The Harrogate Bus Company Route 36
Overview
Operator	The Harrogate Bus Company
Depot	Starbeck
Vehicle	Wright Gemini 3 bodiedVolvo B5TL(2016–2024) Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV(2024–)
Route
Locale	North Yorkshire West Yorkshire
Termini	Leeds Harrogate Ripon
Service
Frequency	Every 10 minutes (Leeds to Harrogate)Every 30 minutes (Leeds to Ripon)
Route map Harrogate Bus Company 36 v t e Ripon – Harrogate – Leeds via Ripley & Harewood RiponBus Station Wormald GreenWayside South StainleyRed Lion Ripley KillinghallThree Horseshoes StarbeckCrossing & Bus Depot HarrogateBus Station PannalSpacey Houses Junction North Yorkshire West Yorkshire boundary HarewoodHarewood Arms MoortownStreet Lane Corner LeedsCity Bus Station ← {{{previous_line}}}  {{{system_nav}}}  {{{next_line}}} →

The 36 is a bus service operated byThe Harrogate Bus Company, which linksLeeds,Harewood andHarrogate withKillinghall,Ripley andRipon. It is operated by a fleet of high-specificationAlexander Dennis Enviro400EV double-deck vehicles, branded in a red and black livery.^[1]

The service is an example of a premium service characterised by more luxurious vehicles compared to those used on other commuter lines,^[2] which in combination with a high service frequency has significantly increased ridership and influenced the modal split in favour of public transport.^[3]

A selection of historic buses and liveries

Trains on theLeeds to Northallerton Railway had provided the main service betweenLeeds andRipon between 1848 and 1967, until passenger services were cut back toHarrogate, following the infamousBeeching cuts. Since then,Ripon has only been served by bus services, withHarrogate andKnaresborough being the nearest rail stations to the city.

The 36 was originally operated by theWest Yorkshire Road Car Company from the mid 1960s, with the route running betweenVicar Lane inLeeds andRipon Railway Station. However, most journeys only operated betweenLeeds andHarrogate.

Route 36 began operating using a fleet ofLeyland Lynxes. In the 1990s, they were replaced by a fleet ofAlexander Strider andWright Endurance bodiedVolvo B10Bs,Wright Renown bodiedVolvo B10BLEs andAlexander Royale bodiedVolvo Olympians.^{[citation needed]}

In October 2003,Harrogate & District relaunched route 36 with fourteenWright Eclipse Gemini bodiedVolvo B7TLs with leather seats.^[4][5][6][2] The improvements lead to an increase in patronage by 18% in 2006 alone.^[7]

In 2011, the 36 fleet underwent a refurbishment program. The route received a new identity – named ‘36 City Connect’ – and a new red and black livery was introduced, alongside the addition of new leather coach-style seats, and the introduction of a 2+1 seating arrangement behind the staircase upstairs. The buses were also fitted with new front fascias, as seen on their faceliftedsecond generation model, and new powertrains.^{[citation needed]}

In January 2016, route 36 was again relaunched with fourteen newWright Gemini 3 bodiedVolvo B5TLs,^[8][9] fitted with coach-style leather seating and passenger amenities such as WiFi connectivity, USB charging points, an on-board library and audio-visual next stop information.^[4] It also launched under a new brand name – "The 36: Riding Redefined".^[10]

In October 2017, a new timetable for route 36 was introduced, increasing the frequency from every 15 minutes to every 10 minutes between Leeds and Harrogate.^[11] To accommodate the increased service, three additional Wright Gemini 3 buses were added to the fleet.

In September 2021, anight service was reintroduced on Saturdays.^[12]

Funding from the UK Government's Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) scheme was secured in May 2022 to aid Transdev Blazefield andNorth Yorkshire County Council in the electrification of the 36, which will see nineteenAlexander Dennis Enviro400EVbattery electric double-decker buses withpantograph chargers delivered to replace the existing diesel Volvo B5TLs on the service.^[13][14] The first Enviro400EV was revealed at an unveiling event in June.^[15][16] They were announced to be expected to start entering service from early September.^{[17][18][19][20][21]}

• Media related toHarrogate Bus Company 36 at Wikimedia Commons
• The Harrogate Bus Company website
• Timetable and route map

• Bus routes in England
• Transport in Harrogate
• Transport in Leeds
• Ripon

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