Spain’s Socitransa buys more interdeck Beulas coaches

Before the summer break, Spanish operator Socitransa added eight brand-new interdeck Beulas Glory coaches to its fleet, acquiring the impressive vehicles for its international services operated on behalf of FlixBus. Although in this market segment the number alone would be noteworthy, the real interest of the procurement lies in the fact that the newly delivered vehicles represent a rare niche category that has by now almost disappeared.

Coaches known in Hungarian usage as “one-and-a-half-deckers” — most often referred to collectively in English industry jargon as interdeck coaches — feature a lowered driver’s cab, a huge luggage compartment and, at most, a small crew or lounge area on the lower level, while the passenger saloon above extends over the driver’s area. They enjoyed their heyday in the 1980s and early 1990s: at the time, alongside Neoplan, which created the genre, several other German manufacturers (Setra, Drögmöller, Göppel), as well as smaller bodybuilders such as Sunsundegui and even Ikarus EAG, included such vehicles in their product ranges. Today the list of available makes and models has narrowed considerably; since production of Plaxton models was halted, and with Van Hool’s future also uncertain, Beulas is practically the only European manufacturer still offering interdeck coaches. Anyone needing vehicles of this kind is therefore well advised to turn to the Spanish — more precisely Catalan — coachbuilder specialising in long-distance models. That is exactly what Galicia-based Socitransa has done, with the company’s managers already familiar visitors to Beulas’s headquarters in Arbúcies. The operator, which provides school bus services in addition to domestic and international charter operations, has this time purchased eight examples of the interdeck Glory model for scheduled services it operates as a FlixBus subcontractor.

Built to the customer’s specific requirements and to FlixBus standards, the 14.60-metre vehicles are based on tri-axle MAN CO 26.520 (RR4) rolling chassis and are powered by MAN D2676 diesel engines rated at 520 hp (382 kW) and compliant with the Euro 6 emissions standard. Every member of the batch has a 2-1-0 door arrangement, meaning they feature a double passenger door ahead of the front axle to improve accessibility and provide a wheelchair space. Including the driver and courier, the coaches can carry a total of 72+1+1 people; passengers are accommodated in leather-upholstered seats with footrests, with 230 V and USB charging sockets, as well as an onboard toilet compartment, among the features contributing to a comfortable journey. Naturally, the equipment also includes the active safety and driver-assistance functions that are now considered mandatory.

As mentioned, neither the manufacturer nor the type is unfamiliar to Socitransa: in spring 2022, for example, the operator put seven examples of Beulas’s interdeck model into service, in a configuration and with technical equipment almost identical to the latest batch.

Photos: Carrocerias Beulas