Xplore Dundee

Xplore Dundee is a bus operator based in Dundee, Scotland, operating services mainly within Dundee City. The operator also runs a service to Edinburgh Airport. It is a subsidiary of McGill's Bus Services, which is based in Greenock, Scotland.

Xplore Dundee
Xplore Dundee Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC on Dundee High Street in July 2019
ParentMcGill's Bus Services
Founded1985
HeadquartersDundee, Scotland
Service areaDundee City
Service typeBus and coach services
Fleet94 (October 2023)
Chief executiveRalph Roberts
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

History
See also: Dundee Corporation Tramways
Former logos
Logo from 1997–2008
Logo from 2008–2015
Travel Dundee East Lancs East Lancs MaxCi bodied Scania N113CRL in August 2008

The company has its origins in the Dundee and District Tramways Company, which commenced horse tram operations on 30 August 1877. Steam traction was adopted in 1885. On 1 June 1899, the company was compulsorily acquired by the local municipality to become Dundee City Tramways, which was electrified between 1900 and 1902. From 1922, motor buses began to be operated in addition to the trams. The tram system continued to be extended until 1933, however by 1956, the trams had been fully replaced by buses and the company renamed Dundee Corporation Transport.[1]

Local government reorganisation meant that the bus operation passed to Tayside Regional Council in May 1975.[2][3] In spite of the change of name, the council's bus operations were confined to the Dundee area. The livery was changed from green to dark blue, light blue and white.[4]

In preparation for bus deregulation in October 1986, Tayside was restructured into a separate legal entity, Tayside Bus Company Limited.[5] In 1990, the company acquired the operations of Greyhound Luxury Coaches and rebranded it as Tayside Greyhound, operating it as the company's private coach and bus hire arm.[6] Tayside Public Transport was eventually sold in a employee buyout in June 1991.[7][8]

In February 1997, Tayside was sold to National Express and was subsequently rebranded Travel Dundee.[9][10] The livery changed again, this time to blue, red and white.

Travel Dundee had been a contractor to Scottish Citylink form many years. However, shortly after the formation of a joint venture between Citylink and Stagecoach in November 2005, Travel Dundee's services ceased. They were reinstated at short notice from 9 January 2006 when extra journeys were added to route M91 from Perth direct to Edinburgh. In May 2006, Travel Dundee commenced operating journeys on route M90 Perth - Kinross - Dunfermline - Edinburgh. Citylink ceased for the third time in September 2008, as part of a review of coaching activities.[11]

In November 2007, the National Express Group announced plans to re-brand all of their operations under a new unified National Express identity. Travel Dundee was rebranded as National Express Dundee in line with the group's other bus operations in October 2008, with buses taking on a red and white livery.[12]

In June 2015, it was announced that National Express Dundee would be rebranded as Xplore Dundee with a green livery resembling that of Dundee Corporation Transport introduced. The rebrand occurred on 12 September 2015.[13]

On 22 December 2020, it was announced that the National Express Group had agreed to sell the business to McGill's Bus Services.[14][15]

Fleet
Xplore Dundee Wright Eclipse Urban bodied Volvo B7RLE at McGill's Johnstone depot in September 2022

As of October 2023, Xplore Dundee operates a fleet of 94 buses and coaches.

From 1997 to 1999, shortly after National Express took over, Travel Dundee received 30 Wright Liberator bodied Volvo B10Ls and 25 Wright Renown bodied Volvo B10BLEs.[16] In 2004, the fleet was upgraded with 18 new Wright Eclipse Gemini double-deckers. The company would later purchase 29 new Wright Eclipse Urban 2-bodied Volvo B7RLEs in 2011 and 2012 which were used to replace older vehicles, and in 2013, the company received its first nine Alexander Dennis Enviro400H hybrid electric buses, partly funded by the Scottish Government Green Bus Fund.[17]

Following the rebrand to Xplore Dundee in 2015, the company took delivery of 14 brand new Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC buses, branded as 'Emerald' buses and featuring USB charging and free WiFi, for service on mainly route 22 in December 2018.[18][19] These were supplemented with a further nine Emerald-specification Enviro400 MMCs in early 2020 mainly for "Outer Circle" routes 5, 9 and 10.[lower-alpha 1][21][22] after which the company pledged not to buy another diesel-powered vehicle.[23]

In December 2021, following the takeover of the company by McGill's, twelve new Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV battery electric buses entered service with Xplore Dundee on service 28 between Myrekirk and Douglas via Lochee Road, claimed to be one of Scotland's most polluted roads.[24][25]

In July 2023, Xplore Dundee received a newer fleet of 8 Alexander Dennis Enviro400s from London United to replace some of the older Volvo B7TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini 1s in the fleet. Although not branded, the majority of these buses are usually used on service 1 from St Marys to Dundee City Centre.[lower-alpha 2] These buses meet the Euro 6 standard and have 96% less NOx pollutants compared to the older vehicles they replace. Additionally, Xplore Dundee's new livery is featured on these Alexander Dennis buses.[27]

In October 2023, Xplore Dundee received a further five former London United Alexander Dennis Enviro400s for services 32 & 33, which run from Whitfield and/or Fintry to Dundee City Centre. These buses feature an adapted version of the Eastern Scottish livery.[28]

Also in October 2023, Xplore Dundee received a brand new electric double decker Volvo BZL to be trialled in October and November on service 28 between Douglas and Myrekirk (via Dundee City Centre). Two more models of buses will be trialled on the 28 very soon.[29]

Services

Xplore More

FLY is a bus service operated by Xplore Dundee's Xplore More, providing a direct and express connection from Dundee City Centre to Edinburgh Airport.[30] The service, formerly known as the X90 was launched on June 9, 2019.[31] The service was rebranded with a green and turquoise identity branded as "FLY" upon its relaunch after services ceased due to the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2021.[32] The service runs 24/7 every ninety minutes.[33]

Discover Dundee

Xplore Dundee launched an open top bus tour named 'Discover Dundee' across Dundee in April 2022, which travels across the city from Discovery Point to the Dundee Law, with an extension route across the Tay Road Bridge as well as connections to other conventional bus routes via the city centre.[34][35] The route has seen many types of buses including Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini 2s, Dennis Trident Alexander ALX400s and presently as of August 2023, an Alexander Dennis Enviro400 runs the route.

City Circle

In September 2018, Xplore Dundee launched a City Circle bus route (number 360) which connected The V&A with the train station, the Nethergate, The McManus and (opposite) the bus station. Along with the route, Xplore Dundee launched Dundee's first electric bus. This bus route ran every day every twenty minutes. [36] Then the electric bus was replaced not too long after the electric Wrightbus vehicle was launched by a regular Wright Streetlite Wheel Forward. The route was lacking passengers, therefore was scrapped in September 2019, just one year after being launched. [37]

Outer Circle

The routes 5/5a and 10 of Xplore Dundee, previously known as the "Outer Circle", used to form a complete circle around Dundee. The clockwise service 9 used to run from Ninewells Hospital to Broughty Ferry, while service 10 used to run in the opposite direction. However, these two services were merged into a single service numbered 10, which runs in both directions from January 2022 onwards.[38] It is worth noting that service 10, along with the formerly numbered service 9, connected to service 5a at Broughty Ferry and Ninewells Hospital to complete the circular route.[39](Before, the full circle was just numbered 9 and 10, without 5 and 5a, and when the 5 launched it was to go alongside the 9/10.)[40] In August 2022, Xplore Dundee made an announcement that they are separating service 5a completely from service 10 to enhance reliability. Hence, passengers can no longer complete the circle without switching buses.[41] Services 5, 5a, and 10 are now entirely independent. The Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC buses, which were purchased for mainly use on services 5, 5a, and 10, are still in use on services 5 and 5a but less frequently on service 10. Although they still make occasional appearances, service 10 is now primarily operated by 2011-2012 Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse 2s.

References
  1. Hill, Adam; Caldwell, Sorsha (14 October 2016). "'Dundee's trams era was magical'". Evening Telegraph. Dundee. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  2. "Top Scots bus jobs in shake up". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 23 August 1974. p. 11. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  3. "Dundee fares row". Commercial Motor. Temple Press. 9 May 1975. p. 27. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  4. Wilson, David G. (March 1981). Buses of Eastern Scotland (2 ed.). Manchester: Fleetbooks (A. M. Witton), Transport Book Publishers. ISBN 978-0-8604-7142-4.
  5. "Companies House extract company no SC098156 Travel Dundee Limited formerly Tayside Bus Company Limited".
  6. Companies House extract company no SC037778 TD Alexander and Sons (Scotland) Limited
  7. "Tayside PT is sold to employee team". Coachmart. No. 644. Peterborough. 14 June 1991. p. 6.
  8. Brown, Stewart J. (1993). Buses in Britain. London: Capital Transport. ISBN 978-1-8541-4158-3.
  9. "TWM confirm Tayside acquisition". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 398. Spalding: Glen-Holland Limited. 28 February 1997. p. 4.
  10. White, Peter (1998). "Bus and coach deregulation and privatisation in Great Britain, with particular reference to Scotland". Journal of Transport Geography. 6 (2): 135–141.
  11. Scott, Susanna (Spring 2009). Dundee area bus directory (2 ed.). ISSN 2041-0735.
  12. "New Identity for National Express Group" (Press release). Birmingham: National Express Group. 15 November 2007. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  13. Copeland, Bryan (14 October 2016). "Dundee buses now colour-coded to make it easier to 'Xplore' city". Evening Telegraph. Dundee. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  14. McLaren, Rob (22 December 2020). "Bus firm Xplore Dundee sold to McGill's Buses but it will be 'business as usual' for passengers". The Courier. Dundee. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  15. "National Express Group sells Dundee subsidiary to McGill's Buses". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. 5 January 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  16. "Travel Dundee launches easy access routes". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 400. Spalding: Glen-Holland Limited. 14 March 1997. p. 11.
  17. "Going green: electric buses arrive in Dundee". Evening Telegraph. Dundee. 17 April 2013. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  18. "Emerald: the jewel in Dundee's crown". Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  19. Brady, Jon (22 June 2018). "Dundee bus firm unveils new greener fleet with free WiFi and USB charging". Evening Telegraph. Dundee. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018.
  20. https://www.xploredundee.com/2022Changes
  21. https://www.facebook.com/XploreDundeeBus/posts/-coming-soon-to-a-road-near-youour-newest-batch-of-emeralds-will-be-making-their/2797172737031330/
  22. "Xplore Dundee's 2020 vision". Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  23. Brady, Jon (28 February 2020). "Eco-friendly Dundee bus firm Xplore vows never to buy another diesel vehicle". Evening Telegraph. Dundee. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020.
  24. Milne, Scott (10 December 2021). "Dundonians get first ride on 'radical' e-buses that will help clean up Lochee Road". The Courier. Dundee. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  25. "BYD ADL e-buses power up in Dundee". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. 14 December 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  26. https://www.xploredundee.com/fleet-list
  27. https://www.xploredundee.com/NextSteps
  28. https://www.xploredundee.com/NextSteps
  29. https://www.xploredundee.com/NextSteps
  30. https://www.xploredundee.com/Fly
  31. "New airport bus ready to take off across Dundee and Xplore the country". Evening Telegraph. Dundee. 9 June 2019. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021.
  32. "Xplore Dundee to restart Airport Xpress with fleet upgrade". routeone. 12 June 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  33. bus timetable
  34. Flett, Amie (29 April 2022). "Discover Dundee: First look at new open-top bus tour". The Courier. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  35. "Open-top tour planned for Dundee". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  36. https://www.dundeeandanguschamber.co.uk/news/article/5693/-launch-date-for-service-360-
  37. https://cbwmagazine.com/xplore-dundees-360-bus-route-axed/
  38. https://www.xploredundee.com/2022Changes
  39. Old timetable - see map: https://passenger-line-assets.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/xploredundee/TRDU/5-timetable-20210412-e292ebe3.pdf
  40. Timetable from 2015: https://nxbus.co.uk/files/NXCoventry/current_timetables/2015-Timetables/6th-September-2015/910TimetableXplore2.pdf
  41. https://www.xploredundee.com/2022-Changes

Notes
  1. The clockwise service 9 used to run from Ninewells Hospital to Broughty Ferry, while service 10 used to run in the opposite direction. However, these two services were merged into a single service numbered 10, which runs in both directions from January 2022 onwards.[20]
  2. Service 1 only needs six vehicles on the route at a time (at peak on Monday to Friday), so the remainder of the vehicles can often be found on other services like the 10 or 17.[26]
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