(08 May 2026, 3:19 pm)toward6931 wrote Ok I was a little bit behind on the situation, have searched and found this articlehttps://www.route-one.net/news/north-east-england-bus-franchising-to-move-to-audit-of-assessment/
The decision to move ahead is due next year and the first journeys are likely to happen in 2029, so your telling me that stagecoach is unlikely to upgrade its flagship before this, the majority of the buses being around 13 years old at that point
Stagecoach are unlikely to invest in the fleet in the Slatyford and Walkergate depots until they have a clear understanding from the NECA which way the franchising will be going and they’re guaranteed to be keeping both depots. If that’s before 2029 great if not then the old run down buses will stay in service unless the NECA want to invest in the fleet themselves.
It’s the same with the ticket machines, Stagecoach won’t buy new machines until the NECA tell every operator what machines they want the buses to use.