Stagecoach North East: Latest News & Discussion - July 2015

[cbma06]

It seems some people missed part of last night's discussion..............

The X34 is planned to go every 20 minutes at some point this year, for which these 6 E400s have arrived to work. 19194/6/7 will return to Newcastle once 3 of the 6 new ones are ready for service. If the X34 frequency increase doesn't happen, what happens with the other 3 is not known.

As for the cascades as a result of 37301-19, I don't know the exact details but I think I can safely say Stockton and Walkergate aren't in any of these cascade plans

whats the chances that the other 3 E400's for a service between Sunderland and Newcastle

[cbma06]

when will Hartlepool get any new buses seem to me that we get all the old crap no one wants

I think it was mentioned on here that Hartlepool would get the cascades from South Shields when the new buses enter service.

[jaimzm]

I think it was mentioned on here that Hartlepool would get the cascades from South Shields when the new buses enter service.

Oh really so we getting more crap i don't see why Hartlepool and Stockton dont just move into one depot

[cbma06]

Oh really so we getting more crap i don't see why Hartlepool and Stockton dont just move into one depot

I don't know why Stagecoach is keeping hold of Hartlepool, thought it might went the same way as Darlington did, I know that GNE have expressed an interest in Stagecoach operations in Hartlepool in the past, but Stagecoach came back with a very firm no.

[jaimzm]

Even if they keep the services in Hartlepool would be nice to see 2 depot working as one

[stagecoachbusdepot]

Even if they keep the services in Hartlepool would be nice to see 2 depot working as one

That's about 25 miles of dead mileage every day for every vehicle...

Also - Hartlepool haven't done badly in terms of new buses in the past.  Their 19 E200s were new to the depot in 2008 and 10 of the Darts were new to Hartlepool in 2004.  In fact, only six buses (34401 & 34605-8/15) are 'cast-offs'.

[Cock Robin]

That's about 25 miles of dead mileage every day for every vehicle...

Also - Hartlepool haven't done badly in terms of new buses in the past.  Their 19 E200s were new to the depot in 2008 and 10 of the Darts were new to Hartlepool in 2004.  In fact, only six buses (34401 & 34605-8/15) are 'cast-offs'.

Exactly. They were one of the first depots to be totally low floor. Some people just like a whinge.

[Dan]

Exactly. They were one of the first depots to be totally low floor. Some people just like a whinge.

Not at all.

I'd suggest that a depot being completely low-floor is more or less expected of large operators these days, and this is why it's not ideal when those operators with high-floor vehicles remaining in their fleets allocate them to public services if they are not scheduled to do so.

I think that the customer expectation is moving on from low-floor vehicles to vehicles which feature 'new' on-board bus technology; such as free Wi-Fi, power sockets and Next Stop Announcements, as well as more comfortable seating. This is typical of new builds only, though some operators do refurbish existing vehicles within their fleets to this upgraded specification.

[AIG20]

Bad parking leaves bus users stranded in Jarrow and South Shields = Shields Gazette

[South Tyne Lad]

MAN ALX300 22734 (T734 OEF) is still going strong, as it was on the 3/4/7/8 circuit yesterday and is on the "E" services today. Though, I assume its days left in service are numbered!

It will not be withdrawn by a bus off the new E200 order but by one of the MANs cascaded by 19194/6/7 which are going to move to Slatyford so in the end......
I think there will be another MAN to transfer to Shields, so I say it will probably stay the summer to provide capacity then get withdrawn the end of August start of September though I may be wrong.

[Cock Robin]

Not at all.

I'd suggest that a depot being completely low-floor is more or less expected of large operators these days, and this is why it's not ideal when those operators with high-floor vehicles remaining in their fleets allocate them to public services if they are not scheduled to do so.

I think that the customer expectation is moving on from low-floor vehicles to vehicles which feature 'new' on-board bus technology; such as free Wi-Fi, power sockets and Next Stop Announcements, as well as more comfortable seating. This is typical of new builds only, though some operators do refurbish existing vehicles within their fleets to this upgraded specification.

It wasn't expected at the time Hartlepool went low floor though.

I don't think most bus passengers give a fig about wifi, power sockets and next stop announcements, only a few enthusiasts and technophiles. Comfortable seating on the other hand is badly overdue as standards have plummeted since the days of Leopards and Tigers etc, and that is largely as a result of politically correct DDA pressure groups.

[citaro5284]

It wasn't expected at the time Hartlepool went low floor though.

I don't think most bus passengers give a fig about wifi, power sockets and next stop announcements, only a few enthusiasts and technophiles. Comfortable seating on the other hand is badly overdue as standards have plummeted since the days of Leopards and Tigers etc, and that is largely as a result of politically correct DDA pressure groups.

I think quite a few passengers do give a fig about wifi and power sockets.  The amount of users that use GNE wifi is very high.

Probably only the older members of society or traditionalists that done care about wifi, power sockets or NSA's.

[Dan]

It wasn't expected at the time Hartlepool went low floor though.

I don't think most bus passengers give a fig about wifi, power sockets and next stop announcements, only a few enthusiasts and technophobes. Comfortable seating on the other hand is badly overdue as standards have plummeted since the days of Leopards and Tigers etc, and that is largely as a result of politically correct DDA pressure groups.

That is what I am saying - customers' expectations have moved on from buses being low-floor, so really, from a customer perspective, Hartlepool's fleet may indeed be quite dated.

Growth rates to services following the introduction of Wi-Fi, power sockets, etc, provide evidence that customers do care about new on-board bus technology. I don't think there's enough "enthusiasts and technophobes" in the country to form the basis of the growth rates this technology has seen across operators all around the UK.

[beefcake]

Using Hartlepools fleet quite often, despite the age of the buses, a fair few of them still have a lot of power in them. The only exceptions I would say is 34401, 34605-8/15 seem to struggle on the Tees Road on the long 1s, but this could be alleviated by just using them on town services, which is what I'm guessing they saw use on in previous depots

[Dan]

Bad parking leaves bus users stranded in Jarrow and South Shields = Shields Gazette

The editor must have been a bus enthusiast - taking photos of rare workings, the lot!

Mind, with regards to the quote below, other forum users ought to be thankful their delays are usually no more than 30 minutes... Wouldn't fancy waiting for a bus that was over ten hours late!

Robin Knight, commercial director with Stagecoach North East, said: “We have had nine instances since the beginning of May with the worst delay in services being over ten hours.

[AIG20]

Fleet Movements (Period 2):

Busways:
37301* SK15 HDG ADL ENVIRO 200 New to South Shields
37302* SK15 HDH ADL ENVIRO 200 New to South Shields
37303* SK15 HDJ ADL ENVIRO 200 New to South Shields
37304* SK15 HDL ADL ENVIRO 200 New to South Shields
37305* SK15 HDN ADL ENVIRO 200 New to South Shields
* = prepare for service

Transit:
None

Vehicles for Disposal:
22480 T480 BNL MAN ALX300 SL
22733 T733 OEF MAN ALX300 ST SPARE

With thanks to "Michael Bonwick" of the "Stagecoach Enthusiasts" Facebook Group.

[AIG20]

The editor must have been a bus enthusiast - taking photos of rare workings, the lot!

Mind, with regards to the quote below, other forum users ought to be thankful their delays are usually no more than 30 minutes... Wouldn't fancy waiting for a bus that was over ten hours late!

Robin Knight, commercial director with Stagecoach North East, said: “We have had nine instances since the beginning of May with the worst delay in services being over ten hours.

I assume that is where a bus must have got stuck, which includes being unable to reverse or turn around, and had to wait for ten hours for the obstruction in the carriageway to clear.

[JakeSavage]

Yes, ten hours for the obstruction in the highway to be removed.

[Dan]

37303 (SK15 HDJ) on service 30.
37304 (SK15 HDL) on the 3/4/7/8 circuit.
37305 (SK15 HDN) on the 3/4/7/8 circuit.
Images owned by Flickr user "Guy Park-Royal"

I assume 37301/2 have entered service as well. This means that some current vehicles will now be withdrawn and cascaded to other depots.

The full fleet number to registration allocation is given below:

• 37301 (SK15 HDG)
  
• 37302 (SK15 HDH)
  
• 37303 (SK15 HDJ)
  
• 37304 (SK15 HDL)
  
• 37305 (SK15 HDN)
  
• 37306 (SK15 HEV)
  
• 37307 (SK15 HFA)
  
• 37308 (SK15 HFB)
  
• 37309 (SK15 HFC)
  
• 37310 (SK15 HFD)
  
• 37311 (SK15 HFE)
  
• 37312 (SK15 HFF)
  
• 37313 (SK15 HFG)
  
• 37314 (SK15 HFH)
  
• 37315 (SK15 HFJ)
  
• 37316 (SK15 HFL)
  
• 37317 (SK15 HFM)
  
• 37318 (SK15 HFN)
  
• 37319 (SK15 HFO)

Another 2 E400's have arrived today making 4/6.

For clarification, the full allocation is listed below:

• 19642 (SP60 DSO)
  
• 19643 (SP60 DSU)
  
• 19644 (SP60 DSV)
  
• 19645 (SP60 DSX)
  
• 19646 (SP60 DSY)
  
• 19647 (SP60 DSZ)

[Michael]

The full fleet number to registration allocation is given below:

• 37301 (SK15 HDG)
  
• 37302 (SK15 HDH)
  
• 37303 (SK15 HDJ)
  
• 37304 (SK15 HDL)
  
• 37305 (SK15 HDN)
  
• 37306 (SK15 HEV)
  
• 37307 (SK15 HFA)
  
• 37308 (SK15 HFB)
  
• 37309 (SK15 HFC)
  
• 37310 (SK15 HFD)
  
• 37311 (SK15 HFE)
  
• 37312 (SK15 HFF)
  
• 37313 (SK15 HFG)
  
• 37314 (SK15 HFH)
  
• 37315 (SK15 HFJ)
  
• 37316 (SK15 HFL)
  
• 37317 (SK15 HFM)
  
• 37318 (SK15 HFN)
  
• 37319 (SK15 HFO)
  

For clarification, the full allocation is listed below:

• 19642 (SP60 DSO)
  
• 19643 (SP60 DSU)
  
• 19644 (SP60 DSV)
  
• 19645 (SP60 DSX)
  
• 19646 (SP60 DSY)
  
• 19647 (SP60 DSZ)
  

Cheers Dan,