Oxford Bus Company
(National Express operations)

This page

Brief history
Current fleet list
Route List



Brief History

A new operator to Harlow and the first time to my knowledge that a National Express service has served the town, came to be on Saturday 2nd April 2022 when route 737 arrived. A long standing service from Oxford to Stansted Airport, Harlow was part of the new routing just introduced and also includes Hertfort and Hatfield. It provides new direct links to Luton (town and airport) and Oxford ad well as connections north at Milton Keynes Busway.  

The 737 is run by Go-ahead's Oxford Bus Company which also umbrellas Thames Travel and Carousel. Besides this National Express franchise, on the coaching front, they also run the long-standing coach link from Oxford to Heathrow and Gatwick airports. 

Vehicles shown on this page will be just those which have seen service on the 737.

 WEBSITE: www.oxfordbus.co.uk/
 

Current fleet list

Mercedes-Benz Tourismo
A now typical very high specification tri-axle coach operating National Express services to many parts of the country is this type, although it's not the standard offering on the 737. Number 40 ventured onto the 737 in the early days and sees occasional use, assumed to be when cover for breakdowns etc. is called for. Number 39 is a much more recent participant and on one occasion (31st October 2023 both 39 and 40 operated.
39
40
BV19YGK
BV19YGL
Oxford Bus Co BV19YGK Fleet number 39 is seen on 31st October 2023 offering an alternative to the standard National Express image. (R Hudson)
    Oxford BV19YGL Fleet number 40 is similar but different. Seen during the first week of operation when perhaps projecting the National Express image might have been more important . (R Hudson)


Volvo B11RT/Caetano Levante 3
More standard fare on the 737, livery-wise at least, are these high specification coaches. Again, commonly seen on National Express across numerous operators. A return to angular details of body style make the distinction from past iterations.
58
59
60
BM68AHP
BM68AHU
BM68AHV
Oxford BM68AHP Fleet number 59 is leaving Harlow for Oxford during the first week of operation. (R Hudson)
   

Oxford BM68AHU

 Fleet number 58 shows the off-side view. (R Hudson)
    Oxford BM68AHV Identical fleet number 60 in the same spot. (R Hudson)



Volvo B11RT/Caetano Levante 2
The predecessor to the Levante 3 is, perhaps obviously, the Levante 2. The more rounded design makes the contrast from the views above.
56
57
BV67JYR
BV67JYS
Oxford BV67JYR Fleet number 56 shows the previous incarnation of the Caetano Levante body style. My sense is that this is still the most commonly sighted variant. (R Hudson)
    Oxford BV67JYS Fleet number 57 shows the offside aspect. (R Hudson) 

Route List

Within Harlow:
National Express 737
Stansted Airport - Harlow - Herford - Hatfield - Luton - Milton Keynes Busway - Oxford.
6 journeys each way in each direction. Daily. 

Outside Harlow:
Large network of local services in Oxford and surrounding areas. See website for details.

Other pages

 Bus route maps
Enthusiasts Main Index
[HarlowRide Main Index]



Last update: 4th November 2023

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