20014/5/6/27
These
Solo SR vehicles are the only Solo type vehicles to be
purchased new for the Diamond Bus fleet and were part of
a batch of four vehicles purchased. The Diamond Bus
vehicles are built to the Signature specification and
are used on the Signature Transport for West Midlands contracted services in
and around Solihull. The vehicles were initially
allocated to the Central Connect operation at Long Acre
in Birmingham. This was integrated into the main Diamond
bus operation and when the Long Acre depot was closed in
2015 the vehicles were transferred to Redditch Garage
from where the Signature routes are operated from. With
the loss of the contracts for the Signature bus network
in Solihull from Sunday 24th February 2019 vehicles
20014-6 were withdrawn.
Registration Number | Fleet Number | Vehicle Chassis | Seating Capacity | Allocation | Vehicle Livery |
YJ10MFY | 20014 | Optare M950 SABFW3AF0AL290062 | B33F | Withdrawn 24/2/2019 Reinstated to Redditch | New Diamond blue livery |
YJ10MFX | 20015 | Optare M950 SABFW3AF0AL290061 | B33F | Withdrawn 24/2/2019 reinstated 6/19 to Redditch | New Diamond blue livery |
YJ10MFV | 20016 | Optare M950 SABFW3AF0AL290060 | B33F | Withdrawn 24/2/2019 Reinstated to Preston Bus 10/19 | Signature |
YJ10MFZ | 20027 | Optare M950 SABFW3AF0AL290063 | B33F | Tividale | New Diamond blue livery |
20881-4/920, 30050/1
With
the requirement for better quality vehicles to operate
Transport for West Midlands contracted services Rotala
acquired some nearly new Euro V standards Optare Solo
SRs. When the Hanson's Local Bus business was acquired
then there was a need to consolidate the 226 route from
Merry Hill to Dudley where Diamond and Hanson's had
operated in head to head competition. The timetable was
revised and number of the Solo SRs that had been
recently acquired were painted in the company's blue
livery and were branded up for the 226 route.
During 2019 the route was further upgraded with brand
new Wight's Streetlites and the Solos were de-branded
and moved Redditch for use on TfWM contracts
Registration Number | Fleet Number | Vehicle Chassis | Seating Capacity | Allocation |
YJ62FJK | 20881 | Optare Solo M900SR SABSW3AF0CS290552 | B33F | Withdrawn sold to peters for scrap 1/21 |
YJ62FJY | 20882 | Optare Solo M900SR SABSW3AF0CS290553 | B33F | Kidderminster |
YJ62FKK | 20883 | Optare Solo M900SR SABSW3AF0CS290554 | B33F | Moved to Preston Bus 10/19 |
YJ62FKT | 20884 | Optare Solo M900SR SABSW3AF0CS290555 | B33F | Redditch |
BU52RHU | 20920 | Optare Solo M9700SR SABTW3AC0CS290546 | B35F | Redditch |
YJ66APU | 30050 | Optare Solo M9950SR SABNDD2A2FS291229 | B37F | Kidderminster |
YJ66APO | 30051 | Optare Solo M9950SR SABNDD2A0FS291228 | B37F | Kidderminster |