First West of England will upgrade its Bath to Bristol X39 service and debut the Aquae with 12 Alexander Dennis Enviro400-bodied Scania double-deckers. They have been transferred from other services. The brand uses the Latin word for water.
Passenger numbers on the X39 show consistent year-on-year growth, says MD James Freeman. First has taken steps recently to improve reliability.
The buses are Euro VI compliant. Their introduction onto the service marks further work by the operator to satisfy the Bath and Bristol Clean Air Zones.
The full Aquae fleet will be in operation after the end of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. The buses include next stop audio announcements.
