From the Editor

An interesting page recording un usual events and new vehicles

In this issue

Reading Buses launch their electric fleet

Superloop SL11 with Gavin Francis

Grahame Wareham remembers COMS 380

Gavin remember coaches COMS 21 and 22

and Stagecoach 80009

Rail Replaceme in the first week at Oxford

Mike Penn adds about MK Metro

Fleet News & Developments

London Wraps with Andrew Webb

Nick Ross was in Devon

 

 

Reading Buses launch their new electric fleet 

Picture courtesy of Martin Dowling.

Electric double deck buses has entered service this Friday, 6 February, to the excitement of many. 

At an impressive launch event at their Great Knollys Street depot in Reading on Thursday 5 February, the company unveiled their new Zero Emission Buses for the Reading Area – or ZEBRA for short – to local stakeholders. The event even featured a new mascot for the zero emission buses – Zippy the Zebra – who will be present at future events including the Reading Buses Open Day.  

The fleet of 24 new buses will be used on two routes, the flagship purple 17 between Tilehurst, Central Reading and Wokingham Road, and busy claret 21 between Central Reading, the University of Reading and Lower Earley. Both routes run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

As is customary for Reading Buses, the fleet features a high interior specification and vibrant coloured branding, and some ‘generic’ buses designed to be able to be used on either route. These include one with a zebra design (Zero Emission Buses for the Reading Area), one in the Berkshire warming stripes designed by Ed Hawkins from Reading University to raise awareness of global warming, and one decked in gold to celebrate the company’s 125 year anniversary this year.  

The buses replace the existing vehicles on a one-for-one basis as part of the company’s fleet replacement programme and can be recharged without any impact on the existing 24-hour operation on both of these routes. 

The buses are zero-emission meaning a reduction in carbon emissions around the town. Reading Buses say that these vehicles will save around 1819 tonnes of CO2e* per year versus the diesel buses that they replace based on current grid electricity. The buses are also best-in-class with superior on-board features such as:

• full automatic air conditioning and heating – electrically provided using a heat pump
• audio and visual next stop information system including hearing loop
• USB-A and USB-C charging points at each seat
• seat-back phone holder with wireless charging
• comfy high back seats
• LED mood lighting
• lower deck rear tables and extra luggage space in place of rear-facing seats
• free WiFi
• second multi-use wheelchair and buggy bay
• glazed staircase and ‘sunroof’ for extra natural light
• additional tinted glazing – staircase, roof lights and front dome – to keep heat gain down
• coffee shop style flooring
• upper deck table / family area
• staircase CCTV screen displaying free seats upstairs in addition to interior and exterior cameras
• coat hooks
• Tap on tap off ticketing

There are also features for the driver and general safety:

• Camera mirrors for improved visibility
• Reversing sensors
• PA system
• Curved windscreen to reduce risk of injury in the event of an incident

Said Robert Williams, Reading Buses Chief Executive Officer; “I am beyond excited to be launching our first ever battery electric buses at Reading Buses. In addition to being zero emission, they bring a significant improvement in journey quality for our customers onboard. Alongside our 75 low-emission biomethane-powered buses, over 60% of our fleet will be low or zero emission – and the remaining diesel buses are all still extremely clean Euro-VI engined.” 

Said Cllr John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport:

“I am really looking forward to seeing these 24 brand new electric buses carrying passengers around Reading, and I cannot wait to travel on them myself.

“Not only will they provide passengers with a smooth, comfortable journey, they will be carrying thousands of people around the borough every day without emitting any harmful, polluting fumes. 

“The Council has invested heavily in a host of initiatives to make public transport even more convenient, reliable and easier to use, and bringing this magnificent fleet of electric double deckers to Reading, with Reading Buses, will make taking the bus an even more attractive proposition.” 

The investment in electric vehicles has been made possible following a successful bid by Reading Borough Council to the Department for Transport ZEBRA fund (Zero Emission Buses for Regional Areas) to cover 75% the additional costs of buying electric vehicles and the associated depot infrastructure. Reading Buses have invested the equivalent cost of 24 diesel vehicles, and expect the remaining 25% cost to be covered by reduced running costs over the lifetime of the  vehicles.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Robert confirmed that the current bio-methane fuelled purple 17 buses are staying with the company, and will be refurbished before moving onto other routes, namely berry 23/24 and sky blue 15/16; “This allows us to then dispose of some of our older stock for use elsewhere, and keep the fleet age down and the air cleaner.”

*Carbon Dioxide equivalent. Based on CO2e savings of 1 tonne per KM of distance travelled vs a euro VI diesel bus.   

The event was attended by key stakeholders including The Mayor of Reading, representatives from Reading Borough Council, Wokingham Borough Council, the University of Reading, Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce and REDA.  

The buses have been manufactured by British bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis at their factory in Larbert, Scotland. The charging infrastructure has been supplied by Zenobe. 

Superloop Route SL11 Update by Gavin Francis
with additional pictures by Nigel Eadon-Clarke

 

 

On Monday 2^nd February a week after Superloop Rte 11 commenced I took a trip to Greenwich North to check out the buses running on it.

 

The route should be operated by New Routemasters but there are not enough available at the moment. On Monday there were 5 of them, LT 61, LT 124, LT 125, LT 133 and LT 848

 

   
LT 61 and LT 848 are from Go-Ahead’s current fleet, LT 61 spent its early days on Rte 11 and is pictured outside Victoria Coach Station on 21^st September 2015,
LT 848 was previously found on Routes 21 and 453 and is pictured in Molesworth Street, Lewisham on 1^st October 2021.

 

LT 124, LT 125 and LT 133 are now with their 3^rd London operator having started life with London United, then onto Stagecoach and now finally with Go-Ahead.

 

      
LT 124 is pictured at Shepherds Bush on 7^th July 2021 on Rte 148 whilst wrapped for Chiquita Bananas then at Bexleyheath Station on 19^th May 2025 on Rte SL3.

 

   
LT 125 is pictured at Victoria Station on Rte 11 on 27^th April 2023 and then at Abbey Wood on 19^th May 2025 on Rte SL3

 

     
LT 133 is pictured at Notting Hill on Rte 148 on 23^rd May 2016, then at Bexleyheath Station on 18^th May 2025
and finally at Bromley Garage on 19^th June 2025 along with the electric replacements for the route. (Picture from Nigel Eadon-Clarke)

 

   
   
Most of the balance of the buses on the route are made up of WVN class buses and pictured are WVN 33, WVN 31, WVN 26, WVN 30, WVN 34 AND WVN 27 all at North Greenwich.

 

 
Finally 2 WVL class buses 481 and 482 were also running the route.

Grahame Wareham remembers COMS 380 

L380  OFC380  1950 AEC Regent III 9612A with Park Royal L26/26R low-bridge body. In 1952 L380 was renumbered to L156.L156 was sold to TPE,Macclesfield(dlr) in November 1963 and resold to G.A.Palmer, Fordham & District, Fordham in March 1964. It lasted there three years before being withdrawn.

 

380 KFC380G Daimler Fleetline CRG6LX  with Northern Counties H41/31F low-height body. Part of an initial batch of ten these were used on conventional conductor operated duties, mainly 2 road for the first few months of their lives and then sere subject to ticket machine trials with motorised equipment pending agreement to be used as full OMO double decker's. Once the second batch of similar but dual-doored vehicles arrived the following year 380 and its sisters migrated to country depots, Watlington depot becoming 380's home  for a number of years until transfer back to Oxford for the final service years before withdrawal. On withdrawal 380 along with 375- 379 were transferred to NBC special projects and was converted by Midland Red's Carlyle Works into hospitality units promoting PHAB a charity based on childrens welfare in Scotland based at Edinburgh sponsered by GEC and Royal Bank of Scotland.. After use as an  NBC Area Exhibition Unit it was used by PHAB in Northampton moving to PHAB in Belfast by 1985.by October 1985 it had been withdrawn and had disappeared by 1995.

       

380 GHJ380L Daimler Fleetline CRL-33 with Northern Counties H49/31D low-height body. This was the second of a pair purchased from Southend Transport in May1985. Southend had expressed an interest in acquiring Bristol RE's 82 & 88, which had by then been recently withdrawn. Southend had also recently retrimmed these two Fleetlines  which were fitted with CAV Automatic gear operation and power steering and the bonus was that they were 80 seaters. 378 along with sister bus 380 and previously acquired 368 was to spend most of its Oxford encounter on Park&Ride routes, making use of its low-height under the station bridge and was a popular bus with the drivers. In September 1988 380 was sold to Worths, Enstone and later passed to South Notts, Gotham in March 1990 as their 132. It later passed to parent company Nottingham City Transport as fleet no.187 but was still being used from the Gotham premises from March 1991. It was sold in September 1991 to Breadsall Hilltoppers Marching Band troupe lasting there until 1997 when it was sold to a preservationist J.Meredith in September 1998 later passing to London Bus Exports, Lydney in November 2004. It had been sold by the following year.

 

     

Gavin Francis remembers COMS coaches 21 and 22 in the past

In true Grahame Wareham style I thought I would look at previous holders of fleet number 21 and 22.

     
   

Fascinating memories from Gavin. Ed.

Stagecoach 80009 by Gavin Francis

 

Stagecoach in Oxford are currently running a large number of electric buses with fleet numbers 80001-80055.

 

This is not the first time fleet number 80009 has been seen in Oxford on an electric/hybrid bus.

 

Those with long memories may recall that on November 2004 a mid-size single-decker bus arrived at the Oxford Depot with fleet number 80009.

 

It was designated a M.A.N. 14.220 Designline Olympus 2HEV. It had been built in New Zealand and was one of a small batch that came to Stagecoach.

 

     
Although it was never used in service it was demonstrated at Brookes University at Gipsy Lane on 17^th November 2004.

 

 
21 years further on and the current 80009 is pictured at Castle Street in Oxford on Saturday 7^th February 2026.

 

80009 was renumbered 61001 and moved to join the rest of the batch at Byker Depot in Newcastle where they proved to be highly unreliable only lasting a few years before being scraped.