(02 Feb 2026, 8:13 pm)NL62WVW wrote To follow this up,
Took 6812 with 30% charge remaining to Brandon at 1520, arrived back at Gateshead with 11% where it was parked up.
Given 6820 to complete the board back to Chester which doesn't even have 500miles on it and the heating is broken already.
Teething issues are always expected, but it’s clear that the actual route and mileage haven’t been fully considered. If there had been a proper plan in place covering the PVR and the vehicle boards, this should have been addressed before the new buses were introduced.
After half seven tonight, there were no electric deckers in service on the 21, with a mix of older buses instead—either transferred from other routes or sent straight out from the depot.
At this point, I’d argue it may be worth retaining a small number of StreetDecks in Angel livery as a fallback until the issues are resolved. Otherwise, what we’re likely to see is the Voltra deckers being prioritised onto the 21 as cover, with whatever is available then being pushed onto the 58.