I was looking at the BT Buses site today and stumbled across W1599, a Mercedes Benz Citaro C628, that is listed as being delivered in December 2015.

Anyone have any details on this bus?

Seen a photo of it at a bus show last year in full BT livery. But was unaware it was in service? Will keep an eye on the realtime tracking from now on.

Edit: photos are on the transit graphics Facebook page from July 2015.

daveeyh wrote:I was looking at the BT Buses site today and stumbled across W1599, a Mercedes Benz Citaro C628, that is listed as being delivered in December 2015.

Anyone have any details on this bus?

I'm the person who has added it on BT Buses and all I know is that it's approved for service and I have no idea when this will enter service.

James00 wrote:Seen a photo of it at a bus show last year in full BT livery. But was unaware it was in service? Will keep an eye on the realtime tracking from now on.

Edit: photos are on the transit graphics Facebook page from July 2015.

It has been delivered to Willawong depot but hasn't entered service yet. Not sure when it'll go into service.

It won't be able to enter service until Mercedes Benz change the purpose of use CTP category from Dealer to TLKU (Translink Urban Service).

It was registered on 17 December 2015 after Mercedes Benz obtained an overwidth permit from the NHVR.

Hornibrook wrote:It won't be able to enter service until Mercedes Benz change the purpose of use CTP category from Dealer to TLKU (Translink Urban Service).

It was registered on 17 December 2015 after Mercedes Benz obtained an overwidth permit from the NHVR.

Does the overwidth permit mean that this bus is wider than usual?

daveeyh wrote:

Hornibrook wrote:It won't be able to enter service until Mercedes Benz change the purpose of use CTP category from Dealer to TLKU (Translink Urban Service).

It was registered on 17 December 2015 after Mercedes Benz obtained an overwidth permit from the NHVR.

Does the overwidth permit mean that this bus is wider than usual?

Yes it's 50mm overwidth at 2.55m wide - the maximum width of a heavy vehicle is 2.50m.

It is a Euro VI-compliant Mercedes-Benz O 530 Citaro 'C2'. It is the first bus with a Voith DIWA.6 gearbox to enter service in Australia.

W1599 was on an outbound 150 service this afternoon.

Spotted this bus just now while on the train at South Bank and came to see what it was, looks hideous especially the the design around the desto.

I was able to ride this bus on the way home today. It's quite dark inside, seems to be a lack of interior lighting? Otherwise I found the seats were comfy. The engine noise isn't too loud. Leg room was respectable from where I was sitting.

see http://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewt ... =5&t=82126 for more photo details

The Citaro is nothing new or revolutionary. The 100% low floor citybus has been standard in Europe for over 20 years and a number of manufacturers produce them with variants offering 2, 3 or 4 doors, 4 to 5 door artics, trolleybuses etc. There's an example of an Iveco Citelis (artic) operating in Perth. But generally in Australia we're 20 years behind the times with our typical low entry (part high-floor) offering. We're lucky to have low entry at all the doors and have even gone backwards with the dreadful VST/XDi which has reverted to having a step at the centre door.

European operators are very cost conscious and I haven't heard any issues about high maintenance with these buses. I've found they even ride more smoothly over rough roads than our citybuses here. We must specify truck suspensions here?

The 100% low floor format has been adopted because it enables better circulation, reduces trip hazards and is very popular with passengers, as it is in trams from which it was adopted.

I don't think trams are relevant to the discussion here because that's a capacity issue and buses aren't intended to match the capacity of a tram nor perform the same role. It can be noted however that, unlike here, the European bus industry has learnt from trams and achieves operational efficiencies that aren't found here, notably through all-door entry through multiple doors. (The typical 12 metre bus like the Citaro also has a third door behind the rear axle. They've simply sent a two door demonstrator out here because they wouldn't move the cooling package to the other side without an order to justify the cost.) This enables buses to share tram stops over there, something that couldn't be done here because of the long dwell times of our front door loading method.

I fail to see why a European manufacturer couldn't simply narrow the body to 2.5 metres for an Australian order. Trams manufacturers routinely vary body widths and they are dealing with much smaller orders.

All we need now is for Australian agencies/operators/manufacturers to get down to it and bring our buses up to the modern times with 100% low floor buses like the Citelis.

This proposed RHD articulated Citaro has appeared on an ACT Liberals release about transport:

That setup would be excellent for the Busway. 66 and 111 routes especially! I guess it could be multi-use as-well. Just make the driver only use 2 doors when going off the busway like the MAN artics atm?

Firstbus in England have started withdrawing there merc citaro buses as just old. The designs have been spruced up over the years with better engines but the designs remain virtually untouched. London buses withdrew their bendi's many many years ago due to fires and replaced with double deckers.

ABC (Austrilasian bus and coach) TV did a review of the Citaro, linky here.

Skyblue1 wrote:Firstbus in England have started withdrawing there merc citaro buses as just old. The designs have been spruced up over the years with better engines but the designs remain virtually untouched. London buses withdrew their bendi's many many years ago due to fires and replaced with double deckers.

If the British don't like a bus I take that as a sign that it's a good bus!

The Citaro's low floor design as a citybus is still 20 years ahead of any citybus design in Australia or UK. I think there are manufacturers that do the interior better such as Solaris, SOR and Iveco, but the Citaro is still very popular and has reached the RHD market in Singapore and now obviously they're pushing it in Australia.

Many British operators are still buying Citaros, so there's definitely no hate shown to the product.

The Citaro product has definitely improved over the years. Operators in Mainland Europe soon realised their mistake when they picked up early Euro II Citaros from 1997. The quality improved greatly when the product was facelifted in 2005/6 for Euro IV. The latest Citaro II product is yet another leap, particular in relation to Euro VI powertrains and design of the driver's area.

I note that BT Buses has 1599 as withdrawn - has it gone back to Mercedes?

Was still in service Monday just gone so maybe it left at the end of this week.