On the Saturday 27th July 2024, Arriva's Aylesbury and High Wycombe garages ran their final services. From Sunday 28th, Redline and Carousel Buses would take over a number of their routes to cover the losses. This visual was filmed on the last day of service.
X9 was operated by Aylesbury depot. For most of its life it was known as the 300, X9 was a recent and rather odd renumbering, particularly as the route is slower than its red counterpart the 130. Redline and Arriva have been locked in a fairly intense competition on this bus corridor for the last couple of years, which has seen some pretty insane frequencies and duplication of timetables by each company. In the end, the underdog won. Redline will take over X9 and return it to its original numbering of 300. As a result, frequencies will probably drop back down to a logical level.
On a side note, this was probably one of the weakest buses I have ever ridden on, it really really struggled on hills, so it comes as no surprise the bus is likely to be withdrawn.
Total journey time: 55 minutes
Route: X9 (300) - High Wycombe - Aylesbury via Naphill, Princes Risborough, Stoke Mandeville
Operator: Arriva Beds and Bucks
Bus: ADL Enviro400
Reg: SN15 LPY
Fleet code: 5468
Garage: Aylesbury
Songs used:
1. Say It Right - Nelly Furtado
2. Shooting Stars - Anna Yvette