(19 Jul 2020, 3:46 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Because, as they've said, they're in the process of upgrading all the express routes.

Surprised you didn't bring up the fact that the 97s have just been upgraded with brand new vehicles, oh wait, that doesn't fit your agenda does it?

Which still doesn't answer the point why the X1 needs new buses...

The point is and still is about 'upgrades'. You can only upgrade something that is bad or worse. Have a uniform fleet you can't upgrade it and if you do upgrade something do every bus and create a brand that's good throughout - not just your special few routes with the rest of the network falling apart. There's an obsession with new buses on here especially with certain companies but if you do a decent refurbishment then it's just the same to a normal passenger. Stagecoach don't have this problem as an 09 Enviro is the same as an 15 Enviro so you don't have the problem with one bus route has better buses than the other they all have good buses or bad buses (depending on whether you like Stagecoach's interior).