Transport in China - single deck buses (by Dick Gilbert)

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Last updated 27 August 2024

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Another visit to some transport from around the world. This time it's a look at the People's Republic of China, and here is a review of some single deck buses I saw in my travels.

I visited China in October 2013, stopping in Shanghai, Xi'an and Beijing. Traditionally the view of China is that it's full of bicycles. That may have been true in the past, but - certainly in the cities - not now. However the heritage of those bicycles means that there are no old cars. Twenty years ago there were hardly any cars at all, so the only really old vehicles around today are a few aged trucks and buses. In fact even the bicycles have been replaced in many cases by electric bikes. These are cheap and subsidised, as part of a government scheme to reduce pollution.

Some of the single-deck buses looked as though they had been around for a while, but most of them looked pretty recent. Common makes were Foton, Huanghai, J+++China-Foton-logo.jpginghua and King Long - names that are currently largely unknown in Europe, but may well appear in your high street before long.

JINGHUA: Here is a Jinghua BK6150K articulated bus in Tiananmen Square, Beijing. The city was keen to take advantage of big 18-metre rear-engined bendy buses but many routes couldn't cope with the size, so shorter (15 metre BK6150K and 16 metre BK6160K) models were produced by Jinghua, known as the Xioajinghou (small - Jinghua - rear).

They were quickly utilised all over Beijing, but unfortunately the build quality was not good (frantic production prior to the 2008 Olympics didn't help) and they frequently break down or shake themselves to bits. From a passenger's point of view, the noise, vibration, and lack of heating or air conditioning make them unpopular.

Below is a selection of single-deck buses - conventional and articulated - seen throughout the cities I visited. They are arranged in alphabetical order of manufacturer (roughly). A lot of the technical information is my best guesswork, but I am more than happy to receive corrections or more detail about these vehicles, manufacturers or operators.

ANKAI: We start with an Ankai HFF6127 GK15 bus (I think the 6 refers to the number of cylinders, and the 12 means 12 metre length). This is one of 150 clean energy buses ordered by Xi'an from Ankai Bus in 2011, powered by CNG (compressed natural gas). Anhui Ankai Automobile produces buses and coaches at Anhui, in eastern China, and the name Ankai was coined in 1993 to mark the joint venture of a local factory and Kassbohrer from Germany.

FOTON: Foton buses were common wherever we went. This fellow is a BJ6123 C7C4D 12-metre city bus passing the Pearl Market in Beijing. This model apparently seats 36, but the number of standing passengers is infinite! Foton also offers electric and hybrid versions of this bus. Beiqi Foton Motor Co makes buses, trucks and farm machinery at their plant near Beijing.

FOTON: Foton also produces bendy buses. This is a BJ6180C8DJD 18-metre long articulated bus. Beijing has loads of these in service, and this example is seen at the southern end of Qianmen (or Tiananmen) Street.

GOLDEN DRAGON: This is a Golden Dragon XML6112UE13 City Bus (6 cylinders, 11 metres long) near the Pearl Market in Beijing. They came into service in 2006, although this one is probably later. Xiamen Golden Dragon Bus Co (or Van Co.) is part of the King Long group of companies, building luxury coaches and light vans at Xiamen in southeast China.

HENGTONG: Working route 102 for the Xi'an Public Transport Company is this Hengtong CNG (compressed natural gas) city bus. Hengtong produces more CNG buses that any other manufacturer, and this 10-metre model was introduced in 2009.

HIGER: Seen here outside the Small Wild Goose Pagoda in a leafy quarter of Xi'an, this 12-metre Higer city bus is probably a KLQ6129 with the addition of plenty of air conditioning on the roof.

HUANGHAI: Huanghai DD6129 12-metre low-entry accessible bus in central Beijing. It has a Cummins engine and an Allison gearbox. Huanghai Bus is over 50 years old and is based in Dandong, southeast China.

HUANGHAI: Another Huanghai model is the DD6118 CNG 11-metre bus, seen here near the city museum in Xi'an. Huanghai Bus is part of Liaoning SG Automotive Group, who make vehicles and axles.

IVECO: Here we see a CBC-Iveco CJ6180GCH EuroRider 18-metre articulated bus near the southern end of Tiananmen Street. Changjiang Bus Corporation (CBC) build these buses on an Iveco chassis. A joint venture between the two companies was dissolved in 2007. We were trying to hail a taxi at the time, but I got distracted by the bus....

JINGHUA: A Jinghua BK6141CNG 14-metre articulated bus near Tiananmen Square, Beijing, made by the Beijing Jinghua Bus Co.

JINGHUA: A Jinghua BK6118 wearing the green livery of Bafangda Public Transport, Beijing, seen from an overpass near the 2008 Olympic Games site.

KING LONG: Why were these buses waiting outside the National Museum of China in Tiananmen Square, Beijing? To take guests to or from it, you might think. But no, the museum was closed on a Monday! I was always curious about the range of vehicles positioned strategically around the Square, and the issue is raised several times in this picture collection. Anyway the one in the foreground is a King Long XMQ6122G low-level 12-metre bus, while the next two are glorious 3-axle 14-metre King Long XMQ6140G beauties. Shame I didn't get a better picture of these, I saw the type in action at speed on longer-distance services running on expressways out northwest of the city.

SHACMAN: I believe this may be an unusual specimen, as Shacman is essentially a truck builder. However the parent company, Shaanxi Automobile Co, does have a Euro Star bus division, and this may be one of their products, although it doesn't appear in their current range, as far as I can see. It is seen near the Muslim quarter of Xi'an city.

YAXING: Seen from the same overpass near the Beijing 2008 Olympic complex as the Jinghua shown above, this Yaxing bus would also seem to be in the green and white colours of Bafangda Public Transport. I can't identify the type, but I'm sure somebody will. The Yangzhou Yaxing Motor Coach Co is based in Jiangsu, eastern China.

YOUNGMAN: This is a Youngman Neoplan JNP6120GC 12-metre low-floor bus running on CNG (compressed natural gas). Built in 2008, these buses have Iveco engines. It is seen outside the Pearl market in Beijing.

YUTONG: This Yutong bus, seen passing the China Railway Museum on the southern side of Tiananmen Square, Beijing (sadly closed on Mondays!), is probably a ZK6120 model. The Yutong Bus factory is located in Zhengzhou City.

YUTONG; Clearly this 8.5 metre Yutong ZK6858H is permanently allotted to route 915 running between the Xi'an main railway station and the famous (and fabulous) Terracotta Army, which is displayed about 25 miles east of the city. Described locally as a tourist bus, both I and Yutong prefer to call it a coach.

Finally this, and the next picture, show a couple of unidentified buses seen in Xi'an. This one is numbered XB060459 with registration AD0703. I saw several of this type, and would appreciate some clues to the identity. As you can see, cycle lanes can work in either direction (and the definition of a bicycle is pretty liberal too)!

Also unidentified is this CNG-powered fellow, registered AL7133. It is seen at the same location - outside our hotel near a busy roundabout in Daqing Road, central Xi'an, close to the splendid city wall.

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