(27 Sep 2022, 11:09 pm)toward6931 wrote to be honest im just trying to be realistic, i know for a fact that SNE are not going to end up with 40 plus midi MMCs to see of vast swathes of unreliable E200s and old darts (which are better for hartlepool as more fuel efficient) unless done over a period of years. i sincerely doubt that in the next few years that SNE will end up with enough long MMCs to oust ALX300s, GEN1 E300s, the 08 plate E300s which one or two i think are in worse condition than ALX300s to put on the Es. and i would be surprised if MMCs double decks turn up to replace 2007/2008 E400s, i think if anything it will be cascades from other divisions that will see them off. i would love to see it happen but unless they manage to get a grant or something similar i cant see it happening

(28 Sep 2022, 7:54 am)Storx wrote I honestly don't think it's being unrealistic.

Stagecoach North East is one of their top operating areas. If they don't start investing asap then they'll turn out like First with hundreds and hundreds of buses which are past their sell by date. On paper everything 58 plate and below should be withdrawn next year or put into secondary roles and it's not happening.

Why should we be getting cascades up here when it's a better operating area than a lot of other areas, it should be the other way round.

Every year they fail to invest is another year that they fall into that trap. Then they start flogging everything off as they on the edge of going bust. It's already starting to become a problem in some areas ie. here: https://bustimes.org/operators/stagecoach-south-east/vehicles or here https://bustimes.org/operators/stagecoach-south/vehicles (an ideal place to dump the 58 Enviro's they already have some).

(28 Sep 2022, 11:34 am)toward6931 wrote I know they are one of the top operating areas, and yes, they should be getting newer vehicles regularly and then cascading the older stuff, but they don't treat it like such. for example, the 2018 MMC 400s that Cumbria received (18 or 19 i think it was in the end) ten of those I think should have come to northeast first as passenger numbers are higher releasing the older E400s to Cumbria.

look at what came down to us for the commonwealth games, 2018 single deck MMCs from ST Andrews I think it was while we are still using 2004 ALX300s. Portsmouth has 2017 MMCs even though the route they are on (23 to leigh park if I'm correct) had newer buses in 2012 and again in 2014.

Guildford got a massive investment in electric buses in the last few years 2020? I think it was, you've got areas in the highlands (inverness) which at times are virtually empty apart from when cruise ships come in, but regularly get decent vehicles like electrics and the MMCs like the one that got written off come back from the commonwealth.

unfortunately, because we have got very good engineering staff throughout the division, we get allocated the crap that no one wants because we make it work like the kinetics that should have been scrapped on day one, the 08 E300s, the handful of MOT failures and rebuilds we managed to get sorted for other (Scottish) divisions

(28 Sep 2022, 12:48 pm)Storx wrote Aye no arguments there mind to be fair but they badly need to invest otherwise things are going to go out of control. I've just worked it out there and if they don't make any investment before the end of the 2024 there's going to be 140 buses life expired (on paper) using 15 years (so anything older than 59 Plate). That's some serious catching up.

I wouldn't be surprised if there's not a serious investment up here soon enough. Similar to back in 2007, 2008 and 2009 when we got all sorts of Enviro's. Stagecoach are quite similar to Arriva where they seem to get everything at once with tit bits in between and the times coming back round for the big investments. I know we got some stuff but there wasn't too much around 2005/6 either really.

(28 Sep 2022, 10:43 pm)Malarkey wrote I think SNE should look at purchasing some Volvo B8RLE MCV Evora's for the E1/E2/E6 and Express Services X47/X77/X78/X82/X87 & X88 as this would release a good number of MAN/ADL E300's to replace older vehicles within the fleet including ALX300's/MAN E200's.

I'd also nab a handful of Optare Solo SR's from other Stagecoach Ops if any are free to operate services 32/32A & 35 releasing some E200's to replace some of MAN E200's across the fleet.

As for Double Deckers I would say services 1, 22 & 38 would be the best candidates whilst also purchasing a handful of Gas examples for the 20 in Sunderland, this would enable release of a large number E400/E400H's to be allocated evenly across other depots such as Stockton which could do with some for their busier boards during peak times.

(29 Sep 2022, 4:12 pm)Acky81 wrote I thought these deckers in Sunderland were brought in for school services yet now seem regularly appearing on the 20. The Durham schools now seem to just get single decks now.

(29 Sep 2022, 4:29 pm)Economic505 wrote Didn’t Sunderland inherit the deckers when they took over running of the X34 etc?  Besides, no reason why they can’t run on normal services.

(29 Sep 2022, 8:22 pm)Lollist wrote NK55AJY/NK06LUW on bsutimes?

(30 Sep 2022, 9:59 am)Kuyoyo wrote 26071 and 36979 have now returned to Slatyford and Sunderland respectively, with 26285/6 both now back in service at Stockton as of today.

22064’s withdrawal is down to its MOT expiring - with both 22026 and 22080 having longer MOTs, makes financial sense to retain those rather than park them up and MOT 22064.

(30 Sep 2022, 12:25 pm)col87 wrote Am just wondering would it actually cost much to do Mot for 22064 and 39666 if they was a shortage to get them back into service

(12 Sep 2022, 8:16 am)Kuyoyo wrote As confirmed by Lee Wardle on Buses Northeast Facebook group, further MAN E300s due to transfer from Carlisle are 22885 (SP09 DSE), 24122 (PX59 AZL) and 24169 (PO59 MXC).

(02 Oct 2022, 4:20 pm)glen wrote Why are alx 300 coming up to Stockton depot for.

(02 Oct 2022, 7:45 pm)Storx wrote Personally I think the Enviro 300's should be going to Stockton, whatever this week going to Newcastle and the ALX 300's replacing the MAN Enviro 200's

An Enviro 200 MMC to an ALX 300 is a serious downgrade whatever way you want to paint it. It's literally going from the best bus in the fleet to the worst bus in the fleet from a passenger point of view. If I was a regular passenger on those routes I wouldn't be happy.

(02 Oct 2022, 8:40 pm)Lollist wrote Yes but a lot of the drivers will be sick of driving them, bur from my point of view I'd be dead happy to see them come down!

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Personally I think our E200MMCS should stay and instead a batch of our Enviro 300s should go up

(02 Oct 2022, 7:59 pm)toward6931 wrote most punters as long as a bus turns up on time and it gets them to where they need to go don't really care what type of bus it is