Alexander ALX400

File:DLA45, S245 JUA Route 253 Stamford Hill, Passover (Pesach) 2010. - Flickr - sludgegulper.jpg ALX400 bodied DAF DB250LF on route 253 in Stamford Hill in March 2010]]

The Alexander ALX400 proved to be a major success with the major operators of the United Kingdom, with large numbers of the buses serving London as well as the rest of the UK. Arriva London took delivery of the first ALX400 in May 1998, numbered DLA1 and built on DAF DB250LF chassis, which was also London's first low-floor double decker.{{cite news |last=McLean |first=Allan |date=20 May 1998 |title=Alexander unveils new design for buses |work=The Scotsman |location=Edinburgh |page=24 |id={{ProQuest|326686904}}}} Arriva London went on to order 388 more ALX400s on DAF DB250LF chassis between 1998 and 2005; between 2017 and 2019, DLA1 was restored to as-new condition by Alexander Dennis with the initial intention for display at the London Transport Museum before later being sold into private ownership.{{Cite tweet |author=Alexander Dennis |user=ADLbus |author-link=Alexander Dennis |number=1123517988026580992 |title=We are proud to have been able to contribute to the preservation of London's first low-floor double decker by funding and carrying out its full restoration over the last two years. @Arriva_London will now donate the Alexander ALX400-bodied DAF to the @ltmuseum collection. |access-date=10 August 2021}}{{cite magazine |last=Larkin |first=Nick |url=https://cbwmagazine.com/dla-desires/ |title=DLA desires |date=27 September 2022 |magazine=Coach & Bus Week |location=Peterborough |access-date=28 September 2022 |url-access=subscription}}

From its introduction until 2006, the Alexander ALX400 on the Dennis Trident 2 chassis was the favoured 2-axle double-decker bus model for the Stagecoach Group. Stagecoach London operated the most ALX400s in the group, continuously taking delivery of 998 ALX400s to its various garages from 1998 to 2006.{{cite book|last=Wharmby |first=Matthew|title=The London Dennis Trident|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vrs1EAAAQBAJ|access-date=8 August 2021|date=31 July 2021|publisher=Pen & Sword|location=Barnsley|isbn=978-1-5267-8694-4}}{{rp|280}}{{cite magazine |last=Williams |first=Mark |url=https://archive.org/details/cbw-issue291/page/21/mode/1up |date=16 October 1997 |title=Stagecoach orders hundred Tridents |magazine=Coach & Bus Week |issue=291 |page=21 |location=Peterborough |publisher=Emap |access-date=23 April 2024}} Stagecoach's first low-floor double-decker bus outside London was one of a pair of ALX400-bodied Dennis Tridents that were delivered to Stagecoach Manchester in 1998; this bus was later donated to and restored by the Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester.{{cite magazine|last=Larkin |first=Nick |url=https://cbwmagazine.com/historic-trident-restored/ |title=Historic Trident restored |date=5 December 2023 |magazine=Coach & Bus Week |location=Peterborough |access-date=5 December 2023 |url-access=subscription}} Deliveries were made to Stagecoach operations across the United Kingdom such as in Oxford,{{cite news |title=Stagecoach launches partnership with Oxford Brookes |url=http://busandcoach.com/65news4.html |url-status=dead |work=Bus & Coach Professional |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031229080534/http://busandcoach.com/65news4.html |year=2003 |archive-date=29 December 2003 |access-date=3 June 2023}} Devon,{{cite magazine|date=Spring 2004 |title=Devon takes delivery of new Tridents |url=https://www.stagecoachgroup.com/~/media/Files/S/Stagecoach-Group/Attachments/media/publication-internal-newspaper/issue54 |magazine=On Stage|issue=54 |page=4 |publisher=Stagecoach Group |access-date=31 May 2023}}{{dead link|fix-attempted=yes|date=April 2024}} Canterbury,{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/buscoachbuyer-issue783/page/n5/mode/1up |date=24 September 2004 |title=New Canterbury QPS signed |magazine=Bus & Coach Buyer |issue=783 |page=6 |location=Spalding |publisher=Glen-Holland Ltd |access-date=30 November 2024}} Cambridge,{{cite book|last=Beddall|first=David|title=Cambus to Stagecoach East: A Fleet History, 1984–2020 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3M9xEAAAQBAJ |access-date=30 May 2023|date=30 August 2022|publisher=Pen & Sword|location=Barnsley|isbn=978-1-5267-8103-1|page=90}} and Kingston upon Hull,{{cite news |author= |title=Don't miss the bus on timetable changes |date=17 April 2007|newspaper=Hull Daily Mail|page=13|id={{ProQuest|333649110}}|quote=The timetable changes also coincide with Stagecoach introducing new high-tech double-decker buses on its 32 route, linking Bransholme and the city centre. The nine £130,000 Dennis Trident Alexander buses are part of the firm's plan to update buses across the city.}} among others.

In London, other operators of Alexander ALX400s on Dennis Trident 2 and Volvo B7TL chassis included Arriva London, who took delivery of 179 ALX400-bodied B7TLs alongside their DAF DB250LFs;{{rp|209}} London United, who took delivery of 156 ALX400-bodied Tridents and 62 B7TLs;{{rp|280}}{{rp|122}} Metroline, who took delivery of 154 ALX400-bodied Tridents;{{rp|215}} Connex, who took 128 Trident-bodied ALX400s;{{rp|215}} First London, who took delivery of 64 Tridents and 27 B7TLs;{{cite book|last=Wharmby|first=Matthew|title=The London Volvo B7TL|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JyhCEAAAQBAJ|access-date=7 April 2023|date=11 November 2021|publisher=Pen & Sword|location=Barnsley|isbn=978-1-52678-695-1}}{{rp|272}}{{rp|280}} London Central, who took one batch of 46 ALX400-bodied Volvo B7TLs in 1999 before moving onto the Plaxton President,{{cite magazine |last=Aldridge |first=John |url=https://archive.org/details/buses-issue541/page/n13/mode/1up |title=Low-floor Volvos - at last |magazine=Buses |issue=541 |location=Hersham |publisher=Ian Allan Publishing |page=14 |date=April 2000 |access-date=23 April 2024}} and Armchair Passenger Transport, who took 22 ALX400-bodied Tridents in 2002.{{rp|252}}

File:20190522-Dublin-Bus-AX538.jpg ALX400 bodied Volvo B7TL in Dublin in 2019]]

The ALX400 was also popular with Dublin Bus of Ireland, which ordered 658 between 2000 and 2006.{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/buses-issue541/page/n5/mode/1up |title=Volvo wins complete Dublin order |magazine=Buses |issue=541 |location=Hersham |publisher=Ian Allan Publishing |page=6 |date=April 2000 |access-date=23 April 2024}}{{cite magazine |url=http://www.cbwnet.co.uk/latestnews.asp?ID=2 |title=Extra buses for Bus Eireann launched |date=7 February 2007 |magazine=Coach & Bus Week |issue=767 |location=Peterborough |publisher=Rouncy Media |access-date=7 September 2024 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208004401/http://www.cbwnet.co.uk/latestnews.asp?ID=2 |archive-date=8 February 2007}} All but ten were fitted on Volvo B7TL chassis, with a batch of ten fitted on the TransBus Trident chassis delivered in 2003 to compare against the B7TLs with a view to splitting future orders.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} Most of these featured 76 seat single door bodies although there were various seating capacities used on a small minority of rail and airport link services; Summerhill based AV 116-130 were built with dual-door bodies for use on the Airlink services.{{cite web |last1=Hall |first1=Darren |title=AV130 was part of a batch of 15 (AV116-130) built with Dual Doors and Bonded Glazing, they were used for Airlink services with the final two AV129 and AV130 in standard Fleet Livery to be used as spares but they could also be used in regular service. AV130 is seen when 6 months old in June 2001 in Summerhill garage having been used on the Nitelink service 41N in the wee small hours that morning. Scan from a negative. |url=https://live.staticflickr.com/8739/17464370241_4e0c3ebc66_h.jpg |website=Flickr |access-date=30 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530192433/https://live.staticflickr.com/8739/17464370241_4e0c3ebc66_h.jpg |archive-date=30 May 2023 |date=June 2001 |url-status=live}}{{unreliable source?|date=November 2023|reason=captions from images are not reliable, they are WP:SPS}}{{cite web |last1=Dean |first1=Fred |title=Dublin Bus (Summerhill) Volvo B7TL / Alexander ALX400 AV 116 (00-D-70116) in Dublin Airport 10th July 2003. |url=https://live.staticflickr.com/4508/37518843151_013c11b8a7_b.jpg |website=Flickr |access-date=30 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530192750/https://live.staticflickr.com/4508/37518843151_013c11b8a7_b.jpg |archive-date=30 May 2023 |date=July 2003 |url-status=live}}{{unreliable source?|date=November 2023|reason=captions from images are not reliable, they are WP:SPS}}

{{Multiple image

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| image1 = Arriva Medway Towns 6424 GN04 UER 2.JPG

| caption1 = Arriva Medway Towns ALX400 bodied Volvo B7TL in Weybridge in 2009

| image2 = Arriva Guildford & West Surrey 6402 GN04 UDP rear (cropped2).JPG

| caption2 = Arriva Guildford & West Surrey ALX400 bodied Volvo B7TL in Guildford in 2009

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Alexander ALX400s on both the Dennis Trident 2 and Volvo B7TL chassis were also extensively delivered to the National Express's bus operations in the West Midlands, Coventry and Dundee, with over 400 orders received for all three operations from 2001 to 2005.{{cite news |date=19 January 2001 |title=Express in £23m order for buses |work=Birmingham Post|page=26 |id={{ProQuest|323657912}}}}{{cite news |date=13 September 2003 |title=£4m on double deckers |work=Evening Mail |location=Birmingham |page=4 |id={{ProQuest|322504591}}}}{{cite news |last=Bain |first=Simon |date=31 May 2004 |title=Cameron and Hastie take the wheel as bus-builder goes back to its roots |work=The Herald|location=Glasgow |page=18 |id={{ProQuest|332868620}} |quote=The new company is expected to announce that it has already received an order worth £7.5m for 50 double-deckers for Travel West Midlands, the Birmingham bus operator.}} Translink of Northern Ireland purchased over 150 Alexander ALX400s on Volvo B7TL chassis for its Ulsterbus and Citybus (later rebranded Metro) operations between 2001 and 2006, with the first batch of 20 delivered to Citybus in 2001 marking the return of double-decker buses to Belfast for the first time since their withdrawal in 1989.{{cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/double-deckers-go-back-on-city-streets/28348359.html |work=Belfast Telegraph|date=26 March 2001 |title=Double-deckers go back on city streets |access-date=6 April 2023}}{{cite press release |last=Stanczyk |first=Sarah |date=28 January 2003 |title=Translink Moves Public Transport into Top Gear |url=http://www.translink.co.uk/20030128newbuses.asp |url-status=dead |location=Belfast |publisher=Translink |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030626035410/http://www.translink.co.uk/20030128newbuses.asp |archive-date=26 June 2003 |access-date=6 April 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/translink-orders-200-new-buses-for-ni-fleet-1.1176387 |newspaper=The Irish Times|date=20 April 2005 |title=Translink orders 200 new buses for NI fleet |access-date=6 April 2023}}

Outside London, Arriva ordered ALX400s on both the Dennis Trident and Volvo B7TL chassis in comparatively smaller numbers compared to Stagecoach and the FirstGroup. On the Volvo B7TL chassis, 20 ALX400s were delivered to Arriva Yorkshire in 2000,{{cite news |author= |date=27 May 1999 |title=Arriva hits the road with bus investment |work=The Northern Echo|location=Darlington |page=10 |id={{ProQuest|328831312}} |quote=Arriva is investing a further £8m on 70 buses in the Yorkshire area of its operations, including 20 low-floor double deck ALX 400 buses, destined for the Leeds guided bus way project.}} 49 were delivered to Arriva Medway Towns in 2004 as part of Operation Overdrive,{{cite news |last=Rowlands |first=P. |date=3 September 2004 |title=Medway Medley |url=https://trid.trb.org/view/754622 |work=Bus & Coach Professional |issue=87 |via=TRID |access-date=14 July 2022}} two ALX400s were delivered to Arriva North East in 2005 as part of a larger investment in 24 new buses for the region,{{cite news |author= |date=8 March 2005 |title=Major improvements to bus service are set to roll |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/6959310.major-improvements-bus-service-set-roll/ |work=The Northern Echo |location=Darlington |access-date=27 August 2022}}{{cite news |last=Griffiths |first=Chloe |date=30 July 2005 |title=New bus fleet unveiled |work=The Journal |location=Newcastle-upon-Tyne |page=26 |id={{ProQuest|350624135}}}} and 30 ALX400s were delivered to Arriva Merseyside in 2006.{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Stewart |date=24 March 2006 |title=Investing in Merseyside |url=http://www.busandcoach.com/featureStory.aspx?id=565 |url-status=dead |work=Bus & Coach Professional |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060324091749/http://www.busandcoach.com/featureStory.aspx?id=565 |archive-date=24 March 2006 |access-date=14 July 2022}} On the Dennis Trident chassis, 30 ALX400s were delivered to Arriva Shires & Essex in 2000.{{rp|270}}

Smaller operators of Alexander ALX400-bodied buses included Lothian Buses, who had five delivered on Dennis Trident chassis in 1999;{{cite book |last=Walter |first=Richard |date=15 June 2019 |title=Lothian Buses: 100 Years and Beyond |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=48GbDwAAQBAJ |location=Stroud |publisher=Amberley Publishing|page= |isbn=978-1-4456-9190-9}} UK North, who had four ALX400s on DAF DB250 chassis delivered in 1999;{{cite magazine |last=Jenkins |first=David |date=16 May 2019 |issue=771 |pages=34–37 |title=A postcard from Eastbourne |url=https://www.keybuses.com/article/postcard-eastbourne |magazine=Buses |location=Stamford |publisher=Key Publishing |access-date=1 July 2023 |quote=The newest (and only low-floor) double-deckers were four nine-year-old DAF DB250s with Alexander ALX400 bodies that had been new to UK North in Manchester, which had also competed with Stagecoach.}} the Oxford Bus Company, who had 20 dual-door ALX400s on Dennis Trident 2 chassis delivered for use on the Oxford Park and Ride in 1999;{{cite magazine |last=Morris |first=Stephen |url=https://archive.org/details/buses-issue539/page/26/mode/2up |title=Road Test: Trident tested and found lacking in little |magazine=Buses |issue=539 |location=Hersham |publisher=Ian Allan Publishing |pages=26–29 |date=February 2000 |access-date=23 April 2024}}{{cite book|last=Lyons|first=Mark|title=The Go-Ahead Group: The First 25 Years |chapter=Oxford Bus Company|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=2_1zEAAAQBAJ |access-date=7 April 2023|date=30 June 2022|publisher=Key Publishing|isbn=978-1-80282-082-9|page=44}} East Yorkshire Motor Services and Finglands Coachways, who took delivery of two ALX400s each on Dennis Trident 2 chassis for evaluation against Plaxton President-bodied Volvo B7TLs in 2000;{{cite magazine |last=Brown |first=Stewart J. |title=EYMS Group - Traditional values |magazine=Buses Focus |issue=21 |page=17 |location=Hersham |publisher=Ian Allan Publishing |date=Winter 2001–2002 |quote=In 2000 the EYMS Group bought its first low floor double-deckers, four Alexander-bodied Dennis Tridents and four Plaxton-bodied Volvo B7TLs. Two of each type are operated by EYMS, and by Finglands.}} and Newport Transport, who took delivery of six ALX400s on Dennis Trident chassis in 2000.{{cite magazine |last=Brown |first=Stewart J. |title=On the brink of change |magazine=Buses Focus |pages=28–32 |location=Hersham |publisher=Ian Allan Publishing |year=2005 |quote=School transport helps justify the retention of six Alexander-bodied Dennis Tridents delivered in 2000 when Scania didn't offer a low-floor double-decker.}}

In late 2005, Alexander Dennis launched the Enviro400 model, intended as a replacement for the ALX400. Despite the bulk of the 2006 Stagecoach double-decker bus order favouring the Enviro400 model, also chosen by London operator Metroline, in July 2006 Dublin Bus placed a repeat order for 100 ALX400 on Volvo B7TL chassis. Production of the ALX400 bodywork ceased after the delivery of these 100 ALX400-bodied Volvo B7TLs between late 2006 and early 2007.

{{Reflist}}

• {{Commons category-inline}}
• {{Commons category-inline|TransBus ALX400}}
• {{Commons category-inline|Alexander Dennis ALX400}}

{{Walter Alexander bodies}}

{{Alexander Dennis}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander Alx400}}

ALX400

Category:Double-decker buses

Category:Low-floor buses

Category:Vehicles introduced in 1997