flicking through a Bus and Coach Buyer article came across this image, It appears to show a BYD E200MMC Electric in Arriva Eco-Green livery with " Arriva Merseyside " being the title.

Havent hear anywhere else about it so it sounds pretty interesting....




http://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/wp-conte...60x440.jpg

flicking through a Bus and Coach Buyer article came across this image, It appears to show a BYD E200MMC Electric in Arriva Eco-Green livery with " Arriva Merseyside " being the title.

Havent hear anywhere else about it so it sounds pretty interesting....




http://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/wp-conte...60x440.jpg

https://www.smmt.co.uk/2016/10/new-elect...erseyside/


In total 12 have been ordered. Could get pretty cosy on match days as the 26/27 is a route between Anfield and the city centre.

Darwen Coach Services ceases trading after buses taken off road: http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/new..._off_road/

IT'S THE BIG BURNLEY BUS BASH - AND YOU'RE INVITED!
We're getting ready to throw open the doors to our depot in Burnley for the most exciting family event of the summer - the Big Burnley Bus Bash.

Join us for a day of fun and celebrations as we launch the first of 30 amazing new buses for Mainline. We'll also be celebrating almost 100 years of service in Burnley and Pendle, and launching the new name for our buses around town: The Burnley Bus Company.

The Big Burnley Bus Bash will take place on Sunday 23 July between 10am and 4pm, at our depot on Queensgate, Burnley.


Read more: http://www.lancashirebus.co.uk/news.jsp?newsID=1982

Following the Terror Attack in Manchester on Monday 22nd May 2017, Transdev, Stagecoach Manchester, First Manchester and other outlets have shown solidarity for the 22 people who lost there lives and those were injured in the attack with the #WeLoveMCR.

The following vehicles below can be seen displaying #WeLoveMCR on the front destination screen.

Transdev Volvo B9TL 2271 (BF63 HCN) - https://www.flickr.com/photos/adammalark...ed-public/
Stagecoach Manchester ADL Enviro 400MMC 10865 (SN17 MKO) - https://www.flickr.com/photos/adammalark...ed-public/
First Manchester Volvo B5LH Wright Gemini 3 39259 (BT66 MRV) - https://www.flickr.com/photos/adammalark...ed-public/

New Demonstrator in at Blackpool Transport, In the form of 8.8m ADL E200MMC YX17 NXA.

This is the first ADL Service vehicle to trial the new " Smart Pack " which "reduces the parasitic load on the engine, returning improved fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions" ie things under the hood, Such as Air Compressors are powered Electronically instead of using power generated from the engine.

Photo and more info about it on the North West Bus Blog, No photo on Flickr of it yet.

New Demonstrator in at Blackpool Transport, In the form of 8.8m ADL E200MMC YX17 NXA.

This is the first ADL Service vehicle to trial the new " Smart Pack " which "reduces the parasitic load on the engine, returning improved fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions" ie things under the hood, Such as Air Compressors are powered Electronically instead of using power generated from the engine.

Photo and more info about it on the North West Bus Blog, No photo on Flickr of it yet.

Won't be at Blackpool very long - that bus is due to arrive at Go North East in a week or two, and will be compared against the LCEB Optare Solo SR.

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New Demonstrator in at Blackpool Transport, In the form of 8.8m ADL E200MMC YX17 NXA.

This is the first ADL Service vehicle to trial the new " Smart Pack " which  "reduces the parasitic load on the engine, returning improved fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions" ie things under the hood, Such as Air Compressors are powered Electronically instead of using power generated from the engine.

Photo and more info about it on the North West Bus Blog, No photo on Flickr of it yet.

There's plenty of photos of it

I'm an Enviro200 with SmartPack by Cross River Express, on Flickr

Won't be at Blackpool very long - that bus is due to arrive at Go North East in a week or two, and will be compared against the LCEB Optare Solo SR.

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Hmm Interesting... Can sense all " Low Carbon " Solo operated routes to be a target for this one?

https://www.blackpooltransport.com/fylde...=hootsuite


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https://www.blackpooltransport.com/fylde...=hootsuite


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That's shocking, always some who spoil it for others. 

https://www.blackpooltransport.com/fylde...=hootsuite


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Doesn't surprise me at all for Blackpool, a fair amount of the Blackpool Transport buses I rode whilst I was down there last year had been trashed, seats and windows covered in graffiti was probably the most common find, worse still most of it had been scratched, scraped (not sure on best terms) into the backseat of seats and windows.

It's not just Blackpool either, think I heard at least once on Facebook about Transdev Yorkshire Coastliner's B5's having damage to the ports at the tables as well. I've seen broken USB's on the backs of seats on some of our Arriva MAX buses a few times as well plus on at least one occasion, the ports had been blocked with stuff.

Spotted an Arriva liveried Mellor Orion on delivery in Windsford today. One of 9 on order for rural services in Cheshire. All for the return of breadvans if it makes lifeline rural routes viable.

Spotted an Arriva liveried Mellor Orion on delivery in Windsford today. One of 9 on order for rural services in Cheshire. All for the return of breadvans if it makes lifeline rural routes viable.

Actually there Mellor Strata vehicles went to the launch on Saturday outside Macclesfield town hall. Posted pics up on my google drive for Tyresmoke to check out and can share the folder if anyone else wants to see them and it looks like pretty much sapphire geminis, the pulsars and these which make it mostly wifi on all vehicles round here Arriva wise. Shame to see the solos go but if its an upgrade in offerings on the vehicle then its an improvement.

Actually there Mellor Strata vehicles went to the launch on Saturday outside Macclesfield town hall. Posted pics up on my google drive for Tyresmoke to check out and can share the folder if anyone else wants to see them and it looks like pretty much sapphire geminis, the pulsars and these which make it mostly wifi on all vehicles round here Arriva wise. Shame to see the solos go but if its an upgrade in offerings on the vehicle then its an improvement.

I caught up with one of these on Northwich town services today (4700). Of the few van/bus mash-ups out there, this seems to be well executed. This is mostly due the the corporate feel added by Arriva's interior house style.

They are very much still a van up front, with glove box on the passenger side and even a floor mounted hand brake! Nimble & nippy round the estates, more noticeable than a solo or mpd.

Ran with about half of the 21 seats taken, hope there's no issues at peak times. I believe they are meant to be confined to specific routes, although at least one has strayed onto key corridor route 84, usually full size or decker operated - yikes!


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Imagine if one strayed onto the 38 it would create chaos

Imagine if one strayed onto the 38 it would create chaos

Soon to be the recipient of Enviro 400s. 
Wonder where the DB300 Geminis will go, being Sapphire they're very much oddballs.

Id say Arriva should do the following:

Debrand the geminis to use as alx400 replacement at Winsford then with the displaced solo SR's 1 to oust 679, 2 to replace 894/908, 2 to replace 2545/2473.
Then throw 4 at Bolton to replace 2826-29 which leaves a spare to allocate somewhere unless not every service around Macclesfield is operated by the new Mellor Strata

Grand Prix's former 563 from Kirkby Stephen up the A66 to Penrith has been revived, By Stagecoach : http://www.cwherald.com/a/stories/relief...74503.html

Good to hear theve gained there link back so soon, I believe its in the interest's of Brough and Kirkby Stephen and everywhere inbetween to have a Community Shuttle Service up to Kirkby Stephen Station, So basically everywhere inbetween is now covered once again.

Though I'm sure there's a few remaining Collage runs by Stagecoach and Independent's from Kirkby/Brough up to Penrith remaining.

Grand Prix's former 563 from Kirkby Stephen up the A66 to Penrith has been revived, By Stagecoach : http://www.cwherald.com/a/stories/relief...74503.html

Good to hear theve gained there link back so soon, I believe its in the interest's of Brough and Kirkby Stephen and everywhere inbetween to have a Community Shuttle Service up to Kirkby Stephen Station, So basically everywhere inbetween is now covered once again.

Though I'm sure there's a few remaining Collage runs by Stagecoach and Independent's from Kirkby/Brough up to Penrith remaining.

There's one from Brough to Kendal in the morning and back in the evening on college days (Stagecoach service 502).

Cumbria Classic Coaches also do a few routes from Kirkby Stephen and Brough including the 574 from Kirkby Stephen to Penrith on Tuesdays which offered a partial replacement to the 563: http://www.cumbriaclassiccoaches.co.uk/h...routes.php

Timetable for all Kirkby Stephen and Brough buses: http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/elibrary/Conte...4272411238

Id say Arriva should do the following:

Debrand the geminis to use as alx400 replacement at Winsford then with the displaced solo SR's 1 to oust 679, 2 to replace 894/908, 2 to replace 2545/2473.
Then throw 4 at Bolton to replace 2826-29 which leaves a spare to allocate somewhere unless not every service around Macclesfield is operated by the new Mellor Strata

Can you clarify; which 4 buses should be "thrown" at Bolton?

A new 'Lake Sider' B5TL Gemini will be operating on a promotional tour of the North West this coming week
- Monday 24th July in Manchester: 192, 203, 250 and X50
- Tuesday 25th July in Liverpool: 82 and 86
- Wednesday 26th July in Preston: 2/2A

A new 'Lake Sider' B5TL Gemini will be operating on a promotional tour of the North West this coming week
- Monday 24th July in Manchester: 192, 203, 250 and X50
- Tuesday 25th July in Liverpool: 82 and 86
- Wednesday 26th July in Preston: 2/2A

Manchester ops look slightly complicated, even assuming the 192s are "shorts" between Piccadilly and Levenshulme. The latter is because Piccadilly to Stockport journeys are being curtailed during bridgeworks slap bang in the middle of Stockport, and the "shorts" will run from Hyde Road. 203 & 250/X50 are both Hyde Road services but normally work themselves, with Piccadilly termini meaning interworking would involve a lot of time consuming dead running around the city centre - and ripping up of normal duties for one day! Presumably, the bus will run on/off the 192 & 250/X50 as a normal running board might do, and the 203 will involve a bus changeover outside the depot.

A new 'Lake Sider' B5TL Gemini will be operating on a promotional tour of the North West this coming week
- Monday 24th July in Manchester: 192, 203, 250 and X50
- Tuesday 25th July in Liverpool: 82 and 86
- Wednesday 26th July in Preston: 2/2A

All seems quite fun & quirky but I don't see the commercial benefit? I used to live in Levenshulme and know most people on the top deck of a 192 are not sober enough to realise the roof has suddenly gone missing.

All seems quite fun & quirky but I don't see the commercial benefit? I used to live in Levenshulme and know most people on the top deck of a 192 are not sober enough to realise the roof has suddenly gone missing.

It does seem a strange set of services. 250/X50 I can understand as it will carry many, and be seen by even more at the Trafford Centre. 192 is a "pet" route, but as you will probably know, outside Student peaks, loadings can be very low, especially north of Stockport. I've made numerous journeys from Stockport to Manchester in the middle of the day, and loadings rarely reach double figures. Although its also a Stockport-Manchester service, the 203 is definately NOT a pet route; it is subject to all sorts of delays, and if it ends up taking a gap much above the registered 10 minute service between Reddish and Stockport, it could easily end up with a standing load even off-peak. Much as I would like to catch it home from work on said 203 route (lol), I would have thought that running it on the 38 (the pointless, low loading service that epitomises the company's fall from grace in Manchester), would have been far more logical if it is a PR stunt.

So today 13802 is in Manchester on the first day of it's mini North West promo tour. Stagecoach staff are on board offering free tickets and travel advice for visiting the Lake District. The Cumbria & North Lancs Twitter is keeping tabs on 13802 throughout it's tour. https://twitter.com/StagecoachCNL

So today 13802 is in Manchester on the first day of it's mini North West promo tour. Stagecoach staff are on board offering free tickets and travel advice for visiting the Lake District. The Cumbria & North Lancs Twitter is keeping tabs on 13802 throughout it's tour. https://twitter.com/StagecoachCNL

Bearing the vast majority of the population aren't on Twitter - let alone sat in front of the telly last night thinking "I'm bored, I'll just go and check the Twitter account for a bus company that doesn't run within 60 miles of Manchester" what was the point of this?

There has been no media coverage, nothing on the Stagecoach Manchester website, and most telling, nothing on buses! Could this have been the worst PR stunt ever?

Bearing the vast majority of the population aren't on Twitter - let alone sat in front of the telly last night thinking "I'm bored, I'll just go and check the Twitter account for a bus company that doesn't run within 60 miles of Manchester" what was the point of this?

There has been no media coverage, nothing on the Stagecoach Manchester website, and most telling, nothing on buses! Could this have been the worst PR stunt ever?

There was an official press release on the C&NL Stagecoach page, but nothing official from the regions the open topper is/has been going to so far. It has featured heavily on social media with Transport for Greater Manchester and today with Travel Merseyside and Merseyside Better By Bus Campaign, much of the material linking to social media. 

It was never planned to be a huge media push (papers etc), an on the fly push to promote with the passing punters. Lots of #hashtags and social media push in the end which has worked pretty well so far. The open topper was in and out of the Piccadilly all day so turned a few heads anyway! There is a Stagecoach promotional team on board and were out in Manchester between runs yesterday too, giving out freebies and whatnot. 

In fairness the promo-tour almost didn't happen. It has been a push to get the open-toppers ready, especially in time for the start of the school holidays considering they were suppose to be here in April. In addition, Wright managed to send them not fully complete, there was also an untoward certification issues (which in the end deemed the Lothian Gemini 3 OTs in the red too), plus Hannover have been (and still) completing NSA installations which have caused a headache in themselves due to screen sizes being spec-d wrongly somewhere along the line.

Good feedback from Manchester anyway, a local team push pre-visit from regions would have been the icing on the cake though I agree.

There was an official press release on the C&NL Stagecoach page, but nothing official from the regions the open topper is/has been going to so far. It has featured heavily on social media with Transport for Greater Manchester and today with Travel Merseyside and Merseyside Better By Bus Campaign, much of the material linking to social media. 

It was never planned to be a huge media push (papers etc), an on the fly push to promote with the passing punters. Lots of #hashtags and social media push in the end which has worked pretty well so far. The open topper was in and out of the Piccadilly all day so turned a few heads anyway! There is a Stagecoach promotional team on board and were out in Manchester between runs yesterday too, giving out freebies and whatnot. 

In fairness the promo-tour almost didn't happen. It has been a push to get the open-toppers ready, especially in time for the start of the school holidays considering they were suppose to be here in April. In addition, Wright managed to send them not fully complete, there was also an untoward certification issues (which in the end deemed the Lothian Gemini 3 OTs in the red too), plus Hannover have been (and still) completing NSA installations which have caused a headache in themselves due to screen sizes being spec-d wrongly somewhere along the line.

Good feedback from Manchester anyway, a local team push pre-visit from regions would have been the icing on the cake though I agree.


I'm not on (anti-) social media, but from what I can gather it only got mentioned on TFGM's twitter feed on the day itself, and certainly not on their website. In fact. I think they simply "retweet" whatever other organisations post. This would obviously have come from Stagecoach Manchester, and didn't give any details of where the bus would be. Ironically, the only reference to service 203 was a warning to customers in general that it was running 20-25 minutes late, along with many other services in the Stockport area. From those in the know reporting afterwards, the suggestion is that 13802 managed to escape these delays. Normally, there would be options for a 203 to recover time by missing part of the route, but as the Roadworks are slap bang in the town centre and the general traffic diversions would clog up all surrounding roads - especially the logical escape route (A6 towards Manchester).

Brand new Volvo B5TL/ Wright Gemini 3 13807 was on show in Carlisle city centre today - when I visited it was absolutely throwing it down.
Must say these vehicles are incredibly smart inside and out; the extra windows at the front of the top deck do make a difference, as does the glass roof and glass along the stair well.

Interestingly the vehicles do not have vandal screens - will this be the first Stagecoach order to not come with them by default?
Asked the driver who was showing people around - he said all of the Kendal drivers were asked previously whether they would like them or not. Due to the Lakes being relatively trouble-free, they mostly/all voted against the screens.