That's presumably why a public consultation was and still is planned for as of March regarding the service (with no date due yet)
12602 - YX26ORO, entered service on 9th April. Apparently 14 are due as replacements for the ex-Perryman's Versas, which are due to transfer to Oban once all of the new E200MMCs are in service. However, as the Versas' Borders obituaries has been written more than once I'll wait until I see visible evidence that they actually are going!
I took a 26 plate example last weekend on the 51. £12.10 single if not using the app single fare!
Unfortunate shame to see that a lot of the Argyll depots (especially Rothesay/Mull and coaches in Dunoon/Ardrishaig) are being used as dumping grounds for old stock before they eventually get written off.
Personally I would prefer that Borders Buses kept the ex Perrymans Versas rather than ubiquitous ADL stock e200s. The Versas have good legroom and are generally in vgc for their age.
Any reason why?
No reason. Biggest guess would be upcoming rebranding (It has already been applied to Kintyre Express timetables) as well as being many years out of date (being uploaded pre-COVID)
Do Stagecoach have any staff retention / recruitment issues? Is their depot full, or is space required to install electric charges? These may be other factors which mean that Stagecoach are unable to run the route, but still want to regain control in the future.
Stagecoach have closed the depot (Cumbernauld) which operated the X19, as they said the depot was no longer sustainable.
WCM will simply have a contact to cover staffing, vehicle maintenance, fueling and cleaning. They don't have any dealings with the money that the X19 earns as that will pass to Stagecoach.
Glad you can track the service again, Those MCV Evolutions are a treat on the service nice and smooth with them being Volvo, get the odd Evora on it too, Some of the Stagecoach E400MMCs must be off for maintenance there's been a right shortage of them recently, they're all absolutely knackered from their X25 days
They're always on the X19 mostly, speculation is that they're ment to be going in Stagecoach blue, Sounds odd tbh never know, All 3 are on the X19 again today
There was briefly a fourth one listed, assuming that was an error since the reg was slightly off
I think a new livery is expected following the CoC rebrand but assuming the 907 proposals go ahead or not (most likely + the survey has extremely poor turnout) there is a chance of them possibly being trialed on the new service if it was to happen as WCM are interested in operating it. But then I also see WCM adding them as permanent extra X19 stock
Compass in Sussex have buses in Stagecoach livery for services they operate on behalf of Stagecoach, so not unheard of.
NSAs work for the X19 too
NSA?
Next stop announcements
Also happened in 1998 with Redby Travel in Sunderland, and in 2001 with Dart Buses in Paisley. Both these companies had buses in Stagecoach livery for services run on Stagecoach's behalf.
