VDL DB250
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The VDL DB250 is a double-decker bus chassis, sold in the UK through VDL Bus International's UK dealer Arriva Bus & Coach. It was launched as the DAF DB250 in 1991.
The original DB250 was sold on a variety of bodies, including the Optare Spectra and Northern Counties Palatine. The original design was based on the MCW Metrobus for which Optare and DAF Bus International (then VDL) bought the rights after MCW decided to end bus production.
The DB250LF, the Low Floor version of the DB250 chassis, is perhaps more well known as the first low floor double-decker bus chassis in the UK. The DB250LF is readily identified by the centrally-exiting exhaust at the rear, which can cause problems with extreme changes of slope. The new version of DB250LF was launched in 2004 which is officially known as DB250+. The design has received a number of modifications, one of which is the use of independent front suspension.
The first DB250LFs were bodied by Optare, with the modified Spectra body, sold exclusively on the DAF, latterly VDL, and is no longer available. Alexander Dennis (formerly TransBus) bodies - the Alexander ALX400 and Plaxton President were available, although the production of the latter on all chassis has now ended. East Lancashire Coachbuilders also provide the Myllenium Lowlander body for the bus. The most recent development being the availability of a Wright body in the form of the Pulsar Gemini, almost identical to the Eclipse Gemini sold on the Volvo B7TL chassis. The development of a Wright alternative arose because Arriva wished to buy both the Wright body and VDL chassis. Unable to do so, Arriva took deliver of over 100 Wright-bodied Volvo B7TLs. Wright subsequently developed the Pulsar Gemini in order to win more orders from Arriva.
The low floor variant entered service in 1997 with AB Buses of Bristol, which narrowly beat a Travel West Midlands DB250LF from being the UK's first low floor double decker bus.
Despite the DB250LF arriving early to the market, DAF had always struggled to find orders. Travel West Midlands (TWM) ordered 20, for example, but after Dennis and Volvo entered the market with the Trident 2 and B7TL respectively, TWM never ordered any more. Despite this DB250s are quite numberable, by far the biggest number owned by the operator Arriva, mostly for its London subsidiary, but a number of the type can be found with Arriva Midlands on both the East Lancs body and unusually on the Wright Pulsar Gemini body, these being some of few Pulsar Gemini single door bodies. Apart from Arriva, other sizeable operators are Travel West Midlands and Wilts and Dorset.
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Competitors:
Other bus products from VDL:
