The Wright Eclipse Gemini is a low-floordouble-decker bus body that was built by Wrightbus since 2001, based on the single-decker Wright Eclipse design. The second-generation Eclipse Gemini 2 was launched in 2009, followed by the third-generation Gemini 3 in 2013. Additionally, the body was available on Volvo Super Olympian chassis in Hong Kong between 2003 and 2005, marketed as the Wright Explorer.
The original Eclipse Gemini was launched in 2001 on Volvo B7TL chassis; from 2006, the body was also built on the replacement Volvo B9TL chassis and, from 2013, on the B9TL's replacement, the Volvo B5TL. From 2008, the body was also available on Volvo B5LH hybrid chassis. Eclipse Gemini's exported to the Asian market have been offered a choice of the tri-axle Volvo B8L and the Scania K410EB.
Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied buses were mass-introduced on London Buses services from 2001. It has also been popular with FirstGroup, who from 2003 onwards have purchased over 1,200 into service.[2]Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann have also acquired many Volvo B9TLs with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodywork.
Rears of First Bristol Volvo B7TL (right) and facelifted Volvo B9TL (left) Wright Eclipse Geminis at Cribbs Causeway bus station
The Wright Eclipse Gemini was launched in 2001, initially on the Volvo B7TL chassis, as a double decker version of the existing Wright Eclipse body.[3] The original Eclipse Gemini, and all versions up until the facelifted Gemini 3, have both the upper and lower deck front windscreens forming part of a single oval shape, with the destination blind in between. The interior of the Eclipse Gemini features curves similar to its exterior, and continues the modern feel.
In 2006, the Volvo B7TL chassis, which had been the subject of noise complaints,[4] was superseded by the Volvo B9TL, with Wrightbus launching a facelifted version of the Wright Eclipse Gemini to fit the new chassis. The updated styling was largely confined to the rear of the body, where it has a more rounded appearance compared to the original and a central LED route number panel, housed within a smoked glass effect panel underneath the upper rear window. Other external modifications included the relocation of the rear number plate from its integrated position with the upper rear window to a more conventional siting at the bottom of the bus.
The first-generation Wright Eclipse Gemini was highly popular with the FirstGroup, with the group ordering examples from 2004 onwards. Wright Eclipse Geminis on the Volvo B7TL chassis entered service with First Glasgow, First West and South Yorkshire, and First Leicester, among others, between 2004 and the B7TL's discontinuation in 2007.[5][6] The first examples on the following Volvo B9TL chassis entered service with First South Yorkshire and First Glasgow in 2007, subsequently followed by a large order from First Greater Manchester, who ordered over 200 of the type from 2007 to 2010.[7][8]
In London, the Wright Eclipse Gemini on the Volvo B7TL chassis was also highly popular with Transport for London operators, although these buses were the subject of criticism for noise from their cooling fans.[4]Arriva London were the launch customer for the Wright Eclipse Gemini, taking on its first two of the type in July 2001, one of which was displayed at the 2001 International Association of Public Transport conference at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre.[9]:166 Arriva London would go on to operate a total 179 Wright Eclipse Geminis on the Volvo B7TL chassis, while 273 B7TL Geminis were delivered to Go-AheadLondon Central and London General, 209 to First Capital, 73 to Travel London, 44 to East Thames Buses and three delivered to London United.[9]:272 A single Euro IV Volvo B9TL demonstrator with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodywork was delivered to London Central in July 2006, however orders did not materialise.[10]:5[11]
Lothian Buses were another popular customer of the Wright Eclipse Gemini, initially ordering 125 on the Volvo B7TL chassis between 2005 and 2006, having previously standardised with the Plaxton President on the Dennis Trident chassis.[12][13] The company moved onto the Volvo B9TL chassis in 2007, taking on a first batch of 50 that year.[14] The Wright Eclipse Gemini on the Volvo B7TL chassis was similarly popular with Travel West Midlands, taking delivery of 150 of the type between 2004 and 2006,[15][16][17] as well as Translink of Northern Ireland, who took delivery of 125 Geminis on Volvo B9TL chassis during 2007 for use by both its Metro and Ulsterbus companies.[18]
Go North East initially took delivery of three Wright Eclipse Geminis with high specification interiors on the Volvo B7TL chassis in 2005, which were used on the X10 express service connecting Newcastle upon Tyne and Middlesbrough;[19] this was followed in 2006 by an order for five B7TL Geminis for use on the 724 service connecting Newcastle and Chester-le-Street.[20]East Yorkshire Motor Services purchased a total of 60 Wright Eclipse Geminis on both the Volvo B7TL and B9TL chassis between 2005 and 2009, including four for its Manchester-based Finglands Coachways operation,[21][22][18] and Lincolnshire RoadCar took delivery of six Wright Eclipse Geminis on Volvo B7TL chassis for Lincolnshire InterConnect services in 2006.[23]
The Blazefield Group first ordered Wright Eclipse Geminis in 2003, ordering twelve Volvo B7TLs with high-specification interiors for use on The 36, serving Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds.[24] This was followed by a delivery of 16 Geminis on B7TL chassis in 2005 for use on The Witch Way, serving Burnley and Manchester.[25] Ten Wright Eclipse Geminis on Volvo B9TL chassis were later delivered to Yorkshire Coastliner in 2008.[26]
Smaller operators of Wright Eclipse Geminis included Yellow Buses, who took delivery of six B7TL Wright Eclipse Geminis,[27] and Wessex Bus, who took delivery of seven B9TL Geminis during 2007.[18]
The Wright Eclipse Gemini was also made available on the hybrid Volvo B5LH chassis in 2008. The first six hybrid Eclipse Geminis were delivered to Arriva London in 2009.[28][10]:136
Between 2003 and 2005, Wrightbus bodied 100 Volvo Super Olympian chassis for Kowloon Motor Bus in Hong Kong; these received a modified version of the Eclipse Gemini body, initially marketed as The Wright Bus but later being renamed the Wright Explorer. The bodywork was modified to fit the Super Olympian chassis, with the most noticeable difference being the tri-axle layout.[29][30] The last Volvo Super Olympian to roll off the production line received Wright Explorer bodywork.[citation needed]
Subsequently, the Super Olympian was replaced by a tri-axle variant of the Volvo B9TL. Wrightbus offered similar tri-axle bodywork, which was unnamed and had slightly different rear styling, to the chassis. Deliveries commenced in 2006 with an initial batch of 64 Wright-bodied B9TLs.[31] After the introduction of Euro IV-engined Volvo B9TL, this bodywork became known as the Eclipse Gemini tri-axle, but no bodywork carrying this name were known to have been built.
Second generation (2008–2018)
For the Gemini 2 on VDL DB300 and diesel-electric hybrid chassis, see Wright Gemini 2.
Lothian Buses Volvo B9TL with standard-height Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 body in June 2010Arriva North WestVolvo B5LH with low-roof version of the Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 body
The second generation Wright Eclipse Gemini, called the Eclipse Gemini 2, was launched in 2008 on Volvo B9TL and B5LH chassis. The Eclipse Gemini 2 features front and rear ends facelifted to match the Eclipse 2 single-decker, as part of Wrightbus' new design philosophy.[32] A low-roof version was introduced in 2012.
After having been a significant customer for Wright Eclipse Geminis, outside London, the FirstGroup ordered comparatively fewer Wright Eclipse Gemini 2s on the Volvo B9TL chassis. First West Yorkshire took the largest delivery of Gemini 2s in the group, with 47 delivered to the operator in 2012 following their use in London on shuttle services for the 2012 Summer Olympics.[10]:184–185 Six were also delivered across two batches for First Berkshire's Green Lineservice 702 between 2011 and 2013,[10]:178–179 while First Eastern Counties took delivery of 15 Gemini 2s for services in Norwich in 2012.[33]
Lothian Buses were a continuing customer for the Gemini body on Volvo B9TL chassis, purchasing 145 Gemini 2s from 2009 to 2011.[34][35] 14 of these were delivered in 2010 for Lothian's Airlink services, specified with luggage racks, free WiFi, tables and a route-branded livery.[36]
East Yorkshire Motor Services took delivery of twenty Gemini 2s in two batches in 2009.[37][38] Six more were delivered to the company in 2014, followed by three acquired from Volvo dealer stock in 2015.[39][40]
Delaine Buses took delivery of seven Wright Gemini 2s on Volvo B9TL chassis between 2011 and 2015, with Delaine's final example also being the last Volvo B9TL chassis and Wright Gemini 2 body built for the UK market.[41][42]Dublin Bus purchased 160 during 2012 and 2013.[citation needed]
Like the Explorer, the Eclipse Gemini 2 was sold in Hong Kong, including a tri-axle variant that replaced the Explorer. Citybus, Kowloon Motor Bus, MTR Bus and New World First Bus purchasing examples.[62][63][64] In 2013, Kowloon Motor Bus purchased two extended 12.8 metre long demonstrators.[65][66] and was delivered in mid-2014. Citybus took an example of the 12.8 metres long as well and was delivered in late-2013, with build quality issues delaying the registration process and eventually put into service in March 2015. In 2017, the first demonstrator Volvo B8L for Kowloon Motor Bus was fitted with an Eclipse Gemini 2 body.
The third generation Wright Eclipse Gemini, now called simply the Gemini 3, was launched in 2013 for the new Volvo B5TL chassis, the eventual replacement of the B9TL. The Gemini 3 also remained available on Volvo B5LH hybrid chassis. Some design features were taken from the New Routemaster, another Wrightbus design. The two most noticeable aesthetic changes were a substantial redesign of the rear end and the introduction of smaller upper deck windows to save weight; the front light clusters were also slightly redesigned, in order to incorporate separate LED daytime running lights for the first time.
The majority of orders for the pre-facelift Wright Gemini 3 were placed by Dublin Bus, who have taken over 600 of the type on from 2014 onwards, the majority of which were built on the Volvo B5TL chassis. Some of these have since transferred to Go-Ahead Ireland following the retendering of Dublin Bus services to the new company by the National Transport Authority.[71][pageneeded]
In London, pre-facelift Wright Gemini 3s on the Volvo B5LH chassis were delivered to Stagecoach London, who took delivery of 32 of the type in 2014 for service on route 53;[10]:162–163[72] these were subsequently disposed of to Arriva London in 2018.[73] Metroline, meanwhile, took delivery of 95 B5LHs with pre-facelift Wright Gemini 3 bodies,[10]:109–112 and in 2015, London United took delivery of 28 Gemini 3s, with Tower Transit also taking delivery of eleven Gemini 3s.[10]:68,90[74]
Lothian Buses purchased 25 pre-facelift Wright Gemini 3s on the Volvo B5TL chassis in 2014,[75] and Yellow Buses took delivery of eight Gemini 3s on Volvo B5TL chassis in 2015.[76][77] Delaine Buses purchased three Wright Gemini 3-bodied B5TLs between 2015 and 2017.[78]
In 2014, to coincide with the launch of the integral Wright StreetDeck, the Gemini 3 underwent a facelift. Both the front and rear ends were substantially redesigned to match the StreetDeck.
Lothian Buses took delivery of a large number of facelift Wright Gemini 3s on the Volvo B5TL and B5LH chassis from 2015 until 2019, many of which were ordered through a four-year agreement signed in 2016 with Wrightbus to supply new buses to Lothian's fleet.[79][80] A majority of these Gemini 3s were delivered for the standard fleet to replace older buses,[81][82] however some were also delivered for use on Airlink and Skylink services, the latter of which was specified to operate B5LH hybrids.[83][84]
The facelift Wright Gemini 3 also can be configured as a purpose-built open top bus. The biggest customer for the open-top Gemini 3 is Lothian Buses, who took 30 examples for use on the company's City Sightseeing, Edinburgh Tour and Majestic Tour operations in 2016.[85]Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire, meanwhile, received seven open-top Gemini 3s on the Volvo B5TL chassis for use on the operator's Lakesider sightseeing service in the Lake District in 2017,[86][87] and Stagecoach East received six B5TL Gemini 3 open-toppers in 2018 for its City Sightseeing operations in Cambridge.[88][89]
Translink, who were a launch customer for the facelift Wright Gemini 3, standardised on both pre and post-facelift Gemini 3s on the Volvo B5TL chassis, with a majority being delivered to Metro for use in Belfast.[90] Ten facelift Gemini 3s were also delivered in May 2017 for Airport Express services serving Belfast International Airport.[91]
Transdev Blazefield first took delivery of 14 high-specification facelift Gemini 3s on the Volvo B5TL chassis to upgrade their 36 service in 2016,[92] which was followed by the purchase of ten similar buses for the Yorkshire Coastliner service in 2016.[93][94] Both services received three more Gemini 3s in 2017.
First Greater Manchester purchased 20 facelift Gemini 3s on Volvo B5LH hybrid chassis in 2015 for use on Transport for Greater Manchester-contracted Vantage services on the Leigh-Salford-Manchester Bus Rapid Transit scheme, with five more acquired in 2016 to cope with increasing demand.[95][96]Arriva Merseyside also received 51 facelift Gemini 3s built with low-height bodies on the Volvo B5LH chassis between 2016 and 2017.[97] Smaller orders for the facelift Gemini 3 on the Volvo B5TL chassis, meanwhile, include the University of Wolverhampton, who took delivery of five Gemini 3s for shuttle services between the university's campuses in 2017,[98] and Sanders Services, who took delivery of two of the type in 2021.[99]
Exports
The first three-axle Volvo B8L delivered to SBS Transit in Singapore in 2017 received Gemini 3 bodywork and was registered as SG4003D. It failed trials in Singapore as a demonstrator and was subsequently bought over by A&S Transit (now registered as PD169L).
Hong Kong's franchised bus operators have also placed orders for Volvo B8Ls with Gemini 3 bodywork – 200 for Kowloon Motor Bus, 10 for Long Win Bus, 46 for Citybus and 7 for New World First Bus. KMB's vehicles entered service in March 2018, with Citybus and New World First Bus's examples entering service in December 2019.[citation needed]
Hato Bus ordered 5 sightseeing buses in December 2018 on the twin-axle Scania K410EB chassis.[100] These were delivered sometime in 2020 and were unveiled in 2021.[101][102]
The Volvo B9TL is a low-floor double-decker bus built by Volvo from 2002 until 2018. It superseded the Volvo Super Olympian and the Volvo B7TL. The 2-axle version has been superseded by the Volvo B5TL in 2014 and the 3-axle version has been superseded by the Volvo B8L in 2018.
Wrightbus is a Northern Irish bus manufacturer and a pioneer of the low-floor bus. The company was established in 1946 by Robert Wright and was later run by his son William Wright, until it was acquired in 2019 by British businessman Jo Bamford.
The Volvo B7RLE is a low-entry single-deck bus chassis manufactured by Volvo. It was superseded by the Volvo B8RLE in 2013, with production of the B7RLE continuing until 2018.
The Volvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus chassis which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of the Volvo Olympian. It was built as the British bus operators seemed hesitant to purchase the B7L double decker with a long rear overhang.
The Volvo B7L is a fully low floor single-decker bus, double-decker bus and articulated bus chassis with a rear engine mounted vertically on the left of the rear overhang. It was built as a replacement for the Volvo B10L, and the Volvo Olympian, used as both a single-decker bus and a double-decker bus chassis largely in Continental Europe. The Volvo B7L was superseded by the Volvo B9L in 2006.
The Alexander ALX400 is a 2-axle double-decker bus body built by Walter Alexander Coachbuilders. It was one of the ALX-series bodywork, all of which featured the same designs on the front and rear panels that were originally designed for the new generation of mainly low-floor bus chassis produced since the late 1990s.
The Alexander Dennis Enviro400 is a twin-axle low-floor double-decker bus that was built by the British bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis between 2005 and 2018. It replaced the Alexander ALX400. In 2014, the Enviro400 was succeeded by the updated Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC and production of the classic Enviro400 ceased in 2018.
The VDL DB250 is a twin-axle double-decker bus chassis manufactured by VDL Bus & Coach.
The Wright Pulsar Gemini is a design of double-decker bus bodywork built onto VDL DB250LF chassis by Wrightbus between 2003 and 2006. It was visually almost identical to the Wright Eclipse Gemini that was mounted on the Volvo B7TL and later Volvo B9TL chassis.
The Wright Eclipse is a low-floor single-deck bus body that was built by Wrightbus between 1999 and 2019. The second-generation Eclipse 2 was launched in 2008, followed by the third-generation Eclipse 3 in 2015. The Eclipse, and its sister design the Solar, were named for a solar eclipse which was visible in the UK in 1999, the year of its introduction.
Arriva North West is a major bus operator running services in North West England in the Merseyside area. It is a subsidiary of Arriva UK Bus.
The Wright Gemini 2 is a double-decker bus built by Wrightbus between 2008 and 2013. It was announced in December 2007 but was not named until 2008. It was constructed as a semi-integral vehicle, with chassis modules provided by VDL. The bodywork utilised some lighter materials so that the vehicle was lighter than the Eclipse Gemini and Pulsar Gemini bodied buses. It was available in two versions; the Gemini 2 DL diesel-powered version, and the Gemini 2 HEV diesel-electric hybrid version.
The Volvo B5LH is a low-floor hybrid electric bus chassis for both single-decker buses and double-decker buses manufactured by Volvo since 2008. It is the basis for Volvo's integral 7700 Hybrid full low floor city bus and its successor, the 7900 Hybrid from 2011. In 2008, pre-production batches of both types of chassis were manufactured. Serial production started in June 2010. From 2013 it is also available as an articulated bus chassis. First entering service in London, the B5LH is the only current double decker type in service in the United Kingdom that uses a parallel hybrid drive system.
Lothian Buses is the largest provider of bus services in and around Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. It is entirely municipally owned, being 91% owned by the City of Edinburgh Council, with the remainder owned by Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian councils. Lothian Buses plc is registered in Annandale Street, Edinburgh as company number SC096849.
The Volvo B5TL is a 2-axle low-floor double decker built by Volvo. It replaced the B9TL as Volvo's Euro 6 2-axle double decker product for the UK and Irish markets.
The MCV EvoSeti is a low-floor double-decker bus body built by MCV Bus & Coach as a replacement for the MCV DD103. It was unveiled in May 2015.
The Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC is a low-floor double-decker bus produced by the British bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis since 2014, replacing the Alexander Dennis Enviro400. The Enviro400 MMC is produced at Alexander Dennis' Falkirk and Scarborough factories in the United Kingdom.
The Volvo B8L is a 3-axle bus chassis, for double-decker buses, manufactured by Volvo Buses since 2016, with pre-production batches being produced as early as in 2016. It is powered by a 6-cylinder, 350hp 7.7 litre Volvo engine.
The MCV Evora is a single-decker bus bodywork produced by Manufacturing Commercial Vehicles (MCV) since 2018, as the successor to the MCV Evolution. The Evora is currently available on Volvo B8RLE and Volvo B5LH chassis.
Coastliner is the brand name of bus routes 840 and 843 operating in North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire, England. It links Leeds, Tadcaster, York and Malton with the coastal towns of Whitby (840) and Scarborough (843).
↑ Booth, Gavin (14 March 2006). "Making connections in Lincs". Bus & Coach Professional. Archived from the original on 28 May 2006. Retrieved 7 April 2023. Brian Souter of Stagecoach [...] was enthusiastic about the whole InterConnect concept, agreeing that the injection of new buses will help. Six new Volvo B7TL/Wright Eclipse Geminis are expected and Hill pulled out drawings of the livery that will be applied to these buses.
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