(01 Jan 2015, 9:04 pm)9920up wrote Interesting views. Certainly the likes of sapphire  shouldn't  be expected to be run with aged stock, not as a premier  service.  It does raise other policy questions though. For example the omni city's for the X66  These are nigh on 10 at the point of entry onto a high speed front line MAX service. Maybe their time should be limited as well
Also,  bear in mind that ANE ensure book values are always nil and some more before vehicles are withdrawn. Recent Darts and Prestige examples have all only gone after 17 or more years. 

Shame they didn't do that with the P4xx CCU Palatine 2's even though they weren't DDA compliant. I'd happily ride on one of those any day over a Sapphire E400 or Go North East spec B9TL (I do like B9s though, but the Palatine is another kettle of fish)! Volvo should have kept that D10 engine going but made it a bit more efficient and refined. Therefore, they could have catered for all markets from the rural roads of Northumberland to the polluted Hong Hong.