Alexander Dennis (ADL) has announced that it has supplied six new Plaxton Panorama double deck coaches to Park’s of Hamilton for operation on the Scottish Citylink express network

The new Plaxton Panorama coaches, built on Volvo B11RLE chassis, have entered service on the ‘Saltire Cross’ routes connecting Scotland’s six major cities with frequent services every 60 minutes from Glasgow or Edinburgh via Perth to Inverness, Dundee and Aberdeen.

Built to Citylink Gold specification, the coaches have 71 reclining seats, offering additional legroom and more space for passengers to socially distance on journeys. Plaxton’s focus on accessibility means that in addition to the dedicated wheelchair space, 14 seats are step-free on the lower deck. Full-length overhead luggage racks on both decks provide stowage for personal baggage, with larger items accommodated in the rear luggage hold.

The six coaches are the third delivery of Plaxton Panorama double deckers for the Scottish Citylink network, following five vehicles for the AIR service connecting Glasgow with Edinburgh Airport and 18 coaches for the frequent route 900 between the centres of Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Commenting on the deal, Robert Andrew, Scottish Citylink Director, said: “The Saltire Cross network is at the heart of our Scottish operations, connecting the key cities across central Scotland through our reliable, affordable and high-quality coach services. We are proud to be introducing these high-specification, luxury vehicles for our customers – they deliver a further upgrade in comfort and amenities and are a fantastic addition to the Saltire Cross network.”

Michael Andrews, Director at Park’s of Hamilton, added: “Having operated Plaxton coaches for many years, we knew we were in good hands with these latest double deckers, which follow on from similar vehicles which we operate on the Citylink 900 service where they have proven themselves to be reliable and efficient vehicles on intensive work.”

Mark Ballam, Coach Commercial Manager at ADL, concluded: “It has been a pleasure to continue our close collaboration with Citylink to design the best coaches for Scotland’s express coach network, and the Plaxton Panorama once again demonstrates its versatility with this bespoke specification for comfortable inter-city travel. We are also delighted to build on our long-standing relationship with Park’s of Hamilton to add to their extensive fleet of Plaxton coaches.”