The mood has become a lot more buoyant at Optare in recent months, with the smallest of the UK's three bus builders securing fleet orders to increase the output of its factory at Sherburn in Elmet in the southernmost corner of North Yorkshire, not far from the junction of the Ml and A1(M). Orders that have at last breathed life into its Metrodecker double-decker, mainly in battery electric form. As reported in this month's news section, an order for 21 electric Metrodeckers from First for the park-&-ride service in York has followed one for 31 from Metroline in London and five of the diesel version for Reading Buses that are due in the summer. These 57 are the first ordered since Optare first revealed the design in May 2014 and the company hints of more to follow.
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