Double Decker Buses Currently Operating In Australia

[Tim Williams]

I have put together this list primarily for my own interest, but I thought it might also interest other Bus Fans out there! A lot of the information has some from Australian Bus Fleets Lists and from this forum in general.

I have excluded old night charter party buses, low height Denning and other coaches, preserved and museum buses and the odd other charter buses, such as the RML in Sydney and the Olympian/ECW in Adelaide - information seems difficult to assemble and I was more interested in the modern operating DD's, which includes the city sightseeing buses.

Operator names and bus details are simply as I colloquially refer to them, so not necessarily the correct titles. It is interesting to see how well Bustech's CDI sold in such such a small market, as Australia is!

DOUBLE DECKER BUSES Operating in Australia - May 18 ##

Bustech CDi's
Sydney:
Busways 1
CDC 21
Forest 2
Transdev 6
Transit Systems 6
Grayline Tours 1 37
Mebourne:
Skybus 16
Queensland:
Surfside 8
Adelaide:
Torrens Transit 1
TOTAL in service 62

Other (Current) DD's
- Excludes Denning & other low height coach DD's and night charter/party DD's
Sydney:
TfNSW - MAN A95/Gemilang 38
CDC Charter - Volvo B9TL/Volgren 1
Forest - MAN A95/Gemilang 3
- In build - possible weight issues ##
Blue Mtn Tours - BCI (2 axle) 1
Blue Mtn Tours - V Olympian/Alex. 4
City Explorer - Anhui Ankai 17
City Explorer - MCW Metro Mk 11 6
- Sydney/Darwin/Perth
Mebourne:
CDC Werribee - Volvo B9TL/Volgren 1
Rockleigh - AD Enviro 500/Kiwi 1
Rockleigh - MCW Metroliner (Rebuilt) 1
City S/seeing - Leyl Olympian/Alex. 2
City S/seeing - Leyl Titan/Park Royal 4
Queensland:
Thompsons - Volvo B9TL/Volgren 2
Adelaide
Southlink Hills - Scania/Gemilang 1
Hobart:
Red Decker - BCI (2 axle) 1
Red Decker - Anhui Ankai 2
Red Decker - Atlanteans + MCW 3
TOTAL in service & in build 88

OVERALL TOTAL 150

[Tim Williams]

IMG.jpg (25.72 KiB) Viewed 1552 times

The table in better format:

[Daniel]

Great work Tim. One additional Skybus CDi unit is due imminently as part of the current order.

[TA3001]

In addition to the Southlink double decker, Torrens Transit has had 1790 since around September 2014. It is generally used on J1X runs. Here's some proof that it exists.

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=ht ... t=c&ictx=1

[busrider]

Yes, 1790 is already in the list.

[Tim Williams]

Hi Daniel, how many additional Skybus CDI's are due - would it be 2 more??

Has anyone any idea if further CDI's are on order or in build for Sydney operators?

Thanks.

[Centralian]

Another BCI decker will appear shortly as well.

[burrumbus]

For Fantastic Aussie Tours,Centralian ??

[Tim Williams]

I think I should also add that BCI have done extraordinarily well selling their deckers to the UK (through Ensign) - painted in Ensign's blue and silver livery both the 3 axle and 2 axle DD's look great!!

[Buswas]

There is a Wrightbus Double Decker at Prestige Hino at Dandenong Vic at the moment, was at Patico, but the Wright bus
Signs are no longer there.

[Tim Williams]

The Wrightbus Double Decker - is it a new demo unit, 2 or 3 axles conventional or the new Streetdeck style or is it simply an ex UK second hand unit??

[1whoknows]

New demo unit from last year's bus show.

[Tim Williams]

The only Wrightbus type I am aware of that toured shows and operators is the single deck Streetlight - same type as Torrens Transit are currently operating?

Are you saying that there is a Hong Kong/Singapore style Wrightbus DD, in Melbourne at present?

[Buswas]

Yes there are a couple of single Deckers parked there as well, one Double Decker, not sure if it’s like the Singapore ones,
But seen plenty of these in the Uk

[Stonesourscotty]

There is a white open top bus in Sydney also can be seen in Kings cross in summer evenings(not the big bus ones)

[OLYMPIAN]

There is a white open top bus in Sydney also can be seen in Kings cross in summer evenings(not the big bus ones)

I believe that's one of the two AAT Kings that used to run them on the open top sightseeing tours.

[Tim Williams]

Would the AAT Kings open toppers be converted and refurbished Denning DD's?

[burrumbus]

Correct Tim.

[1whoknows]

Skybus have recently received four more deckers nos 114, 115, 150 and 151 - the latter two mainly for Avalon services.

[Tim Williams]

Any further news on the 3 x MAN/Gemilang DD's for Forest??

[iamthouth]

It is interesting to see how well Bustech's CDI sold in such such a small market, as Australia is!

For metro operators, this has more to do with lack of choice on the bus procurement panel (and instruction from TfNSW to order) rather than a preference for that bus.

Hillsbus has 5 more on order, yet to be delivered.

[Tim Williams]

TfNSW's and may be CDC's preference for CDI's might might be due to the higher seating + standing capacity of the CDI's (within allowable weights) due to the twin steer layout, compared to the normal 3 axle DD's. I still find them a wonderfully innovative design that came up an "outside of the box" layout that maximize capacity within our restrictive axle weights. I would be interested to know if CDI's are the only DD's on the "Panel". Now I no longer have Murtons, I naturally have no TfNSW access.

The two latest CDI's for Skybus, nos. 150 and 151 are quoted as H61/17DW compared to all their others at H53/10DW - I presume they must longer buses - 12.8 or 13mtrs perhaps??

[boronia]

STA has the MAN-Gemilangs for the B-line, so these are obviously a TfNSW approved model

[tonyp]

Are all these new deckers with low-floor lower deck on MAN chassis?

[Tim Williams]

Yes, the prototype, which appeared at an NSW Bus Show a couple of years ago?, definitely had a full low floor (up to the last row of seats), all being possible because of the portal type rear axle. I know the latter delivered Wright bodied Volvo DD's in Singapore were also more or less low floor, as was promoted by SBS Transit and maybe the LTA, so I feel certain that the MAN/Gemilangs over there would be the same - I think that is how I recall them, but I will know for certain in a month's time!

Someone may wish to comment about the Sydney ones, but I think that will just be confirmation of the above.