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Lynx (bus company)

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Lynx
A pair of Lynx Optare Tempos at King's Lynn bus station in March 2018
Founded6 January 2015
HeadquartersKing's Lynn
LocaleNorth West Norfolk
Service areaNorfolk
Cambridgeshire
Service typeBus services
AllianceCoasthopper shared with Sanders Coaches
Routes19 (October 2023)
HubsKing's Lynn
Fleet37 (November 2021)
Websitewww.lynxbus.co.uk

Lynx, is a bus company based in King's Lynn and operating services across west and north Norfolk and eastern Cambridgeshire.

History

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Lynx was founded by Stephen Challis and Andrew Warnes in 2013. The pair (along with Julian Patterson) had previously established Konectbus in 1999 before selling it to the Go-Ahead Group in March 2010. Having considered construction and engineering, the idea of a new bus operation formally began in spring 2014. Julian Patterson would come aboard later that year upon leaving Go-Ahead.[1][2][3]

Operations commenced on 6 January 2015, with a school contract between Southery and Downham Market Academy. On 26 January 2015, their first public bus service began, operating hourly between King's Lynn to Hunstanton.[2][3][4]

Lynx expanded its network of routes with the takeover three Council-subsidised bus services from Stagecoach in Norfolk in September 2017,[5] followed by a further eight former Stagecoach routes from 29 April 2018, after Stagecoach closed their King's Lynn depot. Among the services taken on following Stagecoach's withdrawal from the area was the western half of the popular and well established Coasthopper service between King's Lynn and Cromer.[6][7] Lynx took over operation of the King's Lynn to Wells-next-the-Sea section of this route, rebranded it as Coastliner 36 and extended the service inland from Wells to Fakenham.[8][9] A further three services were taken over from Stagecoach in September 2018.[10]

During 2019, Lynx funded a refurbishment/renewing of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn bus shelters, and a next bus information screen was provided by Norfolk County Council.[11][12]

A brand new, thoroughly redesigned website (powered by the 'BusHub Mobility Platform') launched in December 2019, including a live bus tracker, fare calculator and journey planner,[13] with an iOS & Android app following shortly afterwards in January 2020[14]

Fleet

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Wright Pulsar Gemini bodied VDL DB250 in Fakenham in February 2019
Saloon view of fully refurbished former Yellow Buses bespoke Optare Tempo, featuring Lynx's own moquette design

Lynx commenced operations with a fleet of four Optare Tempos, including an experimental prototype purchased directly from Optare.[2][15][16] It standardised on the type and by December 2018 it was operating the largest fleet of Tempos in the United Kingdom with 27.[17]

Since September 2016, Lynx has also operated double-deckers including Optare Spectra and Wright Pulsar Gemini bodied DAF DB250LFs and Leyland Olympians.[18][19][20] Two new, bespoke Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMCs arrived in spring 2021 for added capacity on the Coastliner route.[21][22]

Lynx own a Leyland National, which is operated as a heritage bus in a semi-preserved state, painted in Lynx's standard red livery. Delivered new to Hants & Dorset in November 1977, it has been used in passenger service several times to mark special occasions, as well as attending industry and promotional events and bus enthusiasts' rallies. As of winter 2019/20 it is stored out of service.

As at November 2021 the fleet comprised 37 vehicles.[23]

References

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  1. ^ Coastal Red Limited Companies House extract
  2. ^ a b c Second time around for former Konectbus team Bus & Coach Buyer 11 February 2015
  3. ^ a b Grassroots busmen Coach & Bus Week issue 1178 3 March 2015 pages 46-51
  4. ^ Lynx is launched Lynx 5 January 2015
  5. ^ New bus times from Sept 2017 Lynx
  6. ^ All change in King's Lynn as Stagecoach vacates the town Coach & Bus Week issue 1340 1 May 2018 page 11
  7. ^ Stagecoach in Norfolk Stagecoach
  8. ^ Stagecoach planning to shut King's Lynn depot Coach & Bus Week issue 1328 6 February 2018 page 11
  9. ^ Stagecoach calls it a day in Norfolk and plans withdrawal Route One 6 February 2018
  10. ^ "Lynx :: New Services 54, 55A & 55B". www.lynxbus.co.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  11. ^ "New look for Q.E Hospital bus shelter". Lynx. 6 December 2019.
  12. ^ "Lynx donates new bus shelter to hospital". QEH Media Hub/QEH News. 1 November 2019.
  13. ^ "New Lynx Website is Launched!". Lynx. 6 December 2019.
  14. ^ "Lynx". App Store. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  15. ^ Lynx effect in Norfolk Coach & Bus Week 9 December 2014
  16. ^ Lynx links Lynn Buses issue 720 March 2015 page 10
  17. ^ National now Lynx Coach & Bus Week issue 1371 4 December 2018 page 45
  18. ^ Fleet News Buses issue 745 April 2017 page 72
  19. ^ Fleet News Buses issue 754 January 2018 page 73
  20. ^ Fleet News Buses issue 756 March 2018 page 73
  21. ^ "ADL delivers bespoke Enviro400 double deckers to independent operator Lynx for West Norfolk coastal route". Alexander Dennis. 29 April 2021.
  22. ^ "Lynx takes two new Alexander Dennis Enviro400s". Route One. 9 April 2021.
  23. ^ Fleet in Focus Buses issue 801 December 2021 page 81
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Media related to Lynx (bus company) at Wikimedia Commons

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