Bee Network fleet speculation

[Dallamlad]

I thought it was about time we moved some of the speculation surrounding the current and future Bee Network fleet to it’s own thread. So speculate away!

 

[CJ1]

I know this thread is a few weeks old now, but I’ll start the speculation. I think Metroline will order a bunch of Streetdeck Electroliners and the GB Kite Versions along with some BZL SD & some DDs, after both of their successes in London. I’m assuming they will get the LF69 reg BYD ADL E400 EV from Stagecoach at Sharston. Although, I’m unsure if TFGM ordered them some new BYD ADL E400/200 EVs in time before the partnership ended.

 

[Dallamlad]

Depending on delivery dates, I’m wondering if some B9TLs will become available for tranche 3 when Go Ahead get their 19 electrics. They are old and temporary and I’m sure Metroline wouldn’t mind using them for a while as they get started.

 

[Fox192]

I’ve heard wythenshawe all going to be e200 mmc, hyde road ultraliners, bzl and the hybrid e400, Sheraton ultraliner, e400 city and e400 hybrid and Ashton will be bzl, e200 mmc and e400 hybrid

 

[CJ1]

Depending on delivery dates, I’m wondering if some B9TLs will become available for tranche 3 when Go Ahead get their 19 electrics. They are old and temporary and I’m sure Metroline wouldn’t mind using them for a while as they get started.

I would have thought Go-Ahead would get rid of the 59,60 and 61 plate B9s straight away. BTW do you know when deliveries are starting for Go-Aheads 19 Streetdeck Electoliners? Have they got regs yet? I’m guessing Metroline will bring up a lot of B5LHs and E400Hs. Probably no need for GAs B9s.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Sep 2024 ==

I’ve heard wythenshawe all going to be e200 mmc, hyde road ultraliners, bzl and the hybrid e400, Sheraton ultraliner, e400 city and e400 hybrid and Ashton will be bzl, e200 mmc and e400 hybrid

I think Wythenshawe will get a share of the Streetdeck Ultroliners (probably only a few) as the 263 which operates out of Wythenshawe (the Altrincham to Piccadilly Gardens route) will need deckers. As a new rule by TfGM all routes going into the city centre have to be deckers. Also they will probably get a few E200 classics (maybe brought up from London) to help the along side the MMCs to get up to capacity on the 19, 18 and 245.

 

[py_megapixel]

I’ve heard wythenshawe all going to be e200 mmc,

Wythenshawe is taking over routes 313 and 368, which are currently run with double deckers. Though my hope is that the 313 in particular will get a fairly substantial frequency increase (it's currently only every 30 minutes, but it provides some rather important connections and usually seems well-used) in which case a switch to single deck operation might be appropriate. At a guess, the 368 will probably get a slight uplift from a 15 to a 12 minute service, in which case again single deckers might do. Stagecoach Manchester does put a lot of doubles out on runs that would probably be fine with singles, simply because they only have a few singles at this point but loads of doubles.

Sheraton ultraliner, e400 city and e400 hybrid

That makes very little sense because Sharston is already electrified - why would they send the order of new diesels there when they could order electrics and make use of the infrastructure already in place?

 

[CJ1]

Wythenshawe is taking over routes 313 and 368, which are currently run with double deckers. Though my hope is that the 313 in particular will get a fairly substantial frequency increase (it's currently only every 30 minutes, but it provides some rather important connections and usually seems well-used) in which case a switch to single deck operation might be appropriate. At a guess, the 368 will probably get a slight uplift from a 15 to a 12 minute service, in which case again single deckers might do. Stagecoach Manchester does put a lot of doubles out on runs that would probably be fine with singles, simply because they only have a few singles at this point but loads of doubles.


That makes very little sense because Sharston is already electrified - why would they send the order of new diesels there when they could order electrics and make use of the infrastructure already in place?

I’m not sure why Stagecoach GM ended up with so many deckers. They need more E200s. They end up putting the older 08-09 reg E400s on short routes where ideally a good old E200/MMC would be fine really. Anyway it’s too late now as Metroline are taking over most of South Manchester and Tameside.

Have Metroline got any EVs coming /on order for Sharston to compliment the LF69 BYDs? I heard somewhere that the BZLs were being re-directed to Metroline somewhere!? It seems logical to make Sharston an Electric/Hybrid exclusive depot and everywhere else diesel/hybrid depots, as I believe Sharston is the only depot in South Manchester with EV charging.

 

[M60lad]

Out of interest which depot has got Wythenshawe's 247 from January and what vehicles are we likely to see on there?

 

[WibbleWobble]

Out of interest which depot has got Wythenshawe's 247 from January and what vehicles are we likely to see on there?

247 is part of the Wythenshawe Large contract.

 

[Mwanesh]

I saw some Bee Network buses heading down the M50 today .I then guessed they were going go Cardiff for storage

 

[CJ1]

I saw some Bee Network buses heading down the M50 today .I then guessed they were going go Cardiff for storage

Were they Diesel Streetdecks? I’m guessing they will be Metroline’s, as they have some others In storage in Cardiff.

 

[GCH100]

School Contracts

Just a few questions about school contracts, First of all what are Diamond and Go Ahead going to use on their newly won school contracts in South Manchester?

Also do the school vehicles last the entire length of the contract with each operator from the start, or can they or would they be changed midway through, as in Wigan, Stagecoach and Vision BUs seem to be using exactly the same fleet as in the last school year?