Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire has received seven part-open-top Wrightbus Gemini 3-bodied Volvo B5TLs for its Lakesider service 599, which runs between Bowness-on-Windermere and Grasmere.
Based at Kendal depot, the buses represent an investment of £1.5m. They enter service this month and carry a new identity, created by Best Impressions, replacing older Dennis Tridents.
In a first for a Stagecoach regional fleet, they have white LED destination screens with a full-length display, rather than just the route number, at the rear. They also have next-stop announcements, free wi-fi, and space for bikes.
To market the Lakesider service, Stagecoach took the unusual step of running the open-toppers on conventional services in Liverpool, Manchester and Preston this week. Staff were on hand to give away free tickets for Lakesider.
Stagecoach’s decision to order the buses marks a change in its usual policy of using older donor vehicles for the open-top fleet. The displaced Tridents are due to move to other Stagecoach fleets in Scotland and the south-east.