(19 Jul 2020, 4:05 pm)Storx wrote Which still doesn't answer the point why the X1 needs new buses...For a core profit making route the X1 is very low spec compared to other routes with same vehicles. The route itself is more demanding therefore more fuel thirsty. Having more efficient buses, saves on fuel, maintenance costs, increasing reliability, while also maintaining patronage and attracting new customers. As it is also being encompassed within Xlines premium routes and a company standard being set, if X1 was simply refurbed, it wouldn't fall under the full Xlines specification.
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).
Yes you cant tell a difference between stagecoach 09 and 15 plates Enviros, as in my opinion, they are not continually improving their offering on their services. I believe they are way behind in attracting customers than GNE and Arriva, by not continuously improving the comfort for passengers....and a rebrand isnt going to change the comfort for passengers.
We dont know what the plan ahead is over the next few years, maybe they are in line for new buses, but you cant penalise the business decision for one route getting new buses first. You cant buy new buses for every route all at once. Also it would be irresponsible to purchase new vehicles for when demand is changing rapidly like it has done for the 27 over time. Surely they would want to analyse demand, changing and embedding timetables before creating a realistic business case for new vehicles. With so many factors affecting that particular route, metro reliability, fluctuations in demand, predicted growth based on infrastructure improvements along the route that need to be taken into consideration.