It isn’t often that an operator provides an idea for the title of the article but the branding on these Mercedes Benz 0530 Citaros in the service of Worcestershire County Council gave me the inspiration.
Woosh is a park and ride operation that was previously operated by First Midland Red (FMR).
BK08 NAO and BV08 ZMF are both seen in Worcester’s Crowngate bus station. The Woosh fleet list shows a total of 8 buses of this type.
Crowngate is unusual in that you can quite easily get a birds eye view of operations.
BK 08 NAO having seen previous service with ‘Last Bus’ in Brannockstown in the Irish Republic.
FMR are the major operator in the City although Astons, LMS travel and the 'Rotala' group also appear.
I have always preferred the look of the ‘old’ Alexander Dennis Enviro 300 to the new ‘over bulbous’ look however I have only seen them in the past in penny numbers.
FMR had a batch of 30 or so and a number of them are pictured here. Whichever way you look at them, they are handsome buses.
VX54 MSO, VX05 LVS, VX54 MTU and VX05 LVU.
Further full sized buses in the fleet are represented by,
VX54 MUV
The long lived but now getting to the veteran stage Plaxton’s Pointer bodied Dennis Dart SLF.
A bit unusual for a ‘First’ fleet is another Plaxton product.
CN57 EFF
A Volvo B7RLE with the Centro body.
According to MidlandRed.net this is one of a batch of nine that were built for Veolia/Bebb of Llantwit Fardre in 2007.
They passed to Ensign (Purfleet) the dealers in 2011 and then they all passed to FMR in late 2011. This one looked very smart.
Most unusual in any ‘First’ fleet is the ‘Caetano Nimbus’ body built on Dennis Dart chassis.
Six of these buses were purchased for use in Worcester. The were built for Connex for service in Jersey and are built to Jersey’s specification i.e. narrower. (I believe 7 feet 6 inches wide.)
EG52 FFV and EG52 FFJ seen in the ‘bowels’ of the bus station.
If the Enviro 300’s are handsome, these then must be the prettiest.
VU03 YJW
An Optare Solo. Quite ordinary really but no less welcome.
YJ55 YHA
An Optare Solo owned by LMS Travel. Founded in 1992, LMS Travel is a privately owned travel management corporation working in leisure travel planning.
KP51 SXY
A Dennis Dart MPD with Plaxton Pointer bodywork had a spell with Blackburn Transport Ltd. (BTL) before coming to LMS.
They were loaned to BTL (acquiring BTL fleet numbers) by Plaxton to cover for late delivery of other vehicles.
YG02 DJZ
An Optare Solo of Blue Diamond at onetime was with ‘First’ in York carrying fleet number 50298 before having a spell in Swansea again with ‘First’.
‘Blue Diamond’ is a brand owned by ‘Rotala’ plc and a trading name of Central Connect Ltd. Buses operate out of a depot at Long Acre.
Prior to late 2011, Central Connect had been the operating name of the company created by the merger of ‘Zaks Bus and Coach services Ltd.’, ‘North Birmingham Busways’ and ‘Birmingham Motor Traction Ltd’.
W573 JVV
A Plaxton Pointer Dennis Dart MPD
It was new to ‘Petes Travel’ who became part of ‘Zaks (see above) in 2004 and passed subsequently to ‘Rotala’ group. Red Diamond being another ‘Rotala’ brand which operates out of a depot at Redditch.
There would have been an photo of an ‘Astons’ bus at this point but the driver made it quite clear that being photographed was not an option.
I respected the drivers wish.
Worcester is an historic city in many ways. Its greatest asset must be its cathedral which is
‘The Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Mary the Virgin of Worcester’.
Started in the eleventh century, the Cathedral contains the remains of King John.
The city is also an excellent shopping centre so it is not surprising that it attracts visitors from far and wide.
Today, some of those visitors have been transported by
JN07 NEL
A Bova Futura FHD127.386 that was new to Nelson’s Travel of Neath in South Wales in 2007.
More 'Woosh into Worcester' here Flickr
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