Manufacturer Scania Class Complete bus | Production 1996–2012 | |
 | ||
Assembly Denmark: Silkeborg (DAB)
Sweden: Katrineholm
Poland: Słupsk Body style Single-decker/double-decker city bus Layout Transverse rear-engine design | ||
The Scania OmniCity is an integrally constructed transverse-engined low floor city bus that was available from Scania on the European market between 1997 and 2012.
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The OmniCity was introduced in September 1996 as the first product based on the 4-series bus range. The first prototypes were built in the former DAB plant in Silkeborg, Denmark, and serial production continued there in 1997, joined by Scania's plant in Katrineholm, Sweden. From 1999 it was also built at the plant in Słupsk, Poland. Production in Silkeborg ended in early 2000, and Katrineholm in 2004, with only a few test buses in 2005 to 2006. Since then all have been built in Poland.
In 2006, the OmniCity was upgraded from the 4-series to the new N-series, which also included a thorough facelift, with the large rectangular front headlamps being replaced by smaller, round items, and further tweaks carried out to the rear styling.
The Scania Citywide was launched in 2011 as a replacement for the OmniCity, except for the right-hand drive markets, where Scania have chosen to rely on external bodywork manufacturers, including Alexander Dennis. With a total of more than 2200 units, the last few OmniCities were built in 2012.
Single-decker
The single-decker OmniCity was first introduced in 1996 in left-hand drive form and in 2002 in right-hand drive for the UK market.
The earlier version of the single-decker OmniCity was known as the CN94UB. But the Euro IV version was known as the CN230UB or CN270UB, the 230 and 270 indicate the maximum power (in hp) of the engine.
The Scania OmniCity single-decker has a rounded roof dome (more rounded than the Citywide LF) with a single-curvature windscreen and a separate destination blind. Unlike the Scania L94UB and OmniLink, the OmniCity features a full low floor without the need for steps or ramps to reach the rear seats, similar to the Volvo B7L.
The OmniCity is popular in several European cities, notably with SL in Stockholm, Sweden, and ACTV in Venice, Italy and AMT in Genoa, Italy. The first right-hand drive city bus entered service with Nottingham City Transport in January 2002, following conversion from left-hand drive.
In February–March 2008 Metrobus, Crawley took delivery of the first 10.7m OmniCities in the UK for the new Fastway route 100. They featured part-leather seating and only one door – most Fastway buses have two – and entered service on 10 May 2008.
Double-decker
In 2005, Scania announced the introduction of the OmniCity 2-axle double-decker bus in order to complement its OmniDekka double-decker bus sold in the UK. It has a full low floor and is a complete Scania product, unlike the OmniDekka which features a body by East Lancashire Coachbuilders. The early 2-axle double-decker OmniCity uses the N94UD chassis, the same as the OmniDekka.
A demonstrator was delivered to Travel West Midlands (now National Express West Midlands) and entered service in November 2005. The first order is five buses for Lothian Buses of Edinburgh, Scotland which entered service during August–September 2006 and are in the Airlink livery. Later Lothian Buses ordered a further 10 buses to replace the Tridents on the route, these buses entered service in late 2007. There are also 15 for Transdev London which entered service in late 2006.
At first, it was in limited production, until the Euro IV version was launched. The reason for this is because the new Euro IV Scania engine is a five-cylinder 9-litre EGR engine as opposed to its Euro III predecessor, which is a six-cylinder 9-litre engine. The chassis designation has also changed to N230UD or N270UD.
Further orders were announced in late 2007, with many Go-Ahead companies buying them, such as Solent Blue Line, Southern Vectis and Wilts & Dorset. Metrobus also cancelled an order for two Scania/Darwen Olympus, for two OmniCitys, following the very long delays in production of the Olympus.
In 2008, Transdev London ordered 22 more OmniCitys: 9 for new route 482, and the rest to upgrade routes 148 and 267. National Express West Midlands took five more OmniCitys in early 2008.
In May 2008, Reading Buses took delivery of 14 ethanol-fuelled OmniCitys. These have now been converted to diesel.
In June 2008, Brighton & Hove ordered 13 Scania OmniCity double-decker buses. These replaced Dennis Trident 2/Plaxton Presidents and Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renowns on Metro route 5. A further 18 vehicles were delivered in July 2009.
In late 2008, Stagecoach London ordered 174 Omnicities for use on routes 48, 51, 205, 248 and 365. These entered service between September 2008 and March 2010.
A number of OmniCity double-decker buses run on London Buses, with Metrobus (which received one of them as Scania's 1000th low-floor double-decker bus in 2010), Transdev London and East London Bus Group being the most notable buyers.
In 2009, several OmniCitys were ordered by Transdev London for upgrades on routes 49, 65, 71, 148, 183 and H32. Further more, in early 2010, Transdev London ordered 70 more OmniCitys: 28 to operate the newly gained contract on route 10 from First Centrewest, and the rest to upgrade routes 111 and H91.
In late 2011, First London received 39 OmniCitys to convert route 207 to double-decker operations.
Articulated version
The single-decker articulated (or "bendy bus") version of the OmniCity was first introduced in 1996. The articulated OmniCity built by 2006 was known as the CN94UA.
In the UK, a demonstrator toured London in 2004, but failed to win any orders in place of the Mercedes-Benz Citaro. After other trials around the country, this bus was bought by Lothian Buses in April 2008, and then acquired by Nottingham City Transport after it left Lothian Buses in late August 2009. In 2005, Travel West Midlands ordered a batch, and in 2006, a group of high-specification artics entered service with Cardiff Bus on high-profile routes. Also in summer 2005 First Greater Manchester placed eighteen in service, predominantly between Manchester and Bury.
The Euro IV/V/EEV articulated version of the OmniCity was known as the CN280UA. In the UK, they are currently about 10 of them in use around Heathrow Airport.