Stagecoach’s order for eight Plaxton Panorama-bodied Volvo B11RLE double-deckers for the Scottish Citylink joint venture with ComfortDelGro (Buses last month) is a reminder that Citylink first operated coaches like them over 30 years ago. Then part of the state-owned Scottish Bus Group, it responded to competition from Stagecoach on Scotland-London routes by building up a fleet of 12 MCW Metroliner double-deckers that the Eastern, Western and Northern Scottish companies acquired between 1983 and 1987.
Shortly after the first of these arrived, it bought four short-haul double-deck coaches with Alexander RDC bodies based on the structure of the R-type bus but with styling along the lines of Alexander’s TC singledeck coach. Two full-height vehicles for Fife Scottish, on the underfloor-engined Volvo Citybuses, had the RVC body, while two lowheight RLC examples, on long wheelbase Leyland Olympian chassis, went to Eastern Scottish. These and the Metroliners carried Citylink colours of blue and yellow, but not the Citylink name.
The Metroliners, while impressive, suffered from rushed development and were not as reliable as hoped. Hence, when Western Scottish sought to supplement its double-deck coach fleet …
