Neoplan Skyliner: the double-deck coach that began as a dissertation

The Neoplan Skyliner is a double-deck, multi-axle luxury touring coach introduced in 1967. It came out of a student dissertation: in 1964 Konrad Auwärter, son of the company founder, designed a lightweight double-decker service bus that could carry more than 100 passengers, and the principle was then applied to a coach.

Neoplan Skyliner at a glance

History of the Neoplan Skyliner

Origins

In 1964 Konrad Auwärter developed a double-deck design for a service bus as part of his dissertation. The Do-Bus weighed very little, could carry over 100 passengers and used a low-frame front axle with forward-mounted steering gear, which allowed a low, flat floor. Neoplan applied the double-deck principle to coach design, producing a high-capacity touring vehicle that became the Skyliner. It gave the brand an image that separated it from competitors and drew interest across Europe, and it was introduced in 1967.

The range grows

The success of the Skyliner paid for new plants: Pilsting in 1973 and Kumasi in Ghana in 1974. The double-deck idea was pushed further in 1975 with the Jumbocruiser, an articulated double-decker 18 m long and 4 m high, and in 1979 the Spaceliner extended the Cityliner idea of a floor above the driver’s cab, keeping the height to 3.65 m while leaving room below for toilets, kitchens or sleeping cabins. From 1983 to 2000 the quad-axle Megaliner was built as the larger production counterpart to the Skyliner.

America, Britain and Asia

In 1989 the subsidiary Neoplan USA introduced a domestically built Skyliner as the AN122/3, the code naming the maker, the model 122 and the three axles. Building in the United States qualified the coach for federal subsidies under the Buy America Act, and it used Detroit Diesel Series 60 engines and Allison B500 transmissions so that it shared spares and workshops with transit fleets. Most went to California, with open-top examples for sightseeing in Chicago and New York. In Britain, Stagecoach bought right-hand-drive Skyliners in the 1980s and 25 more N122/3L coaches in 2004 for its Oxford Tube and Megabus operations, and Trathens of Plymouth bought Skyliners in 2005 for National Express work. In Japan the type has been used for long-distance and sightseeing work since Chūō Kōtsū Bus of Osaka bought its first in 1979; a shorter 9 m N122/2 appeared in the mid-1980s, often with Japanese engines and drivetrains. Skyliners also serve as sightseeing buses in Seoul and Daegu.

Safety and the latest generation

After rollover accidents in 2003, in which the height of double-deck coaches was criticised, the manufacturer added electronic stability control in 2006; the system brakes each wheel separately to prevent overturning. At Busworld Europe 2023 Neoplan announced that from the 2024 model year the Skyliner would be built on a new electronics platform, with a fully digital driver workplace, a 12-inch central display, an optional multifunction steering wheel and a steering column that folds fully upwards.

Design and features

• Double-deck layout: two passenger levels give the capacity of a much longer single-decker within a normal coach length.
• Multi-axle chassis: three axles and more carry the weight of the upper deck.
• Low floor: the low-frame front axle and forward-mounted steering gear, inherited from the Do-Bus study, allow a flat floor.
• Space below: the height leaves room for toilets, kitchens or sleeping cabins, as in the Spaceliner.
• Stability control: electronic stability control has been fitted since 2006.

Neoplan Skyliner versions

• Skyliner (from 1967): the standard double-deck touring coach.
• Jumbocruiser (1975): articulated double-decker, 18 m by 4 m.
• Spaceliner (1979): a high-deck cousin with the floor extended above the cab.
• AN122/3 (1989): the American-built version with Detroit Diesel power.
• N122/2: a 9 m short-wheelbase version for Japan from the mid-1980s.
• N122/3L: the 2004 batch of 25 bought by Stagecoach for Oxford Tube and Megabus.

The Skyliner is the double-deck member of a range that also includes the Cityliner and the flagship Starliner. More coaches are in the Neoplan collection.

Sources

• Neoplan Skyliner, English Wikipedia: origins, Jumbocruiser, Spaceliner, Megaliner, US, UK and Asian markets, safety
• Neoplan Skyliner, German Wikipedia: Do-Bus design, plants, 2024 model year