Eight Plaxton Leopard Interurbans on Volvo B8R chassis have been built for Lothiancountry. The role for them, Lothian believes, will see the rebirth of dual-purpose vehicles, helped by ever-longer commutes
More details have been revealed of the work undertaken by Plaxton to meet Lothian Buses’ requirements for the new Interurban variant of the Leopard coach body, mounted on Volvo B8R chassis.
The first eight 12.8m Leopard Interurbans will go into service with Lothiancountry at a date yet to be confirmed. They will be used on a mix of new and existing work, says MD Richard Hall.
Richard says that the operator already has plans for more of the type. Its Leopard Interurbans are specified to attract passengers from cars and trains; in Edinburgh in particular, that market has much low-hanging fruit, as property prices are driving commuters further from the city.
Although the low-entry Panther LE is an existing Plaxton coach offering for scheduled services, there are several reasons why Lothian did not opt for it, says Richard.
One is that as a tri-axle, it is too long for Lothian’s requirements; another is that the wide centre door on the Leopard Interurban will assist with rapid disembarkation of passengers. However, the Panther LE’s rear has been incorporated into the Leopard Interurban to allow placement of a full-width destination display.
“But key to the project was our desire to create a dual-purpose coach. The last true examples of that were based on Volvo B10M chassis. Ours and Plaxton’s task was to come up with a successor that fits the requirements of today’s society.”
Another reason that the Leopard Interurban was developed relates to this design brief. The Lothian Motorcoaches private hire and tour business, launched less than a year ago, has proven successful. If required, Lothiancountry’s Leopards could be used there if they are not required for other duties.
From a business point of view, perhaps the most relevant of all is the ease of finding a second life for the Leopard Interurban. The lift is removable, and seats could be fitted into what is currently the wheelchair bay if PSVAR compliance is sacrificed, upping capacity from the current 49. Thanks to a flat gangway, there is also the scope to convert to a 3+2 layout.
Design work neccessary
At the centre door, Plaxton has designed a four-step double-width staircase that is well lit. Additionally, the bodybuilder has installed down-facing spotlights at the bottom of the door panels. They only engage when the door is open, illuminating the floor immediately adjacent.
A PLS lift is fitted at the centre door. Plaxton has been clever in how it is stowed when it is not in use; it sits entirely within a cabinet in the offside luggage bay, and hence is not exposed to water or salt.
In the cab, the dash area has been reconfigured to allow the fitment of Lothian’s farebox and cash vault. Its driver console is integrated adjacent to that, and above the windscreen is a monitor that displays next-stop information. A second is within the wheelchair bay adjacent to the centre door.
Care has been taken to ensure that the Leopard Interurbans include as much commonality from a passenger perspective as buses in the Lothian fleet.
The Brusa seats are finished in the same moquette pattern that has been adopted by Lothian, and the wood-effect flooring is shared with the operator’s Alexander Dennis (ADL) Enviro400XLB-bodied Volvo B8L double-deckers.
New dawn for interurban?
The Leopard Interurban has been designed to fulfil a task for Lothian, and that is to help it grow commuter services into Edinburgh.
The rail network around the Scottish capital already struggles to cope with demand. Richard says that the operator has seen significant growth at its East Coast Buses subsidiary, which operates into Edinburgh from dormitory towns and villages in East Lothian and beyond, because of that.
Providing an acceptable alternative to satisfy the many commuters who currently drive to Edinburgh will require a high-specification vehicle, and that is why Lothian insisted that the Leopard Interurban was customised to suit it, says Richard.
“People buy Audis and BMWs because they want quality. That is what we will be competing with and we must offer a comparable product.”
Plaxton’s viewpoint: Quality
Such a focus on quality is also something that continues to drive Plaxton, says ADL CEO Colin Robertson.
Since purchasing the Scarborough coachbuilder, ADL has invested significantly in product development. The Leopard Interurban marks the continuation of a period that has spawned the Panther LE, the Panorama double-decker and the addition of a 13.2m Elite option on B8R chassis.
“At Plaxton, our target market is operators that want an innovative and high-quality product,” he explains.
“It’s very simple. If we can our business with those of customers in that sphere of the market, we will be in a good place. We see an example of that ethos in the Leopard Interurban; it has been designed to be ‘recyclable’ through different applications during a 15-20-year lifespan.”
Colin adds that ADL as a group currently “cannot recruit engineers quickly enough,” suggesting that its current period of range expansion both at home and abroad is not over yet.