Firm's £9m 'green bus' investment

The Oxford Tube fleet is due to be replaced by greener vehicles

About £9m will be invested in a new fleet of more environmentally-friendly buses for Oxfordshire, it has been announced.

Stagecoach has ordered 26 double-decker coaches for its Oxford Tube London-link service fitted with hi-tech engines, which reduce vehicle carbon emissions.

The firm said the buses incorporated pioneering technology to destroy pollutants and reduce fuel consumption.

It said their buses would be "among the cleanest and greenest" in Europe.

Stagecoach managing director Martin Sutton said: "This is the third complete fleet replacement for the Oxford Tube we have undertaken in 10 years and it is evidence of our commitment to investing in Europe's premier express coach service."

The Astromega coaches are due to be manufactured by Van Hool in Belgium and cost in excess of £350,000 each.

The manufacturers said a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system supplied the catalyst with a constant feed of urea solution to destroy harmful gases, delivering more efficient engine operation, reduced diesel consumption and lower running costs.

Nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide contribute to acid rain and the build-up of aerosol particles in the atmosphere. Soot filters in the new fleet would be even cleaner than buses running on natural gas, Stagecoach said.

The firm said it would take delivery of the first vehicles at the beginning of July and would have the full fleet by early October.