Xplore Dundee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Xplore Dundee

Xplore Dundee Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC on Dundee High Street in July 2019
Parent	McGill's Bus Services
Founded	1985
Headquarters	Dundee, Scotland, UK
Service area	Dundee City
Service type	Bus and coach services
Routes	21 (April 2024)
Fleet	94 (November 2023)
Chief executive	Ralph Roberts

Xplore Dundee is a bus company in Dundee, Scotland. They run bus services mostly within the city. They also have a special bus service that goes to Edinburgh Airport. Xplore Dundee is part of a bigger company called McGill's Bus Services.

The Story of Xplore Dundee Buses

Old Company Logos

Logo from 1997 to 2008

Logo from 2008 to 2015

A Travel Dundee bus in August 2008. It's an East Lancs MaxCi body on a Scania N113CRL.

The company started a long time ago, on August 30, 1877. Back then, it was called the Dundee and District Tramways Company. They used horse-drawn trams! In 1885, they started using steam-powered trams.

From Trams to Buses

On June 1, 1899, the local council bought the company. It became Dundee City Tramways. Between 1900 and 1902, the trams were changed to run on electricity. From 1922, motor buses also started running alongside the trams.

The tram system grew until 1933. But by 1956, buses had completely replaced all the trams. The company then changed its name to Dundee Corporation Transport.

Changes in Ownership

In May 1975, the bus company became part of the Tayside Regional Council. Even with the new name, the buses still only served the Dundee area. The buses changed their colours from green to dark blue, light blue, and white.

To get ready for new rules about buses in October 1986, the company became a separate business. It was called Tayside Bus Company Limited. In 1990, they bought Greyhound Luxury Coaches. This part of the company was renamed Tayside Greyhound. It offered private coach and bus hire.

In June 1991, the company was sold to its own employees. This is called an employee buyout.

Becoming Travel Dundee

In February 1997, a big company called National Express bought Tayside. The company was then renamed Travel Dundee. The buses got new colours again: blue, red, and white.

Travel Dundee used to work with Scottish Citylink for many years. But in November 2005, Travel Dundee's services stopped for a short time. They started again quickly in January 2006. In May 2006, Travel Dundee began running some trips to Edinburgh. These services stopped again in September 2008.

National Express and Xplore Dundee

In November 2007, National Express decided to give all its bus companies a new, shared look. So, in October 2008, Travel Dundee became National Express Dundee. The buses changed to a red and white colour scheme.

On September 12, 2015, National Express Dundee changed its name again to Xplore Dundee. The buses got a new green colour. This green was similar to the old Dundee Corporation Transport buses.

In December 2020, McGill's Bus Services bought the company from National Express.

Xplore Dundee's Bus Fleet

An Xplore Dundee bus at McGill's Johnstone depot in September 2022. It's a Wright Eclipse Urban body on a Volvo B7RLE.

As of January 2024, Xplore Dundee has 94 buses and coaches.

New Buses Over the Years

Between 1997 and 1999, after National Express took over, Travel Dundee got many new buses. These included 30 Wright Liberator-bodied Volvo B10Ls and 25 Wright Renown-bodied Volvo B10BLEs. In 2004, they added 18 new Wright Eclipse Gemini double-decker buses.

Later, in 2011 and 2012, the company bought 29 new Wright Eclipse Urban 2-bodied Volvo B7RLE buses. These replaced older vehicles. In 2013, they received their first nine Alexander Dennis Enviro400H hybrid electric buses. These buses use both fuel and electricity. The Scottish Government helped pay for them.

Modern and Eco-Friendly Buses

After becoming Xplore Dundee in 2015, they got 14 new Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC buses. These were called 'Emerald' buses. They had cool features like USB charging and free WiFi. They were mainly used on route 22. In early 2020, nine more Emerald buses arrived. After this, the company promised not to buy any more diesel buses.

In December 2021, after McGill's took over, twelve new Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV battery electric buses started running. These buses run only on electricity. They are used on service 28, which goes through a busy area.

In 2023, Xplore Dundee updated many of its buses. They refurbished several Alexander Dennis Enviro400s. These buses got a new look and met strict Euro VI emissions standards. This means they produce much less pollution. The company also tested three different types of electric double-decker buses. They tried the Volvo BZL, Wright StreetDeck Electroliner, and Yutong U11DD.

Xplore Dundee Bus Routes

As of April 2024, Xplore Dundee runs 21 bus routes in the city. This includes 7 special routes for schools.

Special Services

The FLY Airport Bus

The FLY is a fast bus service run by Xplore Dundee. It runs 24 hours a day, every 90 minutes. This service connects Dundee City Centre to Edinburgh Airport. It started on June 9, 2019, and was first called the X90. After the COVID-19 pandemic, it was relaunched in June 2021 with new green and turquoise buses.

Discover Dundee Tour

Xplore Dundee also has a special 'Discover Dundee' tour. This is an open top bus tour that started in April 2022. It takes you around the city, from Discovery Point to the Dundee Law. There's even an extra route that goes across the Tay Road Bridge. You can also connect to other regular bus routes from the city centre.