28/07/2004

• Oxford Tube makes UK’s biggest investment in a single route
• State-of-the-art vehicles major boost for disabled passengers
• Online booking with launch of new secure e-commerce website

A new £8million fleet of luxury state-of-the-art double-decker coaches is set to run from Oxford to London from Monday (2 August 2004), it was announced today.

Oxford Tube, which runs a 24-hour service every day of the year, is making what is believed to be the UK’s biggest investment in new vehicles on a single route with the introduction of 25 new coaches.

The introduction of the new vehicles on Europe’s most frequent express service is a major boost for wheelchair users, making them the only fleet of disability accessible coaches in the city.

A new secure e-commerce website, www.oxfordtube.com, is also being launched from Monday, allowing customers to book single, return and period tickets online as well as access timetable and service information.

The fully low-floor air-conditioned vehicles feature reclining seats, more legroom, seatbelts, powerpoints for laptops and mobile phones, and toilets. They are also equipped with CCTV technology for additional passenger security.

Oxford Tube also confirmed today that the new vehicles have been given the go-ahead to use the main Gloucester Green Bus Station from Monday when the first of the coaches will start running.

Martin Sutton, Managing Director of Stagecoach in Oxfordshire, said: “We believe this investment is the biggest one-off improvement in a single bus route anywhere in the UK. We are setting the standard for other bus operators and it shows Oxford is leading the way in high-quality public transport.

“Stagecoach has invested millions of pounds in accessible buses with wheelchair facilities on all our main services in Oxford. Now our luxury Oxford Tube service is set to get state-of-the-art coaches that are among the safest and most disability-friendly in the country.

“To match the investment in new coaches, we are also launching a new hi-tech website, which will give customers the added convenience of being able to book tickets from the comfort of their home or office.

“We are delighted our passengers will be able to catch the new vehicles from exactly the same familiar location in Gloucester Green Bus Station and we’re looking forward to launching our new improved coaches on Monday.”

The new 13.7metre Oxford Tube vehicles, manufactured by Neoplan in Germany, are replacing vehicles that are only five years old.

Each of the new coaches has 81 seats, instead of the existing 68, which means more than 6,000 passengers a day can travel on the service to London.

Oxford Tube runs services round the clock and up to every 10 minutes at peak times.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Steve Stewart, Head of Media and Public Affairs, Stagecoach Group
Tel: 01738 442111

Notes to Editors:

• Oxford Tube was launched in 1987 with a 30-minute frequency and since 1993 has run 24-hours-a-day. It runs every day of the year, including Christmas Day.



• The service runs up to every 10 minutes between Oxford and London – stopping at Lewknor, Hillingdon, Shepherds Bush, Notting Hill, Marble Arch and Victoria.



• Annual passenger volumes have grown from 230,000 in 1987 to more than 1.6million today.



• On average a passenger boards the Oxford Tube every 20 seconds.



• The Oxford Tube fleet of coaches travels the equivalent of nearly three times around the globe every week!