| Optare MetroRider | |
|---|---|
 Warrington Borough Transport MetroRider in Blackpool in June 2013 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Optare |
| Production | 1989 - 2000 |
| Assembly | Cross Gates |
| Body and chassis | |
| Doors | 1 |
| Floor type | Step entrance |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | Cummins |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | MCW Metrorider |
| Successor | Optare Solo |
The Optare MetroRider was a midibus manufactured by Optare between 1989 and 2000.
Optare based the original design on the MCW Metrorider after it bought the rights from Metro Cammell Weymann after the latter decided to cease production. [1] It was launched in November 1989, with 1,159 produced before it was succeeded by the Optare Solo in 2000. [2] [3]
The MetroRider was an integral bus, with the chassis and body constructed as a single structure. It was sold abroad in kit form, in countries such as Malaysia. [4] Four electric MetroRiders were sold to the Oxford Bus Company in 1993 and two compressed natural gas powered versions were sold to Stagecoach Cambus in 1996. [3] [5] [6]
An electric version of the MetroRider was produced in 1993. The transport authority placed four vehicles into service on a city centre circular service in Oxford. They were operated initially by the Oxford Bus Company but later briefly passed to Stagecoach Group before withdrawal owing to a cessation of subsidy. They were later used on Jersey and Islay. [7]
Two MetroRiders were produced for Stagecoach Cambus in Cambridge, powered by a dedicated CNG engine developed by Cummins.
Transdev Blazefield is a bus group, which operates local and regional bus services across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, England. Formed in August 1991, the group has been a subsidiary of French-based operator Transdev since January 2006.
Metro Cammell Weymann Ltd. (MCW), Elmdon, Birmingham, was once a major contributor in transportation manufacturing in the UK and Europe. It was established in 1932 by Metro-Cammell's bus bodybuilding division and Weymann Motor Bodies to produce bus bodies.
Switch Mobility is an English bus manufacturer based in Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire. It is a subsidiary of Indian company Ashok Leyland. The company is responsible for the EV operations of the group with Ashok Leyland focusing on its core business of diesel-powered vehicles as well as work on alternative fuels like compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) and hydrogen.
The Switch Solo is a low-floor minibus/midibus with one or two doors manufactured by Switch Mobility in the United Kingdom since 1998. The Solo name is a play on its low-floor status, the manufacturer marketing its vehicle as having an entrance that is "so low" from the floor, namely 200 mm (8 in) with kneeling suspension. In January 2012 Optare announced the end of production for the original Solo design with a modified Solo SR taking over.
MTL Trust Holdings was an English bus, coach and train operator based in Liverpool. MTL was originally part of the MPTE. To comply with the Transport Act 1985, the bus operations were divested into a new independent company, Merseyside Transport Limited (MTL). Merseyside PTA retained shareholding, but the company was purchased by its management and staff in 1993. On 17 February 2000, MTL was purchased by Arriva.
Stagecoach West is the trading name of Cheltenham & Gloucester Omnibus Company Limited, a bus operator providing services in Gloucestershire, Bristol, Swindon, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, North Somerset and Herefordshire, in the West of England. The company is a subsidiary of Stagecoach Group.
First York operates local bus services, with a network centring around the cathedral city of York, North Yorkshire, England. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup, which operates bus, rail and tram services across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The MCW Metrorider, launched at the 1986 Motor Show, was a minibus designed built by Metro Cammell Weymann (MCW) between 1986 and 1989. Constructed in two lengths, 7.0 m and 8.4 m, the Metrorider was an integral bus, marking it out from its van-based rivals of the time.
The Optare CityPacer was a minibus body manufactured by Optare from 1985 to 1992.
The Optare Versa is a low-floor midibus that was manufactured by Optare at its Sherburn-in-Elmet factory. In total 883 were produced between 2007 and 2018.
MK Metro was a bus company operating in Milton Keynes from 1997 until 2010.
Environmental Performance Vehicles (EPV), previously DesignLine Corporation, is a manufacturer of coach, electric and range-extended electric (hybrid) buses. It was founded in Ashburton, New Zealand in 1985. Initially it was a manufacturer of tour coaches. In the 1990s it diversified into conventional transit buses and then added hybrid city buses in the late 1990s. It was acquired by American interests in 2006, and DesignLine Corporation's headquarters was relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina. Following a bankruptcy in 2013, the assets of DesignLine were sold and the company was renamed.
Stagecoach East is the divisional name for the bus operations of the Stagecoach Group in eastern England.
Preston park and ride is a park-and-ride scheme in the city of Preston in Lancashire, England, operated by Rotala subsidiary Preston Bus.
United Counties Omnibus was an English bus company, operating in Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, and parts of surrounding counties.
Stagecoach in Preston was a network of bus routes running within the city of Preston, Lancashire and into the surrounding area. It was founded in 2009 after Stagecoach Group acquired Preston Bus that was founded in 1904. The company operated from the main depot on Deepdale Road and their other depot on Selbourne Street. In January 2011, the company was sold to Rotala, which now operates the services under the Preston Bus brand.
Stagecoach Highlands is a division of the Stagecoach Group operating within the Scottish Highlands as well as on the Orkney Islands and Isle of Skye. The company is based in Inverness and covers most of the former Rapson Group bus and coach operations, which were taken over by Stagecoach in May 2008.
Buses in Milton Keynes are run by a mixture of operators on a network of urban and rural routes in and around the Milton Keynes urban area. These services have a varied history involving five different companies. At the foundation of the 'New City' in 1967 and for some years afterwards, Milton Keynes was served by a rural bus service between and to the pre-existing towns. Apart from a small-scale experimental service, urban buses arrived on the scene with deregulation in 1986. Since April 2010 the core local services have been provided by Arriva Shires & Essex. Long-distance coach services also serve MK, often via the Milton Keynes Coachway located near junction 14 of the M1 motorway.
The Switch Metrodecker is an integral twin-axle double-decker bus produced by British bus manufacturer Switch Mobility since 2014. The bus bears resemblance to the Switch Metrocity, sharing similar interior and exterior features. The MetroDecker was designed as the successor to the Optare Olympus and Scania OmniDekka double-deckers, which were both discontinued in 2011, however unlike these, the MetroDecker is only available in integral form.
Media related to Optare MetroRider at Wikimedia Commons
 | This bus-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |