(08 Mar 2020, 12:32 am)mb134 wrote Indeed, nothing wrong with the MMCs at all for the X21/22. The 14 plates seem to be set up better for higher speeds though, had one of them the other week on the X14 out of Newcastle and it was effortless getting to 62mph on the A1 - I'd like to see any new vehicles for the Morpeth express routes given the ZF box.Would the B9TLs from the X93 not have any life left in them to do the X20 if the X93 was upgraded?
The X21/22 is quite stop-start, for nearly half the route all it does is stop and start! The MMCs deal well with the higher speed sections of it too, least I've never seen them struggle.
I'd like to see the X93 get new vehicles over the next couple of years, though then you've got the issue of trying to find a home for 6 non-standard B9TLs that have been hammered on the X93 for the best part of 6 years.
Honestly a route that could probably do with new vehicles, it'd only need E200MMCs, would be the X12. They need to do a better job of marketing the only route that connects their Northumbria and Durham County operations - it has so much potential but is horrifically executed.
If the X93 was to be upgraded to Scania E400MMCs, it would make sense to also purchase new vehicles for the X15 & X18 too at the same time.
The X12 is certainly an interesting one.