12m Volvo Olympians

Citybus purchased 55 12m Leyland Olympians in 1993 when 26 franchised routes were handed over. However, it was the time when the Leyland Corporation was acquired by Volvo, and Citybus was facing a lack of buses. Because of this, Citybus began to introduce Volvo Olympians, and this model has now become the most important one in the fleet.

During 1993-95, Citybus introduced 99 new Volvo Olympians in length of 12 metres. They include 1 Volvo Olympian (396) with Volvo TD102KF engine and ZF4HP500 gearbox, 30 Volvo Olympians (397-426) with Cummins LT10 engines and ZF4HP500 gearboxes, and 58 Volvo Olympians (427-484) with TD102KF engines and Voith D863 gearboxes. They were all fitted with blue floors, 3+2 seats and yellow handles when new. However this began to change later in 1999 when Citybus decided to improve the service quailty. New 2+2 seats were introduced and the colour of the floor came grey. Electronic route displays were installed and continuous lighting were put on selected buses. However this has only been applied on buses of 341 to 426 only, and the rest have remained the classic configurations.

20 Volvo Olympians with Plaxton body kits were introduced in 1996. They are equipped with Volvo TD102KF engines and Voith D863 transmissions. After this Citybus purchased 6 second-hand Volvo Olympians (505-510) from Stagecoach Hong Kong of Alexander body in the same year. These buses are equipped with ZF4HP500 tramsmissions again and Volvo TD102KF engines. They are fitted with green windows and red handles in the compartment.

More Alexander-bodied Volvo Olympians began to arrive in 1996. These buses, 511-585, are equipped with Voith gearboxes and Volvo D10A-245 Euro II engines. They have a redesigned rear panel, continuous lighting and 2+2 seats. Among them, 537 have been installed with whole-piece electronic route displays for evaluation purpose. And since late 2001, Citybus has started the project to remove some lower-deck seats of these buses, making the passenger capacity become 140.

Another batch of Alexander-bodied Volvo Olympians (621-635) entered service just after 511-585. They were fitted with Voith D863 gearboxes and Volvo D10A engines as well, and the only difference between these 15 buses and the previous batch is that the entrance and exit doors' design is different.

At the end of 1997, another batch of Plaxton-bodied Volvo Olympians, 586-620, entered the fleet. Their general appearance is generally the same as that of the previous Plaxton-bodied ones (485-504), but red compartment handles have been used on 586-620 instead of yellow. They are also powered by Voith D863 gearboxes, but D10A engines have been used instead.

The last batch of Volvo Olympians, 324-329 and 636-699 entered service in the course of 1998. They are the first franchised 12m Volvo Olympians to use ZF5HP500 gearbox. At the same time, they are equipped with Volvo D10A engines. As in the compartment, new continuous lights and red handles have been used. Besides, these buses have electronic route displays. They are mainly seen on terrritory routes like 962 and 969.

However starting from 2000 several buses from the 4xx series have entered the non-franchised bus fleet.

This page contains photographs of 12-metre Leyland/Volvo Olympians in service. Please click on the photo for an enlarged version.

403
403 with a roadshow system installed. This is one of my most satisfying bus photos.
Date: 05/08/2001
406
This M&M'S advertisement is my favourite all-over advertisement all over Hong Kong. Totally seven 12m Olympians (342, 343, 354, 392, 406, 517 and 637) are with this advertisement in Contravision material.
Date: 22/09/2001
Later this bus was seen on route 8X. Its electronic route display is especially bright.
Date: 18/01/2002

Two photos of the lower-deck interior of 406 after refurbishment.
Date: 22/09/2001
411
All refurbished Volvo Olympians have electronic route displays.
Date: 22/09/2001
432
432 is one of few repainted Volvo Olympians in its batch.
Date: 18/01/2002
465
465 has been overhauled in mid 2000 but was not repainted in the new Citybus livery. In fact, buses of this batch are the most uncomfortable ones in the fleet for the time being. It is still with 3+2 seats, blue floors and non-continuous lightings.
Date: 22/09/2001
Some later, the bus was repainted and was seen on route 97. In fact, a number of these 4XXs have been repainted currently.
Date: 20/04/2002
499
499 is one of the Plaxton-bodied Olympians in Citybus.
Date: 18/01/2002
503
503 is the first Volvo Olympian with Lite Vision electronic route displays installed. It is seen attending a public activity. (Gakei)
503, the millenium bus of non-passenger version. (Gakei)
505
505 is one of the Volvo Olympians purchased from ex-Stagecoach. It is special for the colour of its windows.
Date: 14/04/2002
510
510 is the last Volvo Olympian purchased from ex-Stagecoach. After refurbishment, electronic route displays, continuous lights and new 2+2 seats have been installed.
Date: 20/04/2002
516
516 has been repainted in the new Citybus livery.
Date: 22/09/2001
517
517 is one of the few Volvo Olympians with many lower-deck seats removed for standees (so-called reservoir Olympians). It has got a very attractive M&M's advertisement.
Date: 19/01/2002
Three months later, the advertisement was still on the bus, but part of it on the bumper had disappeared.
Date: 20/04/2002
522
Citybus is really good at making money - they have been advertising on the newly-repainted buses. They think that it looks extremely good, but in fact it stinks.
Date: 22/09/2001
539
At first I did not know why Citybus repainted some of the overhauled Volvo Olympians in orange, but later now I have found that a new Qoo drink advertisement has been posted all over.
Date: 22/09/2001
546
Volvo Olympians are often seen on route 107.
Date: 12/12/2001
571
571 is one of the Volvo Olympians with high-back seats. The seats are actually very old in terms of colour and appearance.
Date: 22/09/2001
605
605 is one of the Plaxton-bodied Volvo Olympians in the Citybus fleet. It has just been repainted and as there are no banners posted on the bus, the bus looks very good.
Date: 19/01/2002
619
619 has just been repainted and it is seen serving route 930.
Date: 14/04/2002
633
Despite the similarity in the compartment with the previous batch (511-585), buses from this batch (621-635) are a bit different with the design of the doors.
Date: 22/09/2001
636
The electronic route display of the bus was out of order, and so it showed N962, which is an overnight route from Causeway Bay to Tuen Mun. In fact, the bus was on route 969 from Causeway Bay to Tin Shui Wai.
Date: 14/04/2002
645
The bus had just been repainted, and since the direction of light was not nice, part of the photo went dark.
Date: 20/04/2002
658
The bus had just been repainted, and it was seen on route 969 on the date of photo.
Date: 14/04/2002
A week later, the bus was seen serving route 10.
Date: 20/04/2002

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	403 403 with a roadshow system installed. This is one of my most satisfying bus photos. Date: 05/08/2001
	406 This M&M'S advertisement is my favourite all-over advertisement all over Hong Kong. Totally seven 12m Olympians (342, 343, 354, 392, 406, 517 and 637) are with this advertisement in Contravision material. Date: 22/09/2001
	Later this bus was seen on route 8X. Its electronic route display is especially bright. Date: 18/01/2002
	Two photos of the lower-deck interior of 406 after refurbishment. Date: 22/09/2001
	411 All refurbished Volvo Olympians have electronic route displays. Date: 22/09/2001
	432 432 is one of few repainted Volvo Olympians in its batch. Date: 18/01/2002
	465 465 has been overhauled in mid 2000 but was not repainted in the new Citybus livery. In fact, buses of this batch are the most uncomfortable ones in the fleet for the time being. It is still with 3+2 seats, blue floors and non-continuous lightings. Date: 22/09/2001
	Some later, the bus was repainted and was seen on route 97. In fact, a number of these 4XXs have been repainted currently. Date: 20/04/2002
	499 499 is one of the Plaxton-bodied Olympians in Citybus. Date: 18/01/2002
	503 503 is the first Volvo Olympian with Lite Vision electronic route displays installed. It is seen attending a public activity. (Gakei)
	503, the millenium bus of non-passenger version. (Gakei)
	505 505 is one of the Volvo Olympians purchased from ex-Stagecoach. It is special for the colour of its windows. Date: 14/04/2002
	510 510 is the last Volvo Olympian purchased from ex-Stagecoach. After refurbishment, electronic route displays, continuous lights and new 2+2 seats have been installed. Date: 20/04/2002
	516 516 has been repainted in the new Citybus livery. Date: 22/09/2001
	517 517 is one of the few Volvo Olympians with many lower-deck seats removed for standees (so-called reservoir Olympians). It has got a very attractive M&M's advertisement. Date: 19/01/2002
	Three months later, the advertisement was still on the bus, but part of it on the bumper had disappeared. Date: 20/04/2002
	522 Citybus is really good at making money - they have been advertising on the newly-repainted buses. They think that it looks extremely good, but in fact it stinks. Date: 22/09/2001
	539 At first I did not know why Citybus repainted some of the overhauled Volvo Olympians in orange, but later now I have found that a new Qoo drink advertisement has been posted all over. Date: 22/09/2001
	546 Volvo Olympians are often seen on route 107. Date: 12/12/2001
	571 571 is one of the Volvo Olympians with high-back seats. The seats are actually very old in terms of colour and appearance. Date: 22/09/2001
	605 605 is one of the Plaxton-bodied Volvo Olympians in the Citybus fleet. It has just been repainted and as there are no banners posted on the bus, the bus looks very good. Date: 19/01/2002
	619 619 has just been repainted and it is seen serving route 930. Date: 14/04/2002
	633 Despite the similarity in the compartment with the previous batch (511-585), buses from this batch (621-635) are a bit different with the design of the doors. Date: 22/09/2001
	636 The electronic route display of the bus was out of order, and so it showed N962, which is an overnight route from Causeway Bay to Tuen Mun. In fact, the bus was on route 969 from Causeway Bay to Tin Shui Wai. Date: 14/04/2002
	645 The bus had just been repainted, and since the direction of light was not nice, part of the photo went dark. Date: 20/04/2002
	658 The bus had just been repainted, and it was seen on route 969 on the date of photo. Date: 14/04/2002
	A week later, the bus was seen serving route 10. Date: 20/04/2002