Alexander ALX400
Encyclopedia
Walter Alexander Coachbuilders
Walter Alexander Coachbuilders was a Scottish bus coachbuilder and operater based in Falkirk.-History:Walter Alexander, notice a lack expasion by the Falkirk and District Tramways Company's especially in to Grangemouth which never hdd a tram line. In 1913 Alexander's Motor Service was created to...
(later by TransBus International/Alexander Dennis
Alexander Dennis
Alexander Dennis Limited is the largest bus builder in the United Kingdom. It incorporated the three last surviving bus manufacturers which started bus production before World War II: Dennis, Alexander and Plaxton.- History :Alexander Dennis was formed as TransBus on 1 January 2001, after the...
). It was one of the ALX-series bodywork, all of which (except the ALX100) featured the same designs on the front and rear panels that were originally designed for the new generation of mainly low-floor bus
Low-floor bus
A low-floor bus is a bus that has no steps between one or more entrances and part or all of the passenger cabin. Being low floor improves the accessibility of the bus for the public, particularly the elderly or infirm, or those with push chairs, and increasingly, those in wheelchairs.In the modern...
chassis produced since the late 1990s.
Released in 1997, it replaced the aging R-series bodies and was fitted to numerous chassis, including the Dennis/TransBus Trident
Dennis Trident 2
Dennis Trident 2 is a 2-axle low-floor double-decker bus chassis originally built by Dennis in the United Kingdom, which was unveiled in 1997 and replaced the Dennis Arrow...
, the DAF/VDL DB250LF
VDL DB250
The VDL DB250 is a double-decker bus sold in the UK through VDL Bus International's UK dealer Arriva Bus & Coach. A small number of DB250s have also been exported to Istanbul, Turkey.-DB250:...
and the Volvo B7TL
Volvo B7TL
Volvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of Volvo Olympian...
. It proved a big success with national operators; huge numbers serve London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the rest of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. From its introduction until 2006, it had been the favoured double-deck model for the Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
.
The ALX400 was also a big hit with Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus is a public transport operator in Ireland. It operates an extensive bus network of 172 radial, cross-city and peripheral routes and 18 night routes in the city of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area. The company, established in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann which is...
of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, which ordered 658 between 2000 and 2006. 648 of them were fitted on Volvo B7TL chassis, AV 1-448 (AV means Alexander Volvo) were Volvo B7TL chassis, and AX 449-648 were on B7TL MKII chassis. During 2003 an order was placed for 10 TransBus Trident/ALX 400 versions known as DT 1-10 to compare against the AV class with a view to splitting future orders. Most of these featured 76 seat single door bodies although there were various seating capacities for on a small minority used and rail/airport services. Summerhill based AV 116-130 were built with dual door bodies for use on the Airlink services.
Various seating configurations were available, with Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
(TfL) specification models fitted with a central exit door. There are typically 45 seats on the upper deck, and between 17 (on the DAF DB250) and 22 seats on the lower deck. Longer models for use elsewhere have up to 47 seats on the upper deck, and 24 below with a central door. Stagecoach subsidiaries outside London have ALX400s on long-wheelbase Dennis Trident chassis, fitted with 51 seats upstairs (47 on later models) and 28 downstairs.
In late 2005 Alexander Dennis launched the Enviro400 model, intended as a replacement for the ALX400. But in 2006, new ALX400s were still entering service with Stagecoach (on Dennis Trident 2 chassis) and Arriva
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
(on Volvo B7TL chassis). Despite the bulk of the 2006 Stagecoach double-deck order favouring the Enviro400 model, also chosen by London operator Metroline
Metroline
Metroline, owned by ComfortDelGro Corporation of Singapore, is one of many companies operating bus services in London under the management of London Buses.-Company history:...
, in March 2006 Dublin Bus placed a repeat order for 100 of the type on Volvo B7TL chassis. Production of the ALX400 bodywork ceased after the delivery of these 100 ALX400-bodied Volvo B7TL in late 2006.
See also
- Alexander ALX100Alexander ALX100The Alexander ALX100 was a minibus body built by Alexander of the United Kingdom. Over 150 bodies were built between 1997 and 1999, exclusively on the Mercedes-Benz O814D Vario and O810D van chassis, and was fitted with seating capacities between 25 and 31 passengers.The ALX100 was a replacement...
- Alexander ALX200Alexander ALX200The Alexander ALX200 was a midibus body built by Alexander of the United Kingdom. It was one of the ALX-series, which accounted for 5 different models , built for new generation bus chassis produced since late 1990s.It was designed by John Worker, and was launched in summer...
- Alexander ALX300Alexander ALX300The Alexander ALX300 is a full size single-decker bus body built by Alexander at Falkirk, Scotland, United Kingdom, which was first built in 1997...
- Alexander ALX500Alexander ALX500The Alexander ALX500 is a 3-axle double-decker bus body built by Alexander of the United Kingdom. It was one of the ALX-series, which accounted for 5 different models , all of the models except the ALX100 featured the same designs on the front and rear panels that were originally designed for the...