|
|
Post by TB123 on Mar 4, 2020 12:47:36 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by ADH45258 on Mar 4, 2020 20:08:58 GMT
Interesting that these are not gaining Stagecoach's new amber coach livery. The Oxford Tube livery was always a variation on the beachball scheme. |
|
|
|
Post by wirewiper on Mar 5, 2020 10:38:20 GMT
The Oxford Tube is normally replaced every five years so would have been due last year, but I gather that Stagecoach held off because the new Chiltern Railways to Oxford and the improved GWR offering were impacting on the profitability of the route. However now that Oxford Bus Company has withdrawn its X90 it looks like Oxford Tube has picked up the slack and Stagecoach feels confident again to invest in new vehicles.
|
|
|
|
Post by wirewiper on Oct 11, 2020 8:07:59 GMT
The new Plaxton Panoramas for the Oxford Tube are now in build, they will be numbered 50421-50454. The first five will be registered T40/44/50/55/60 UBE (these will be transferred from the existing Van Hool Astromegas) and the rest will have 70-registrations. They will replace the entire existing fleet.
As mentioned before, five of the coaches will have solar power technology which will power all the on-board electrical equipment, rather than relying on the diesel engine to do this. The solar technology is provided by a company called Trailar which offers the technology across a wide range of commercial vehicles. It is calculated that annually this will sace 1500 litres of fuel and over 4 tonnes of CO per vehicle. Across the five vehicles, this level of carbon offsetting impact would require 331 trees to be planted and grown for ten years.
As well as extras that have come to be expected as standard, such as free on-board WiFi and USB ports, the coaches will have onboard information screens which will keep passengers informed of changes to their journey and estimated arrival times, and there will be additional accessibility measures including amore seamless boarding process for wheelchair users.
|
|
|
|
Post by wirewiper on Nov 7, 2020 9:10:57 GMT
The first two of the new coaches have arrived in Oxford. They were delivered with registrations YX70 LUA/LUB but are expected to gain the cherished T40 UBE/T44 UBE registrations. Astromegas 50261-5 which previously carried the cherished registrations have already been re-registered and 50264 has been seen in service with the registration OW14 LKD. Source: Oxford Chilterns Bus Page www.oxford-chiltern-bus-page.co.uk/ |
|
|
|
Post by greenboy on Nov 27, 2020 20:39:19 GMT
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2020 0:31:21 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by wirewiper on Nov 29, 2020 11:17:27 GMT
I notice that they have retained their YX70 LU* registrations. I have seen it suggested that it may now be the five coaches with solar panels that get the cherished registrations, as an easy way to identify them.
|
|
|
|
Post by wirewiper on Dec 26, 2020 11:58:05 GMT
Due to Tier 4 restrictions in London from Sunday, and in Oxfordshire from Boxing Day, Oxford Tube services were suspended after operation on Christmas Eve and will not operate until further notice. www.oxfordtube.com/servicedetails.aspx?update=686 |
|
|
|
Post by wirewiper on Mar 2, 2021 9:20:19 GMT
The final ten vehicles (50445-50454) have been diverted to Stagecoach East Scotland's Aberhill Depot for Citylink work. They will be painted in blue and yellow Citylink livery and will be allocated YX21 xxx registrations.
50445 YX21 NNG Intended as YX70 LVL
50446 YX21 NNH Intended as YX70 LVM
50447 YX21 NNJ Intended as YX70 LVN
50448 YX21 NNK Intended as YX70 LVP
50449 YX21 NNL Intended as YX70 LVO
50450 YX21 NNM Intended as YX70 LVR
50451 YX21 NNO Intended as YX70 LVS
50452 YX21 NNP Intended as YX70 LVT
50453 YX21 NNR Intended as YX70 LVU
50454 YX21 NNT Intended as YX70 LVV
50441-4, the last four of the Oxford batch, were delivered in February and retain their intended YX70 xxx registrations. Oxford Tube services remain suspended and are not expected to resume until 29th March at the earliest.
|
|
|
|
Post by wirewiper on Jun 10, 2022 17:29:32 GMT
Oxford Tube will have a new timetable from 20th June, with additional journeys operating during the peak Summer season.
As ten of the Plaxton Panorama bodied Volvo B11RLE were diverted to Stagecoach East Scotland, four Van Hool Astromegas formally used on the service will be reinstated.
The new timetable features:
- extra evening journeys on Mondays to Saturdays
- departures from Oxford every 15 minutes between 14.00 and 17.00 on Fridays
- Saturday departures up to every 10 minutes
- 16.50 express departure from London retimed to 17.00 - the 17.50 departure is unchanged.
|
|
|
|
Post by wirewiper on Jul 1, 2022 13:58:11 GMT
Oxford Tube will have a new timetable from 20th June, with additional journeys operating during the peak Summer season. As ten of the Plaxton Panorama bodied Volvo B11RLE were diverted to Stagecoach East Scotland, four Van Hool Astromegas formally used on the service will be reinstated. The new timetable features: - extra evening journeys on Mondays to Saturdays - departures from Oxford every 15 minutes between 14.00 and 17.00 on Fridays - Saturday departures up to every 10 minutes - 16.50 express departure from London retimed to 17.00 - the 17.50 departure is unchanged. Stagecoach West is to order more Plaxton Panorama bodied Volvo B11RLE to cater for an uplift in passenger numbers, and to replace the Astromegas that have been reinstated temporarily. The Tube had a particularly busy day on Saturday 25th June, a rail strike day and also a day when four separate concerts were taking place in London. Although a limited train service was operating, long queues built up at Gloucester Green Bus Station for Oxford Tube and every coach from 06.30 departed full. Several duplicates were laid on to get everybody back at night. The last time such passenger numbers were seen were for the Millennium celebrations. |
|
|
|
Post by wirewiper on Nov 4, 2022 10:05:07 GMT
I notice that they have retained their YX70 LU* registrations. I have seen it suggested that it may now be the five coaches with solar panels that get the cherished registrations, as an easy way to identify them. 50241-50245 have now gained chesrished T** UBE registrations, which were previously carried on Van Hool Astromegas (the current Tube vehicles are Volvo B11RLE/Plaxton Panorama) 50421 - T40 UBE ( was YX70 LUA) 50422 - T44 UBE ( was YX70 LUD) 50423 - T50 UBE ( was YX70 LUE) 50424 - T55 UBE ( was YX70 LUF) 50425 - T60 UBE ( was YX70 LUH) |
|
|
|
Post by wirewiper on Dec 4, 2022 17:19:26 GMT
The final ten vehicles (50445-50454) have been diverted to Stagecoach East Scotland's Aberhill Depot for Citylink work. They will be painted in blue and yellow Citylink livery and will be allocated YX21 xxx registrations. 50445 YX21 NNG Intended as YX70 LVL 50446 YX21 NNH Intended as YX70 LVM 50447 YX21 NNJ Intended as YX70 LVN 50448 YX21 NNK Intended as YX70 LVP 50449 YX21 NNL Intended as YX70 LVO 50450 YX21 NNM Intended as YX70 LVR 50451 YX21 NNO Intended as YX70 LVS 50452 YX21 NNP Intended as YX70 LVT 50453 YX21 NNR Intended as YX70 LVU 50454 YX21 NNT Intended as YX70 LVV 50441-4, the last four of the Oxford batch, were delivered in February and retain their intended YX70 xxx registrations. Oxford Tube services remain suspended and are not expected to resume until 29th March at the earliest. These coaches are returning to Oxford for their originally-intended role on the Oxford Tube, indeed the first few have already arrived and have been pressed into service still in Citylink colours (blue and yellow) but with branding removed. They will enable the last Van Hool Astromegas to be withdrawn. They are being rplaced in Scotland by new 72-registration C61FLt Plaxton Elite coaches. |
|
|
|
Post by wirewiper on Dec 6, 2022 12:08:29 GMT
Oxford Tube has announced its Christmas and New Year timetables. There will be no Christmas Day service this year. Christmas Eve, Saturday 24th December: Sunday timetable with early finish; last coach from Oxford at 19.15 and from London at 21.40 Christmas Day, Sunday 25th December: no service Boxing Day, Monday 26th December: Special timetable commencing at 06.00 from Oxford and 08.10 from London. Holiday Tuesday 27th December: Sunday timetable Wednesday 28th-Friday 30th December: Special timetables New Year's Eve, Saturday 31st December: Special timetable during the day, with coaches leaving Oxford up to 02.15 and London up to 04.25 (with a gap between 23.25 and 00.40 from London). New Year's Day, Sunday 1st January: early morning journeys until 02.15 from Oxford and 04.25 from London. Then special timetable commencing at 06.00 from Oxford and 08.10 from London. Holiday Monday 2nd January: Sunday timetable For links to the days when special timetables are in operation: www.oxfordtube.com/servicedetails.aspx?update=675 |
|
