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 Alexander Dennis Enviro200 MMC inMaidenhead in April 2025 | |
| Parent | Go-Ahead Group |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2000; 26 years ago (2000) |
| Headquarters | Unit 2, Hughenden Avenue,High Wycombe HP13 5SG |
| Service area | Buckinghamshire Hertfordshire Oxfordshire Berkshire Greater London Surrey |
| Service type | Bus services |
| Routes | 67 (not including private contracts) |
| Stations | High Wycombe Bus Station (adjoining the Eden Centre) High Wycombe Coachway Slough Bus Station |
| Fleet | 120 (Sept 25) |
| Managing Director | Luke Marion[1] |
| Website | Carousel Buses |
Carousel Buses Limited,[2]trading asCarousel Buses, is a bus company based inHigh Wycombe,Buckinghamshire, England. Originally an independent company, it is a subsidiary of theGo-Ahead Group'sOxford Bus Company operation alongside Pearces Coaches of Oxfordshire,Thames Travel, also of Oxfordshire and Pulham's Coaches of Gloucestershire having been purchased as the 50-vehicle independent operator in February 2012.[3]
Carousel Buses was formed in 2000 by Steve Burns and John Robinson. It initially expanded by winningBuckinghamshire County Council contracts.[4]
In August 2003 route A40 High Wycombe toHeathrow Airport commenced, initially using second-handLeyland Olympian double-deckers.[5] By April 2004 these had been replaced by new low-floorMercedes-Benz Citaro single-deck buses, in a dedicated silver and red livery.[6] The route, which ran in partnership with Buckinghamshire County Council andHeathrow Airport Holdings, was formally introduced in January 2004.[7]
The company launched a new commercial route in June 2004, replacing services withdrawn byArriva The Shires between High Wycombe andLane End.[8]
In March 2008 Carousel introduced routes 35 and 36, branded as Purple Route, to replace a withdrawn Arriva Shires & Essex service toFlackwell Heath.[9] The 35 was temporarily withdrawn in January 2010 because of road conditions, but was later restored. Arriva Shires & Essex currently run a combined 35 service with Carousel, with Carousel operating all daytime services, and Arriva operating evening and Sunday journeys.[10] In October 2008 the majority of services toWinchmore Hill were withdrawn, leaving the village with just one bus a day.[11]
In August 2009 route 336, which had previously run betweenWatford andAmersham, was extended to High Wycombe reinstating a through link for the first time in 30 years. The network of routes linkingChesham and Amersham, numbered 373, 374 and 375, were rationalised into two routes, the 71 and 73, running hourly between the two locations. These routes have since changed to Red Rose Travel, linking Whelpley Hill and Ley Hill to Hilltop, Chesham Broadway, Chesham Bois, Amersham Station, Quill Hall Estate, Little Chalfont, Penn Street, Coleshill and Winchmore Hill, where Carousel no longer serves.[12]
In September 2009 two new routes were introduced, route 740 supplemented the A40 between High Wycombe andUxbridge, increasing the overall frequency to every 30 minutes and incorporatingBeaconsfield, and route 730 fromChesham to Heathrow Airport.[13]
A further change saw the existing route to Lane End replaced by new circular routes 2A and 2C in April 2010. These are no longer Carousel services.[14]
In March 2012 Carousel Buses was purchased by theGo-Ahead Group. Carousel retains its identity, with its management passing to the group'sOxford Bus Company operation.[15] Go-Ahead had previously operated services in the High Wycombe area under the Wycombe Bus name, but sold this operation to Arriva in December 2000.[16][17]
On 3 June 2018, their 'Link' network became the 'Chiltern Hundreds'. Routes 101/102 linkHigh Wycombe andUxbridge, route 103 links High Wycombe andWatford, route 104 links High Wycombe andSlough via andGerrards Cross, and route 105 linksHemel Hempstead withUxbridge viaAmersham,Chesham,Gerrards Cross and the Chalfonts. The network also introduced a frequency of every 15 minutes between High Wycombe andBeaconsfield and a direct link toWexham Park Hospital from High Wycombe, Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross.[18]
On 25 July 2022, Route 103 was withdrawn betweenWatford andAmersham and was rerouted to serveChesham. Carousel buses said that the service was "financially sustainable" and that passenger use was low in the withdrawn section of the route. It also said thatHertfordshire County Council is planning a replacement service.[19]Arriva introduced the replacement named route 336 between Watford and Amersham.[20]
Route 105 operating betweenChesham andUxbridge was withdrawn, but a timetable change on routes 106/7 betweenAmersham andSlough replaced it. Both routes were also extended up toChesham in the mornings and began to stop atLittle Chalfont as the 103 ceased serving the area. The link 40 was taken over by Red Rose Travel.[20]
Carousel later announced a Demand Responsive Transit named "PickMeUp" that can allow people to travel between any bus stop in High Wycombe.[21]
As of 8 January 2023, the route 41 fromGreat Missenden railway station toHigh Wycombe bus station was transferred to Carousel[22] from Arriva Beds & Bucks (operating underArriva Shires & Essex); the route was later extended to Amersham.[23] In August 2023, the 103 route was extended from Slough to Windsor as well as taking over route 275 between High Wycombe and Oxford from Red Rose.[24]
In May 2024Arriva proposed the closure of their Aylesbury & High Wycombe depots, with Carousel Buses saying they would take over any withdrawn services. With Carousel reintroducing "Going back to the 30's" routes around Wycombe Town Centre (e.g. 30 Downley Circular, 31 High Wycombe-Sir William Ramsay School, Tyler's Green-Penn-Beaconsfield so on)[25]
In April 2025, Carousel took over a number ofRoyal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead andBuckinghamshire Council contracted services in the Maidenhead/Windsor and Chesham areas, significantly expanding their area of operation.[26][27]
In July 2025, it was announced that new services would be introduced, increasing the number of buses betweenHigh Wycombe andBeaconsfield. New route 105 would connectBeaconsfield To the Chalfonts,Amersham andChesham. In addition, the number of buses on route 103 betweenHigh Wycombe andSlough would be increased to every 30 minutes, extending toWindsor every 30 minutes on Mondays to Saturdays and every hour on Sundays. Route 104 would have its Sunday services run hourly betweenBeaconsfield, The Chalfonts,Gerrards Cross andUxbridge.[28]
In July 2025, Carousel Buses also celebrated 25 years of operation. The company celebrated this anniversary with an event taking place at their depot inHigh Wycombe that reunited multiple colleagues and managing directors.[29]
The company was later delivered 9Alexander Dennis Enviro200s in 2 different sizes. 4 of the buses were painted in a livery specified for bus routes in theRoyal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and were put to service on routes 3, 3A, 4 and 9, with 3 others being set to operate routes 37 and 10/10A that give links toHigh Wycombe andStaines.The remaining 2 entered service on "Carousel Country" services aroundBuckinghamshire andBerkshire.[30]
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