MCW Metrobus

MCW Metrobus is a double decker bus model manufactured by MCW (Metro Cammell Weymann) from 1977 until 1989, with over 4000 examples built.

The original MkI model was superseded by the MkII model (which had symmetric windscreen) in 1981/1982, although production of the original MkI continued for London Transport until 1985.

The Metrobus was conceived as an integral product manufactured completely by MCW, but Alexander and Northern Counties also bodied some examples.

In the United Kingdom, the Metrobus was mainly used in the metropolitan areas, especially London and the West Midlands.

The demonstrator TOJ592S was lent to London Transport in December 1977. LT were so impressed with the vehicle they placed an order soon after. This prototype Metrobus is now in use by Midland Classic Limited of Church Gresley, Swadlincote, Derbyshire.

London Transport took 1,440 MkI examples between 1978 and 1985, numbering them as M1 to M1440. Two MkII prototypes were delivered to London Transport as M1441 and M1442 in 1984, but there were no further orders. In 1987 and 1988, 14 secondhand Metrobuses were purchased from Greater Manchester PTE, West Yorkshire PTE and Busways. London Transport's low-cost subsidiary Harrow Buses leased 29 new MkII Metrobuses in 1987, but had to return them to their lessor three years later. London Transport's Metrobuses were the mainstay of the double decker fleet between 1987 and privatisation in 1994, when most of them passed to seven of the new operators. They remained in service for London Buses until 2004, when the last examples were withdrawn.

West Midlands Travel also took significant numbers of Metrobuses, both MkI and MkII examples. There are also some dual-purpose Metrobuses with high-back seats, mainly used on limited-stop services. Also in the fleet are 14 guided-buses for service 65, which is the first guided-bus system in UK. Today there are still a number of MkII examples in service with Travel West Midlands, as the company now calls itself, although they are likely to be replaced by new buses over the next years.

A notable Metrobus is Strathclyde Buses MB70 (G408OGD) which was the last Metrobus ever built as MCW went into receivership, but this vehicle has been scrapped by First.

Secondhand Metrobuses have been purchased by operators in both the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Often, these are used mainly on school contracts.

Although not in regular service, Metrobuses are still seen on the streets of London as Underground replacement bus services, particularly by bus companies such as Blue Triangle and Sullivan Buses, where they are often accompanied by Leyland Titan (B15) and Routemaster buses.

In Hong Kong, the China Motor Bus (CMB) introduced 12 Metrobuses (MC1-MC12) in 1978 for its luxury services (which cover the routes between Repulse Bay, Stanley and the Central District). Within a year, MCW produced an 11-metre 2-axle version of Metrobus (MB1-MB40), and totally 40 long Metrobuses were introduced by CMB (which were the only 40 11-metre, 2-axle Metrobuses in the world) between 1978 and 1979. Both batches of CMB Metrobuses have MkI bodies.

In 1981, MCW provided prototypes of 3-axle, 12-metre long "Super-Metrobus" for both CMB and Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB). Two prototypes (ML1 and ML2) entered CMB services [ML2 was the only 3-door Metrobus in CMB's fleet] and KMB acquired three (M1-M3, later renumbered 3M1-3M3), all were bodied with MCW MkII body. In return, CMB purchased 82 more Super-Metrobuses (ML3-84) between 1983 and 1988, while KMB purchased 80 2-axle Metrobuses (M1-M80, with MkII bodies) between 1983 and 1985.

While KMB was not interested in the 12-metre version Super-Metrobuses, they did express their interest in an 11-metre 3-axle version (The CMB 11-metre version Metrobuses were 2-axle). 254 11-metre 3-axle Metrobuses (S3M1-254) were purchased by KMB between 1986 and 1989. 50 of these buses were fitted with Cummins engines, and another one (later numbered S3M145) was originally fitted with a Sütrak air-conditioner (so it's an air-conditioned prototype), but this air-conditioning unit was proved unreliable and subsequently removed.

Between 1987 and 1989, KCRC also purchased 59 2-axle Metrobuses for their feeder bus services. 39 of them (101-139) were brand new with MkII bodies, while another 20 (140-159) were second-hand buses bought from England (originally owned by South Yorkshire PTE) with MkI bodies.

Argos Bus purchased 6 Metrobuses for their non-franchised routes and private hire services between 1988 and 1989. They were from the same batch as those bought second-hand by KCRC.

KMB purchased 8 more 2-axle Metrobuses (M81-M88) in 1989. These buses were fitted with Cummins LT10A-B282 (282hp) engines and Voith D864G 4-speed gearbox, and were used on the hilly route 51 (servicing between Tsuen Wan and Kam Tin, climbing Tai Mo Shan along its way). Later KMB converted some of the older Metrobuses with Cummins engines for replacement, in order to avoid excess damage to buses from running the hilly route.

It's rumoured that CMB was still asking MCW for more Super-Metrobuses when MCW ceased bus production in 1989. After CMB had learnt about the closure, it decided to buy 12-metre 3-axle buses from Dennis.

The MkI second-hand Metrobuses were the first to be withdrawn, and all of them had already been scrapped. Many of the KCRC ones were loaned to Citybus for few years before final withdrawal.

CMB removed Metrobuses from the luxury routes after introducing Dennis Darts for the service in 1991. These Metrobuses were allocated to non-luxurious routes in the Southern District, as well as route 13 serving the "Mid-levels". Although CMB was the first to introduce Metrobuses, it withdrew only 3 of them (all were accident victims) before its end of franchise in August 1998. Its earliest Metrobuses were already 20 years old by then. New World First Bus (NWFB) purchased all the remaining CMB's Metrobuses and Super-Metrobuses when it took over most of the CMB's routes. These Metrobuses were then swiftly scrapped or (for most Super-Metrobuses) exported. As of 2007, there are still Super-Metrobuses from CMB providing tour service in Australia (around 10 buses) and the United Kingdom.

The former CMB ML1 was bought by Andrew Haviland, a private collector, and restored at the Sydney Bus Museum in Sydney, Australia. The restored bus went into its first service as an Australia Day 2007 shuttle in Sydney.

KMB allocated its 3 Super-Metrobuses in the New Territories for years. For example, they were serving on route 61A (which connected Tuen Mun and Yuen Long new towns) right before the KCR Light Rail took over the services. After that, they were seen on route 36A (which serves a public housing estate in Kwai Chung) until the route's decline in the mid-1990s. They spent further few years as reserved buses before being withdrawn from passenger service no later than 1996 and converted into training buses. They were finally sold and scrapped in 2001.

KMB started to withdraw its 2-axle Metrobuses since 1997. Some of them had their chassis damaged due to the fatigue caused during their service on route 51. KCRC also started to withdraw their Metrobuses in early 2000s. All 2-axle Metrobuses in Hong Kong have been withdrawn from passenger service, with the last one (KCRC 134) being withdrawn in October 2005.

The 11-metre 3-axle Metrobuses in KMB were not withdrawn until 2002. As of December 2006, only 13 of them are still in service, and they are all scheduled to be withdrawn in May 2007.

Production of Metrobus was terminated in 1989 with the financial collapse of MCW. The Metrobus design was purchased by Optare in 1990, which had recently joined the United Bus group with DAF Bus. Despite owning design and production rights, the two companies heavily reworked the design to produce a new vehicle, the DAF DB250-based Optare Spectra, which was launched in 1991 and ceased production in late 2005.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to MCW Metrobus.