DZ
DefZone.Net

Kien thuc cong nghe & giai tri

  1. Trang chủ
  2. Wiki

Carousel Buses
Alexander Dennis Enviro200 MMC in Maidenhead in April 2025
ParentGo-Ahead Group
Founded2000; 26 years ago (2000)
HeadquartersUnit 2, Hughenden Avenue, High Wycombe HP13 5SG
Service areaBuckinghamshire
Hertfordshire
Oxfordshire
Berkshire
Greater London
Surrey
Service typeBus services
Routes67 (not including private contracts)
StationsHigh Wycombe Bus Station (adjoining the Eden Centre)
High Wycombe Coachway
Slough Bus Station
Fleet120 (Sept 25)
Managing DirectorLuke Marion[1]
WebsiteCarousel Buses

Carousel Buses Limited,[2] trading as Carousel Buses, is a bus company based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. Originally an independent company, it is a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group's Oxford Bus Company operation alongside Pearces Coaches of Oxfordshire, Thames Travel, also of Oxfordshire and Pulham's Coaches of Gloucestershire having been purchased as the 50-vehicle independent operator in February 2012.[3]

History

[edit]
Northern Counties Palatine bodied Leyland Olympian in High Wycombe in July 2009
Mercedes-Benz Citaro in the original livery for route A40 in High Wycombe in July 2009

Carousel Buses was formed in 2000 by Steve Burns and John Robinson. It initially expanded by winning Buckinghamshire County Council contracts.[4]

In August 2003 route A40 High Wycombe to Heathrow Airport commenced, initially using second-hand Leyland Olympian double-deckers.[5] By April 2004 these had been replaced by new low-floor Mercedes-Benz Citaro single-deck buses, in a dedicated silver and red livery.[6] The route, which ran in partnership with Buckinghamshire County Council and Heathrow Airport Holdings, was formally introduced in January 2004.[7]

The company launched a new commercial route in June 2004, replacing services withdrawn by Arriva The Shires between High Wycombe and Lane End.[8]

In March 2008 Carousel introduced routes 35 and 36, branded as Purple Route, to replace a withdrawn Arriva Shires & Essex service to Flackwell Heath.[9] The 35 was temporarily withdrawn in January 2010 because of road conditions, but was later restored. Arriva Shires & Essex currently run a combined 35 service with Carousel, with Carousel operating all daytime services, and Arriva operating evening and Sunday journeys.[10] In October 2008 the majority of services to Winchmore Hill were withdrawn, leaving the village with just one bus a day.[11]

In August 2009 route 336, which had previously run between Watford and Amersham, was extended to High Wycombe reinstating a through link for the first time in 30 years. The network of routes linking Chesham and Amersham, numbered 373, 374 and 375, were rationalised into two routes, the 71 and 73, running hourly between the two locations. These routes have since changed to Red Rose Travel, linking Whelpley Hill and Ley Hill to Hilltop, Chesham Broadway, Chesham Bois, Amersham Station, Quill Hall Estate, Little Chalfont, Penn Street, Coleshill and Winchmore Hill, where Carousel no longer serves.[12]

In September 2009 two new routes were introduced, route 740 supplemented the A40 between High Wycombe and Uxbridge, increasing the overall frequency to every 30 minutes and incorporating Beaconsfield, and route 730 from Chesham to Heathrow Airport.[13]

A further change saw the existing route to Lane End replaced by new circular routes 2A and 2C in April 2010. These are no longer Carousel services.[14]

In March 2012 Carousel Buses was purchased by the Go-Ahead Group. Carousel retains its identity, with its management passing to the group's Oxford Bus Company operation.[15] Go-Ahead had previously operated services in the High Wycombe area under the Wycombe Bus name, but sold this operation to Arriva in December 2000.[16][17]

On 3 June 2018, their 'Link' network became the 'Chiltern Hundreds'. Routes 101/102 link High Wycombe and Uxbridge, route 103 links High Wycombe and Watford, route 104 links High Wycombe and Slough via and Gerrards Cross, and route 105 links Hemel Hempstead with Uxbridge via Amersham, Chesham, Gerrards Cross and the Chalfonts. The network also introduced a frequency of every 15 minutes between High Wycombe and Beaconsfield and a direct link to Wexham Park Hospital from High Wycombe, Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross.[18]

On 25 July 2022, Route 103 was withdrawn between Watford and Amersham and was rerouted to serve Chesham. Carousel buses said that the service was "financially sustainable" and that passenger use was low in the withdrawn section of the route. It also said that Hertfordshire County Council is planning a replacement service.[19] Arriva introduced the replacement named route 336 between Watford and Amersham.[20]

Route 105 operating between Chesham and Uxbridge was withdrawn, but a timetable change on routes 106/7 between Amersham and Slough replaced it. Both routes were also extended up to Chesham in the mornings and began to stop at Little Chalfont as the 103 ceased serving the area. The link 40 was taken over by Red Rose Travel.[20]

Carousel later announced a Demand Responsive Transit named "PickMeUp" that can allow people to travel between any bus stop in High Wycombe.[21]

As of 8 January 2023, the route 41 from Great Missenden railway station to High Wycombe bus station was transferred to Carousel[22] from Arriva Beds & Bucks (operating under Arriva Shires & Essex); the route was later extended to Amersham.[23] In August 2023, the 103 route was extended from Slough to Windsor as well as taking over route 275 between High Wycombe and Oxford from Red Rose.[24]

In May 2024 Arriva proposed the closure of their Aylesbury & High Wycombe depots, with Carousel Buses saying they would take over any withdrawn services. With Carousel reintroducing "Going back to the 30's" routes around Wycombe Town Centre (e.g. 30 Downley Circular, 31 High Wycombe-Sir William Ramsay School, Tyler's Green-Penn-Beaconsfield so on)[25]

In April 2025, Carousel took over a number of Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and Buckinghamshire Council contracted services in the Maidenhead/Windsor and Chesham areas, significantly expanding their area of operation.[26][27]

In July 2025, it was announced that new services would be introduced, increasing the number of buses between High Wycombe and Beaconsfield. New route 105 would connect Beaconsfield To the Chalfonts, Amersham and Chesham. In addition, the number of buses on route 103 between High Wycombe and Slough would be increased to every 30 minutes, extending to Windsor every 30 minutes on Mondays to Saturdays and every hour on Sundays. Route 104 would have its Sunday services run hourly between Beaconsfield, The Chalfonts, Gerrards Cross and Uxbridge.[28]

In July 2025, Carousel Buses also celebrated 25 years of operation. The company celebrated this anniversary with an event taking place at their depot in High Wycombe that reunited multiple colleagues and managing directors. [29]

The company was later delivered 9 Alexander Dennis Enviro200s in 2 different sizes. 4 of the buses were painted in a livery specified for bus routes in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and were put to service on routes 3, 3A, 4 and 9, with 3 others being set to operate routes 37 and 10/10A that give links to High Wycombe and Staines. The remaining 2 entered service on "Carousel Country" services around Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.[30]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Richings, James (15 August 2024). "Wycombe Wanderers matchday bus shuttle back for new season". Bucks Free Press. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  2. ^ Companies House extract company no 4062073 Carousel Buses Limited
  3. ^ "Go-Ahead buys Carousel Buses". Bus and Coach Professional. Plum Publishing. 20 February 2012. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  4. ^ Bus service competition Oxford & Chiltern Bus Page February 2006
  5. ^ Aldridge, John (November 2003). "In London: A40 begins operation". Buses (584): 13.
  6. ^ Millar, Alan (June 2004). "Silver Citaros blush for real". Buses (591): 7.
  7. ^ Five new bus services to be launched Bucks Free Press 6 January 2004
  8. ^ Commuter criticses village bus service Bucks Free Press 17 June 2004
  9. ^ Community spirit restores cancelled bus route Bucks Free Press 18 March 2008
  10. ^ "Bus firm pulls service following pothole damage". Bucks Free Press. 22 January 2010.
  11. ^ Residents left with one bus a day Bucks Free Press 31 October 2008
  12. ^ High Wycombe to Watford bus to return Bucks Free Press 24 August 2009
  13. ^ New bus to Heathrow launched This Is Local London 28 September 2009
  14. ^ New look bus services for High Wycombe Bucks Free Press 13 April 2010
  15. ^ Go-Ahead Acquires Carousel Buses Limited Archived 25 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine Go-Ahead Group 20 February 2012
  16. ^ Go Ahead buys Carousel and eyes further bolt-on deals Transport Xtra 20 February 2012
  17. ^ Go-Ahead annual results 30 June 2001 Archived 23 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine Go-Ahead Group plc
  18. ^ "Carousel Buses launch new Chiltern Hundreds network". Coach & Bus Week. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  19. ^ "Carousel to axe part of 103 Wycombe to Watford bus route". Watford Observer. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  20. ^ a b "Bus fares change in Buckinghamshire as timetable changes in Aylesbury, Amersham, High Wycombe and more". Buckinghamshire Live. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  21. ^ "Carousel Buses announce new High Wycombe Bus service". Bucks Free Press. 9 August 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  22. ^ [1]
  23. ^ "Bus route facing closure threat set to continue in new year". 20 December 2022.
  24. ^ https://www.carouselbuses.co.uk/service-changes-27th-august-2023
  25. ^ "Arriva to close depots and reduce Bucks bus services". BBC News. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  26. ^ "New bus services in Chesham from 6th April". www.carouselbuses.co.uk. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  27. ^ "New services in Windsor & Maidenhead from 6th April 2025". www.carouselbuses.co.uk. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  28. ^ "Carousel Buses reveal new service between Wycombe and Beaconsfield". Bucks Free Press.
  29. ^ "Carousel Buses marks 25 year milestone with celebration". RouteOne. 31 July 2025. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  30. ^ "Alexander Dennis Delivers Nine Enviro200 Vehicles to Carousel Buses". 18 November 2025. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carousel Buses (bus company).