SCANIA SINGLE DECKERS  

30114-8

In September 2011 Rotala acquired five Scania single deckers for their Wessex operation in Bristol. These proved to be the only such vehicles to enter the group fleet and as the Bristol operation started to contract the vehicles were moved to the south east to be used on the Surry County Council contracts that the group’s Hallmark operation runs. In October 2017 the vehicles used on these contracts were replaced with new Wrights Streetlites and the surplus vehicles were cascaded to other parts of the group. The four Scania single decks ended up at the Kidderminster depot of Diamond Bus. The vehicles operated alongside other buses at the garage on a variety of routes and currently retain their red and silver livery that was originally applied when the buses were based in Bristol.  In January 2019 30114 was transferred to Hallmark operations in the London area. In preparation for the acquisition of the Bolton depot from First in August 2019 the remaining of the batch 30115 to 30118 were transferred  to Preston Bus so that four of their Streetlites could move to the new Bolton operation. W

Registration Number Fleet Number Body type Seating Capacity Date into Service Current Allocation
YT61FEV 30114 Scania B45F November 2017 Withdrawn 1/19 - transferred to Hallmark
YT61FEU  30115 Scania B45F October 2017 Withdrawn 7/19 - transferred to Preston Bus
YT61FEP 30116 Scania B45F October 2017 Withdrawn 7/19 - transferred to Preston Bus
YT61FEO 30117 Scania B45F November 2017 Withdrawn 7/19 - transferred to Preston Bus
YT61FEM  30118 Scania B45F October 2017 Withdrawn 7/19 - transferred to Preston Bus

30121-4

On 30th May 2022 Rotala purchased the bus operations of Johnson's Coaches. Included in the deal were 4 Scania single deck vehicles which entered the Diamond Bus fleet at Redditch. With the loss of Warwickshire work Rotala had purchased with the Johnson's operation from end of July 2022 these vehicles have seen less use in service. The 4 vehicles were taken out of service in August 2022 after Diamond Bus lost virtually all of the work they had acquired from Johnson's. The four vehicles were store at Redditch garage and during September were part exchanged with Ensign bus for 19 14 and 13 plate Wrights Streetlites that Ensign had acquired from the official Receivers of Bournemouth Yellow buses following the closure of that business.

Registration Number Fleet Number Body type Seating Capacity Date into Service Current Allocation
YN63BYP 30121 Scania B45F 30th May 2022 Withdrawn 8/22 sold to Ensign bus 9/22
YN63BYO 30122 Scania B45F 30th May 2022 Withdrawn 8/22 sold to Ensign bus 9/22
YT13HKY 30123 Scania B45F 30th May 2022 Withdrawn 8/22 sold to Ensign bus 9/22
YT13HKZ 30124 Scania B45F 30th May 2022 Withdrawn 8/22 sold to Ensign bus 9/22

30901-8 

With purchase of the Midland Classic business on the 4th August 2022 eight older Scania based single deck buses joined the Diamond bus fleet. All these vehicles have Wrights bodies and apart from 30908 have L94UB chassis. 30908 has a K230UB chassis. All eight entered the Diamond fleet staying at the Burton on Trent depot.

Registration Number Fleet Number Body type Seating Capacity Date into Service Current Allocation
YN05GXL 30901 Scania B43F 4th August 2022 Burton on Trent
YN05GXJ 30902 Scania B43F 4th August 2022 Withdrawn 9/22
YN05GXH 30903 Scania B43F 4th August 2022 Burton on Trent
YN05GXG 30904 Scania B43F 4th August 2022 Withdrawn 8/22
FX55VLO 30905 Scania B44F 4th August 2022 Burton on Trent
FX55VKH 30906 Scania B44F 4th August 2022 Withdrawn 8/22 sold for scrap 8/22
FX55VKG 30907 Scania B44F 4th August 2022 Burton on Trent
YN57FWG 30908 Scania B43F 4th August 2022 Burton on Trent

30985-90

Some rather unusual Scania single deck vehicles bodied by Irizar came with the Midland Classic business. In the UK most Irizar bodied vehicles are coaches rather than buses. The first batch of 5 vehicles were new in January 2005 to Menzies Aviation who required the vehicles to operate a car park contract at Heathrow Airport. The vehicles were built to a 24-seater configuration with large luggage racks.  The vehicles carried the fleet numbers P39-43 in the fleet.  Menzies Aviation had its origins as the newsagent chain of shops called John Menzies. When the business sold the newsagent business it has since concentrated on businesses around airport operation. These vehicles joined the Midland Classic fleet in January 2021. The vehicles were refurbished with the luggage racks removed and were up seated. The vehicles were not strangers to the Diamond Midlands area as they have been regularly used on rail replacement services including to and from Redditch. The vehicles joined the Diamond fleet on Thursday 4th August 2022 when the Midland Classic operation was acquired.

Registration Number Fleet Number Body type Seating Capacity Date into Service Current Allocation
YN64FWZ 30985 Scania B27F 4th August 2022 Burton on Trent
YN64FWY 30986 Scania B27F 4th August 2022 Burton on Trent
YN64FWX 30987 Scania B27F 4th August 2022 Burton on Trent
YN64FWW 30988 Scania B27F 4th August 2022 Burton on Trent
YN64FWV 30989 Scania B27F 4th August 2022 Burton on Trent
YN64FWU 30990 Scania B27F 4th August 2022 Burton on Trent

30997-31002 

After the purchase of the 6 vehicles from Menzies Aviation the opportunity soon came to purchase a further 6 similar vehicles that had been in use with Nottingham City Transport.  These vehicles had been built to be used as conventional buses so did not require any up seating before they entered service many of them in the all over red livery they arrived in. The vehicles were soon painted into the standard Midland Classic livery. Like the sitter vehicles they see service both on local bus services and rail replacement contracts  The vehicles joined the Diamond fleet on Thursday 4th August 2022 when the Midland Classic operation was acquired.

Registration Number Fleet Number Body type Seating Capacity Date into Service Current Allocation
YN17ONL 30997 Scania B41F 4th August 2022 Withdrawn 10/22 and returned to Reading Buses
YN17ONK 30998 Scania B41F 4th August 2022 Withdrawn 10/22 and returned to Reading Buses
YN17ONJ 30999 Scania B41F 4th August 2022 Withdrawn 10/22 and returned to Reading Buses
YN17ONH 31000 Scania B41F 4th August 2022 Burton on Trent
YN17ONG 31001 Scania B41F 4th August 2022 Burton on Trent
YN17ONF 31002 Scania B41F 4th August 2022 Burton on Trent