(12 Sep 2020, 10:01 am)Dan wrote Just to stop you needing to ask the question every other day, the StreetDecks on the X1 will remain on the X1. There's no reason to suggest that they will be incapable of running the route, and whilst they have a slower top speed on the Washington Highway (difference of 7mph against current Volvo B9), they are actually quicker off the mark than the existing Volvo B9, and will also likely do the uphill climb on the Washington Highway a bit better than the existing Volvo B9. There should be no need to replace them with more heavy-weight buses, nor any need to take Volvo B9s off the routes they're on at the moment. Initial feedback from driving team colleagues seems to be good.I think I did only mention once prior (on a separate thread). Obviously given the current climate and the need for flexibility at Consett, it was a sensible move to swap the intended allocations around And to be fair, the E400MMC will actually be a better fit on the X70 & X71. Although the newer StreetDecks have been less troublesome to an extent compared to the 2016 batch, the X1 is a very rapid and high utilisation route. Obviously the X45/X46/X47 aren't exactly "easy" routes but in terms of the intensity, I wouldn't deem them to be as intense compared to the X1. The big question is are the StreetDecks on a route like the X1 going to stand the test of time (circa 7-8 years) relatively trouble-free? Fair play if they do. Perhaps the StreetDecks have gotten better & more reliable later down the production line as did the E400 & E400MMC.
It's very unlikely that bus operators up and down the country will be in a position to afford very many new buses at all. It will be a very long road to recovery once the government support package is revoked, and Go North East is certainly doing all it can now (given it has the opportunity to do so with all of the new buses coming in) to promote and market its services to get people back on board buses.
RE: New StreetDecks & ADL Enviro400s - X-lines fleet changes