Enfield new routemasters

[goblinuser]

Over the last couple of months I have noticed a large amount of Wrightbus new routemasters parked up at the southern end of the Arriva Edmonton Bus Depot. They have no blinds, the doors are open and they are mixed in with very clapped out looking old darts and such.

Does anyone know what is happening to these buses stored here?

 

[Mwanesh]

They are stored there for upcoming route wins.You will see them on the road by Feb 2018

 

[Busaholic]

Over the last couple of months I have noticed a large amount of Wrightbus new routemasters parked up at the southern end of the Arriva Edmonton Bus Depot. They have no blinds, the doors are open and they are mixed in with very clapped out looking old darts and such.

Does anyone know what is happening to these buses stored here?

I believe that some of these have now gone into service at Norwood/Brixton on the 137, releasing older LTs for use on Arriva London North's 48 and 254 routes. The final(?) batch of LTs from Wrightbus will be going to Arriva London South for the 468 for a contract win from GA, presumably out of Norwood.

 

[plcd1]

I believe that some of these have now gone into service at Norwood/Brixton on the 137, releasing older LTs for use on Arriva London North's 48 and 254 routes. The final(?) batch of LTs from Wrightbus will be going to Arriva London South for the 468 for a contract win from GA, presumably out of Norwood.

I agree that the buses at EC are almost certainly for the 137 and will disappear in due course as the cascade of NB4Ls proceeds.

There are only 17 or so NB4Ls left that are unallocated. There is no evidence at all that they are going to the 468 which has a far higher PVR of 29. The contract award notice says that new hybrid double deckers will be bought for the 468. If NB4Ls were to be used the contract award would specifiy this. On another forum it was stated by an Arriva employee that HVs would be used on the 468. This would ensure a common type with routes 2 and 249 at Norwood garage. Arriva seem to be restricting the vehicle types used at garages to keep maintenance and spares costs under control.

 

[Busaholic]

I agree that the buses at EC are almost certainly for the 137 and will disappear in due course as the cascade of NB4Ls proceeds.

There are only 17 or so NB4Ls left that are unallocated. There is no evidence at all that they are going to the 468 which has a far higher PVR of 29. The contract award notice says that new hybrid double deckers will be bought for the 468. If NB4Ls were to be used the contract award would specifiy this. On another forum it was stated by an Arriva employee that HVs would be used on the 468. This would ensure a common type with routes 2 and 249 at Norwood garage. Arriva seem to be restricting the vehicle types used at garages to keep maintenance and spares costs under control.

The information I quoted was from the LOTS website, dated yesterday. It surprised me, because I'd have thought the 68, moving from London Central at the same time as the 468, would have been a more 'natural' home, given it is truly central London and parallels the 168 and 91 from Euston to Aldwych, but maybe Abellio couldn't cope with NB4Ls at Walworth. Norwood, on the other hand, has only fairly recently gained experience of the type, with some transferred from Brixton, so there is some logic there. The 468 used to be run by Arriva from Croydon, of course, but that was when they had the 68 too, from Norwood. By the by, a chance to extend the route to TC garage again.

On the matter of how many LTs are unallocated, the cynic in me says there may well be further pruning to achieve the desired number!

 

[Busaholic]

Mea culpa time = I either misread the LOTS info or it's been changed. The LTs WILL be going on the 68/X68, with a PVR of 23, and NOT the 468, so won't be going to Arriva but Abellio. PVR cuts on other routes will almost certainly mean there are enough LTs to fulfil this, particularly if no engineering spares are factored in.

 

[Andyh82]

I'm surprised they never converted the 87 to NRM operation, or maybe the 139.

 

[plcd1]

Mea culpa time = I either misread the LOTS info or it's been changed. The LTs WILL be going on the 68/X68, with a PVR of 23, and NOT the 468, so won't be going to Arriva but Abellio. PVR cuts on other routes will almost certainly mean there are enough LTs to fulfil this, particularly if no engineering spares are factored in.

Err sorry but I think another typo crept in. The 68 goes to Abellio with the current GAL NB4Ls transferring.

The N68 is run with hybrids from other Abellio routes as NB4Ls don't fit somewhere on the south end of the route.

The 468 goes to Arriva with new buses.

The X68 stays with GAL but with brand new hybrid buses (not NB4Ls of any sort).

 

[Busaholic]

Err sorry but I think another typo crept in. The 68 goes to Abellio with the current GAL NB4Ls transferring.

The N68 is run with hybrids from other Abellio routes as NB4Ls don't fit somewhere on the south end of the route.

The 468 goes to Arriva with new buses.

The X68 stays with GAL but with brand new hybrid buses (not NB4Ls of any sort).

Unusual for LOTS to get it wrong, but they seem to have done so here: maybe in a too hasty attempt to get 'news' out! Interesting that the X68 stays with GAL - loads of dead mileage. The one bit that I may have got right (only my own guess) is extension of the 468 to South Croydon Garage from the Red Deer, a terminus only adopted when GAL took over the route and weren't allowed to use TC.