Given the Merseyside franchising order for Cummins powered Ultroliners, have Volvo not missed a trick building a standard Bi-Axile B8TL decker?

Electrification despite it being the way forward is still out of reach for many services.

Unless operators go tri-axile, there isn't a truly heavy duty decker currently on the market.

(08 Nov 2026, 12:05 pm)L469 YVK wrote Given the Merseyside franchising order for Cummins powered Ultroliners, have Volvo not missed a trick building a standard Bi-Axile B8TL decker?

Electrification despite it being the way forward is still out of reach for many services.

Unless operators go tri-axile, there isn't a truly heavy duty decker currently on the market.

Not sure a heavy duty vehicle is needed in Merseyside. It's arguably the sort of place a light weight decker is actually ideal. Same with the likes of London and what not.

(08 Nov 2026, 1:05 pm)Storx wrote Not sure a heavy duty vehicle is needed in Merseyside. It's arguably the sort of place a light weight decker is actually ideal. Same with the likes of London and what not.

It's still quite a statement for an Cummins Ultroliner being ordered for such work though. Especially when a Daimler powered Ultroliner or standard E400MMC would be enough.

To be fair, MTL & Arriva did have a fair number of Cummins & Volvo D10 powered Palatine II's operating in the area.

Quite a lot of the NECA area work would benefit from a heavy duty decker:

Northumberland
* X14/X15/X16/X28/X20/X30
* X21/X22
* 10/10A/10B/12
* 685 (depending how this goes as cross border)

Gateshead & Washington
* X1

County Durham
* X10
* X21
* X30/X31/X32
* X45 & 47
* X70/X71/X72/X73

That alone would be quite a sizeable order. Then add on other operators and routes such as the X93/X94, Transdev's Coastliner.

(08 Nov 2026, 2:32 pm)L469 YVK wrote It's still quite a statement for an Cummins Ultroliner being ordered for such work though. Especially when a Daimler powered Ultroliner or standard E400MMC would be enough.

To be fair, MTL & Arriva did have a fair number of Cummins & Volvo D10 powered Palatine II's operating in the area.

Quite a lot of the NECA area work would benefit from a heavy duty decker:

Northumberland
* X14/X15/X16/X28/X20/X30
* X21/X22
* 10/10A/10B/12
* 685 (depending how this goes as cross border)

Gateshead & Washington
* X1

County Durham
* X10
* X21
* X30/X31/X32
* X45 & 47
* X70/X71/X72/X73

That alone would be quite a sizeable order. Then add on other operators and routes such as the X93/X94, Transdev's Coastliner.

Yeah don't disagree about other areas.

Btw I don't know, but are the Cummins units actually any more expensive? It's what the E400 has anyway, but maybe at a different rating - but I believe both ratings are available on the Streetdeck. I know Mercedes don't have a particular good rating, or didn't awhile back, for after sales.

(09 Nov 2026, 12:03 pm)Storx wrote Yeah don't disagree about other areas.

Btw I don't know, but are the Cummins units actually any more expensive? It's what the E400 has anyway, but maybe at a different rating - but I believe both ratings are available on the Streetdeck. I know Mercedes don't have a particular good rating, or didn't awhile back, for after sales.

Not sure about Merseyside's Cummins ratings, but GNE's are 300BHP with the Voith diwa nxt gearboxes (4 speed with three overdrive gears).

There definitely is still a market out there, especially given that a lot of operators are ordering Volvo B8RLE over E200MMC and getting similar or even better MPG returns.