April 29th 2020: From our archives…. 16 years ago in 2004

29/4/2020

We take another dip into our archives today and go back to April 2004 when Stagecoach launched its ‘Citi’ network concept in Peterborough. It had previously launched the ‘Citi’ network in Cambridge in 2001.
For Peterborough there was investment in 20 new Dart SLFs. These would replace a mix of Alexander Dash and Plaxton Pointer-bodied Darts and Volvo B6s, whilst some Alexander ALX200-bodied Darts were transferred to other parts of the company. Their introduction saw the recasting of the entire Stagecoach operation in Peterborough.
One of the new Darts, 34549 (GX04EZB) was used to promote the new network in the week leading up to the timetable changes.

We were able to take a number of photos prior to the 20 new Darts entering service and here is one of them. It took quite a while positioning the vehicles.

From the first day in service 34541 (GX04EYS) is seen heading for Bretton with a service 2 working from Paston via city centre.

Our next image is of some of the displaced Darts heading for storage and disposal.

Many of the 20 Darts which launched the Peterborough Citi network are still with Stagecoach but split now between the East, East Midlands and South East operating subsidiaries. But not all city routes in Peterborough were given the Citi treatment in 2004. Route 1 operating between Orton-city centre-Werrington needed double decks and continued to be operated by Volvo Olympians, many of them were former London examples such as 16097 (R97XNO) and they had ‘One’ slogans applied. Two tears later investment saw them replaced with Tridents.