Editorial

THE news this week is from Stagecoach with the announcement that West and Oxfordshire are to merge as set out in this piece by Richard Sharman of Coach & Bus Week.

Some details are not yet advised, such as overall name of the revised operating company, who will be the Managing Director and in due time how services may be rationalised? One could see the S6 being operated by both Swindon and Oxford. Flying a kite I wonder if a through London-Cheltenham-Gloucester service could be on the cards, merging the tube with the 853.

What is certain is that there will be much to follow and record as things develop. 

Stagecoach in Oxfordshire to merge with Stagecoach West

Staff at Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Stagecoach West were informed on February 23rd that both operating companies are to merge to form a single operating company.

Rupert Cox, Interim Regional Director for Stagecoach in the South, said: “As with all companies, we continually review our ways of working to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our customers and communities and at the same time maximising the opportunities ahead.

“We will be making some changes to the head office functions in our businesses in the west of England and Oxfordshire. A new structure will be introduced, providing a management team that is responsible for bus and coach services across all of these areas that will be based in a head office at Gloucester. A small number of roles will change as a result of the new planned structure and we are working with our people to support them through this period.

“This will have no impact on our bus services and customers can continue to use our services with confidence.”

Further changes are set to take place on February 28th, when Stagecoach in Oxfordshire’s Banbury depot will sever its final ties to Midland Red (South) Ltd, its registered bus services and operators licence changing to Thames Transit Ltd.

E20D MMC 37401 seen with anniversary livery in Banbury Bus Station on February 26th by Theo Freeman.

Services 200, 488/9, 500, 505, B3, B5, B9, H4 and S4 are currently registered to Midland Red (South) Ltd due to the depot previously being owned by Western Travel prior to moving to Stagecoach ownership in 1993.

Banbury depot remained part of Stagecoach Midland Red until Stagecoach South Midlands, the integration of Midland Red (South) Ltd and Thames Transit Ltd, was formed.

When the Stagecoach South Midlands division was split up in 2004 the Banbury depot came under Stagecoach in Oxfordshire management but retained Midland Red (South) Ltd legals and operators licence. The merger will, ironically, reunite Banbury depot with former Western Travel operating companies in the West.

Stagecoach in Oxfordshire has depots in Banbury, Oxford and Witney with outstations at Bicester, Chipping Norton and Grove. Its operating area borders that of Stagecoach West, particularly in West Oxfordshire. Stagecoach West has depots located in Bristol, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Ross-on-Wye, Stroud and Swindon with a single outstation located in Coleford. The combined fleet size will number over 520 vehicles with over 1,370 staff.

Swindon depot already operates into Oxfordshire in the form of service S6, whilst Cheltenham depot also serves Witney and Oxford with service 853. The operating area of the yet-to-be-named new operating company will see it running services in the following areas: Bristol, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, with some West journeys also extending into Wales. Additionally, the Oxford Tube serves London and Bristol-based Megabus coaches serve a number of destinations on the network.

The next issue of CBW features an in-depth look at Stagecoach in Oxfordshire's Engineering Department, it also looks at a number of new job vacancies the company has to offer. CBW is out every Thursday in W H Smith, or online for subscribers on a Tuesday. 

Again many thanks to Richard Sharman and CBW for this important information.

In this week's issue

As always we have a number of pictures from contributors and as a taster of these we have a few of the pictures sent in.

 
Go North East 7150 is seen returning to depot on February 26th by Andrew Tyldsley.
GO02MBR started life with Oxford as coach 72 - X90LDN seen in Buckingham Palace Road on March 5th 2015 by Gavin Francis.

Thames Travel's Volvo B5TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 3 621 seen in Milton Park livery on February 23rd. Taken by Neil Bridges.
There are two other buses in M Pk livery being 442 and 907.

Ex Park & Ride 665, a Wright StreetDeck is seen in city X3 livery on February 26th by Jack Cooper.

Here is a picture from Lewis Parker of 907 in its new Milton Park Livery working the X36 through Grove on February 25th.

The latest rendering of the Selkent Ambassador, Stagecoach 12345 seen immediately after repaint on February 24th by Mark Wakefield.
The picture is taken at Leyton Garage.

Cathy Boughen

David Beynon writes "My Daughter took the attached on her phone in Lynmouth earlier. I felt really old when I remembered OBC having an old bus for this purpose."

First Kernow have good use for this old bus seen on February 22nd in Lynmouth.

Oxford set to develop coach parking and drop-off strategy

Oxford City Council (OCC) has allocated £20,000 from its 2021/22 draft budget to develop a coach drop-off and parking strategy for the city. The proposal forms part of OCC’s wider investment plans to help Oxford’s visitor economy to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic.

OCC describes day-trip coaches dropping off as one of the “negative impacts of tourism in the city.” Its coach parking strategy for Oxford is likely to propose a two-stage approach to tackle coach congestion at key times, the local authority says.

As part of its work in collaboration with Oxfordshire County Council and Experience Oxfordshire to develop the strategy, OCC will undertake a detailed study of coach routes and passenger destinations once tourist numbers return to near normal.

In the short term, OCC’s aim is to increase the number of drop-off locations in Oxford city centre to ease pressure on the existing drop-off spot at St Giles’, and to encourage operators to use the location closest to their passengers’ destination.

In the longer-term, OCC hopes to create what it calls “improved coach layover facilities” away from Oxford city centre. It also hopes to “encourage alternative options for visitors to travel the last mile of their journey into the city centre.”

Tourism generated £988m for the Oxford economy in 2019, a 9.7% increase over the £901m it generated in 2018. OCC says. 

Hopefully one can now start to get out and about and March 29th is said to be the restart of some coach services. More details to follow.

Fleet news and developments

Gavin Francis from February 23rd.

StreetLite 2325 is seen in the Eden Bus Station with 32 service.

 
2783 and 2787 are seen working various service in high Wycombe.

Versa 2990 is seen with a 37 working in The Eden Bus Station.

Elderly 3700 is seen in service working 37 and so is not withdrawn.

Wrights 4022 is seen leaving The Eden Bus Station with a 300 working. I love the covering on the top near side corner !

Gavin passed by the Cressex depot on February 24th.

 
2735 is seen at the end of its days and previously in Milton Keynes on May 1st 2018.

Ex Wycombe based MCV now a trainer 9558 also at Cressex.

3539 has not moved for many weeks again seen at Cressex.

Citaro 3926 is also seen "on the fence" at Cressex having not seen service since January 16th, over 6 weeks ago!
As a recent repaint this lack of use is rather surprising!

Mike Penn provides a picture taken in Luton on February 25th

Arriva The Shires 3955 (KX12GZS) is one of two Wright bodied Volvo B7RLEs which were given this form of branding
for the Luton Airport service last year although this was removed from the other one some time ago.
It is seen working route A.

Pete Cabin also provides a couple of pictures taken at Wycombe Marsh on February 25th.

StreetLite 2325 is seen turning towards Micklefield with service 32.

A recently arrived Wrights VDL is seen at Wycombe Marsh nearly in front of KwikFit once a depot of Thames Valley. 

Mike Penn

I thought I might take advantage of the sunshine today and have a walk in the fresh air.  Just by chance I came across a few buses.  It was lucky I had my camera with me!  These photographs were all taken on the Luton – Dunstable Busway at the Skimpot Road junction.

 
Centrebus 622/4 (BK 13 NZN/P) are Wright bodied Volvo B7RLEs which came into the fleet late last year from Diamond (North West). 
They are in the latest Centrebus livery.

Centrebus 748 (B6 WER ex YN 08 MRO) is a Wright bodied Scania K230UB which was acquired from Bowers (High Peak Buses) in 2017. 
It was new to Centrebus and was allocated to Harlow, but has moved around to other Centrebus subsidiaries since the Harlow part of the business was closed down. 
This is the latest repaint in the new Centrebus livery.

Centrebus 693 (FN 04 HTU) is a Wright bodied Scania L94UB which was acquired from Bowers (High Peak Buses) last year but was new to Trent.

Gavin Francis

First StreetLite 63314 seen in The Eden Bus Station on February 23rd. 

Phil Southall

Citaro 839 is temporarily a 'Mobile Clinical Bay' bus. We are showcasing it to Clinical Commissioning Groups with a view to them hiring the bus to assist with the vaccination programme to get to 'difficult to reach' folks. You can see from the pictures below how it now looks.

 
Pictures from The Oxford Bus Company.

If there is a lot of demand for this then others from the 839 to 848 batch might be converted with a view to converting them back once they are required back on normal local services. 

Neil Bridges

AF55OXF (839) seen on a recent morning between Yarnton and Begbroke going towards Woodstock livery still base green. Project move, mobile clinical bays. This email sent me asking questions!

Many thanks to Phil and Neil for this interesting and enterprising news. Ed. 

Gavin Francis from February 23rd.

 
217 is seen at the bottom of Corporation Street working the 36 followed by 241 with service 35.

Citaro 882 with a 104 service to Uxbridge seen at the bottom of Corporation Street, High Wycombe.
On a good morning this is an excellent spot for photographers.

StreetLite 405 also heads for Uxbridge with a 102 service.

Citaro 877 is seen in The Eden Bus Station with a 104 service to Uxbridge.

938 still lacking any fleet number on the front is working a service 27 to Olympic Way from  The Eden Bus Station.

Pete Cabin

The same bus en route to Pheasant Drive.

Walked past what is left of the old bus station in High Wycombe its the old exit picture attached the dark brickwork is the original light red is Eden.  

Jack Cooper sent a number of pictures from his daily walk around Abingdon.

Volvo B5LH Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 357 is seen with a 4 road service on February 25th.

     
Recently repainted 665 is seen between February 22nd and 26th with service X3.

     
Park & Ride 668, 670, 673 and 676 also seen between 22nd and 25th working the X3.

901 is seen heading for Abingdon on February 23rd.

Presently 664 and 666 are awaited return to service in X3 livery. 

James Freeman provides another video of route 3A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXqS1r_MIEA 

Andrew Tyldsley

Go North East 7152 XL09NCL (OBC 74 - OW15WKB) with an X10 working on February 26th.

A shuttle bus to and from Didcot Parkway offers a frequent, low-cost service between 6am-11.30pm. Staff based on the Park can buy a subsidised annual £20 bus pass and from January 2021, this entitlement will be extended to a new “Didcot Zone”, covering Great Western Park and other areas around Didcot. Milton Park also has frequent bus services which are being extended with buses every 30 minutes from Oxford and Headington’s Life Sciences District and Wantage, and a faster route from Wantage and Grove.

The past week or so has seen three buses return to service in a revised Milton Park livery, they are 442, 621 and 907.

Daniel Harwood has several pictures of 907

     
907 seen on February 20th but as seen to the right was out an about by February 26th working the X36.

Last week Wantage Market Place was closed, this resulted in most routes diverting along Mably Way, I have attached some photos.

 
Blue city4 844 is seen with a 67 service on Mably Way on February 26th. Maybe these could be rebranded ?

Jack Cooper

 
224 now repainted in connector livery on February 24th seen with 230 a long time connector bus on February 22nd.

 
MMC E20D 454 is seen first on February 24th and then February 26th working the X2 both days.

     
621 is seen in various locations between February 22nd and 24th with X2 workings.

 
622 remains by comparison in connector livery when seen with X2 services on February 23rd and 24th.

907 makes its maiden voyage with an X2 on February 27th heading for Oxford from Abingdon.

Citaro 850 is seen with a 45 service in Stert Street, Abingdon on February 25th.

Citaro 871 seen in High Street with a 33 service on February 25th.

904 is seen heading for Didcot with an X2 in Oxford Road on February 26th.

Lewis Parker was to hand for 907 working the X36 around Grove on February 25th.

   
907 seen around Kingswood Estate.

Bob Chalmers 

Taken in Ock Street, Abingdon outside Mayott House on February 26th around 10.30am - quite a striking livery !! 

Mike Penn

I thought I might take advantage of the sunshine today and have a walk in the fresh air.  Just by chance I came across a few buses.  It was lucky I had my camera with me!  These photographs were all taken on the Luton – Dunstable Busway at the Skimpot Road junction.

Grant Palmer 708 (BU58WAY ex PO58KPT) is an Optare bodied Volvo B9TL which came from Ensignbus late last year but was new to Kent County Council.

Theo Freeman

National Express West Midlands short E200MMC 766 on the Thursdays only 496 from Napton to Banbury. 

Brent Ricketts provides the first picture of a local 21 plate coach.

 
A very smart Irizar PU21HAM seen on February 26th at the depot. 

 
including Courtney, Newbury & District & Thames Valley

Lockdown changes

Monday, March 8th

With schools and colleges allowed to reopen in full, we will be restoring all school term services, and the duplicates for social distancing that were in place before Christmas. We have however agreed with the local authorities that Winnersh park&ride 500 and Green Line 702 should remain suspended as there are no significant school flows that use these  services, the tiger 7 evening service will remain suspended, and ruby 10, greenwave 50 and Mereoak park&ride will continue to run to their Saturday timetables, all for the same reason.

After much consideration, the leopard will also continue on it’s special reduced timetable for the time being. Whilst there are numerous school flows on this route, demand at other times is very low. Due to a reduction in the level of funding we are receiving from the housing developers and the complex mix of different routes, we need to do some more work with the local authorities on what the ongoing timetable pattern should look like.

Claret Spritzer 21a, Vodafone and National Express services will also remain suspended.

Monday, April 12th

With non-essential retail and outdoor hospitality all expected to reopen, we anticipate that a full service will be restored on all routes to ensure that there is capacity for social distancing. The one exception to this will probably be a modified leopard timetable, whilst Vodafone and National Express are unlikely to be required either.

Whilst the ‘stay at home’ order will officially end on 29 March, people will continue to be encouraged to work from home. We don’t envision needing to bring anything else back before 12 April. Hopefully we will then see a continued increase in patronage from 17 May as indoor venues reopen.

Monday, June 21st

This is the big day when all limits on social contact might be removed - although some limits may still apply. There is to be a separate government review on how long we need to maintain social distancing and the use of face coverings - the implication being that these requirements could remain in place beyond 21 June. The same review will also decide when guidance on working from home can change.

A second separate government review will consider the resumption of international travel. This is likely to impact on when National Express wish to
resume operations on the 925.

The really big question for us is whether any funding will be put in place to support the recovery of bus services. It is very unlikely that all of our customers will simply return over night. Reading had the second highest level of bus use per person in the country outside London, and many of our customers have access to alternatives. With no other way of covering our running costs we might rapidly need to reduce services to match our
level of income. We will have to wait until the budget announcement on 3 March to hear anything further on that. Needless to say, we will do everything possible to provide as much service as we can, and reducing services would be a last resort. 

Gavin Francis

 
Replacing the regular blue liveried bus, YK12DKA is seen in The Eden Bus Station on February 23rd
and in the second picture when with Metroline on May 7th 2018. 

New name for operations in Oxfordshire and Surrey is Diamond Bus South East.  

This should see a change in the livery for the service 25 from Oxford to Bicester.

The upcoming changes will be recorded here as they become available.

Jack Cooper with some buses working the S8 around Abingdon

MMC 10675 heads along Lodge Hill with an S8 on February 22nd.

 
15934 and 15966 also seen with S8 workings in Oxford Road on February 26th and 24th respectively.

Theo Freeman

Hope you are keeping well. I’ve been busy this week getting pictures whilst Banbury are still under Midland Red, so have a collected a few pictures to send over. It is certainly the end of an era and the only thing to remind us of Midland Red is 37401 for now.

I was also very surprised to hear about the merging of West and Oxfordshire - which I would assume is the reason for the legals changing over to Thames Transit LTD. It is also ironic that Banbury will again have a relationship with Western Travel who bought Midland Red South back in 1981!

37401 in Banbury Bus Station with a 500 service.

34467/71/882 on town services in the centre, Banbury on February 26th. 

Martyn Sacaloff

Fresh out of the paint shop is 36952 in Rugby on February 24th.

Blair Cameron

Stagecoach East Scotland - 50445 - YX21 NNG Scottish Citylink
Brand New Volvo Plaxton Panorama
Seen On A Delivery Run From Plaxton Scarborough To Aberhill Bus Depot At A90 Hillfield Flyover, Inverkeithing.
There Are 10 Plaxton Panoramas Due For Scottish Citylink Network At Perth Bus Depot. 

Perth New Citylink Volvo B11 Plaxton Panorama registrations re allocated from Oxford tube.

Here is a full list of the Panorama coaches now all revised order for 24 delivered by February 24th.

It is possible that services may resume by the end of March or early April. 

Nick Ross

Star Travel Optare MA07BUS (ex Motts) running dead to Stewkley to work the 0920, 162 to Leighton is climbing Wing Hill on the outskirts of Leighton Buzzard on February 24th 2021.

Below is sister bus MB07BUS when with Motts now some 17 years ago!

Motts MB07BUS rM1 Stokenchurch Health Centre stop on June 2nd 2008 by Malcolm Crowe.

London operators

LOTS

Stagecoach London has repainted E400H No.12345 into a red & cream special livery and named ‘Selkent Ambassador’.  It is to commemorate 40 years since Plumstead (PD) Garage opened on 31 October 1981 when it replaced the old Plumstead (AM) and Abbey Wood (AW) Garages. It is the third to bear this livery and name after Olympian L136 in 1990 and E40D 10136 in 2014.   

12345 by Mark Wakefield taken at Leyton on February 24th.

Mark writes "My picture taken at Leyton Garage just come out the paint shop  12345 commemorating 40 years since Plumstead (PD) opened October 31st 1981. It replaced Wanstead (AM) and Abbey Wood (AW) Garages. The third such bus to be painted after Olympian 136 (1990) and E40D 10136 (2014)."

LT Olympian L136 working the 180 by CATFORD GARAGE in 1990 GKWTI

Stagecoach London10136 with a 136 in Borough Road on June 20th 2014 by Gavin Francis.

Michael Wadman from the early years of Red Rose. 

N219 HBK – Dennis Dart / UVG Urbanstar purchased new in 1996, emerges into the light
from the gloom of Aylesbury bus station on service 12 on July 16th 1997. 

Another shot of N219 HBK, in Hemel Hempstead bus station on service 52 on June 16th 1999.
Unfortunately it was destroyed in a depot fire in 2007. 

R796 GSF – Mercedes Benz Vario / Plaxton Beaver bought new in 1997, in Watford High street on service  W14 on May 2nd 1998 .

Another shot of R796 GSF, in Chesham Broadway on service 373 on April 3rd 1999. 

F160 AWO, a former City of Cardiff Transport MCW Metrorider, in central Milton Keynes on service 62 on January 19th 1999.

A question which someone may be able to answer

Would it be possible to include this in a future OCBP as a query? 

My friend Keith Newton took this photograph, but he can’t remember where or when. F774 OJH was a Volvo B10M-60 with Jonckheere body that Reading Transport acquired with Bee Line’s Newbury depot in 1992. They painted it in London Line livery for use on the Newbury – Reading – London express service, but Keith found it out in the countryside somewhere heading, apparently, for Oxford. It was sold in 1999. 

During this period Reading Transport had two services to Oxford: 105 from Reading and X34 from Newbury. Unfortunately F774 OJH was, according to my records, initially based at Newbury but moved to Reading in 1996, so that doesn’t really help. Can anyone identify the location of the photo?

Kevin Fuller 

One of my earliest expeditions as a young enthusiast was to the Oxford centenary open day held on 12th September 1981 at Cowley Road garage. 

1. I travelled via the Peartree Park & Ride, where I saw ex-LT DMS 1352 MLH352L, a Daimler Fleetline with MCW bodywork,
waiting to depart for the City centre. 

At Cowley Road, there were various members of the then current Oxford fleet on display in the yard, along with some preserved vehicles. Also, there was the opportunity to 'drive a bus' at the Unipart site car park, a short distance away. In use for this were Park Royal bodied AEC Renowns 340TJO and DFC360D, which transferred participants to / from the site from the garage.

2. Pictured is 340TJO outside Cowley road depot, waiting for its next shuttle trip. 

3. Repainted in 'traditional' Oxford livery was HUD476T, a Bristol VRT with dual door ECW bodywork,
and carrying a then revolutionary (!) electronic destination display seen passing through the garage.
The livery (in modified form) lasted many years on this bus, which is now preserved by the Oxford Bus museum.

With many thanks to Kevin for a most interesting report. 

From Jane Morton

I've been looking online for any old bus timetables serving Buckingham and Maids Moreton over the last 10-20 years, and came across your website. I think they would probably have been run by Arriva. 

I wondered if you might be able to help me, or offer any copies for sale?

Can anyone assist Jane please? Let me know.  

T W W Knowles

I guess that the letter in briefing 142 re ex Heyfordian PUD 371P has not borne fruit. In my letter that you published, I should have shown that the coach was ex 1636 VB by which the vehicle might be better identified. 

No doubt after so long the coach has disappeared to  a scrapyard somewhere, but it would be nice to know who owned it  on 13/3/98. 

Thanks for your help - fingers crossed that it is not too late for someone, somewhere, to come up with an identity. 

LOTS

The retraction of Centrebus in Hertfordshire continues and, after already losing the 390 to "Richmonds" and H1/H3/H4 to Central Connect, from April 12th routes 308/380, 333, 378/379, M1-5 will go to Central Connect, 18 to Richmonds, SB10 in Stevenage to A2B Buses and the Hatfield area shoppers routes (215etc) to Chiltern Automotive.  These signal the removal of Centrebus from the Hertford area.