(21 Sep 2024, 7:38 pm)tyresmoke wrote Durham are due some pre-loved Enviro 400 MMCs… have heard these are 16 plates from Kent, which would make sense given Gillingham are currently taking delivery of new ones. This will be what sees off the B7s.
Unsure on the E300s… only other new vehicles mentioned are the Evora’s for Redcar but I understand they’re after a number of Pulsars to be cascaded in to replace the remaining Temsas so this could be what kills the E300s too. Liverpool being due a significant number of Evora’s (76, inc the 18 older ones from Luton) I understand should see off a number of old Pulsars in theory…
As for Whitby… the Park & Ride should be due newer vehicles (2 B9s?) this year as 7609/10 will be outside of the 15 year age range for the contract. (I understand they have special dispensation to use 2841 following bridge gate). This would suggest they’ll need some extra deckers for the X94s next year.
The X66/7 is jointly run by Stockton & Darlington and I agree it would be a good home for some Evora’s… but they’re very much like a Pulsar and be well suited to both local and interurban services!
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Didn't see this before editing my later post with the E400 MMC bit. The post I saw on Facebook was of a 17-plate example, but they only appear to have 4 of that age and one of those is in a heritage livery, so the 16-plates would make a bit more sense.
Pulsars in for the E300s would make some sense, but you feel like all it is doing is putting off a large order for another year or so. There are 25 Temsas and 50-odd 09/10 plate Pulsars which you feel will need replacing over the next couple of years, as well as the 6 E300s. If all of those vehicles were being used on relatively mundane work you could understand them putting it off a while longer, but an awful lot are in daily use on express services or the likes of the 1 and 5 at Darlington.
It's a bit odd that 7401-6 aren't heading to Durham and the ex-Kent MMCs to Redcar for the X93/4 with the other MMCs to standardise it. 7401-6 seem to have seen far better days, I don't think there were many days when 5 (already excluding 7401 for obvious reasons) were all on the X93/4 this year? Outside of that, you'd think 7510-2 will need to be going the distance soon - 7511/2 were absolute dogs by the end at Ashington. 7514-21 can't be far behind either.
Thought it was! Some investment for new vehicles on them would surely help to continue the growth it has had by all accounts over recent years. Realistically you could probably argue the X12 needs a batch too.