Double Deck Vehicles

During March 2013 Diamond Bus acquired for Dennis Trident double deckers from their sister subsidiary Preston Bus for use at the recently acquired Redditch depot. The vehicles had started life with Lothian Buses as dual door vehicles in Edinburgh. When the vehicles had been sold to Preston Bus they had been converted to a single door configuration. However they retained their trade mark Lothian Buses Scottish tartan seat apostasy and a number of tables in the down stairs seating area. Before the vehicles entered service at Redditch they were repainted in the striking all over blue Diamond Bus livery. Their entry into service allowed the former First Midland double deckers to be withdrawn. In the ensuing years all but one of the vehicles have been withdrawn. 40544 was retained at Redditch and was used on a Warwickshire contracted service for Alcester Grammar School. At the end of the school year in July 2019 the vehicle was withdrawn.

40610-9    V857/60/2/77/T881KLF/V882HHL/T884KLF/V885/6/94HHL

When Diamond Bus purchased the Redditch Garage from First Midland Red on 3rd March 2013 the deal included ten T and V registered Dennis Tridents. The vehicles had only joined the Redditch fleet in the autumn of 2012 and had allowed all five of the 54 plate Dennis Tridents to be transferred to the Worcester depot and a number of step entrance Dennis Lance vehicles to be withdrawn. The ten vehicles had started life on Transport for London contracts with Firstgroup and at the end of a 12 year period in service the vehicles were replaced with newer vehicles. Being built to a dual door configuration the vehicle underwent some  refurbishment that removed the extra set of doors, fitted electronic destination blinds and gave the vehicle a general overhaul. Initially the vehicles were allocated to First Eastern National before being replaced by slightly newer vehicles in late 2012 to allow the transfer to Redditch depot.

Former First Midland Red Fleet numbers are 40610 - 32857, 40611 - 32860, 40612 - 32862, 40613 - 32877, 40614 - 32881, 40615 - 32882, 40616 - 32884, 40617 - 32885, 40618 - 32886 & 40619 - 32894

With the sale of Redditch and Kidderminster Garages of First Midland Red to Diamond Bus on 3rd March 2013 K123URP and K126URP were included in the sale and surprisingly unlike a number of the step entrance Dennis Lance vehicles they were retained for service making them by far the oldest vehicles in the Diamond Bus fleet. Whilst the vehicles were in the fleet for the operation of school services they did see service on other routes.  With the sale K123URP was renumbered 42564 from 34123 and K126URP was renumbered 42565 from 34126. In the event the vehicles were withdrawn at the end of the 2013 academic year and were soon sold for scrap.