PASSENGERS will be travelling in style when the new Stagecoach Gold buses are launched on Service 55 between Swindon and Chippenham on Sunday.

Stagecoach West have invested £2.5 million in a fleet of ten gleaming, brand new buses to provide a touch of luxury for customers – and have said the buses will be more environmentally friendly and quieter as well.

The Stagecoach Gold buses will travel between Swindon - including the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet, Royal Wootton Bassett, Lyneham, Calne and Chippenham on one of the most significant bus routes in Wiltshire.

Over the last decade passenger journeys on the route have doubled from 600,000 to 1.2 million per annum.

The new Stagecoach Gold buses will feature hand-stitched Italian designed leather seats with high backs, extra leg room, free Wi-Fi and USB charging points so customers can stay connected whilst they travel, cleaner, quieter Euro 6 engines designed to cut emissions, new rear destination boards with extra information, and drivers who have undergone extra customer care training.

The Stagecoach Gold buses will still follow the same Service 55 bus route between Swindon and Chippenham and run seven days a week 5am – 11 pm with a peak time frequency of every 20 minutes.

Stagecoach West managing director Rupert Cox said: “As a company we are committed to providing the best service we can for our customers and the new Stagecoach Gold buses are a major investment in the future of bus travel.

“Each of the ten vehicles in the new fleet cost £250,000 and they have the latest engine technology which will reduce nitrogen oxide emissions and other particulates by 90 per cent compared to the buses they are replacing.

“We are delighted to be providing more luxurious travel for our customers and we hope it will encourage more people to leave the car at home and take the Stagecoach Gold bus, helping the environment.”