Scania OmniCity

The Scania OmniCity is an integrally constructed transverse-engined low floor citybus available on the European market. The OmniCity is a complete product built in Poland by Scania AB, a company based in Sweden.

In 2006 the Scania OmniCity design was updated (for the Euro IV version), with the large front headlamps being replaced by smaller, round items, and further tweaks carried out to the rear styling.

Single decker


The single-deck OmniCity was first introduced in 1996 in left-hand drive form and in 2002 in right-hand drive for the UK market.

The earlier version of the single-deck OmniCity was known as the CN94UB. But the Euro IV version was known as the CN230UB or CN270UB, the 230 and 270 indicate the maximum power (in hp) of the engine.

Unlike the Scania L94 and OmniLink, the OmniCity features a full low floor without the need for steps or ramps to reach the rear seats, similar to the Volvo B7L.

The OmniCity is popular in several European cities, notably with SL in Stockholm, Sweden. The first right-hand drive bus entered service with Nottingham City Transport in January 2002, following conversion from left-hand drive.

In February–March 2008 Metrobus, Crawley took delivery of the first 10.7m OmniCities in the UK for the new Fastway route 100. They featured part-leather seating and only one door – most Fastway buses have two – and entered service on 10 May 2008.

Double decker


In 2005, Scania announced the introduction of the OmniCity double decker in order to complement its OmniDekka citybus sold in the UK. It has a full low floor and is a complete Scania product, unlike the OmniDekka which features a body by East Lancashire Coachbuilders. The early double-deck OmniCity uses the N94UD chassis, the same as the OmniDekka.

A demonstrator was delivered to Travel West Midlands (now National Express West Midlands) and entered service in November 2005. The first order is five buses for Lothian Buses of Edinburgh, Scotland which entered service during August–September 2006 and are in the Airlink livery. Later Lothian Buses ordered a further 10 buses to replace the Tridents on the route, these buses entered service in late 2007. There are also 15 for Transdev London which entered service in late 2006.

At first, it was in limited production, until the Euro IV version was launched. The reason for this is because the new Euro IV Scania engine is a five-cylinder 9-litre EGR engine as opposed to its Euro III predecessor, which is a six-cylinder 9-litre engine. The chassis designation has also changed to N230UD or N270UD.

Further orders were announced in late 2007, with many Go-Ahead companies buying them, such as Solent Blue Line, Southern Vectis and Wilts & Dorset. Metrobus also cancelled an order for two Scania/Darwen Olympus, for two OmniCitys, following the very long delays in production of the Olympus.

In 2008, Transdev London ordered 22 more OmniCitys: 9 for new route 482, and the rest to upgrade routes 148 and 267. National Express West Midlands took five more OmniCitys in early 2008.

In May 2008, Reading Buses took delivery of 14 ethanol-fuelled OmniCitys. These have now been converted to diesel. Abellio Tampines took delivery of several OmniCitys (with ethanol fuel), of whom they have been converted to diesel.

In June 2008, Brighton & Hove ordered 13 Scania OmniCity double deckers. These replaced Dennis Trident 2/Plaxton Presidents and Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renowns on Metro route 5. A further 18 vehicles were delivered in July 2009. Selkent for London Buses use this bus as well. A number of OmniCity double deckers run on London Buses, with Metrobus (which received one of them as Scania's 1000th low-floor double-deck bus in 2010), Transdev London and East London Bus Group being the most notable buyers.

In 2009, several OmniCitys were ordered by Transdev Singapore for various routes.

Articulated vehicle


The single-deck articulated (or "bendy bus") version of the OmniCity was first introduced in 1996. The articulated OmniCity built by 2006 was known as the CN94UA.

In the UK, a demonstrator toured London in 2004, but failed to win any orders in place of the Mercedes-Benz Citaro. After other trials around the country, this bus was bought by Lothian Buses in April 2008, and then acquired by Nottingham City Transport after it left Lothian Buses in late August 2009. In 2005, Travel West Midlands ordered a batch, and in 2006, a group of high-specification artics entered service with Cardiff Bus on high profile routes. Also in late 2005 First placed 25 in service in Manchester on overground routes.