(30 Dec 2018, 9:25 pm)RBZ 5459 wrote I'm not too sure on how long it will be there, or if it will go elsewhere before heading back to Cumbria I'm affraid. It is away for a few months though. It has landed at Stockport now I understand, and it will be in service.

(25 Dec 2018, 10:07 am)Ianthegoon wrote Not a good reputation .... West have some, and are trying to pick up more pure ADL ones to replace them, together with major re-engineering on the survivors to improve their reliability.

(16 Jan 2019, 2:10 pm)Brampton Trev wrote 11157 is now out in service in what appears to be as delivered paint scheme with no branding and thus as per the photo in Carlisle depot.  Day 1 was Monday this week and the bus is doing the 3 round trips per day starting with the second departure from Carlisle so as to pass through Hexham around 15.40 (scholls out time) on a Newcastle to Carlisle working.

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MANviro reputatiion.  Any age of MANviro in particular? And what goes wrong?  I did hear of some new to Swindon that were put on the Oxford-Swindon route but suffered over heating due to rear end underfloor air flow causing countryside road side debris from the gutter blocking the radiators and so were moved to a 'cleaner' route.  And which age/reg are the ones at Morecambe - only seen the same age as at Carlisle.  Carlisle have a good number of 08/59/09/59 - some PX/PY reg (so presumably new to Cumbria), at least one OU (new to Oxford) and a few SP (from Dumfries or was it Fife?)

(19 Jan 2019, 12:56 pm)glen1234 wrote Stagecoach north east  are not  getting new buses this year all we get are sechand buses like  all way.

(19 Jan 2019, 11:02 am)GNE6312 wrote Stagecoach NE should be due new buses for the Newcastle city sightseeing routes this year as they are using X/W reg buses my plan would be:
4 new volvo B5LH wright gemini 3s fleet numbered 14001-4 and for them to eenter service either this season or next (most likely next). This will maean greener cleaner buses for the city. This new fleet will include windows up the staircase. They will also have permanent full rear ads promoting them being greener cleaner and/or cynils on the side promoting them being greener and cleaner.

(21 Jan 2019, 4:05 pm)Southernsofty wrote Steven Knight Media reporting that the 31 new Buses for Stagecoach East Midlands at Hull are to be 10 E400MMC & 21 E200MMC (Length unconfirmed but maybe 11.6m to replace MANs)

(22 Jan 2019, 10:13 am)RBZ 5459 wrote 11.8m are on order, should see of ALX300s and Darts.

(19 Jan 2019, 12:56 pm)glen1234 wrote Stagecoach north east  are not  getting new buses this year all we get are sechand buses like  all way.

(19 Jan 2019, 5:45 pm)Dans_bus_photos wrote Has that been confirmed? Id have thought it would be highly likely that some new buses will be bought for the NE in the next financial year to replace the remaining ALX300s and possibly even start to replace the MAN E200s.

(24 Jan 2019, 10:27 pm)Malarkey wrote I think priority for Stagecoach would be replace older vehicles in the fleet across the country as their are a lot of ALX300/400's, Optare Solo's and Dennis Dart SLF 2's which were new in 2004 or older which are still in active service, making them 15 years old, the MAN E200's are only 10/11 years old.

Not ruling out the North East getting any new buses as I do think services such as the 1/10/11/38/100/E1/E2/E6/X24/X34/X47/X82/X87 & X88 would benefit from new buses, but that would be a massive investment which I don't think Stagecoach would go for unless they were looking to improve growth on those services.

We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

(25 Jan 2019, 9:30 pm)Tamesider wrote Are new buses still based on putting bids into HQ to re-invest in the highest performing/loading routes in the North East? Its certainly not the case in Gtr. Manchester.  Or if it is, then HQ are being hoodwinked.

More generally, whilst Manchester has historically reasonable investment, its current fleet size of almost exactly 750 means a required investment of 50 buses per year. However, they had only 27 in 2017/8 and none at all this year. Indeed, only once in the lat 5 financial years have they reached 50 - albeit its still far better than the other large companies (First 25 in 4 years, Arriva NONE in 6). Mind you, it seems Stagecoach have put a stop to investment unless get they can Franchising ditched and they have made it clear that future investment will be based on where they can appease politicians and lobbyist and NOT where they're biggest money-spinners are. So, more of the same.

In saying all that and assuming no "local" interest, are we closer to knowing what the 2019/20 orders will be and for where, apart from the 31 for Hull?

(25 Jan 2019, 11:17 pm)RBZ 5459 wrote It is still all based on regional bids yes, with each presenting cases to UK Bus with budgets and cascade plans. A sort of business plan of why its justified.

(17 Jan 2019, 9:12 am)Southernsofty wrote Hull Live reporting Stagecoach East Midlands, Manager Matt Cranwell
'31 new buses on order for Hull this year , mixture of double & single deck'
Article reports attacks on buses in Orchard Park area.

(26 Jan 2019, 2:44 pm)Tamesider wrote I assume its literally based on the "region" rather than ordering for specific routes/corridors then.

(30 Dec 2018, 9:25 pm)RBZ 5459 wrote I'm not too sure on how long it will be there, or if it will go elsewhere before heading back to Cumbria I'm affraid. It is away for a few months though. It has landed at Stockport now I understand, and it will be in service.

(27 Jan 2019, 8:31 pm)Tamesider wrote It is reported locally that 11158 was not used in service and may very well have left Stockport for pastures new.

(27 Jan 2019, 8:31 pm)Tamesider wrote It is reported locally that 11158 was not used in service and may very well have left Stockport for pastures new.

(06 Feb 2019, 11:31 am)RBZ 5459 wrote The Department for Transport's ultra-low emission bus scheme successful bidders have been announced this morning, Stagecoach Manchester and Stagecoach Wales coming out with their accepted bids. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/774207/ultra-low-emission-bus-scheme-winning-bidders.csv/preview

(06 Feb 2019, 8:58 pm)Tamesider wrote I note Stagecoach's successful bid is 32 buses. Last August they submitted a bid for 105 (2019/20). Does this mean 73 have been rejected or was that a seperate bid?

Note: First Manchester have also secured 12 e-buses. Despite recurring rumours that First want to sell all Greater Manchester ops - and quickly - they have publicly stated these buses will run on service 582 (Bolton-Leigh). Yet, Stagecoach won't (yet) say where theirs will go.

(07 Feb 2019, 9:30 am)RBZ 5459 wrote Yes the end bid was only successful for 32 vehicles. 

When the bid was submitted for 105 vehicles, Stagecoach revealed that the investment would be for four key routes serving "Manchester city centre, Manchester Airport, Manchester Piccadilly railway station, six hospitals and two universities". On the back of only 32 vehicles being won, Stagecoach have revised that to be for only two routes serving "Manchester city centre, Manchester Airport, five hospitals and two universities".

(07 Feb 2019, 12:55 pm)Tamesider wrote I believe they've also stated that all 32 will run from Sharston, although that doesn't preclude transfers of work from another depot. This strongly suggests the 24 hour 43 will be one route, starting at the Airport, serving Christies and continuing via Oxford Road serving the MRI complex (4 seperate hospitals) and then the main Manchester University campus and the original MMU site at All Saints before continuing to Piccadilly Gardens. Depending on exact times within the "Frequent intervals" section, the 43 has a PVR of between 17 & 19 buses, plus something such high profile would need at least two spares, so roughly 20 buses in total. That leaves 12 to serve a route incorporating Piccadilly Rail. At present, Sharston don't run near the Station, with the nearest logical route being MagicBus (Hyde Road depot) 147 from West Didsbury, via the same route as 43 to Charles Street (thus serving the same Hospitals and University buildings). From Charles Street it serves Sackville Street and a short stretch of Whitworth Street (serving another M'cr University property) before crossing to Fairfield Street alongside the Station. This has a PVR of 9 or 10, so could fit vehicle wise. Any other service would be either brand new or see at least the majority of services diverted away from Piccadilly Gardens.
There is also the - potentially major - question of how the 73 shortfall affects the other avowed plan to transfer existing "low emission" buses to other south Manchester, Trafford and Salford routes? What constitutes "low emission"? and does it mean 73 "more" such buses?

Politically, the whole thing seems a mixed bag. As regards this Stagecoach bid; they obviously went ahead with the bid despite no movement on Bus Reform. Does this mean the 32 is guaranteed no matter what and if Franchising is rejected before any public consultation, Mr. Hammond will suddenly find "new money" for the other 73? 

The other bids are all interesting in their own way; I've already mentioned First will use theirs on the 582 currently run (mainly) with 41 seater B7RLEs, with the occasional 'decker needed at peak times. Their bid works out at £137,260 per bus - infrastructure is obviously subject to ecomonies of scale, so could be ignored in this context. Of course, the local bus haters on the MEN comments thread have managed to add £1,647,000 to £375,000 and get £15 million in asking why their taxes should be spent on the private bus industry - especially a company that is (reportedly) selling up and moving out!

MCT's bid for just three buses works out at only slightly less (£134k) despite them only running Tendered services and the full fleet comprising Solos and swb E200s (29 seats?). AFAIK, all the E200s at least are leased. Difficult to guess which route(s) these will serve as a lot of their work is in and around south Manchester where the tendered network is currently subject to frequent major changes, including PVR changes to a number of services.

GMCA's is even more intriguing as it works out at £154,000 per bus, roughly half way between First's figure for 41 seaters and Stagecoach's figure for (presumably) 75-80 seater 'deckers. The figure of 23 roughly fits with the erstwhile MetroShuttle, where the three existing e-buses (Versas) could be offset by three hybrid Versas at Stockport and one at Bolton. However, the new FreeBus only requires 14 buses + spare including the 3 e-Versas retained. The half dozen or so buses made redundant by this cut seem to have disappeared off the face of the earth, although they may be having a full revamp for planned cascade to other Tendered services - none of which require anything bigger than c30 seats. With that in mind (and assuming no YSBs are involved), 23 buses seems to many just for these. This combined with the high average cost would infer that some (at least 5?) would be for a desperately needed increase in peak services on the Leigh Guided Busway. This service has been an overwhelming success with more than *double* the patronage required to justify the business case, but the downside meaning (as a collegue from Swinton will atest) it is normal for up to 4 buses to pass full before one stops. No point in advertising 8+ buses an hour if you are waiting 30-35 minutes just for any spare capacity (ie. even when no delays en route). However, another Forum states that the LGB part of the bid *has* been rejected. Has the massive success of buses in persuading car owners onto public transport, got the Rail lobby rattled?

A well worn phrase I know, but as usual with such pronouncements "the devil will be in the detail"