Keep on blogging - A visit to Scania

It’s sometime now since I started out with my ‘best of intentions’ blog, so herewith a long overdue post!

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of a visit to the Scania factory and head office in Södertälje, Sweden.

Reading Buses (or Reading Transport, I should say) has held a long standing relationship with the bus manufacturer that dates back to 1975 when it was one of the first purchasers of, the then state of the art, Scania Metropolitan double deck bus. It amassed a fleet of 33, including the last two ever built and added 21 further examples second hand from London Transport in 1983. The type was finally withdrawn in 1992. Since then the company has continued to purchase Scania products, including coaches in the 80s and 90s, both double and single deck service buses in the 00s and, most recently, the UK’s first mainstream fleet of bio-methane CNG gas powered buses. There are now 34 single deck gas buses in the fleet and they have proved to be some of our most reliable vehicles.

Ironically the week after our visit the local Reading Chronical newspaper reproduced an article heralding the introduction of the very first Scania Metropolitan in 1975!

The visit was particularly interesting for me as I have never dealt with this manufacturer before, but the wider purpose of the trip, along with our Chief Engineer, was to discuss our ongoing use of their products (over half of our fleet have Scania chassis), their support with technical matters, reviewing changes and modifications and, most importantly, to hear about the future evolution of their bus range.

The factory includes a museum with vehicles and other artefacts covering the company’s 124 year history

As well as an excellent production facility, I was particularly impressed with the manufacturer’s attitude to working with us and continuing to enhance their products. It’s a brave step being the first at something, but that step is made considerably easier when you are working with a keen and supportive partner. For us Scania certainly represent this and that’s why we’re keen to see an extended range of vehicles that will help us to ‘complete the set’ here at Reading. We’re really looking forward to seeing the gas double decker which is being promised for 2016 – so watch this space!