Last update : January 17, 2001

Arriva, serving the Shires & Essex is a consolidation of a number of various companies but for the purpose of these pages, we concern ourselves with the area of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Historically the area around High Wycombe was served by London Transport Country Buses, which became London Country, then London Country (North West) and finally Chiltern Bus. This company was part of Luton & District, a privately owned company with headquarters in Luton. This was then sold to British Bus which finally became part of Arriva. A new livery was devised in 1997 and this formed the image and operation which we have today. After some competitive action in the High Wycombe area, matters settled down to a more harmonious period. On 14th December 2000, Wycombe Bus Company, owned until then by Go-Ahead, was sold to Arriva and incorporated into Arriva serving the Shires & Essex. Details of the Wycombe fleet area included on this page and will be fully incorporated into the Arriva details as final re-numberings are known.  

There are two depots in our area of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire covered on this page. These are Aylesbury and High Wycombe.

Allocations to these depots are given hereunder. Updates from visitors would be appreciated. Please send them to malcolmhc@aol.com

Aylesbury (Smeaton Close, Brunel Park)

Arriva The Shires serves Oxford from two directions. Services 260, 261 and the main 280 link Oxford with Aylesbury. 
The main vehicles used are a batch of six Volvo Olympians with Northern Counties Palatine II bodywork, 
5156-61 (S156-61 KNK), and 5160 is seen here in Oxford during October 2000.

A new delivery to Aylesbury depot during 2000 was this Dart MPD, nr 3487 W487YGS.
seen here on route 260 at Oxford Rail Station. 

High Wycombe (Lincoln Road, Cressex Estate)

2101 is used as a crew shuttle at Wycombe.

Arriva now runs the H18 LT service out of Wycombe depot using three Volvo B6s.
3259, the middle of the trio awaits service at Lincoln road Depot in November 2000.

The old Chiltern Rover livery is not quite gone yet and here Olympian 5070
is seen leaving the Lincoln road depot to take up service on the 362.

In the yard out back, we see three different types of bus in service at Wycombe with Arriva.
A Lynx is furthest from the camera, next a Greenway National and finally a Volvo B6.

Olympian 5134 with sister 5135 behind rests on a Sunday in January 2001
at the Cressex Depot of Arriva.

Arriva runs this Mercedes/Plaxton on tendered service U9 in Uxbridge.

A route branded Volvo B6 serving Heathrow Airport via Slough on the 74.
3126 is seen at Lincoln Road depot in December 2000

NEWLANDS BUS STATION (ex Wycombe Bus Company - 14/12/00)
The renumbering of this fleet will be posted when it is finalised. 
Certain numbers are already included in parenthesis.

Ex Wycombe Bus Lynx 302 is seen at Newlands Bus Station in December 2000. It carries Arriva logos.