Citybus Fleet News 2001
29/12/01 - Citybus services resumed today following the last 2 days industrial action.27/12/01 - Many Citybus passengers were left 'in the lurch' today, as services were halted from mid morning onwards due to unnoficial industrial action. This was due to dissatisfaction as the the company's handling of recent attacks on drivers and vehicles.
22/12/01 - Cityliner 2667 has lost it's 7-Up overall advertisement in favour of fleet livery, whilst B7TL 2925 has the Jeans mega-rear advertisement in place of the Harp one it previously carried.
19/12/01 - RELL 2517 is at Falls, not GVS. 2505 may be the next to return to service. B10BLE 2770 has returned to service following accident repair. 2930 has a Big W mega rear and another has an advertisement for Jeans (number to be confirmed).
06/12/01 - The evening services recently withdrawn are to be gradually re-instated from this evening. Phase one of this strategy will see buses on withdrawn routes from Lagmore, Poleglass, Turf Lodge, Ligoniel and Glencairn run until 9.30pm each evening to facilitate Christmas shoppers, with a full service to 11.00pm resuming in the near future.
04/12/01 - Mercedes 2103 is now in the Translink green livery - it is currently at Falls for PSV prior to returning to service. RELL 2517 may have returned to service at GVS.
29/11/01 - Citybus have recovered / will be recovering 8 REs from Beatties, at Hillsborough, to provide the additional vehicles required for the introduction of the East Belfast QBC to Dundonald & Ballybeen. No details are known of which vehicles have been selected but 2490/8 were mentioned.
22/11/01 - Evening bus services in
four areas of west Belfast are to be withdrawn from 23rd November following a
recent campaign of vandalism. s.
Services to Ligoniel on route 57 are
already withdrawn during the evening and 63 to Glencairn will be
withdrawn after 7pm, Turf Lodge service number 81 from 6pm, services 537 and
539 to Lagmore from 6.10pm and service 535 to Poleglass will not operate after
6pm. Translink managing director Ted Hesketh says problem has escalated since
July, with 863 windows broken - an average of
six smashed a day. He also said there had been 10 robberies and
20 reported assaults on bus drivers.
19/11/01 - The looks of rigid Mercedes 0405s 2102/2 have been much improved by application of the Translink style low floor livery.
11/11/01 - Not previously mentioned is that Tiger 2678 has gained a super-rear advert for Home Fuels, although it has subsequently lost most of it as the rear window was smashed. Dart 632 has returned to service at GVS on completion of repairs, whilst Tiger 2626 is now detaxed. N-type 2610 has moved from Newtownabbey to GVS and then on to Short Strand, where it is joined by B10BLE 2816 and Cityliner 2680, both from Newtownabbey.
07/11/01 - Tiger 2647 has gained a super-rear advert for Home Fuels. Mercedes 0405 2101 is the second of it's type to get the Translink style green fleet livery.
30/10/01 - Tiger/ N-type 2626 has been wrecked after being hijacked and used to transport a bomb to Woodbourne RUC station. It is not yet confirmed if it is to be repaired. For the BBC news story, click here. Mercedes 2102 is the first of it's type to gain low floor livery. All 6 of these are to be branded for CityExpress to displace the remaining Tigers on this route.
21/10/01 - Mercedes 0.405GNs 3100-3 have all lost their CityExpress branding as they are also used on normal service now. Cityliners 2644/60/73 have lost their Pepsi adverts with 2672 expected to follow; 2680 has lost it MW finance super-rear advert. B7TLs 2931/2 are temporarily loaned to Ulsterbus for use on the 163A Uni-Link service.
14/10/01 - B7TL 2938 also has a mega-rear advert for 'Big W'.
12/10/01 - Deckers 2939/40 both now carry mega-rear adverts for the 'Big W' store at Yorkgate.
30/09/01 - Some evening journeys on the Centrelink service 100 now serve the Odyssey Arena. Easibus routes currently operated are: EB3 Connswater - Braniel - Abbey Road (TuTh only); EB5 Forestide - Belvoir (MThO); EB6 Forestide - Sunnyside Street - Dunnes - City Centre (TuX); EB7 Forestide - Annadale - Dunnes (WFO); EB13 Abbeycentre - Rathcoole (TuFO); EB15 Abbeycentre - Mount Vernon (TuFO); EB16 Abbeycentre - Tulleevin Drive (TuFO).
28/09/01 - Ultra 2728 has been maliciously destroyed on the Crumlin Road (shame - NOT!). RELLs 2514/6 are back on at Falls and GVS and 2506 has been transferred to Falls from NB.
16/09/01 - Shown below is a new style ticket - much greater information is given on the ticket than previously, including bus number, driver number, boarding stop, route, destination stop, date, and fare. Cityliner 2676 now carries a rear end advert for Citybus Travelcards - bizarrely it carries the fleetnumber 1342 together with a correct LR 21 depot code for that vehicle!!
11/09/01 - RELL 2506 and Tiger 2610 have been returned to service at
Newtownabbey. Dart 634 has moved from there back to Short Strand. All other
vehicles detaxed for the summer have been returned to service. RELL 2524 has
been converted to a training vehicle for the new ticketing system,
which was introduced today on the QBC. Full introduction on Citybus is
scheduled for 1st October. Two artics are now scheduled for Antrim Road
duties. So far noted are 3102/3 on 46s and 51s.
02/09/01 - Tomorrow sees the opening of the latest stretch of bus lane in Belfast along the Albertbridge Road and East Bridge Street. Associated improvements have been made to bus stop infrastructure along the Queens Bridge, Albert Bridge and Bloomfield routes to Dundonald and beyond to Ballybeen. Unfortunately these improvements have not been matched by Translink as the proposed East Belfast QBC has been postponed due to 'lack of resources'. Route number 82 has now been taken by new route City Centre - Four Winds via Ormeau Avenue, replacing some journeys on the 83 route. 86 (Mount Merrion via Ormeau Avenue) now seems to have been withdrawn, whilst previous route 82 (Royal Hospitals service) is now 95.
08/08/01 - Mercedes Artics 3100/1 have returned to service from temporary storage, along with Tiger/N-type 2603 at Great Victoria Street, replacing destroyed Renown 2779. Sister B10BLE 2770 is detaxed with accident damage.
03/08/01 - Ultra 2708 has been fitted with an illuminated advertising panel on it's nearside.
02/08/01 - The B7TL deckers stored for the school holidays have now returned to service.
31/07/01 - 2779 was the vehicle hijacked and destroyed at Ardoyne on Saturday night. It has been recovered and taken to Falls for stripping before onward movement to Beatties. Also there is a Gardner engined chassis with air suspension. Given that there were the remains of several other vehicles latterly with Keenan, Dundalk, it is assumes that this chassis belonged to one of the ex Citybus Lynx's.
29/07/01 - As usual a large number of vehicles has been detaxed for the duration of the school holidays. This year again sees the complete RELL fleet in storage, together with all but 2 of the Volvo deckers (2939/40). Also detaxed are Darts 631/2/3/9/40, N-types 2602/11/5/23/4/6 and Mercedes artics 3100/1. Dart 634 has moved from Short Strand to Newtownabbey and is the sole vehicle of this type there. Several vehicles (incl 2630/78) are fitted with what is believed to be GPS positioning receivers. Apparently vehicles on the QBCs are to be fitted for tracking/bus stop information.
10/06/01 - All 18 B7TL/ALX400s are now in service here (2921-32 Short Strand, 2933-4 Falls and 2937-40 Newtownabbey). These have dispalced RELLs 2511/7/24 to reserve (2511 with accident damage), as well as Tiger N-type 2601/4-10 which are in reserve for eventual transfer to Ulsterbus. Sisters 2602/3 are currently in the active reserve fleet and so may still be seen out and about. A lone RELL returning to service is 2562 at Short Strand. Moves see 2611 go to Great Victoria Street, 2629/30/1/4/5 to Short Strand and 2669/724/5/40/1/61 to Falls. Veteran Fleetline 2863 is at work again on the Cityhopper tour of Belfast - enjoy it while you can as this is likely to be it's last year.
01/06/01 - B7TL/ALX400s 2937-40 (HCZ 9937) are now in use from Newtownabbey on the CityExress routes 1A/1B. They are in standard livery with CityExpress names and a logo best described as a coloured squiggle. Unlike previous CityExpress vehicles they do not have high backed seating.
29/05/01 - B7TL/ALX400 2933 (HCZ 9933) was in use for the first time today on the 30/1/2.
28/05/01 - RELL 2511 (XOI 2511) has been seriously damaged in an accident and is unlikely to be repaired.
24/05/01 - B7TLs 2923-5/9-34/7 are all due to receive mega-rear adverts for Harp Lager.
21/05/01 - B7TLs 2925/30/2 have both gained mega-rear adverts for Harp Lager.
19/05/01 - Ultra 2722 is the latest to gain Translink corporate low floor livery, whilst 2746 now has corporate front colours on its advertising livery.
16/05/01 - Also sent to Beatties for 'storage', but unlikely to return, are RELLs 2465/8/9/73/6 (WOI 8465). These were the last 24xx Bristols in Citybus stock.
15/05/01 - Withdrawn RELL 2499 has been sent to Beatties for scrap.
11/05/01 - The Castlereagh Road today welcomed double deckers back, with the use of 2931/2 on Routes 30/1/2. A new route variation is 57A (City Centre - Ligoneil not serving Wolfhill).
10/05/01 - Tigers 2601 - 10 are to be detaxed for storage, pending conversion to 53 seaters and transfer to Ulsterbus.
21/04/01 - Volvos 2933/4 are expected to go to Falls soon, with the remainder of the batch (2923-5/9-32/7-40) not entering service until May. Another of the ex Citybus Lynx's has returned to Ireland making five in all. 3007 (HXI 3007) was noted yesterday with Chambers, Moneymore!
15/04/01 - Volvo B7LTs 2921/2/6/7/8 are now all graced with mega-rear adverts for Magners; as such they are the first Translink liveried vehicles to carry this form of advertising. Althought still shown as active on the current fleetlist, Plaxton bodied demonstrator 2024 was last in use at the end of February, after which it was returned to it's owner.
07/04/01 - RELL 2519 has been placed in Reserve. At least one of the new Volvos has already gained a mega-rear advert (vehicle / advertiser as yet unidentified) and it is believed that the level of interest is such that all 20 may be treated. Another unusual form of publicity which has appeared recently is small adverts for Citybus Day Tickets placed in the opening window hoppers of some of the Wright Renown bodied B10BLEs. 03/04/01 - 2921/2/6/7/8 are the 5 B7TLs in use currently. 02/04/01 - Volvo's 2921/6 have been in all day service on the Four Winds routes 83/4. Both have gained 'Go!' logos and fleetnumbers since last Monday's launch.
01/04/01 - Five of the new Volvo
/ ALX 400 deckers are due to enter service tomorrow morning on the Ormeau Road
routes. Ex Ulsterbus B10BLEs 2815/6 have transferred here. 2816 is currently
being repainted red at Falls. Also present there are Tigers 1400/1, possibly
for repaint blue and transfer to Ulsterbus.
26/03/01 - For a report of the launch of the new Volvo double deckers click here.
22/03/01 - Additional Citybus
vehicles fitted with "Bus-pak" advertising panels are 2602 (LXI 6602) and 2611
(NXI 4611). Withdrawn 2500/2 (XOI 2500/2) are to go to Beattie, Hillsborough
over the next few days for scrap. In addition 2465/8/9/73/6 (WOI 8465 etc.)
are also to go there for storage. Stored 2562/3 (BXI 2562/3) are to go to
Falls for PSV and return to traffic.
19/03/01 - The first 10 B7TL
deckers should enter service on 2nd April after a launch at Newtownabbey.
Ulsterbus B10BLE/Wright 2816 (CCZ 8816) has been transferred here and is
currently being repainted red at Falls. All Translink corporate liveried
vehicles are to have the logo 'A Translink Service' replaced with the
Translink web url www.translink.co.uk .
16/03/01 - Ultra 2742 is the latest in low floor livery.
08/03/01 - The first B7TL has been observed complete at Alexanders. 2661 (VXI 2661) and 2680 (VXI 2680) have "Mega-rear" adverts for Home Fuels and MW Finance respectively. 2671/9 (VXI 2671/9) have both lost their "Mega-rear" adverts for Nokia phones although both now sport blue rear bumpers where not all of the advert has been removed. New route variations introduced recently are service 18 with 2 morning departures from Gilnahirk to the City Centre via Sandown Road and Bloomfield, whilst several early morning departures on CityExpress route 1A now run via Whiteabbey Station Road, omitting the lower Doagh Road section.
13/02/01 - Ultra 2734 is now in the low floor livery. 7 B7TLs are now in line at Alexander's; the first should be complete by the end of the month.
06/02/01 - RELLs 2516/7 are reinstated to Falls, replacing 2509 which is now in Reserve. Darts 628/9 are now at Falls, having been replaced at Short Strand with RELL 2573 and Cityliner 2642. Registrations for the deckers are HCZ 9921-40. Further super-rear ads are 2604/75 for Smirnoff Red and 2645/64/69 for Phoenix Gas.
05/02/01 - The B7LTs WILL now be built in Belfast. The first chassis should be taken in this week. Cityliners 2641/50 now carry rear adverts for Smirnoff and 2680 for a financial services company.
29/01/01 - RELL 2510 has been sent to Beatties for scrap.