.  This alongside a second similar bus means that the TVP operation is now fully electric.  The full size buses are used mainly morning and evening with electric minibuses used outside peak times.

Grahame Wareham with recollections of COMS 316

H316 LWL311 was an AEC Regent II with Park Royal H30/26R semi-utility body new in 1946. It was part of a batch of twenty-five buses delivered immediately after WW2. In 1952 H316 was renumbered H850 as part of the effort to keep high-bridge and low-bridge buses in a separate series . Withdrawn in March 1958 and sold to Deacon (dealer), Dorchester it was resold to Bedlington & District, Ashington in April 1958. It lasted here until 1961 when it was sold to Laverty of Burscough as a non-psv.

(I have no images of LWL311 unfortunately)

316 316NJO was numerically the first of the second series of AEC Bridgemaster's delivered in 1962 with Park Royal H40/25F body, different from the first 1961 batch owing to their shorter wheelbase, and these were the only forward entrance examples built in this way, presumably to avoid any union problems which led to the first batch being unpopular. Allocated along with 317 to Witney garage when new they were drafted into the City and operated from Cowley Road when OMO was introduced at the country depots from 1969. None of this batch of AEC Bridgemasters received the revised two colour livery as their withdrawal preceded the previous batch. 316 was withdrawn in April 1972 and sold to TPE (dealer) Macclesfield and repainted by the company for its new operator which was to be Premier Travel, Cambridge as their 230, entering service in June 1972 Premier purchased ten ex. COMS Bridgemaster's including a non-runner for spares and 230 lasted in their fleet until November 1974 when it was sold to local scrap dealer Smith of Thriplow.  

 

106 NUD106L was a Bristol VRTSL2 with ECW ultra low CH41/27F body to dual purpose specification with semi-coach seats. Part of a batch of nine they were used primarily on London services and Outer Circle routes for their first couple of years and then 106 was transferred to Witney depot for use on Oxford-Witney, Carterton, Burford routes. In September 1982 106 was renumbered 316 and repainted into bus livery. In July 1984 316 was transferred to the South Midland division which by then consisted of former COMS Country depots and by Jun 1986 it had been renumbered 606 and by September 1986 had been converted to O41/27F and renumbered again to 905. In August 1987 it was withdrawn and sold to Ensign Bus who resold it to Ryan of Bath in 1989.   . In August 2012 NUD106L left Ryan's and was exported to Garden of Eden Garage, Ghaxaq, Malta for Oasis Tours in Malta but was not allowed to operate and ended up being scrapped on site.

   
 

316 HS11OXF is an ADL E400H Hybrid with Alexander H47/21F body which was new in 2011 as part of the Company's contribution to Transform Oxford Bus Initiative . Part of a batch of seventeen metallic green duotone hybrid buses for Park & Ride services 316 was a diesel electric hybrid bus developed between Alexander Dennis and BAE Systems. In 2016 316 was repainted into City red livery for use on normal City routes and later in 2018 was converted into diesel mechanical mode as the rising cost of replacing the battery packs was not cost effective.

316 was reregistered OE11YNC before departure to Plymouth where it received fleet number 5037 on 17/4/24.

   
 

   

I do appreciate Andy Dyer's comments regarding the histories but I am not as old as he obviously thinks I am. I did not photograph any of the Regent II's with COMS!  I was only eight when they went!

Oxford bus services cancelled due to 'noise vibrations'

Littlemore-bus-services-cancelled-due-noise-vibrations-cancelled-due-noise-vibrations 

I seem to remember that at a bususers meeting Herschel Crescent often came up. Ed. 

Aylesbury area – buses on demand
https://busandtrainuser.com/2024/08/22/aylesburys-drt-finally-gets-going/

by Tony Bungay


Click on the image to enlarge

The delayed Aylesbury DRT service has now started, originally to be operated by Arriva who later withdrew from the scheme, before it started.

A report of the operation has appeared in Bus and Rail user. It would be interesting to hear what readers think of these DRT Initiatives. To my mind they seem to be very much a 21st Century version of the Dial a Ride projects of the 1970's, that were attempted in Harlow and Milton Keynes amongst others.  


Seen at Aylesbury Rail Station is a specially liveried Mercedes vehicle.
Whether it was waiting for a booked journey or had just completed one is unknown.

and in Hemel from Gavin Francis

https://www.intalink.org.uk/hertslynx


Herts Lynx YE73RBU in Hemel on August 29th.

X15

by Richard Sharman

X15 - Oxford Rail Station to Wantage (X1) or Witney (X15) | Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel

Going full circle is a term that we are seemingly using a lot for COMS at the moment, it is very quickly returning to the kind of network that it had in the 1990s. It is almost like someone at Cowley House has found a box of old timetables and is on a mission to bring the old network of 'country' routes back. At this point all we are really missing is an X50 to Stratford-upon-Avon!.

It has been a long long time since COMS itself operated any buses into Witney, but the revised X15 service has once again made this possible by extending the former Pulhams X15 service beyond Abingdon to Oxford.

 
StreetDeck 670 is seen operating a late evening short working to Southmoor on the first day of operation,
the 2nd of September. During the daytime the X15 provides an hourly frequency between Oxford, Abingdon and Witney.

from Sanjay Baker

 
   
A selection of the X15 fleet on day one at Oxford train station.

Comments by Bob Chalmers

This new service was introduced on Monday and apart from a few tracking issues on the first day - seems to be operating well. Basically the previous X1 from Oxford to Wantage via Abingdon and Marcham has been 'amended'. A new service (X15) has been introduced with the X15 going to Witney via Southmoor, Standlake replacing the Pulhams 15 service. The X1's and X15's alternate every 30mins (approx) during the day giving much better options of getting to Millets Farm and Witney (hourly). The two services interlink at Oxford Station (during the main part of the day) - an incoming X1 becomes an X15 to Witney and an incoming X15 becomes an X1 to Wantage. The routes now use 7 buses instead of 6,  as previously and there is a big 'layover' time in Wantage for the X1. I believe this is to try and combat the regular late running of previous services leaving Oxford via the traffic 'chaos' outbound in Abingdon Road, Oxford. With the uncertainty of the Botley Road situation, I would say fair play to OBC for trying to address the problem which is no making of theirs. Hopefully 'return' workings to Oxford will stand more chance of being able to keep to the timetable now. Will be interesting to see how things go when the schools fully re-open.

More from Bob under Readers Write. Ed. 

Thornhill Park & Ride

Thornhill Park and Ride Stops Temporarily SUSPENDED

9th Aug 2024 onwards

Due to resurfacing works, the Thornhill Park and Ride Main Building along with the stops around it will be temporarily suspended from 12:00 09/08, for the next 4-6 weeks. Passengers, are advised to use the temporary stops which have been provided within the car park on the right side of the Main Building as you enter the Park and Ride.

Thornhill Park and Ride Refurbishment by Gavin Francis

Back in 2007 it was decided to build a brand new Park and Ride Facility at Thornhill. Before then it was not much more than a brick shelter which served The Oxford Tube and Oxford Bus Company coaches and open bus stops for The Park and Ride bus into the City and Stagecoach hospital service 600.

     
Oxford coaches 1 and 62 stand outside the old brick bus shelter whilst Park and Ride Citaro 824
and Stagecoach Mercedes 40110 are on the opposite side.

In 2007 construction started on a new Park and Ride facility at Thornhill and this was to include covered waiting areas both inside and out, toilets and eventually a coffee shop. The old brick shelter can still be seen in some of the pictures.

       
     
   

The new facility at Thornhill takes shape.

     
       

After 17 years Thornhill is having a new road surface installed and is closed for 2 months until 1st October. To allow buses and coaches to still access the site a temporary bus station has been built immediately on the right on entering the site. It is a large area occupying a greater space than the normal site. All the facilities inside the terminal are still available but it is a bit of a walk to where the buses park.Insert pictures 1-19

Plenty of room for buses and coaches to move around with limited shelter provided for waiting passengers.

Current operations by Richard Sharman

Thornhill Park & Ride is currently undergoing extensive resurfacing works around the passenger terminal until 01/10. A temporary bus station is in operation.

       


SHOWBUS 2024 is taking place at the
Bucks Railway Centre on Sunday September 29th

https://www.showbus.com/subind1.htm

SHOWBUS REMINDER

Just a reminder that SHOWBUS now only seven weeks away.  Entries are not only strong, but include some impressive buses and coaches.  They are already in excess of 100, which bodes well for numbers on the day and we hope you might be amongst them.  Apologies if this email is duplicated but I occasionally go boggle eyed cross checking the addresses!

Obviously arrangements are a little different to previous events with the heavy organisational involvement of the Bucks Railway Centre.  None other than Mike Sutcliffe, the Leyland Bus Man, and well known author is writing the programme this year and lead times are expected to be longer than usual, so please try and get your entry in before the end of the month to be sure to be included.  Of course we appreciate that not everyone can be sure that far in advance, you will be welcome to enter after that date and whilst your vehicle will be included on our web listing, it may not make it into print!

We will be operating various trips for visitors as usual.  There will be an hourly bus service to and from Aylesbury by Red Rose connecting to buses and London trains, similarly an hourly service to Bicester serving the Shopping Village and connecting with the Oxford BV1 electric shuttle to Bicester North.  Arriva will be operating an excursion from Milton Keynes and another is available from Luton.

We also plan a shuttle, using double-deckers to Waddesdon Village for the Manor and to Claydon House via Hogshaw Farm and Wildlife Park with single deckers.  Assuming your insurance is valid if you would like to volunteer for one or more trips please email me at rally@showbus.com 

Bob Chalmers about Oxford Bus Company operations

Just saw bus 757 on a 45 service in Abingdon heading towards Oxford (been on it all day) - strange that the only 2 other main services in this area X1/15 & X3, are still only operated by diesel buses. Wondered what the reasoning for this is - as even the new 280 to Thame is now Electroliners - so can't be to do with distance. 

Seem to be some issues with the OBC tracking service since the weekend - several buses not showing (X1's/X15's) and even showing an X3 in Standlake going to Barton and and X15 in Stert Street, Abingdon going to Oxford (not possible as it's a 'one-way' street going 'the other way') - technical problems I guess - but could be confusing for some. see the response from The Oxford Bus Company under the heading below.

Charles Powell


YX18LKA with school's back seen in Wroxton, Glos. on September 4th. 

     Fleet News and developments   

 

Gavin Francis in Hemel Hempstead

     
     
     
     
Hemel is still a home to Arriva as seen on August 29th.

Tony Bungay


Yet another photo of former Sapphire Enviro 400 5461! But this time caught in Exchange Street Aylesbury on the 30/8/24 working the X5.
First time I have seen this since my photos of 27/7/24, so would indicate it too has joined 5462 at Hemel Hempstead.
I have read 5466 is in the Medway area.


In Exchange Street Aylesbury is Arriva 3568 still in previous Arriva livery, working an Aylesbury bound X5 journey.
These vehicles did appear on Hemel workings when they participated on Service 500. This is first time I have observed one on the X5.

Andy Millwood with a bus at Lichfield


Arriva M 3760 working the X65 in Lichfield on August 8th.

Gavin Francis from Hemel on August 29th

 
The company operates the 46 as seen by the two pictures above. 



Operations update from Luke Marion.
(a reply to Bob Chalmers under Readers Write)

On the tracking points, there was an outage on the Ticketer system which affected many operators on Monday and sadly we were impacted by this, meaning many of our buses did not track on that morning. 

Following the news on the extended closure of Botley Road, this has prevented us putting in a number of network improvements that we were hoping to bring in to coincide with the proposed introduction of the "traffic filters" scheme by OCC.  

Given the sizeable delay to the re-opening of Botley Road we needed to re-review our vehicle allocations to ensure we are making good use of our electric vehicle fleet in the meantime, as we had an excess of EVs compared to what is required to run the smartzone-area routes only. As a result we have now allocated EVs to the 35, 45 and 280 services meaning we now have the X1, X3, X15, 11, 46, 108 and ST1/ST2 as diesel bus routes operating out of Cowley House, plus of course the coach routes.


Service Changes Sun 1st Sep onwards

We will be makin
g some changes to services in Oxford City and South Oxfordshire from 1st September 2024.
These changes are to improve connectivity and increase the reliability of our bus network.

15 (Pulhams)
Pulhams service 15 will be replaced by new service X15, operating an improved hourly daytime service. Please see below for more details.

19 (Pulhams)
Service 19 will increase to operate hourly throughout the day. Combined with service X15 (see below), there will be a bus up to every 30 minutes between Standlake, Ducklington and Witney. At school times, service 19 will also serve Henry Box School.

33 & 33A
There will be some minor timing changes to some morning journeys on service 33 to improve punctuality, and maintain connections for scholars. The 0658 journey from Abingdon will extend to Henley College.

43
Service 43 will be revised to be start and finish at Abingdon, Peachcroft Roundabout, with services no longer running directly to Oxford City Centre. Buses will also only continue to Wantage via Chilton and The Hendreds on school days and will terminate at Harwell Campus during school holidays.

Operation of service 43 will transfer to Thames Travel from this date.

63S
To provide extra capacity for students, service 63S will be duplicated:
- in the morning from Fyfield, Old Forge at 0754 to Matthew Arnold School
- in the afternoon from Matthew Arnold School at 1522 to Fyfield, Old Forge

This is to provide extra capacity on the busiest section of this school journey.

67
Service 67 will be operated by Pulhams from 1st September 2024. There will be no change to the timetable or routing.

143 & BB3
Following a review of financial support by our local authority partners, Thames Travel will no longer operate services 143 and BB3 from 1st September 2024. Reading Buses will be providing replacement services 43 and 93. More information can be found at reading-buses.co.uk.

850 (Carousel)
Following taking over services 800 and 850 from Arriva in July, we have identified a number of areas to improve the timetable. All buses will operate as service 850, via Wargrave and Twyford between Henley-on-Thames and Reading, up to every 20 minutes Monday - Friday, every 30 minutes on Saturday and hourly on Sunday.

As such, the 800 and X80 variants will no longer operate, with other links now available for those travelling between Reading, Caversham, Dunsden Green, Binfield Heath and Henley-on-Thames.

X1 & X15
We're excited to introduce new links from Witney, Ducklington, Standlake and Southmoor to Abingdon and Oxford City with service X15. Buses will operate up to every hour into the heart of the city with earlier and later trips than the current service 15.

Services X1 and X15 will continue to provide a half hourly service from Oxford Rail Station to North Abingdon, Marcham and Frilford. Service X1 will operate up to every hour onwards to East Hanney, Grove and Wantage.

X2 & X3
We will be making some minor changes to the evening timetable on services X2 and X3, with the Sunday evening X2 service increased to operate up to every 30 minutes. Journeys on service X3 will no longer continue to Wantage with all trips terminating in Abingdon. For journeys to Wantage, please see service X1.

X2S
We are introducing a new school service to Abingdon Schools from Milton Park, Steventon and Drayton. Buses will drop off at Larkmead, John Mason and Fitzharrys Schools.

X9 (Pulhams)
We are pleased to be introducing a new Sunday service in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council, operating up to every 2 hours between Chipping Norton and Witney. There are no changes to the current Monday to Saturday timetable.

X24, X34 & X35
Service X34 will be diverted between Vodafone and Newbury to serve Donnington Heights and Donnington Village, and there will be minor changes to the timetable to accommodate this.

New service X24, in partnership with Harwell Campus and Oxfordshire County Council, will provide faster peak-time journeys between Didcot Parkway and Harwell Campus. Some of these journeys continue to Newbury but do not serve Chilton Village.

Service X35 will be extended to Grove to provide a better link between Grove, Wantage and Harwell Campus. Buses will operate from Wantage Market Place via Denchworth Road, Mably Way, Grove Road and Main Street, then a circular route via Mayfield Avenue and Oxford Lane to return to Main Street. Buses will increase to operate up to every 30 minutes on weekdays between Didcot and Wantage.

X36
Service X36 will be revised to operate between Didcot (Southmead Industrial Estate) and Wantage (Kingsgrove). Early morning trips from Wantage and Grove towards Milton Park and Didcot will be retained.

The E200MMCs ex Thames Travel (451-454) are now regulars for the 850.

Gavin Francis


859 is a real credit to the  operator, looking pristine in Hemel on August 29th.

Jack Cooper


80475 with the 275 on August 16th in Oxford.

Keaton White

 

Latest additions to the Carousel fleet are ex-Thames Travel 451-454;
two of which are seen here in the Carousel Buses yard tonight ready for service tomorrow (01/09/24)

Kevin Fuller


80826 gleams in the sunshine as it reaches journeys end of route 37 at Maidenhead Frascati Way, on 17th August.


Similar vehicle, but displaying the livery of its former owner, 80828 is seen in Maidenhead High Street,
at the start of its return journey to High Wycombe, also on 17th August.


Ex-First bus Enviro 200 MMC 80477 pauses in Oxford Road, Marlow on its trip from Reading to High Wycombe on 24th August on route 850.

Sanjay Baker


#after a few weeks using an ex First Glasgow E200MMC on September 5th 521 was used seen in St Aldates.
For September 6th 80478 in Wycombe Bus Company livery was used. 

Jack Cooper

     
     
     
Oxford Bus variety during August with some changes.

Richard Sharman


Meanwhile, the Electroliners continue to stretch their electric legs on the 35 and 280.

Charles Powell 


599 is currently at Pulhams as shown ready for the 855 on August 30th.

Nigel Peach


A trip to The Cotswolds on Saturday 31st. Picture attached of Pulhams 805 in Stow on the Wold.

Sanjay Baker


UK22PUL seen in central Oxford on August 29th. 

Charles Powell


622 with a Football special OX5 on  August 31st.

Jack Cooper

 
681 and 692 in St Aldates on August 16th.

Richard Sharman

StreetDecks 651 to 654 have undergone one of the quickest branding changes ever! Following the grand launch of the 280 and its own dedicated livery, it seems these StreetDecks did not find favour on this country run and have been rapidly debranded and moved to Thames Travel.

 

Sanjay Baker

 
Now with TT, 80952 (290824) and 80954 (310824)

Gavin Francis in Hemel

   
red eagle variety in Hemel on August 29th.

 

Gavin Francis in Thame on September 3rd.

   
The latest X20 livery is now appearing as seen above on September 3rd.

     
More variety working the X20.

Sanjay Baker


Redline Buses BF67 GJY, the second B5TL Gemini 3 they have, works the X20 this morning, Thursday.

 
and earlier this week.


 
Redline Buses BV73 MTK in its new X20 livery this morning
, Thursday 5th.


and earlier this week.This was the first day in service branded. 

Tony Bungay

You possibly already know Malcolm, or indeed had photos contributed. Today in space of 5 minutes I observed 2 Volvo/Wright StreetDecks, ex University of Wolverhampton working the X20. Still in their formers owners livery.

Indeed I have as included in this issue. Ed.  

There appears to be a renumbering of the fleet using the registration number doe reference. It is not clear what is developing. This refer to the www.bustimes.org list.

Gavin Francis


Red Rose BU05HFZ r H10 Hemel Hempstead on August 29th.

 
Services 121 and 40 seen in Thame on September 3rd.

Tony Bungay


By Aylesbury Railway Station also on 30/8/24 is Red Rose Mercedes E11 RRT on Service 16 to Marsh Gibbon


and probably oldest vehicle working in Aylesbury, Dennis Dart/East Lancs Y358 LCK.
Unfortunately, the destination which was fairly faint anyway was not captured, the service being worked was the 50 from Halton Camp. 

Update on ADL EVs for Oxford

SK74AYZ AD E40EV SFD211AR1PGD10007 AD N453/7 H46/23F 9/2024 Thames Transit 80007 Intended as SK73CZM and SK24XRK
SK74AZA AD E40EV SFD211AR1PGD10015 AD N453/8 H46/23F 9/2024 Thames Transit 80008 Intended as SK73CZN and SK24XRJ
SK74AZB AD E40EV SFD211AR1PGD10013 AD N453/9 H46/23F 9/2024 Thames Transit 80009 Intended as SK73CZO and SK24XRL
SK74AZC AD E40EV SFD211AR1PGD10018 AD N453/10 H46/23F 9/2024 Thames Transit 80010 Intended as SK73CZP and SK24XRM
SK74AZD AD E40EV SFD211AR1PGD10014 AD P414/1 H46/23F 9/2024 Thames Transit 80011 Intended as SK24CXS
SK74AZF AD E40EV SFD211AR1PGD10017 AD P414/3 H46/23F 9/2024 Thames Transit 80013 Intended as SK24CXU
SK74AZG AD E40EV SFD211AR1PGD10011 AD P414/4 H46/23F /2024 Thames Transit 80014 Intended as SK24CXV
SK74AZJ AD E40EV SFD211AR1PGD10016 AD P414/2 H46/23F /2024 Thames Transit 80012 Intended as SK24CXT
SK74AZL AD E40EV SFD211AR1PGD10012 AD P414/5 H46/23F /2024 Thames Transit 80015 Intended as SK24CXW
SK74AZO AD E40EV SFD211AR1PGD10021 AD P414/7 H46/23F /2024 Thames Transit 80017 Intended as SK24CXY
SK74AZP AD E40EV SFD211AR1PGD10020 AD P414/8 H46/23F /2024 Thames Transit 80018 Intended as SK24CXZ
SK74AZR AD E40EV SFD211AR1PGD10022 AD P414/9 H46/23F /2024 Thames Transit 80019 Intended as SK24CYA
SK74AZT AD E40EV SFD211AR1PGD10027 AD P414/10 H46/23F /2024 Thames Transit 80020 Intended as SK24CYC

James Lambeth

 
An Oxford based Enviro400EV made it on to route 14 for the first time yesterday, 80005  SK24 XRF as seen in Old Marston.
Nice vehicle and a world away from the E200s we're used to having in "the village"

Jack Cooper

   
SC selection in Oxford last August.

Gavin Francis


50452 seen in BPR on August 31st.

Richard Sharman


A destination not often seen, unless you are about early morning or late evening, is the limited stop Oxford Express journeys.
50422 swings into Gloucester Green with a late evening arrival. 

Richard Sharman

Monday the 2nd of September saw the revised megabus network launched, without the use of any Stagecoach vehicle in England and Wales- with the exception of the M11 and M20 Scotland to London service's. 

Part of the changes saw the M17 Glasgow to Southampton service being incorporated into the new M84 service from Glasgow to Portsmouth, the exceptionally long way around!. 

Departing Glasgow at 0610hrs, the M84 then goes across to Edinburgh, then along the East Coast to Newcastle, then goes cross-country to Manchester via Leeds and finally makes progress South via Birmingham, Coventry and Oxford before arriving in Portsmouth via Southampton at 2145hrs.  

Parks of Hamilton are operating the service with megabus and CityLink-liveried Panorama's. 

The inaugural southbound journey arrived in Oxford 1h 41mins late at 2041hrs due to traffic issues on the route, Tuesday's southbound journey faired a little better at just 38mins late. 

For decades Oxford city centre enjoyed a daily Scotland service under Scottish CityLink, Caledonian Express and National Express, but the 539 between Edinburgh and Bournemouth ended a good few years ago.

     
The new M84 service looks set to do well, with the first days journey carrying a good amount of passengers. 

 
Parks of Hamilton's LSK 807 is seen passing Pear Tree Services,
some 13 plus hours after leaving Glasgow on the second day of operation of the M84 service.


 

Gavin Francis  in Thame


Z&S MK63WZV working the 113 in Thame on September 3rd./span> 

     London operations    

Gavin Francis

   
AirSym have an interesting fleet of coaches.

 
LT37 displays a new wrap.

 
More wraps

   
Metroline have a nice selection.


Revised branding.


TOOTbus LS66OLT BPR 310824 G Francis

Andy Millwood

Buses at Lichfield

Why a Bristol MW came to be in Lichfield, Select are popping up in several places and finally an Arriva Bus. Feel sad they are no longer at High Wycombe but glad  to know Carousel have taken over.

 


Select YJ65EWA in Lichfield on August 8th.

Adrian Small

Cambridgeshire & Suffolk last week, and attached are some views that may be of interest. There is definitely an independent bias to the operators out there, with only Stagecoach Cambus in Cambridge of the 'big three' in evidence. 

Photos: 


1 - MX73 GBV - Whippet, Swavesey Mellor Sigma 12 on route X3 in Cambridge. 

 
2&3 - YJ23 EKN - Mulleys, Ixworth Optare Metrodecker on route 355 again in Mildenhall.
This Metrodecker is one of the five ordered then cancelled by Reading for their London services.
Mulleys have two, the other being YJ23 EKO. These were both registered in March 2023.
 


4 - LW51 ZHJ - Mulleys, Ixworth Volvo B7TL/Alexander also on route 355 in Mildenhall.
This bus was originally Dublin Bus AV215 (01-D-10215) registered in September 2001.
 

So we have a relative new (1 and a half years) bus (Metrodecker) and a 23 year old one (Volvo) on the same route. 


5 - YR10 AZT - Mulleys, Ixworth Scania N230UB on route M22 in Bury St Edmunds. New to Menzies, Heathrow
 


6 - CN56 FDU - Mulleys, Ixworth Optare Solo on route M88 in Bury St Edmunds. New to Bebb, Llantwit Fardre
 


7 - CX14 EMS - Stephensons, Rochford 610, Scania N280UD/Alexander Dennis on route 11 in Newmarket.
New to Jones (Express Motor Services), Penygroes
 


8 - EU24 LWT - Stephensons, Rochford 801, Brand new Alexander Dennis E40D/AD on route 16 in Mildenhall.
 


9 - BV55 UCW - Stephensons. Rochford 649,
Scania N94UD/East Lancs Omnidekka on route 16 in Bury St Edmunds. New to Blue Triangle, Rainham
 


10 - BJ60 BYX - Coach Services, Thetford, Volvo B7RLR/Wt on route 201
in Mildenhall.


11 - CS63 BUS - Coach Services, Thetford, Volvo B9TL/Wt on route 86 in Bury St Edmunds. 


12 - CS72 BUS - Coach Services,Thetford, Alexander Dennis E40D/AD also on route 86 in Bury St Edmunds. 


13 - AN61 LAN - Chamber 455, Scania K230UB Omnilink not on service in Bury St Edmunds. New to Anglian, Ellough 


14 - YN55 PZF - Chambers 804, Scania N94UD/East Lancs Omnidekka on route 753 in Bury St Edmunds,
New to Metrobus 


15 - KX59 GOC - Star Travel, Haverhill, Alexander Dennis E200/AD on Newmarket town circular route in Newmarket.
New to Guiddeissue, Knypersley 


16 - YX72 OMY - Simmonds, Diss, Alexander Dennis D20D/AD on route 338 in Bury St Edmunds 


17 - B21 DCT - Dans Travel, Stowmarket, Volvo B10BLE/Wt on route DB1 in Bury St Edmunds.
This bus was originally T125 OAH,
was new to Ambassador Travel, Great Yarmouth and also operated for Lancashire United.

So the only other operator from a large group is Chambers (owned by Go-Ahead), but looking like an independent anyway. 

A very interesting area. 

Gordon Scott

Excellent news letter as always put to together by yourself great work.

 I had a trip to ADL at Falkirk today not much movement only one of the new ADL


Enviro EV's for Transdev Harrogate & District SK74 AYO.
 

I counted eight Stagecoach Oxford ADL Enviro EV,s behind the fence and one I could not identify parked further back. I have listed seven registration numbers of the ones I could see behind the fence listed below. 

SK24 CZM - SK74 BCX - SK74 BDU - SK74 BDV - SK74 BDX - SK74 BDY - SK74 BDZ.