Thamesdown Transport, Swindon - New Vehicles

[DaveHarries]

Evening all,

Was in Swindon for work today and noticed a number of new Enviro200 MMCs out on Service 5 between Haydon Wick and Park North. I wasn't aware that they had anything on order. Anyway the vehicles I saw, along with their fleet numbers and liveries, were:

2700, YY17 GRX - allover white but with "Swindon's Bus Company" stickers
2764, HF67 AUK - Thamesdown livery
2772, HF67 ATN - Thamesdown livery
2777, HF67 ATY - Thamesdown livery
2780, HF67 AUC - Thamesdown livery

I think these vehicles look quite good in the livery.
2764: https://www.flickr.com/photos/14103794@N04/38170252286/in/album-72157627584969580/

I don't know how many were ordered.

HTIOI,
Dave

 

[freetoview33]

I saw a few of the pictures and they look nice. Looks like the Thamesdown branding has all but gone now, wouldn't be surprised if it is removed at some point.

 

[pdeaves]

This may be of interest: http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/...new_buses_with_mod_cons___Thamesdown_reveals/. I am pretty sure there have been some follow up articles but I haven't searched them out.

 

[baza585]

Evening all,

Was in Swindon for work today and noticed a number of new Enviro200 MMCs out on Service 5 between Haydon Wick and Park North. I wasn't aware that they had anything on order. Anyway the vehicles I saw, along with their fleet numbers and liveries, were:

2700, YY17 GRX - allover white but with "Swindon's Bus Company" stickers
2764, HF67 AUK - Thamesdown livery
2772, HF67 ATN - Thamesdown livery
2777, HF67 ATY - Thamesdown livery
2780, HF67 AUC - Thamesdown livery

I think these vehicles look quite good in the livery.
2764: https://www.flickr.com/photos/14103794@N04/38170252286/in/album-72157627584969580/

I don't know how many were ordered.

HTIOI,
Dave

AFAIK there are 2 batches newly delivered to GSC (Thamesdown).

There is a batch of 8 E20Ds; these are Euro V ex dealer stock and are not MMC. These are 2764-71 (YX17NHP/T-V/Y-N/NJE/F).

Plus, there is a further batch of 13 E20Ds which are Euro VI and MMC.

These are 2772-84 and carry the HF67 regs. (HF67AT* and HF67AU*). Your sighting of 2764 appears to have been 2784 as the reg ties up with 2784.

2700 is/was a ADL demonstrator, and it is not clear whether this will be staying or not (2775 has been on loan to GSC Poole and is being trialled on the busy m1/m2 routes prior to 41 further buses due early next year, so 2700 may just be on loan). There has been a lot of publicity regarding the "social seating" at the rear.

Personally I'm not sold on the garish livery but personal taste.

What were the loadings like on the 5; GSC have put a whole lot of extra costs into Swindon and it will be interesting to see if it pays off.

HTH

 

[overthewater]

Go ahead will need to do something to turn the company around? It will be interesting if it can fight back at Stagecoach.

 

[carlberry]

Go ahead will need to do something to turn the company around? It will be interesting if it can fight back at Stagecoach.

I thought that Stagecoach had already pulled out of the competing stuff?

 

[pdeaves]

It will be interesting if it can fight back at Stagecoach.

Both Thamesdown and Stagecoach introduced blatantly competing routes earlier in the year. Common sense broke out after a few months and it's all back 'as it was' (the PR puff, of course, calling the withdrawals an improvement).

 

[DaveHarries]

What were the loadings like on the 5; GSC have put a whole lot of extra costs into Swindon and it will be interesting to see if it pays off.

Thanks for the reply. The loadings on the 5 looked fine. I mentioned to a Facebook contact that I had seen these MMCs: he said he has been on two of them and they go like rockets. I have never been on one so haven't had the chance to judge for myself.

Dave

 

[SwindonBert]

I like the new busses I've only used them a few times as they're not normally on the route I use. Comfortable and speedy (traffic permitting)
I know it's not new to these busses, but the WiFi on the busses is much better than the train