X21 B5 reliability
X21 B5 reliability
Is there something up with the B5s today?
Both spares are off the road, 2 were taken out of service at CLS mid-journey this morning, and it seems one broke down in Newcastle (from the tracking at least).
Running 4 OmniDekkas and a Versa (which is obviously at capacity when leaving Durham) on a 'premium' route isn't good
(10 Dec 2021, 12:35 pm)streetdeckfan Is there something up with the B5s today?not just the X21,
Both spares are off the road, 2 were taken out of service at CLS mid-journey this morning, and it seems one broke down in Newcastle (from the tracking at least).
Running 4 OmniDekkas and a Versa (which is obviously at capacity when leaving Durham) on a 'premium' route isn't good
(10 Dec 2021, 12:35 pm)streetdeckfan Is there something up with the B5s today?not just the X21,
Both spares are off the road, 2 were taken out of service at CLS mid-journey this morning, and it seems one broke down in Newcastle (from the tracking at least).
Running 4 OmniDekkas and a Versa (which is obviously at capacity when leaving Durham) on a 'premium' route isn't good
(11 Dec 2021, 3:10 pm)NL62WVW The 2 spares are sat in the corner at CLS
6335 had quite a lot of work done to it in august/September time and now has a habit of overheating
Not sure what's up with the rest
(11 Dec 2021, 3:10 pm)NL62WVW The 2 spares are sat in the corner at CLS
6335 had quite a lot of work done to it in august/September time and now has a habit of overheating
Not sure what's up with the rest
The chance of non branded buses appearing on the X21 has recently been increased by the addition of an extra bus into the PVR (now PVR 9) meaning 6308-14 & 6334/5 now all form the full PVR for the service with spares currently being OmniDekka's (until StreetDecks transfer from Consett at least)
(11 Dec 2021, 4:52 pm)Jimmi The chance of non branded buses appearing on the X21 has recently been increased by the addition of an extra bus into the PVR (now PVR 9) meaning 6308-14 & 6334/5 now all form the full PVR for the service with spares currently being OmniDekka's (until StreetDecks transfer from Consett at least)
(11 Dec 2021, 4:52 pm)Jimmi The chance of non branded buses appearing on the X21 has recently been increased by the addition of an extra bus into the PVR (now PVR 9) meaning 6308-14 & 6334/5 now all form the full PVR for the service with spares currently being OmniDekka's (until StreetDecks transfer from Consett at least)
(11 Dec 2021, 4:52 pm)Jimmi The chance of non branded buses appearing on the X21 has recently been increased by the addition of an extra bus into the PVR (now PVR 9) meaning 6308-14 & 6334/5 now all form the full PVR for the service with spares currently being OmniDekka's (until StreetDecks transfer from Consett at least)How is the PVR now 9?
(11 Dec 2021, 4:52 pm)Jimmi The chance of non branded buses appearing on the X21 has recently been increased by the addition of an extra bus into the PVR (now PVR 9) meaning 6308-14 & 6334/5 now all form the full PVR for the service with spares currently being OmniDekka's (until StreetDecks transfer from Consett at least)How is the PVR now 9?
(11 Dec 2021, 5:29 pm)L469 YVK How is the PVR now 9?
I thought it was just a 4 hour round trip?
To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the Volvo B5TL.
The X21 has never really had the right vehicle allocated. A bit of a shame the newer StreetDecks part of the original plan before COVID never got the chance of redemption.
I still say the X45/X46 would be better suited to Volvo B5TLs due to the lack of evening & Sunday boards (evenings & Sundays covered by E400MMCs interworking with 47, X30, X72) with the newer StreetDecks going the other way.
A bit unfair to tar all StreetDecks with the same brush. The earlier classic E400s weren't great but the later ones before MMCs have been spot on.
(11 Dec 2021, 5:29 pm)L469 YVK How is the PVR now 9?
I thought it was just a 4 hour round trip?
To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the Volvo B5TL.
The X21 has never really had the right vehicle allocated. A bit of a shame the newer StreetDecks part of the original plan before COVID never got the chance of redemption.
I still say the X45/X46 would be better suited to Volvo B5TLs due to the lack of evening & Sunday boards (evenings & Sundays covered by E400MMCs interworking with 47, X30, X72) with the newer StreetDecks going the other way.
A bit unfair to tar all StreetDecks with the same brush. The earlier classic E400s weren't great but the later ones before MMCs have been spot on.
(11 Dec 2021, 5:29 pm)L469 YVK How is the PVR now 9?
I thought it was just a 4 hour round trip?
To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the Volvo B5TL.
The X21 has never really had the right vehicle allocated. A bit of a shame the newer StreetDecks part of the original plan before COVID never got the chance of redemption.
I still say the X45/X46 would be better suited to Volvo B5TLs due to the lack of evening & Sunday boards (evenings & Sundays covered by E400MMCs interworking with 47, X30, X72) with the newer StreetDecks going the other way.
A bit unfair to tar all StreetDecks with the same brush. The earlier classic E400s weren't great but the later ones before MMCs have been spot on.
(11 Dec 2021, 5:29 pm)L469 YVK How is the PVR now 9?
I thought it was just a 4 hour round trip?
To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the Volvo B5TL.
The X21 has never really had the right vehicle allocated. A bit of a shame the newer StreetDecks part of the original plan before COVID never got the chance of redemption.
I still say the X45/X46 would be better suited to Volvo B5TLs due to the lack of evening & Sunday boards (evenings & Sundays covered by E400MMCs interworking with 47, X30, X72) with the newer StreetDecks going the other way.
A bit unfair to tar all StreetDecks with the same brush. The earlier classic E400s weren't great but the later ones before MMCs have been spot on.
(11 Dec 2021, 6:17 pm)Dan From 30 October the timetable was revised to include around 25 minutes layover in Newcastle to improve reliability.I do disagree slightly about only small parts of the route being flat out.
The Volvo B5s aren’t unsuited to the X21 at all. Realistically it’s only a very small percentage of the route where the bus is flat out. It’s the typical scenario where a few buses are off service and no spares are carried, so routine maintenance then being carried out looks and feels worse.
In a few weeks there will be StreetDecks spare and it will be less noticeable.
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(11 Dec 2021, 6:17 pm)Dan From 30 October the timetable was revised to include around 25 minutes layover in Newcastle to improve reliability.I do disagree slightly about only small parts of the route being flat out.
The Volvo B5s aren’t unsuited to the X21 at all. Realistically it’s only a very small percentage of the route where the bus is flat out. It’s the typical scenario where a few buses are off service and no spares are carried, so routine maintenance then being carried out looks and feels worse.
In a few weeks there will be StreetDecks spare and it will be less noticeable.
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(11 Dec 2021, 7:27 pm)streetdeckfan I do disagree slightly about only small parts of the route being flat out.Will be an interesting few years ahead. I still don't agree the B5TL is the right vehicle for the route.
While obviously it's not motorway, the dual carriage way between Low Fell and A1 is pretty much flat out, as is between CLS and Pity Me, then between Durham and Croxdale, then it's fast A roads between Middlestone Moor and Coundon
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(11 Dec 2021, 7:27 pm)streetdeckfan I do disagree slightly about only small parts of the route being flat out.Will be an interesting few years ahead. I still don't agree the B5TL is the right vehicle for the route.
While obviously it's not motorway, the dual carriage way between Low Fell and A1 is pretty much flat out, as is between CLS and Pity Me, then between Durham and Croxdale, then it's fast A roads between Middlestone Moor and Coundon
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The 16 plate streetdecks were a bit ropey before getting replaced by the B5's.
As someone who drives them daily I'd rather have a 67 plate Streetdeck over a B5, the acceleration on a Streetdeck makes up for the lack of top speed.
That timetable change nearly caught me out a few Saturdays ago too, 15 Mins late into town and thought I i was straight in and out of Eldon Square but had 10 mins sit. Has really helped out with reliability of the service
(12 Dec 2021, 10:22 am)NL62WVW The 16 plate streetdecks were a bit ropey before getting replaced by the B5's.
As someone who drives them daily I'd rather have a 67 plate Streetdeck over a B5, the acceleration on a Streetdeck makes up for the lack of top speed.
That timetable change nearly caught me out a few Saturdays ago too, 15 Mins late into town and thought I i was straight in and out of Eldon Square but had 10 mins sit. Has really helped out with reliability of the service
(12 Dec 2021, 10:22 am)NL62WVW The 16 plate streetdecks were a bit ropey before getting replaced by the B5's.
As someone who drives them daily I'd rather have a 67 plate Streetdeck over a B5, the acceleration on a Streetdeck makes up for the lack of top speed.
That timetable change nearly caught me out a few Saturdays ago too, 15 Mins late into town and thought I i was straight in and out of Eldon Square but had 10 mins sit. Has really helped out with reliability of the service
(12 Dec 2021, 1:39 pm)streetdeckfan As a passenger, the B5s feel a bit more nippy off the line in comparison to the StreetDecks, it was the first thing I noticed when we got them.
(12 Dec 2021, 1:39 pm)streetdeckfan As a passenger, the B5s feel a bit more nippy off the line in comparison to the StreetDecks, it was the first thing I noticed when we got them.
(12 Dec 2021, 1:45 pm)NL62WVW Don't get me wrong there are a few of our B5s that go like the clappers off the mark, but once you get to about 20/25mph the Streetdeck will be upto 50 long before a B5
(12 Dec 2021, 1:45 pm)NL62WVW Don't get me wrong there are a few of our B5s that go like the clappers off the mark, but once you get to about 20/25mph the Streetdeck will be upto 50 long before a B5
(13 Dec 2021, 2:09 pm)Malarkey 5411, 6146, 6164 & 8296 are all allocated with X-Lines spares 6335/6377 to the X21 today according to Bus Times with the only Branded examples in service being 6310, 6312 & 6313.It is beyond a joke.
6308, 6309, 6311, 6314 & 6334 are the ones currently off the road.
(13 Dec 2021, 2:09 pm)Malarkey 5411, 6146, 6164 & 8296 are all allocated with X-Lines spares 6335/6377 to the X21 today according to Bus Times with the only Branded examples in service being 6310, 6312 & 6313.5411 was actually on the 21 this morning before later finding it's way onto the X21, 5411 replaced 6308 around lunchtime with 8296 replacing 6162 shortly after.
6308, 6309, 6311, 6314 & 6334 are the ones currently off the road.
(13 Dec 2021, 2:09 pm)Malarkey 5411, 6146, 6164 & 8296 are all allocated with X-Lines spares 6335/6377 to the X21 today according to Bus Times with the only Branded examples in service being 6310, 6312 & 6313.5411 was actually on the 21 this morning before later finding it's way onto the X21, 5411 replaced 6308 around lunchtime with 8296 replacing 6162 shortly after.
6308, 6309, 6311, 6314 & 6334 are the ones currently off the road.
(11 Dec 2021, 7:27 pm)streetdeckfan I do disagree slightly about only small parts of the route being flat out.
While obviously it's not motorway, the dual carriage way between Low Fell and A1 is pretty much flat out, as is between CLS and Pity Me, then between Durham and Croxdale, then it's fast A roads between Middlestone Moor and Coundon
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(11 Dec 2021, 7:27 pm)streetdeckfan I do disagree slightly about only small parts of the route being flat out.
While obviously it's not motorway, the dual carriage way between Low Fell and A1 is pretty much flat out, as is between CLS and Pity Me, then between Durham and Croxdale, then it's fast A roads between Middlestone Moor and Coundon
Sent from my AC2003 using Tapatalk
To be honest, with the expansion of EV's over the coming years, I doubt the B5TLs will be on the X21 beyond 2024/2025 (8 year old), most likely end up on the 58 by then.
The B5TLs should suffice until at least then and are ok for now.
However whilst I doubt new vehicles will be purchased for the X21 (diesel or electric), given the following route profile:
- Constituencies = Build back greener = Support from Government
- Infrastructure at Consett depot
- Routes serving Redheugh Bridge, Bensham Bank, Tyne Bridge and Central Station
I could potentially see something like the X30's/X70's getting EV's BUT not until at least 2024-25ish. That would then allow 6341-49 to succeed 6308-14 & 6334-35 on the X21 with 6350/51 providing enough Euro 6 spares or being split across GNE along with 6338-40 to provide backups should GNE choose ADL/BYD for their EV decker orders.
