Dennis Dart - Low Floor

40805/33/7/8  R312GHS & R670/4/5DUS   

On Thursday 31st August 2006 R312GHS (40805) arrived at First Midland Red at Worcester from Glasgow. This was to be the first of eight vehicles due for transfer though only four buses actually made it into the First Midland Red fleet. Two more did not make the long journey and broke down on the M6 on route. 40805 was part of a large batch of 60 vehicles delivered new in 1997. During the first week of September 2006 R674DUS arrived at Worcester and after preparation for service it entered service at Worcester on Monday 18th September 2006. A third Dart 40838 (R675DUS) arrived from Glasgow on Tuesday 19th September and was initially put into store before entering service again at Worcester in December 2006.  The fourth and final Dart 40833 (R670DUS) arrived from First Glasgow on Wednesday 25th October 2006. Like the rest it was initially put into store at Worcester before entering service in January 2007.

Registration Number

Fleet Number

Body type

Seating Capacity

Date into Service

Current Allocation

Livery

R312GHS

40805

Plaxton

B37F

September 2006

Withdrawn - 23rd October 2014 Sold for Scraped

Barbie3 (10/07)

R670DUS

40833

Plaxton

B37F

January 2007

Withdrawn - June 2013 Sold for Scraped

Barbie3 (10/07)

R674DUS

40837

Plaxton

B37F

18th September 2006

Withdrawn - June 2013 Sold for Scraped

Barbie3 (11/07)

R675DUS

40838

Plaxton

B37F

December 2006

Withdrawn - June 2013 Sold to PVS Charlton for Scrap August 2013

Barbie3 (11/07)

Livery Key :  Barbie 3 - is the new corporate Firstgroup livery for all vehicles which is a modified version of the original Barbie livery (The dates in brackets are when the vehicle was repainted) 

42180  R610YCR

R610YCR arrived at Worcester in April 2009. It was part of a batch of fifteen (R609-623YCR) low floor buses that were new to First in Hampshire and Dorset in February 1998. When the vehicles in the batch received their national fleet numbers 42109-42123 R610YCR became the odd vehicle out and was renumbered 42180. P710HPU in the First Hampshire and Dorset fleet  took the 42110 fleet number that should have been allocated R610YCR.  The vehicle had entered service at Kidderminster by 13th June 2009 and was sold with the Kidderminster Garage to Diamond Bus in March 2013. the vehicle finished its days in service at Redditch Garage which too by this time was under Diamond Bus ownership.

Registration Number

Fleet Number

Body Make

Seating Capacity

Date into Service

Current Allocation

Livery

R610YCR

42180

Plaxton

B37F

Jun-09

Withdrawn 2/3/13 and sold to Diamond Bus

Barbie3

42217/9/20  R217/9/20RSA

R217/9/20RSA were three low-floor Dennis Darts that were are part of a batch of sixteen (R207-22MSA) that were new to First Aberdeen in April 1997. They carried the fleet numbers 207-22 and were the first Low floor buses to be operated by the group in Aberdeen . During 2001 all sixteen moved to First Cymru and were allocated to their Ravenhill depot. In early 2002 it was decided to replace the vehicles with larger Volvo B10L single deck buses cascaded from other companies within Firstgroup. In the event only three such vehicles were moved to South Wales making R217/9/20MSA surplus.  R220MSA was the first of the vehicles to move to First Midland Red and it arrived in March 2002. Before it entered service it in service it loaned to First Northampton between 9th and 30th April 2002. R217/9RSA soon arrived at Redditch and all three vehicles were eventually allocated to Redditch depot and were used on the routes 57 and 58. The plan was to move at least 12 of the Dennis Darts from South Wales to Redditch to allow the whole of the 57/8 service to be operated using low floor vehicles. This didn’t happen though the last two members of the batch R221MSA and R222MSA did latter move to First Avon and Somerset and ran from their Weston super Mare depot. In January 2003 following service changes in Worcester all three vehicles together with 341 from Kidderminster depot were moved to Worcester Garage. However, this was short lived as from 4th September 2003 327/9 and 330 were transferred to Kidderminster Garage for use on the X33, 300 and 303 services that were taken over from Pete's Travel. With the introduction of the national vehicle numbering scheme the vehicle were put into the 42xxx series of numbers. On 20th February 2005 all three vehicles had yellow line route branding added for the service 35 in Worcester as by this time they had been transferred back to Worcester depot.

Registration Number

Fleet Number

Old Fleet Number

Body Make

Seating Capacity

Date into Service

Current Allocation

Livery

R217RSA

42217

327

Plaxton

B37F

Jun-02

Withdrawn - June 2013 - Sold to PVS Charlton for Scrap 31st July 2013

Barbie3 (7/07)

R219RSA

42219

329

Plaxton

B37F

May-02

Withdrawn - June 2013 Sold for Scraped

Barbie3 (7/07)

R220RSA

42220

330

Plaxton

B37F

May-02

Withdrawn 2/3/13 and sold to Diamond Bus

Barbie3 (9/07)

Livery Key :  Barbie 3 - is the new corporate Firstgroup livery for all vehicles which is a modified version of the original Barbie livery (The dates in brackets are when the vehicle was repainted) 

42351-4/6  Y351- 4/6AUY

Following a tendering exercise by Worcestershire County Council First Midland Red was successful in winning the first permanent park and ride service for Worcester. The new so called Worcester North Park & Ride started operation on 17 April 2001. For the contract First Midland Red leased five new Low Floor B34F Caetano Nimbus Dennis Darts (351-4/6 Y351-4/6AUY), which were delivered to Worcester Garage on the 11th and 12th April 2001 in a Purple and Orange "Worcester North Park+Ride" livery. To meet the contract requirement fifteen volunteer drivers were sent on a three day training coarse on customer care and disability awareness and these drivers worked on a special rota which includes all of the Park and Ride operation. The only other First Group Caetano bodied Dennis Dart at the time W809VMA which was used during March and April 2001 for driver and engineering training. Four out of the five vehicles were required at any one time to operate the service between Perdiswell to the north of the City Centre and the Bus Station on a 10-minute headway. With the introduction of the national vehicle numbering scheme the vehicles were put into the 42xxx series of numbers. During November 2006 the vehicles were fitted with electronic destination displays. With end of the operation of the Worcester North Park and Ride by First these vehicles were repainted into standard Barbie livery. The vehicles ended their days with First Midland Red at the Hereford depot. All five were withdrawn on the 5th September 2015 with the closure of the Hereford depot. A number of the vehicles went onto see service with First Potteries.

Registration Number

Fleet Number

Old Fleet Number

Body Make

Seating Capacity

Date into Service

Current Allocation

Livery

Y351AUY

42351

351

Caetano

B34F

17-Apr-01

Withdrawn 5 Sept 15 on closure of Hereford depot

Barbie3 (5/08)

Y352AUY

42352

352

Caetano

B34F

17-Apr-01

Withdrawn 5 Sept 15 on closure of Hereford depot Sold to First Potteries

Barbie3 (3/08)

Y353AUY

42353

353

Caetano

B34F

17-Apr-01

Withdrawn 23 Oct 14. Sold to First Potteries

Barbie3 (3/08)

Y354AUY

42354

354

Caetano

B34F

17-Apr-01

Withdrawn 5 Sept 15 on closure of Hereford depot Sold to First Potteries

Barbie3 (4/08)

Y356AUY

42356

356

Caetano

B34F

17-Apr-01

Withdrawn 23 Oct 14 Moved to Stoke on 15th May 15 for spares

Barbie3 (4/08)

Livery Key : Barbie 3 - is the new corporate Firstgroup livery for all vehicles which is a modified version of the original Barbie livery (The dates in brackets are when the vehicle was repainted) 

42401/2/3/4/5/6   P401/2/3/4/5/6MLA

P401/3/4//5/6MLA were new to Centrewest in London in August 1996 and were part of a batch of 7 vehicles P401-7MLA which took the fleet numbers L1-7. These vehicles were renumbered during the mass adoption of the national fleet numbering to 42401-7.42401-5 arrived with First Midland Red  from Centrewest in London in June 2008. 43406 arrived via First Beeline in the same month. This vehicle had been on loan to this operator. The initial plan was the vehicles would be prepared for service at Kidderminster depot for use on routes 1, 2 and 3 at Kidderminster for which they acquired fare promotion branding for. However after months of storage 42401/3/4/6 have entered service at Worcester to replace withdrawn Optare Solo's that were transferred to First Northampton. The vehicles did eventually end up at Kidderminster Garage and were sold with the depot to Diamond Bus in March 2013. The vehicles ended their days in service at Redditch depot which too by this time was under the ownership of Diamond Bus.

Registration Number

Fleet Number

Body Make

Seating Capacity

Date into Service

Current Allocation

Livery

P401MLA

42401

Plaxton

B34F

20th Nov 2008

Withdrawn 2/3/13 and sold to Diamond Bus

Barbie3

P402MLA

42402

Plaxton

B34F

January 2009

Withdrawn 2/3/13 and sold to Diamond Bus

Barbie3

P403MLA

42403

Plaxton

B34F

Nov 2008

Withdrawn 2/3/13 and sold to Diamond Bus

Barbie3

P404MLA

42404

Plaxton

B34F

24th Nov 2008

Withdrawn 2/3/13 and sold to Diamond Bus

Barbie3

P405MLA

42405

Plaxton

B34F

January 2009

Withdrawn 2/3/13 and sold to Diamond Bus

Barbie3

P406MLA

42406

Plaxton

B34F

5th Nov 2008

Withdrawn 2/3/13 and sold to Diamond Bus

Barbie3

42455  R445CCV

42455 arrived with First Midland Red in early November 2008 from First Devon and Cornwall. The vehicle was originally part of batch of 18 vehicles which were new to Western National during 1997/8 and the batch being registered R447-64CCV. A number of the batch were moved in latter life to First Eastern Counties at Great Yarmouth. 42455 had been in service at Camborne running on services in Cornwall before its move to Worcester. The vehicle entered service at Worcester in November 2008 and was eventually moved to Kidderminster Garage. 42455 was sold with the depot to Diamond Bus in March 2013. The vehicle ended its days in service at Redditch depot which too by this time was under the ownership of Diamond Bus.

Registration Number

Fleet Number

Body Make

Seating Capacity

Date into Service

Current Allocation

Livery

R445CCV

42455

Plaxton

B35F

Nov-08

Withdrawn 2/3/13 and sold to Diamond Bus

Barbie 3

42641   N341EUY

46641 was originally numbered 341 and was part of the order for Plaxton bodied Dennis Darts Midland Red West made in in 1995. As the 14th vehicle in the order it was an early low floor vehicle. 341 (E341EUY) entered service at Kidderminster Garage towards the end of April 1996 with Shropshire County Council funding the difference in cost between a standard vehicle and the low floor bus. As an early low floor Dart the vehicle is virtually unique in that it is plated to carry two wheelchairs whereas more recent low floor vehicles can normally only carry one. The vehicle was used on a number of Council sponsored routes, which were the 712 (Mondays to Saturdays), 538 (Tuesdays only), 141/2 (Wednesdays only), 491/2 (Thursdays only), 713 (Saturdays only) and some journeys on the 297. These contracts continued until the Summer of 1999 after which the vehicle was used on general Kidderminster Garage work until September 2000. It then found a niche as the back up vehicle for the two low floor Dennis Darts (X371/1CUY) being used on the contracted service 303 plus it saw use on the new service X33 running between Redditch and Kidderminster. First Midland Red lost the service contracts to Pete’s Travel from 8th April 2002 and 341 went back to operating more general services running from Kidderminster Garage. In January 2003 as part of service changes at Worcester the vehicle moved to Worcester Garage in company with low floor Darts 327/9/30 from Redditch. The vehicle has been painted in the low floor Barbie livery to match 327/9/30 even though it did not not qualify for the livery as it lacks a corporate internal seats and fittings. However, from 4th September 2003 341 together with 327/9 and 330 were transferred to Kidderminster Garage for use on the X33, 300 and 303 services when the contract for the services were won back from from Pete's Travel. With the introduction of the national vehicle numbering scheme the vehicle were put into the 426xx series of numbers. With the sale of Kidderminster depot to Diamond Bus in March 2013 the vehicle was to transfer with the sale. However it was decided that 42220 was included in the sale and so 42641 was withdrawn from service  and ended up being sold for scrap in June 2013.

Registration Number

Fleet Number

Old Fleet Number

Body type

Seating Capacity

Date into Service

Current Allocation

Livery

N341NUY

42641

341

 Dennis Dart

B34F

April 1996

Withdrawn 2/3/13 and sold for scrap June 13

Barbie3(1/03)

Livery Key : Barbie 3 - is the new corporate Firstgroup livery for all vehicles which is a modified version of the original Barbie livery (The dates in brackets are when the vehicle was repainted) 

42889/90-4 VX54MUC/O/P/UV & VX05JWW

In November 2004 Firstgroup announced a major vehicle order for a total of 125 new low floor buses from Alexander Dennis at a total cost of £15M. As part of the order First Midland Red received a total of 46 new vehicles which included six 10.7-metre Pointer Darts. Firstgroup has ordered a total of 80 vehicles across the whole group. On Friday 26th November 2004 First Midland took delivery of a number of new single and double deck vehicles from Alexander Dennis.  Two Darts arrived with three double deck vehicles and were initially put into store at Worcester. The first were joined by three more vehicles of the same type over the next couple of days. The first of the vehicles entered service at Kidderminster on 17th December 2004. From the same date 42217/9/20 moved back to Worcester Garage for use on Worcester city services. The sixth vehicle in the batch VX54MUW (42894) arrived at Worcester during February 2005. As this sixth vehicle had not been registered by 1st March 2005 when the 05 plates were introduced a new registration mark was issued of VX05JWW. This vehicle entered service at Kidderminster during the second week of March 2005.  42889/90/1 were included in the sale of Kidderminster Garage to Diamond Bus in March 2013. The vehicles have continued in service at Kidderminster depot. The remaining three vehicles at Worcester Garage were seen as none standard and were in October 2013 transferred to First Potteries. In April 2017 following service changes in the Potteries area there was a need for slightly larger vehicles so 42892-4 moved back to Worcester in exchange for Enviro 300's 67647/8/9 from Worcester Garage. During August 2021 VX54MUU was withdrawn due to excess chassis corrosion. An replacement vehicle 43876 was found at Stoke depot .

Registration Number

Fleet Number

Body type

Seating Capacity

Date into Service

Current Allocation

Livery

VX54MUC

42889

Alexander Dennis Dart 4223/1

B37F

17th Dec 04

Withdrawn 2/3/13 and sold to Diamond Bus

Barbie3(8/08)

VX54MUO

42890

Alexander Dennis Dart 4223/2

B37F

17th Dec 04

Withdrawn 2/3/13 and sold to Diamond Bus

Barbie3(8/08)

VX54MUP

42891

Alexander Dennis Dart 4223/3

B37F

17th Dec 04

Withdrawn 2/3/13 and sold to Diamond Bus

Barbie3

VX54MUU

42892

Alexander Dennis Dart 4223/4

B37F

17th Dec 04

Withdrawn Oct 13 and sold to First PMT was reacquired by FMR on 20/04/17 withdrawn 1/19 reinstated 4/19 Withdrawn 8/21

Barbie3(7/08)

VX54MUV

42893

Alexander Dennis Dart 4223/5

B37F

17th Dec 04

Withdrawn Oct 13 and sold to First PMT was reacquired by FMR in April 2017 withdrawn 1/19 reinstated 4/19 and then withdrawn and sold to First Cymru 10/19

First Urban with Pink front (06/17)

VX05JWW (was VX54MUW)

42894

Alexander Dennis Dart 4223/5

B37F

March 2005

Withdrawn Oct 13 and sold to First PMT was reacquired by FMR in April 2017 withdrawn 1/19 reinstated 4/19 and then withdrawn and sold to First Cymru 10/19

Barbie3

Livery Key : Barbie 3 - is the new corporate Firstgroup livery for all vehicles which is a modified version of the original Barbie livery & New Urban is the latest version of the corporate livery (The dates in brackets are when the vehicle was repainted) 

43475 R475CAH

With the reduction in services operated by First Eastern Counties a number of vehicles were made surplus in spring 2012. Many of the surplus vehicles were sold for scrap but R475CAH was transferred to First Midland Red. The vehicle entered services at Kidderminster Garage in April 2012. When Kidderminster Garage was closed in March 2013 and sold to Diamond Bus the vehicle was transferred to that operation.

Registration Number Fleet Number Body Type Seating Capacity Date into Service Current Allocation Livery
R475CAH 43475 Dennis Dart SFD322BR1V
GW11833 
B37F April 2012 Withdrawn 2/3/13 sold to Diamond bus Barbie3

43869-74 EG52FFL/T/V/U/J/Y

In a quest to replace the low floor Dennis Darts in the First fleet that do not comply with the DDA access requirements a number of short wheelbase Dennis Darts were purchased from Ensign Bus. These vehicles had been in use on Jersey and had been built to a special narrow body specification for use on the island. The vehicles arrived with First Group still with their Sate of Jersey registration marks. All have been re-registered with 52 plate registration marks and have been refurbished prior to entry into service. This has included painting the vehicles in the latest First Group corporate urban livery.  Six of the vehicles entered service at Worcester in June 2013 running alongside the Optare Solos on city services. During June 2014 it was found that 43871 and 43872 were incorrectly registered with the wrong registration marks when they were imported from Jersey by Ensign Bus. the plates were transposed. This was corrected during June 2014. With various bus service changes in Worcester the vehicles were gradually transferred to the Hereford depot. All six were allocated to Hereford on the day of the depot closure on 5th September 2015. All six were initially stored in the closed depot before transfer to Cornwall.

Registration Number Fleet Number Body Type Seating Capacity Date into Service Current Allocation Livery
EG52FFL 43869 Dennis Dart SFD6BACR32GWA6697 B29F June 2013 Withdrawn 5 Sept 15 on closure of Hereford depot First Urban
EG52FFT 43870 Dennis Dart SFD6BACR32GWA6722 B29F June 2013 Withdrawn 5 Sept 15 on closure of Hereford depot First Urban
EG52FFU
 (carried registration EG52FFV until June 2014)
43871 Dennis Dart SFD6BACR32GWA6742 B29F June 2013 Withdrawn 5 Sept 15 on closure of Hereford depot First Urban
EG52FFV
(carried registration EG52FFU until June 2014)
43872 Dennis Dart SFD6BACR32GWA6753 B29F June 2013 Withdrawn 5 Sept 15 on closure of Hereford depot First Urban
EG52FFJ 43873 Dennis Dart SFD6BACR32GWA6685 B29F June 2013 Withdrawn 5 Sept 15 on closure of Hereford depot First Urban
EG52FFY 43874 Dennis Dart SFD6BACR32GWA6769 B29F June 2013 Withdrawn 5 Sept 15 on closure of Hereford depot First Urban

Livery Key : First Urban - is the new corporate Firstgroup livery for all vehicles (The dates in brackets are when the vehicle was repainted) 

43876 MX56HYP

MX56HYP was part of a batch of 5 similar vehicles that were new to National Car Parking October 2006 for use on Airport car park shuttle work. On leaving that company the vehicle ended up with Arriva in their Centrebus Holdings operation. When the vehicle returned to its leasing company in 2013 it was purchased by First for use in the Stoke on Trent operation. The vehicle sustained mechanical issues in the summer 2021 and when there was a requirement to find a replacement for 42892 at Worcester it moved to that deport. Following some remedial mechanical work, the vehicle entered service at Worcester September 2021.

Registration Number Fleet Number Body Type Seating Capacity Date into Service Current Allocation Livery
MX56HYP 43876 Dennis Dart  AD 6222/3 B29F August 2021 Withdrawn May 2022 First Urban

315 SN03LGA

Over the weekend of the 29th and 30th May 2004 First Midland Red took delivery of what was then  their fourth short wheel-base low floor Dennis Dart SN03LGA. The vehicle is an Alexander Dennis demonstrator that was first registered in May 2003. The vehicles was loaned to First Midland Red for use on the Worcestershire County Council subsidised Flexi-Link services 914 and 915 that link Kidderminster with Stourport. SN03LGA carried no external markings to show it is being operated by First Midland Red.  The vehicle entered service with First Midland Red on Tuesday 1st June 2004 and was fitted with a radio telephone for use by drivers to communicate with the Worcestershire County Council control centre so that they knew when and where passengers require picking up from. This on loan from Alexander Dennis was replaced in March 2005 by 2 new Optare Solo vehicles (See Optare section and vehicles 1720-3). 315 was returned to Worcestershire County Council in March 2005.  

Registration Number

Fleet Number

Body Make

Seating Capacity

Date into Service

Current Allocation

Livery

SN03LGA

315

Transbus 2081/1

B29F

01-Jun-04 (was new May 2003)

Withdrawn March 2005

White and blue

371/2 X371/2CUY

Over Using government funding to improve bus links to hospitals in Worcestershire the  service 303 between Kidderminster and Worcester was extended to the Worcester’s Royal Infirmary three sites of Castle Street, Ronkswood and Newtown in the city from 4th September 2000. Worcestershire County Council funded the revised service and was branded under their “easyLINK” brand. First Midland Red leased two new short-wheelbase Dennis Dart SLF buses which were registered X371CUY and X372CUY from Minstral Group PLC to meet contract requirements. Being a short term contract Firstgroup were not prepared to allocate new buses to First Midland Red. From Monday 8th April 2002, the contract for services 303 and X33 (which ran between Kidderminster and Redditch under the same initiative) was taken over by Pete’s Travel. Both of these vehicles were withdrawn from service with First Midland Red on Saturday 6th April 2002 and were passed back to the lease company. 

Registration Number

Fleet Number

Body Make

Seating Capacity

Date into Service

Current Allocation

Livery

X371CUY 371

Transbus

B29F

4th September 2000

Withdrawn 6th April 2002

White with 303 branding

X372CUY

372

Transbus

B29F

4th September 2000

Withdrawn 6th April 2002

White with 303 branding