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X90 THROUGH THE YEARS 1928 - 2020 January 2020
X90 THROUGHTHE YEARS1928 - 2020
January 2020
X90 through the years | 1928 - 2020
AcknowledgementsWe are most grateful for the kind permission of Grahame Wareham and Richard Grantham for use of their pictures in this booklet. You can find more of their brilliant photos here:Grahame: https://www.flickr.com/photos/59835095@N02/Richard: https://www.flickr.com/photos/eybusman/
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Foreword from the Managing DirectorThe X90 is a coach route steeped in history. It arose out of the very first coach link between the cities of Oxford and London. In its 92 years of operation, one thing has remained constant – the dedication and enthusiasm of all our colleagues, past and present, who have worked to make the service the very best that it can be.
Unfortunately, with increasing competition from new and improved rail links, along with the costly effects of congestion in both cities, the service has been struggling for some years. Withdrawing the X90 from the 4th January 2020 is not a decision that we have taken lightly; indeed, it has been the last remaining course of action after we have exhausted every option available to us to try and bring the service back to profitability.
I am pleased that we have been able to redeploy all driving staff currently working on the X90 to other roles within our business. They have, after all, served us so well over the years on the X90 and I hope they will continue to enjoy their time working for the Oxford Bus Company well into the future.
I am also appreciative of the support and understanding shown to us by our customers and stakeholders. I hope that when reflecting on the X90 through the years, as illustrated in this booklet, we will all be able to celebrate the 92-year heritage of the service and remember the good
Phil SouthallManaging Director
January 2020
times with fondness.
Enjoy the read and I hope to see you onboard one of our services in the near future.
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X90 through the years | 1928 - 2020
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1928 - 1932The X90 can trace its roots back to the very first coach service between Oxford and London in 1928 – operated by South Midland, the coaching operations of which later became part of The City of Oxford Motor Services – now trading as Oxford Bus Company.
South Midland was founded in 1919 by William Beesley, operating tours and excursions emanating from Oxford. It was on the 6th February 1928 that the first scheduled coach service began between Oxford and London – via Dorchester and Henley-on-Thames – using a Lancia Saloon with Weymann bodywork.
The service grew in popularity over its first year of operation and by 1929, South Midland were operating three daily services between the two cities. The service was a success and soon started to attract competition from fellow coaching operator, Varsity Express Motors.
The result of this new entrant to the market led South Midland to increase the frequency of their Oxford to London coach service to seven return journeys a day. The third year of operation brought with it the third set of new coaches delivered for the service. Indeed, in 1931, South Midland took delivery of new high-specification Leyland Tigers to replace the Gilford saloons that were new in 1929.
1933 - 1974In 1933, South Midland’s biggest competitor, Varsity Express Motors, became part of the Tilling Transport Group, initially through its subsidiary Eastern Counties Omnibus Company. In 1934, it was transferred to fellow subsidiary United Counties Omnibus Company. In the early years of the First World War – from 1939 to 1943 – both companies began to see record levels of growth, in large part thanks to the wartime restriction of private transport use. However, between 1943 and 1945, all operations stopped whilst the coaches were requisitioned by the government for war
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efforts. In this period, South Midland was acquired by regional coaching group Red and White. After the war ended, Oxford to London coach operations were resumed and by 1946, they were broadly at the pre-war service levels.
In the late 1940s, there was a political agenda to nationalise the transport industry and, by virtue of the Transport Act 1947, the British Transport Commission BTC was completed. The full sale of Tilling Transport Group to the BTC completed in 1949, meaning that Varsity Coaches – together with their Oxford to London coach service – was now nationalised. Furthermore, in 1950, Red and White sold out its passenger transport businesses to the Tilling Group. From this date, the two main operators of the Oxford to London coach link now had a common ultimate owner. In 1952, Varsity Coaches was amalgamated into South Midland and this enlarged operation moved into new premises on the Botley Road. This combined operation saw hourly departures from Oxford and London with two routeings being followed. Coaches operating Service C via Henley and Maidenhead departed Oxford on the even hours, whilst coaches operating Service D via High Wycombe and Uxbridge departed Oxford on the odd hours.
NJO 217, a Duple bodied AEC Regal passing Denham Service Station
Grahame Warehamcirca. 1955
X90 through the years | 1928 - 2020
Alongside this new ownership structure, new vehicles were also pressed into service. Some took the guise of AEC and Guy coaches, but the bulk of the investment was in the mainstay fleet of Bristol coaches.
The BTC’s successor, Transport Holding Company, acquired the full shareholding of British Electric Traction in 1967. This brought South Midland and The City of Oxford Motor Services under common state ownership.
The National Bus Company was formed in 1968 and for almost three years, management and control of each company remained separate, with South Midland providing the scheduled coach services to the capital and The City of Oxford Motor Services providing the local services in and around Oxford.
However, on 1st January 1971, South Midland services passed to the control of The City of Oxford Motor Services and a resultant restructure of the services ensued. This service recast began the numerical service naming. Service C became the 30 and was diverted via Wallingford;
834 CRX, an ECW bodied Bristol new in the early 1960s seen at Cowley Road GarageGrahame Wareham | March 1972
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service D became the 70. Both of these routes incorporated part of existing City of Oxford services to Henley and High Wycombe respectively.
The newly-integrated operation – buses and coaches – was branded as Oxford-South Midland. A new livery was complemented by a batch of new coaches, purchased over the following years to serve the revised operation, including several Bristols and AEC Reliances.
TJO 56K, a 1971 AEC Reliance at Gloucester GreenGrahame Wareham | January 1975
Oxford South Midland Logo on the nearside of BBW 20V at Cowley Road GarageGrahame Wareham | June 1980
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X90 through the years | 1928 - 2020
1975 - 1982In 1975 route 30 was renumbered 390 and route 70 was renumbered 290. The new 290 has its routeing adjusted in order to substantially reduce the running time and make the service more attractive. Fast services had been provided at peak times since the early 1960s but between 1976 and 1977, these were enhanced and given the route number 190. This is the basis for today’s X90 service.
Routes 290 and 390 were also improved with extended operating hours stretching into the early morning and late night. During these years, new Leyland Leopard coaches were introduced on the three coach services.
RWB 89M, a 1974 ECW bodied Bristol seen at Cowley Road GarageGrahame Wareham | January 1975
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YFC 14R, a 1977 Duple bodied Leyland Leopard loading up for London at Gloucester GreenGrahame Wareham | May 1978
PJO 8T, a 1978 Duple bodied Leyland Leopard seen at Gloucester Green having worked a 290 service via High Wycombe
Grahame Wareham | May 1986
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X90 through the years | 1928 - 2020
1983 - 1986In 1983, the National Bus Company had reorganised the Oxford business into two distinct divisions: Oxford Bus and South Midland (all non-Oxford depots). Both operations were overseen by General Manager David Graham, with Richard Bowler and Richard Hall taking charge of South Midland and Oxford Bus respectively.
The Oxford to London coach services fell within the purview of the Oxford Bus Division. The influx of new coaches continued with several batches of Leyland Tigers introduced over the next couple of years.
EBW 105Y, a 1982 Duple bodied Leyland Tiger seen on stand at Gloucester Green having just arrived on the 190 from LondonGrahame Wareham | April 1983
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A112 MUD, a 1983 Plaxton bodied Leyland Tiger parked up at Gloucester Green Grahame Wareham | October 1985
B124 UUD, a 1984 Plaxton bodied Leyland Tiger entering Gloucester Green Grahame Wareham | June 1985
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X90 through the years | 1928 - 2020
Following growth in passenger numbers, the next new coaches to arrive for service on the 190 were two batches of double deck MCW Metroliners between 1984 and 1985.
B903 XJO, a 1984 MCW Metroliner laying over at Gloucester GreenGrahame Wareham | July 1985
C906 GUD, a 1985 MCW Metroliner also laying over at Gloucester GreenGrahame Wareham | April 1986
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1987 - 2003Reversing the political position of the post-war government, in the early 1980s, the newly elected Conservative administration had an open market agenda. Part of this was to privatise some of the service industries that had previously been nationalised in bygone years. This was to include buses and coaches. The Transport Act 1985 set the course for the privatisation and deregulation of bus services throughout Great Britain outside of London.
The Oxford Bus and South Midland divisions were offered for sale separately. The favourable disposition towards management and employee bids saw both Oxford divisions sold in this way. Oxford Bus was sold in 1987, led by Managing Director Arthur Townsend. In the same year, Thames Transit – which subsequently became the new owners of South Midland – began competing with Oxford Bus Company on the M40 corridor. Thames Transit branded their services as the Oxford Tube, while Oxford Bus Company used Oxford CityLink with route number X90. Steady investment in coaches followed throughout the next decade with regular deliveries of new coaches.
F135 LJO, a 1988 Plaxton Paramount bodied DAF in Cowley Road GarageGrahame Wareham | 1995
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X90 through the years | 1928 - 2020
K752 UJO, a 1992 Plaxton Premiere 320 bodied Dennis Javelin enters Gloucester Green arriving on an X90 service from London
Grahame Wareham | October 1985
M627 FNS, a 1994 Jonckheere bodied Volvo alighting passengers on Buckingham Palace RoadGrahame Wareham | June 1999
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N158 BFC, a 1995 Plaxton bodied Volvo B10M at rest in the shelter of Cowley Road GarageGrahame Wareham | April 2002
R12 OXF, a 1998 Plaxton Excalibur bodied Volvo B10M parked in Gloucester GreenRichard Grantham | August 2002
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X90 through the years | 1928 - 2020
New Scania Irizar coaches arrived in 2004. The delivery of these coaches saw a departure from the blue, yellow and white theme deployed until now. Best Impressions were commissioned to design a new brand and livery. The Oxford to London coach link would now be known as ‘espress’ and the coaches adorned a striking mint green and orange livery. A new level of high specification was introduced – these Scanias featured greater legroom than ever before, toilets, power points and DVD players. Additionally, each coach had an artistic promotional message applied to its rear, tastefully advertising the benefits of travelling with ‘espress’.
2004 - 2011
P1 OXF, a 2004 Irizar Century bodied Scania K114EB leaving Gloucester Green for LondonRichard Grantham | August 2009
When new Coaches arrived for the airline services between Oxford and Heathrow/Gatwick airports, this saw the 2012 relaunch of the X90 with its stylish new grey based livery using cascaded Volvo B12B Plaxton Panthers.
2012 - Present
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These coaches provided wheelchair access, free customer WiFi, charging points and generous legroom making them ideal vehicles in terms of passenger comfort for the 100 minute journey to and from the capital.
GG08 OXF, a 2008 Plaxton Panther bodied Volvo launching the refreshed X90 brand | 2012
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X90 through the years | 1928 - 2020
In 2014, new coaches arrived for Oxford Bus Company’s X90 and airline services to Heathrow and Gatwick. These were in the form of Plaxton Elitei bodied Volvo B11RT – the first Interdeck coaches of the modern age to be used on the X90 service. These arrived in a blue (for airline) and grey (for X90) livery with route branding advertising all three coach services emanating from Oxford.
The following year, a larger batch of the same combination arrived for the X90. This £2.5m investment saw the new coaches come equipped with 4G WiFi, USB power points and mains power sockets, with a high specification and spacious interior delivering an additional 15,000 seats between the two cities per month. Unlike the previous 5, these coaches wore the dedicated X90 livery – as seen on the displaced 08-plate Volvos – tailored to their impressive height and length. A further four such vehicles were purchased in July 2016 in a further £1.3m investment, these being the last coaches to be purchased for the service before it ceased operation in January 2020.
XS63 OXF, a 2014 Plaxton Elitei in the Airline and X90 joint liveryOxford City Centre | 2014
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The final iteration of the X90 brand displayed on a Plaxton Elitei bodied Volvo coachThornhill Park & Ride Launch | 2015
OX15 BUS, an interdeck coach - one of the the last coaches to wear the X90 liveryOxford City Centre Launch | 2015
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At the end the service, the X90 operated using 11 interdeck vehicles in a dedicated livery and so the familiar sight of the brand in Oxford will be a loss.
We wish to thank all colleagues and customers who have worked on the service over its 92 year history and wish to pay tribute to all those involved in this story.
X90 THROUGHTHE YEARS
1928 - 2020
Cowley House, Watlington Road, Oxford, OX4 6GA. Information correct at 13th December 2019.
The City of Oxford Motor Services Ltd
X90london.co.uk
01865 785400
