Arriva's New Enviro200 MMCs Arrive in Wrexham
Arriva's latest investment on the Wrexham network is a significant one, with 11 new 11.8m Alexander Dennis Enviro200 MMCs joining the fleet as part of a £2.5million spend on the town's bus services, replacing the previous Sapphire branded Enviro400City double-decks that have served route 1 between Wrexham and Chester since 2017.
The Wrexham order forms part of a much wider £15million investment across Wales, which will see 59 new vehicles arrive on Arriva's network altogether, including 15 single-deckers for Bangor and 33 double-deckers for Rhyl alongside the 11 heading to Wrexham, with the Wrexham vehicles first into service in the coming weeks and the Bangor and Rhyl batches following on afterwards.
Under the bonnet, power comes from a Cummins B6.7 six-cylinder, 6.7-litre Euro VI engine producing 250PS and 1000Nm of torque, paired with a Voith DIWA transmission and Alexander Dennis' SmartPack efficiency technology, which together should help keep fuel consumption and emissions down on what is a fairly demanding, stop-start corridor between the two cities.
Adam Marshall, Head of Commercial, Arriva Bus Wales said,
This investment is part of Arriva's wider £340million programme to transform its UK bus operations, announced in March 2026, which will see more than 500 new buses join the operator's regional fleets alongside depot electrification schemes being rolled out across the network in the months ahead.
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| Arriva Buses Wales |
The Wrexham order forms part of a much wider £15million investment across Wales, which will see 59 new vehicles arrive on Arriva's network altogether, including 15 single-deckers for Bangor and 33 double-deckers for Rhyl alongside the 11 heading to Wrexham, with the Wrexham vehicles first into service in the coming weeks and the Bangor and Rhyl batches following on afterwards.
Handover
Route 1 has long been a double-deck operation, so the switch to single-deck Enviro200 MMCs marks a noticeable change of character for the corridor, with the outgoing Enviro400Citys having carried the Sapphire brand and its two-tone blue livery since the concept was rolled out on this very route back in 2013, making route 1 something of a proving ground for Arriva's Wales operations over the years and now the starting point for this next chapter.Traits
Finished in Arriva's current Journey Mark corporate livery, the new single-deckers feature light blue e-Leather seating throughout the saloon, along with USB charging points and talking buses AV technology that delivers automated next stop announcements, a feature that continues to spread across Arriva's newer vehicles as it becomes something of an industry standard rather than a novelty.Under the bonnet, power comes from a Cummins B6.7 six-cylinder, 6.7-litre Euro VI engine producing 250PS and 1000Nm of torque, paired with a Voith DIWA transmission and Alexander Dennis' SmartPack efficiency technology, which together should help keep fuel consumption and emissions down on what is a fairly demanding, stop-start corridor between the two cities.
Adam Marshall, Head of Commercial, Arriva Bus Wales said,
"These new buses are a real boost for Wrexham, offering passengers more comfortable and reliable journeys as soon as they hit the road.I've travelled route 1 more times than I can count over the years, and there's always something a little bittersweet about seeing a well-loved double-deck rake replaced, even when the newcomers are well specified, though the light blue e-Leather seating and talking buses tech should win passengers over quickly enough once they're out on the road.
"They're part of a much bigger £15 million investment across Wales, and it shows our commitment to giving communities here a bus service they can depend on.
"We want people to look at the bus first when they're planning to get around and considering leaving the car at home."
This investment is part of Arriva's wider £340million programme to transform its UK bus operations, announced in March 2026, which will see more than 500 new buses join the operator's regional fleets alongside depot electrification schemes being rolled out across the network in the months ahead.
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