Alexander ALX400
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The Alexander ALX400 (later known as the TransBus ALX400/Alexander Dennis ALX400) is a bus body built by Alexander Dennis; it is part of a new generation of mainly low-floor bus chassis first produced in the late 1990s by Walter Alexander Coachbuilders. It was one of the ALX-series, all except ALX100 feature the same designs on the front and rear panels.
Released in 1997, the ALX400 is the 2-axle double-deck variant of series. It replaced the aging R-series bodies and was fitted to numerous chassis, including the Dennis/TransBus Trident, the DAF/VDL DB250LF and the Volvo B7TL. It proved a big success with national operators; huge numbers serve London and the rest of the United Kingdom. From its introduction until 2006, it has been the favoured double-deck model for the Stagecoach Group.
The ALX400 was also a big hit with Dublin Bus of Ireland, which ordered over 500. Almost all of them were fitted on Volvo B7TL chassis (numbered as the "AV"-class, which means Alexander Volvo) and each was capable of seating 76 passengers.
Various seating configurations were available, with Transport for London (TfL) specification models, fitted with a central exit door. There are typically 45 seats on the upper deck, and between 17 (on the DAF DB250) and 22 seats on the lower deck. Longer models for use elsewhere have up to 47 seats on the upper deck, and 24 below with a central door. Stagecoach subsidiaries outside London have ALX400s on long-wheelbase Dennis Trident chassis, fitted with 51 seats upstairs (47 on later models) and 28 downstairs.
In late 2005 Alexander Dennis launched the Enviro 400 model, intended as a replacement for the ALX400. As of February 2006, new ALX400s were still entering service with Stagecoach and Arriva (on Volvo B7TL chassis), and a further order for 30 had been placed by the Stagecoach Group. Despite the bulk of the 2006 Stagecoach double-deck order favouring the Enviro 400 model, also chosen by London operator Metroline, in March 2006 Dublin Bus placed a repeat order for 100 of the type on Volvo B7TL chassis for delivery towards the end of the year.
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