The Welglade Group have splashed out on 6 new Volvo B7RLE with Plaxton bodies for the Kinchbus operated Airline Shuttle service to East Midlands Airport from Loughborough and Derby. We saw them pass by very frequently on May Day when we were both attempting to get to Buxton on their Transpeak service - but that's another story. The upgrade took place on Easter Sunday and the most significant improvement is the frequency - now buses operate 24/7.The name has changed to 'skylink Derby Loughborough'. The new buses cost £750,000 and were purchased in a joint investment by the East Midlands Development Agency in partnership with Derby City Council, the Airport and Welglade subsidiary Kinchbus. The new timetable can be viewed by clicking here.
Additional investment by the firm's Trent Barton subsidiary is seeing 26 Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini-bodied Volvo B7RLEs be purchase to upgrade all vehicles operating their flagship Rainbow 5 service between Nottingham and Derby. The current vehicles are 03-registered and are to be moved elsewhere within the group. The new vehicles are understood to be kitted out with Wellglade's now standard specification (as seen on their X38 and Black Cat vehicles): air conditioning and designed interior by Best Impressions.
