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  March 2014
  2013 Review Part 2
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx A further look back at some of the news and events in the UK bus industry during 2013
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New Technology
 

New Technology
 A selection of stories involving new technology in 2013:
  • Arriva embraced new technology in 2013.   They introduced a fleet of hybrid Wright bodied Volvos double deckers in Newcastle, Leeds, Maidstone and The Wirral.   [4522 (MX13AEC) in West Kirby in April]
  • More ambitiously Arriva bought 21 CNG powered MAN single deckers for the Runcorn Busway and Darlington.   [4803 (NK13CFF) in Darlington in April]
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  • The Luton Busway finally opened in September.   Three operators use it comprising Arriva, Centrebus and Grant Palmer.   [Centrebus K6YCL in December]
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  • Reading is a big fan of new technology.   They augmented their sizeable fleet of hybrid vehicles with 19 Scania/Dennis Enviro300SG single deckers, branded for several different routes in the town.   [402 (YR13PLV), 413 (YR13PLU) and 408 (YR13PMX) at the Reading Buses open day in June]
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  • National Express West Midlands bolstered their fleet of hybrids, adding both Dennis Enviro400s Wright and bodied Volvos.   [5412 (BX13JOJ) and 5515 (BX13JNO) in Wolverhampton in June]
 
Express
 


Express
  • Edwards now operates most National Express diagrams into Wales, since First abandoned this work.   [FJ12FYF on the M4 in May]
  • Stagecoach introduced sleeper coaches from London to Scotland and branded them Megabus Gold.   [50303 (SF13FME) in London in August]
  • iDBus has expanded its operations to include services from France to Italy and Spain as well as those to the UK.   [CN374LN at Nice Airport in September]
  • Scottish Citylink has started a direct service from Glasgow to Edinburgh Airport operated by West Coast Motors.   [YT11LVK at Edinburgh Airport in December]
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Quality Brands
 		  
     
     
     
Quality Brands
  • Arriva has introduced the Saphire brand on several routes such as the 280 from Oxford to Aylesbury. [5436 (SN58EOH) at Oxford station in August]
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  • First has also introduced branding onto certain routes such as X38 from Stirling to Edinburgh, X2 Cardiff to Porthcawl and two routes in Portsmouth.   [63051 (SK63KJF) in Southsea in December]
  • Stagecoach  continues to be the market leader in quality service with their numerous Gold branded routes such as the latest conversion in Chichester.    [27841 (GX13AOD) in Chichester in May]
  
     
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
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 Volvo 7900 Hybrid
 		  
 
     
   
Volvo 7900 Hybrid
  • It was the year of the Volvo 7900 Hybrid.  Already popular in mainland Europe, it has now made an appearance in three fleets in the UK.   First split its batch between two operators - First Essex in Chelmsford and First Berkshire in Heathrow Airport.   [69906 (BV13ZBJ) in Chelmsford in April and VSH69921 (BV13ZCJ) in Slough in May]
  • Lothian gained assistance from the Scottish Green Bus Fund for its 15 7900s that it placed in service in Edinburgh.   [5 (SN13BDF) in Princes St in August]
  
     
       
       
       
       
       
   
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx All photos taken in 2013.   Click to enlarge.
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Photo-Transport has been publishing themed articles about Public Transport for over 10 years.

If you enjoyed the above article you may be interested in these articles which were first published in March 2013 and February 2014.

  2012 Review
 Part 2		 2013 Review
 Part 1

 

 

 

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