With thanks to Mark Bailey:
Four of the new Plymouth Citybus 26-reg Wright StreetDeck Electroliners have been out in service today - 7051, 7053, 7054 and 7057. I have attached shots of 7051 (BF26 ZTU) on service 21 at St Budeaux, and 7054 (BF26 ZTX) on service 16 at King's Tamerton.
Plymouth City Council have given us our first glimpse of the new buses on their way to Plymouth this year
Fifty zero-emission electric double-decker buses will be coming to Plymouth this year as part of a major £31.87 million joint investment in the city’s public transport.
Plymouth Citybus, part of the Go-Ahead Group, will soon be replacing almost half its fleet with brand new electric double-decker buses, in a collaboration with Plymouth City Council, Cornwall Council, and the Department for Transport.
The investment marks a significant step towards cleaner, greener public transport in Plymouth and reinforces the city’s commitment to innovation and sustainability. It will also create additional capacity and improve passenger experience across the network.
The majority of the funding (£19.6 million) is being provided by Plymouth Citybus, supported by a £10.34 million grant from the Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) 2 Fund and contributions from Plymouth City Council and Cornwall Council totalling £1.94 million.
The buses will start arriving in Plymouth in late spring, with the first 25 entering service in the summer and all 50 being out on the road by the end of the year. Plymouth Citybus is transforming its Milehouse depot into a state-of the art hub equipped to charge and maintain the new zero-emission fleet.
Richard Stevens, Managing Director of Plymouth Citybus and Go Cornwall Bus said: “We are proud to lead the way in delivering cleaner, greener, and more sustainable public transport for Plymouth.
“The introduction of 50 zero-emission electric buses represents a huge step forward in our commitment to reducing emissions, improving air quality, and providing a modern, reliable service for our passengers.
“This investment not only reflects our dedication to the local community but also to a more sustainable future for our city.”
Councillor Mark Coker, Plymouth City Council’s Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport, said: “We’ve committed to making Plymouth a greener city, where everyone does their bit and this is exactly what our ZEBRA project delivers.
“It will help meet the vision of our Bus Service Improvement Plan, which is to create a thriving bus network where everyone can be connected to important people and places, by services that are frequent, reliable, fast, affordable, safe and clean, as well as help Plymouth to achieve its net zero goals by 2030.
“We are really excited to be working alongside our project partners to introduce these new buses to the city’s fleet.”
Cornwall’s contribution will bring six electric buses and the necessary infrastructure to support route 70 on the Rame Peninsula, which forms part of the council’s supported bus network. Cornwall Council successfully bid for further ZEBRA 2 funding to provide electric buses for the Falmouth town service and Truro park and ride.
Connor Donnithorne, Cornwall Council’s cabinet portfolio holder for transport, said: “As we continue our work to support residents to make greener and healthier choices about how they travel, it’s important that our public transport network reflects our commitment to reducing carbon emissions.
“Route 70 plays an important role in connecting communities in south east Cornwall and on to Plymouth and this funding will enable zero-emission buses to run now and into the future.”
The buses will be more accessible than the diesel buses they are replacing, with a second flexible space that can be used for a second wheelchair user or at least two unfolded pushchairs or prams in addition to the mandatory wheelchair space. They will also have audio-visual route/next stop/bus stopping information.
They will also help to advance all of the project partners’ efforts on tackling climate change and air quality, with the buses expected to reduce carbon emissions by 79,914 tonnes over their lifetime. Estimates show they will also reduce NOx (nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide) emissions by 28 tonnes and PM (particulate matter) 2.5 emissions by a tonne.
Also, as part of the ZEBRA project, Wrightbus (the bus manufacturer) has made the commitment that for every vehicle manufactured, 10 trees will be planted in the communities where the buses are deployed.
I for one will be looking forward to these appearing on the 50/51s and wont miss the London E400s one bit!
Slowly getting a chance to catch up on events.
Thought it best to start with a round up of the Oxford buses for Plymouth Citybus with the confirmed fleet numbers for the whole batch
| No. | Reg | Chassis | Body | Seats | New | Livery |
| 5025 | OE11YNJ | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Jun 2011 | Red |
| 5026 | OE11YNK | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Apr 2011 | maroon |
| 5027 | OE11YNL | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Jun 2011 | Red |
| 5028 | OE11YMY | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Apr 2011 | Purple |
| 5029 | OE11YMZ | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Apr 2011 | Maroon |
| 5030 | OE11YNO | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Apr 2011 | Purple |
| 5031 | OE11YNM | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 | H47/30F | May 2011 | Red |
| 5032 | OE11YNN | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 | H47/30F | May 2011 | Red |
| 5033 | OE11YNP | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 | H47/30F | May 2011 | Maroon |
| 5034 | OE11YNF | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 | H47/30F | May 2011 | Red |
| 5035 | OE11YMX | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Apr 2011 | Red |
| 5036 | OE11YNB | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 | H47/30F | May 2011 | Red |
| 5037 | OE11YNC | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Jun 2011 | Red |
| 5038 | OE11YNH | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Jun 2011 | Red |
| 5039 | SN60BXW | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 | H45/31F | Oct 2010 | Go CORNWALL bus |
I may not be fully up to date on the liveries for this batch as they are progressing through the paintshop.
5029 seen approaching St Budeaux on service 12 from Bude. 17 May 2024
© Mark Bailey – with thanks
A few updates on Plymouth Citybus
Another three Enviro 400s from Oxford have arrived this week, former Oxford 300, 303 and 308. We now have a better idea of their fleet numbers with two of them now carrying numbers in the 5000’s as shown below. They are generally having their Oxford names removed and being readied for service in their base colours although former 300 SN60BXW carries a special livery so may need a bit more work
| No. | Reg | Chassis | Body | Seats | New | Livery | Notes |
| 5027 | OE11YNL | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Jun 2011 | Red | |
| 5029 | OE11YNK | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Apr 2011 | Maroon | |
| [300] | SN60BXW | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Enviro 400 | H45/31F | Feb 2010 | Blue Sky Thinking | Not yet in service |
| [302] | OE11YMY | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Jun 2011 | OX City Purple | Not yet in service |
| [303] | OE11YNO | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Jun 2011 | OX City Purple | Not yet in service |
| [306] | OE11YMZ | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Jun 2011 | OX City Maroon | Not yet in service |
| [308] | OE11YNM | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Jun 2011 | OX City Maroon | Not yet in service |
| [313] | OE11YNJ | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Jun 2011 | OX City Red | Not yet in service |
Meanwhile most of the Go North West E200s are out in the orange and blue livery as acquired with Plymouth Citybus logos on the front. Three so far have been repainted in red but have yet to receive any ‘tramlines’
| No. | Reg | Chassis | Body | Seats | New | Livery | Notes |
| 2460 | SK15GXZ | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B39F | May 2015 | RED | |
| 2461 | SN16OGU | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B39F | Apr 2016 | GNW: Plymouth Citybus | |
| 2462 | YY16YJV | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B38F | Nov 2016 | GNW: Plymouth Citybus | |
| 2463 | YY66PCU | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B39F | Nov 2016 | GNW: Plymouth Citybus | |
| 2464 | YY66PCV | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B39F | Nov 2016 | GNW: Plymouth Citybus | |
| 2465 | YY16PDO | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B39F | Nov 2016 | GNW: Plymouth Citybus | |
| 2466 | YY66PDU | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B39F | Nov 2016 | RED | |
| 2467 | YY66PFJ | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B39F | Nov 2016 | GNW: Plymouth Citybus | |
| 2468 | YY66PFK | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B39F | Nov 2016 | RED |
The Oxford buses will see off the Scania double deckers. The current plan is that up to 6 more Scanias will Dartline 6001-6004 in time for the new school year in September. It is also expected that some of the remaining ones will become trainers in due course.
One final bit of fleet news is that Citybus 136 was badly damaged by fire on the A38 this weekend.
The bus was not in service at the time as it was under test. I would not expect it to be repaired in view of its age.
You can click through to Herald web site [https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/live-a38-traffic-stopped-after-9277907]
where you are promised “dramatic footage”. Once you have endured up to 30 seconds of advertising you then get 5 seconds of video – I think dramatic is a bit of an overstatement!
The next part of the Plymouth Citybus fleet update looks at the rest of the older Enviro 200s
| 136 | WA08LDF | Dennis Dart Enviro 200 | Alexander Enviro 200 | B38F | Jul 2008 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | Withdrawn |
| 137 | WA08LDJ | Dennis Dart Enviro 200 | Alexander Enviro 200 | B38F | Jul 2008 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | |
| 138 | WA08LDK | Dennis Dart Enviro 200 | Alexander Enviro 200 | B38F | Jul 2008 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | |
| 139 | WA08LDL | Dennis Dart Enviro 200 | Alexander Enviro 200 | B38F | Jul 2008 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | |
| 140 | WA08LDN | Dennis Dart Enviro 200 | Alexander Enviro 200 | B38F | Jul 2008 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | |
| 141 | WA08LDU | Dennis Dart Enviro 200 | Alexander Enviro 200 | B38F | Jul 2008 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | Withdrawn |
| 142 | WA08LDV | Dennis Dart Enviro 200 | Alexander Enviro 200 | B38F | Jul 2008 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | |
| 143 | WA08LDX | Dennis Dart Enviro 200 | Alexander Enviro 200 | B38F | Jul 2008 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | |
| 144 | WA08LDZ | Dennis Dart Enviro 200 | Alexander Enviro 200 | B38F | Jul 2008 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | |
| 145 | WA08LEF | Dennis Dart Enviro 200 | Alexander Enviro 200 | B38F | Jul 2008 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | |
| 146 | WA08LEJ | Dennis Dart Enviro 200 | Alexander Enviro 200 | B38F | Jul 2008 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | |
| 147 | WJ65HMA | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B37F | Jan 2016 | Go CORNWALL bus | |
| 148 | WJ65HMC | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B37F | Jan 2016 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | |
| 149 | WJ65HMD | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B37F | Jan 2016 | Go CORNWALL bus | |
| 150 | WJ65HME | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B37F | Jan 2016 | PLYMOUTH Citybus \\\ | |
| 151 | WJ65HMF | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B37F | Jan 2016 | Go CORNWALL bus | |
| 152 | WJ65HMG | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B37F | Jan 2016 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | |
| 153 | WJ65HMH | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B37F | Jan 2016 | Go CORNWALL bus | |
| 154 | WJ65HMK | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B37F | Feb 2016 | Go CORNWALL bus | |
| 155 | WJ65HMO | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B37F | Feb 2016 | Go CORNWALL bus | |
| 156 | WJ65HMU | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B37F | Feb 2016 | Go CORNWALL bus | |
| 157 | WJ65HMV | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B37F | Feb 2016 | Go CORNWALL bus | |
| 158 | WJ65HMX | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B37F | Feb 2016 | Go CORNWALL bus | |
| 159 | WJ65HMY | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B37F | Feb 2016 | Go CORNWALL bus | |
| 160 | YX09FLR | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B26F | Jul 2009 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | Withdrawn |
| 161 | YX09FLV | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B26F | Jul 2009 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | Withdrawn |
| 162 | YX56HVF | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B38F | Jan 2017 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | Withdrawn |
| 163 | YX56HVG | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B38F | Jan 2017 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | |
| 164 | YX56HVH | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B38F | Jan 2017 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | |
| 165 | YX56HVJ | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B38F | Jan 2017 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | |
| 166 | YX57BXB | Alexander Dennis E20D | Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 | B37F | Oct 2007 | PLYMOUTH Citybus ৲ | Withdrawn |
| 167 | LX07BXO | Dennis Dart E200 | Alexander Enviro 200 | B31F | Mar 2007 | PLYMOUTH Citybus \\\ | Withdrawn |
| 168 | LX07BXP | Dennis Dart E200 | Alexander Enviro 200 | B31F | Mar 2007 | PLYMOUTH Citybus \\\ | |
| 169 | LX07BXR | Dennis Dart E200 | Alexander Enviro 200 | B29D | Mar 2007 | Ɵ GO Ahead London | Withdrawn |
| 170 | LX07BYB | Dennis Dart E200 | Alexander Enviro 200 | B--D | Mar 2007 | CHATTER BUS | |
| 171 | SN57DWL | Dennis Dart E200 | Alexander Enviro 200 | B32D | Oct 2007 | Ɵ GO Ahead London BLUE TRIANGLE | FOR SPARES |
As always let me know if I have missed anything above or have anything wrong!
138
146
152
161 – now withdrawn
163
167
All pictures were taken in service in March this year.
In other news – another two double deckers have arrived at Milehouse, Oxford 302 and 306 details below
This gives us:
| No. | Reg | Chassis | Body | Seats | New | Livery | Notes |
| [302] | OE11YMY | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Jun 2011 | OX City Purple | Not yet in service |
| [305] | OE11YNK | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Apr 2011 | OX City Maroon | Not yet in service |
| [306] | OE11YMZ | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Jun 2011 | OX City Maroon | Not yet in service |
| [313] | OE11YNJ | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Jun 2011 | OX City Red | Not yet in service |
| [317] | OE11YNL | Alexander Dennis Trident E40H | Alexander Enviro 400 | H47/30F | Jun 2011 | OX City Red | Not yet in service |
