(06 May 2015, 6:55 pm)Jimmi wrote As much as we'd all love to continue to have powerful buses on every route that drinks fuel I'm afraid those days are over as operators are needing to cut costs to continue to operate and save money and the way people see the impact on the environment has changed as well so all buses, cars and other forms of transport now have to be kinder to the environment. Operators could continue to buy heavy weight fuel binge drinkers but don't come complaining on here that your bus service has been cut or withdrawn due to the service not making enough money to cover the running costs.
Too true - even I ponder whether a B9TL (engine) is necessary when I hear (and feel the heat) as they pass me when I am walking nearby.
Of course the vehicle needs to be able to keep to the timetable (and allow for delays so it can catch up).
You could say that any vehicle that has the performance to achieve the timetable times most of the time is 'adequate'.
You could stretch the timetable, but we see GNE offering 'faster journey times' (than Arriva) between Ncle and Hexham (X84/X85) so there is an optimum journey time.
Just to say that I consider the B9TLs to be ideal for the TEN - I would not want the sort of performance I experienced on the Routemaster up through Sunniside - that would be unacceptable IMO.