Xplore Dundee

Bus operator in Dundee, Scotland

Xplore Dundee

BYD Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV battery electric bus at Claverhouse in July 2024

Parent| McGill's Group
Founded| 1985
Headquarters| Dundee, Scotland
Service area| Dundee City
Service type| Bus and coach services
Routes| 24 (July 2025)
Fleet| 89 (July 2025)
Chief executive| Ralph Roberts
Website| www.xploredundee.com

Xplore Dundee is a bus operator based in Dundee, Scotland, operating services mainly within the city. The operator also runs a service to Edinburgh Airport. It is a subsidiary of the McGill's Group.

## History

[edit]

See also: Dundee Corporation Tramways

Former logos

Logo from 1997–2008

Logo from 2008–2015

Logo from 2015-2023

The company has its origins in the Dundee and District Tramways Company, which commenced horse tram operations on 30 August 1877. Steam traction was adopted in 1885. On 1 June 1899, the company was compulsorily acquired by the local municipality to become Dundee City Tramways, which was electrified between 1900 and 1902. From 1922, motor buses began to be operated in addition to the trams. The tram system continued to be extended until 1933, however by 1956, the trams had been fully replaced by buses and the company renamed Dundee Corporation Transport.[1]

Tayside Regional Council Alexander bodied Volvo Ailsa B55 in 1986 showing the newer livery and, to its right, another "Tayside" bus in the previous livery.

Local government reorganisation meant that the bus operation passed to Tayside Regional Council in May 1975.[2] In spite of the change of name, the council's bus operations were confined to the Dundee area. The livery was changed from green to dark blue, light blue and white.[3]

In preparation for bus deregulation in October 1986, Tayside was restructured into a separate legal entity, Tayside Bus Company Limited.[4] In 1990, the company acquired the operations of Greyhound Luxury Coaches and rebranded it as Tayside Greyhound, operating it as the company's private coach and bus hire arm.[5] Tayside Public Transport was eventually sold in an employee buyout in June 1991.[6]

Travel Dundee East Lancs East Lancs MaxCi bodied Scania N113CRL in August 2008

In February 1997, Tayside was sold to National Express and was subsequently rebranded Travel Dundee.[7] The livery changed again, this time to blue, red and white.

Travel Dundee had been a contractor to Scottish Citylink for many years. However, shortly after the formation of a joint venture between Citylink and Stagecoach in November 2005, Travel Dundee's services ceased.[citation needed] They were reinstated at short notice from 9 January 2006 when extra journeys were added to route M91 from Perth direct to Edinburgh. In May 2006, Travel Dundee commenced operating journeys on route M90 Perth - Kinross \- Dunfermline \- Edinburgh. Citylink ceased for the third time in September 2008, as part of a review of coaching activities.[8]

In November 2007, the National Express Group announced plans to re-brand all of their operations under a new unified National Express identity. Travel Dundee was rebranded as National Express Dundee in line with the group's other bus operations in October 2008, with buses taking on a red and white livery.[9]

On 12 September 2015 National Express Dundee was rebranded as Xplore Dundee, with a green livery resembling that of Dundee Corporation Transport.[10]

In December 2020 the National Express Group sold the business to McGill's Bus Services.[11]

## Fleet

[edit]

Xplore Dundee Wright Eclipse Urban bodied Volvo B7RLE at McGill's Johnstone depot in September 2022

As of June 2025, Xplore Dundee operates a fleet of 89 buses and coaches.[12]

From 1997 to 1999, shortly after National Express took over, Travel Dundee received 30 Wright Liberator-bodied Volvo B10Ls and 25 Wright Renown-bodied Volvo B10BLEs.[13] In 2004, the fleet was upgraded with 18 new Wright Eclipse Gemini double-deckers. The company later purchased 29 new Wright Eclipse Urban 2-bodied Volvo B7RLEs in 2011 and 2012, which were used to replace older vehicles,[citation needed] and in 2013, the company received its first nine Alexander Dennis Enviro400H hybrid electric buses, partly funded by the Scottish Government Green Bus Fund.[14]

Following the rebrand to Xplore Dundee in 2015, the company took delivery of 14 brand new Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC buses, branded as 'Emerald' buses and with USB charging and free WiFi, for service mainly on route 22 in December 2018.[15] These were supplemented with a further nine Emerald-specification Enviro400 MMCs in early 2020,[16] after which the company pledged not to buy another diesel-powered vehicle.[17]

In December 2021, following the takeover of the company by McGill's, twelve new BYD Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV battery electric buses entered service with Xplore Dundee on service 28 between Myrekirk and Douglas via Lochee Road, claimed to be one of Scotland's most polluted roads.[18] During 2023, as part of the operator's 'Project Boost' initiative, three different models of double-decker electric buses were trialled on various local services between October and December 2023;[19] Following these trials, twelve U11DDs entered service with the company in March 2025.[20]

## Services

[edit]

### Fly

[edit]

Fly (stylised FLY) is an express coach service operated by Xplore Dundee, operating 24 hours to a 60-90 minute frequency between Dundee City Centre and Edinburgh Airport.[21] The service, originally known as the X90, was launched on June 9, 2019;[22] the service was relaunched following the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2021 with green and turquoise coaches.[23]

### Discover Dundee

[edit]

Xplore Dundee launched an open top bus tour named 'Discover Dundee' across Dundee in April 2022, which travels across the city from Discovery Point to the Dundee Law, with an extension route across the Tay Road Bridge and connections to other conventional bus routes via the city centre.[24][25]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Hill, Adam; Caldwell, Sorsha (14 October 2016). "'Dundee's trams era was magical'". Evening Telegraph. Dundee. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
2. ^ "Top Scots bus jobs in shake up". Commercial Motor. Vol. 140, no. 3561\. London: IPC Transport Press. 23 August 1974. p. 11.
3. ^ Wilson, David G. (March 1981). Buses of Eastern Scotland (2 ed.). Manchester: Fleetbooks (A. M. Witton), Transport Book Publishers. ISBN 978-0-8604-7142-4.
4. ^ "Companies House extract company no SC098156 Travel Dundee Limited formerly Tayside Bus Company Limited".
5. ^ Companies House extract company no SC037778 Archived 10 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine TD Alexander and Sons (Scotland) Limited
6. ^ "Tayside PT is sold to employee team". Coachmart. No. 644\. Peterborough. 14 June 1991. p. 6.
7. ^ "TWM confirm Tayside acquisition". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 398\. Spalding: Glen-Holland Limited. 28 February 1997. p. 4.
8. ^ Scott, Susanna (Spring 2009). Dundee area bus directory (2 ed.). ISSN 2041-0735.
9. ^ "New Identity for National Express Group" (Press release). Birmingham: National Express Group. 15 November 2007. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
10. ^ Copeland, Bryan (14 October 2016). "Dundee buses now colour-coded to make it easier to 'Xplore' city". Evening Telegraph. Dundee. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
11. ^ McLaren, Rob (22 December 2020). "Bus firm Xplore Dundee sold to McGill's Buses but it will be 'business as usual' for passengers". The Courier. Dundee. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
12. ^ "Fleet list for Xplore Dundee". Xplore Dundee. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
13. ^ "Travel Dundee launches easy access routes". Bus & Coach Buyer. No. 400\. Spalding: Glen-Holland Limited. 14 March 1997. p. 11. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
14. ^ "Going green: electric buses arrive in Dundee". Evening Telegraph. Dundee. 17 April 2013. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
15. ^ Brady, Jon (22 June 2018). "Dundee bus firm unveils new greener fleet with free WiFi and USB charging". Evening Telegraph. Dundee. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018.
16. ^ "Xplore Dundee's 2020 vision". Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
17. ^ Brady, Jon (28 February 2020). "Eco-friendly Dundee bus firm Xplore vows never to buy another diesel vehicle". Evening Telegraph. Dundee. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020.
18. ^ Milne, Scott (10 December 2021). "Dundonians get first ride on 'radical' e-buses that will help clean up Lochee Road". The Courier. Dundee. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
19. ^ "Exploring a better future for buses in Dundee". Xplore Dundee. 8 January 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
20. ^ "Xplore Dundee launches Yutong U11DD battery-electric fleet". routeone. 28 March 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
21. ^ "FLY to Edinburgh Airport". Xplore Dundee. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
22. ^ "New airport bus ready to take off across Dundee and Xplore the country". Evening Telegraph. Dundee. 9 June 2019. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021.
23. ^ "Xplore Dundee to restart Airport Xpress with fleet upgrade". routeone. 12 June 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
24. ^ Flett, Amie (29 April 2022). "Discover Dundee: First look at new open-top bus tour". The Courier. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
25. ^ "Open-top tour planned for Dundee". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2023.

## External links

[edit]

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