Issue nr 341
Sunday, March 30th 2025

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

Caught far from home by Tony Bungay

Only one contribution, but certainly not one you would find this far inland perhaps! Seen at Aylesbury Railway Station while working a Rail replacement Service 

Stagecoach Enviro 400mmc 11586 

Further to the news of the announced withdrawal of the X5 service, other readers may be interested to know, if they have not seen it already. A piece about it on Roger French's Bus and Train user website.  

Vintage Bus Running Day - Wood Green - this Sunday, 23rd March 2025

https://harringayonline.com/forum/topics/vintage-bus-running-day-wood-green-this-sunday-23rd-march-2025?xg_source=activity  

Route 233 was renumbered W3 when it was converted to flat fares in the late 1960s.

RF-525-FROM-CLOSED-HIGHGATE - FINSBURY-PARK-LINE-23RD-MARCH-2025 

RTL-554-FERME-PARK-ROAD-1-23RD-MARCH-2025

RTL-554-FROM-CLOSED-HIGHGATE-FINSBURY-PARK-RAILWAY-23RD-MARCH-2025

Pictures via Gavin Francis. Ed. 

Alexander

I'm glad that Tony Bungay is grateful for my correction and I'm grateful to you for sharing it on your News Page. It certainly is good of you to take the time and trouble of running the News Page and providing updates almost every week! I do enjoy reading both about what's happening currently with the busses, and about busses in days gone by. They do make an interesting comparison sometimes! 

I remember HW town service 326 being operated by the Wycombe Bus Company but didn't know it was jointly operated by Chiltern Rover, A company I've never heard of, before 1995. It makes sense that LDT The Shires purchased the Yellow Bus routes operated by Motts, as they previously operated the 280 service, alongside City of Oxford. 

It was A lot more than 10 years ago that the 260 number fell out of use as I remember in 2004 the service was replaced by changes to Whites Coaches 108 service, which followed A similar route to that described. I didn't know that the service was latterly operated by Redline, who later took over the whole operation. Why was it renumbered 110? 

I'd be surprised if the 281/283 made into Arriva days as I only remember reading about them taking over the 280 from City of Oxford. They began when MAP introduced area numbers in about 1977 and the 82 service, which ran between Oxford and Aylesbury, was revised to become the 280/281/282/283 according to what I read on the Oxford Bus Page when someone was asking about the history of the 280 service. 

Regards, Alexander 

Chris Huntingford

"The issue of transportation in Oxford remains prominent, particularly regarding congestion. While everyone likely has a different perspective on how to make journeys easier, I am sure that most would agree that encouraging more people to use the bus network will help. But how can we encourage this?

 

Here’s a potentially radical suggestion. Suppose a grant is awarded to conduct an experiment over weekends for a couple of months, and to participate, you would need to use the tap-on / tap-off system. Your journey must cover at least one kilometre, and you would need to alight somewhere near the Carfax Tower. To take part, you would also have to return from central Oxford after at least two hours - this way, you'd likely contribute to the economy of central Oxford. Now here’s the novel part. As an incentive for taking part and to try the bus as an experiment, a small sum of money would be deposited into your bank account (say five pounds).

 

Therefore, a basic question arises: can the tap on / tap off system facilitate negative fares, thereby depositing money into an account? Just like refunds are possible in shops with bank card readers?

 

David Ive

I continue to enjoy reading about bus matters in the Chilterns from down here in Devon. 

In recent articles about the route 280, there was mention of the 281 variant. Please see the attached image, taken by me at Haddenham Pond on 1 February 1991, showing Aylesbury Bus 617 on route 281 to Thame. I can't remember much about the 281, but suspect it was a Schoolday only service from Aylesbury to Thame. The vehicle's direction of travel indicates it may have gone from Haddenham to Thame via Kingsey. I hope this is of interest and that it, maybe, jogs some memories.

Mark E Lyons

I have noted with interest recent comments about the poor standard of presentation of buses in the Arriva fleet and can only conclude that there seems to be a policy of benign neglect in operation.  To reinforce the point I attach two photographs of recently delivered Wrightbus Streetdeck Electroliners taken in Leicester on the same day.  It had not rained for a few days and the temperature had not fallen so far as to require gritting of the roads.  The comparison between the Arriva Midlands bus and that in the First Leicester (it's actually still Leicester Citybus!) fleet is self-evident and fairly typical of what I observed on the day.  Whilst vehicle presentation may suffer if a bus wash is out of use for whatever reason, bad weather and/or buses having to pass near a construction site there does seem to be a group wide issue here...

 

Paul Coley

A new Facebook Group has been set up by those in Aylesbury and Aston Clinton, hoping to change Arriva’s mind about the X5 (no chance), but also they are getting updates from Red Eagle about changes to their 500 service, suggesting they didn’t know that Arriva were going to throw the towel in. Link is here. 

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FouR14vkM/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Just wondering about the ‘new Evoras for Red Rose’? Can’t see anything about them, in the update?

If Readers have any views please write in. Ed. 

\

 

     Fleet News and developments   

OBC Group Buses sold for scrap to PVS Barnsley 

657 (remains of) 11/2/25

854 11/2/25

861 13/2/25

934 17/2/25

842 19/2/25

850 26/2/25

863 6/3/25

942 12/3/25

855 13/3/25

962 17/3/25

940  21/3/25

247 24/3/25

936 26/3/25 

Gavin Francis from High Wycombe

     
 
     
   

All above taken on March 17th.

     
Taken on March 21st at Asda - Booker.

Grahame Wareham

Carousel 454 has been repainted into Carousel livery (formerly Thames Travel Harwell livery) 

454 NOW REPAINTED RED BY MARCH 31ST.

454 at BARTCO PAINTSHOP CASSINGTON on 270325 by Dave Clements

Sanjay Baker

80538 turning onto Speedwell Street after finishing the 1250 275 from Chinnor this afternoon on March 26th. 

Jack Cooper

 
Coach 57 is presently being  used on The Aitli.ne service as seen on March 22nd.

655 in its new livery on March 22nd.

676 working an X3 on March 22nd.

Sanjay Baker

80538 turning onto Speedwell Street after finishing the 1250 275 from Chinnor this afternoon on March 26th.

Richard Sharman

With the new Caetano Levante 3A-bodied Scania K410EB6 coaches now in service on the 737, the former fleet is now free to be used on other work. On the 25th of March, when Oxford was gridlocked by road closures on the A34, M40 and Eynsham toll bridge, 57 was pressed into service on The Airline, and is seen at speed on the A40 heading for Heathrow. 

Seen 21 days after Oxford Bus Company took over Pearces Coaches, Plaxton Leopard OU68 BZY is seen operating a late evening contract passing the Ashmolean, no sign of 'Part of Go-Ahead' stickers being added just yet!.

 
Pearces OU68 BZY is seen passing fellow Go-Ahead asset, Electroliner 775.

 
Fresh into traffic are Caetano Levante 3A'S 80062 and 80065, seen in St. Giles on the outbound and inbound 737 service.

 

Jack Cooper

     
     
Varierty at the depot on March 14th.

80557in Chipping Norton on March 15th.

80809 in Witney on March 14th

Jack Cooper

   
682 seen in Abingdon on March 23rd.

 
including Courtney, Newbury & District & Thames Valley

Reading Buses once again took part in Transport Focus’ Your Bus Journey survey – which talks to customers on board buses and at bus stops - about how satisfied they were with their most recent journey, with over a thousand people surveyed in Reading alone. Reading Buses improved their overall customer satisfaction level to 89% (up from 86% in 2023), a full 6 percentage points higher than the average results from across England.

Some of the key elements that drove satisfaction for Reading’s bus users were its bus drivers, with 91% of customers being satisfied with the driver, versus the English average of 87%. Satisfaction with punctuality also improved significantly, with 83% now naming this as satisfactory against the national level of just 75%. 

Said Robert Williams, Reading Buses Chief Executive Officer; “We are delighted by the results of the latest survey. Nine out of ten customers are satisfied with their bus journeys with us – which against a backdrop of roadworks and increasing congestion, is something we should be proud of. It highlights the importance of our team, with all the metrics used to rate the drivers such as smoothness of driving and distance stopped from the kerb higher than the national average.”

The survey also offers some insight into how people pay for their journeys. Contactless payment has increased with 30% of customers paying by this method, up from 27% the previous year. There has also been a resurgence in smartcards, highlighting the improved value of season tickets, moving to 22% from 12%. Cash has now fallen to below 10% (at 8%) for the first time as a method of payment on the bus.  

“Pleasingly,” continued Robert, “15% of customers said that using the bus was more convenient than their own car, with a further 22% saying it was more convenient than other modes of transport. That’s more than a third of customers opting to use our services because they are more convenient than other modes of transport. Indeed, more than half (51%) of all customers had access to a car but were on the bus – something that we have been working hard to achieve.”

Overall, Robert said the company was happy with the results, but there is still work to do, “We are of course delighted that we can see some real positives in the survey. However, there the survey also helps to highlight things that our customers believe we can improve on to reach the top spot, which is incredibly valuable to us.”

Reading Buses were also crowned as Top Shire Operator

Martin Dowling

Transport Focus have published their annual passenger satisfaction survey for 2024 here:

https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/news/englands-best-bus-services-named-as-national-passenger-satisfaction-rises/  

Reading Buses came in at number 8 with 89% satisfaction up 3% from the previous year. 

Oxfordshire was 27th at 84%, but had a 6% improvement from 2023.

Sanjay Baker

Stagecoach West 10984 with an S6 on March 28th.

Tony Gaze

37326 is out and about Gloucester in its new livery
Taken in Abbeydale at 0900 whilst working the 0850 no.13 from Bus Station to Coney Hill and return

Andy Churchill

Grahame Wareham

I've just been out for a walk and caught 80050, which has been new out a couple of days, coming around the corner from Mill Street into High Street Kidlington on a 2A service, different location!

     

Sanjay Baker

36933 on a Staff Bus run this afternoon March 24th.

New 80050 turning onto Speedwell Street from the JR Hospital on March 27th.

Grahame Wareham

Stagecoach Oxford Tube 50453 has been repainted into standard Oxford Tube livery (formerly 6 Cities) 

     London operations    

Andrew Webb

Drinks and fashion are the themes for the latest overall adverts to appear on buses across London. 

Metroline's LT761, seen at Oxford Circus on 22 March, carries an advert for Naked smoothies. 

For those wanting a caffeine hit Starbucks will be happy to oblige. 

Go Ahead's LT865 helps raise the company's profile as it calls at London Bridge the same day. 

Fast fashion brand Pretty Little Thing is advertised on ADH45073 which, despite the logo,
is now part of the new First London operation.  It is seen on layover at Victoria on 22 March.  

Transport UK's allocation of New Routemasters at Twickenham garage have only recently found favour for all over adverts, bringing some colourful variety to suburban route 267 linking Hammersmith with Fulwell. 

LT993 advertises the Spring / Summer 2025 collection at H&M as it attempts to brighten a gloomy Isleworth on 23 March. 

Gary Seamarks

Fri 21 March. 

These are from Bury St Edmunds, and later in day St Ives. 

   
   
 
 

Of the 24 vehicles taken in Bury  18  were over 18 years old, but all looked and sounded good. plenty of old Volvo's Scania's and a 20 year old Solo. 

St.Ives modern Central Connect and again older cascades with Dews.

https://buslists.uk/operators/p52im6

Dews photos from Fri 21/3, they are happy for images to go online, and asked where I will post ! 

     
     
   

Mil-Ken JAZ 4960 210325 ex T50 UBE G Seamarks

Andrews P26 MBC 210325 ex T60 UBE G Seamarks

summary of day was 94 vehicles photo'd of which 58 were 10 plate or older, most of the newer ones were either coaches, of Busway ones in St.Ives. 

Dews are keen to have photo's posted online, the two Tubes are also OK to be posted as seen other photo's taken in that yard.

Cambridge Bus Company background, they were Collier of Earith who traded as Sun Fun, also linked with Kiddles of same address, they have a dealership on site, all inside, with about 6 buses in for work, think some of the E500's are for sale at present. 

Several Cambs operators are multi operator licence under different names, Millers, Mil-Ken and Neales are all based at same OC's,   Brown of Barway also ran as G's Group and A&P Travel a few years back (2019 ish) . 

Some operators also park at 'joint outstations' and to complete the package, vehicles are sold from one to another operator !