New Optare decker.....

[DaveHarries]

Morning all,

Just found this after following a link on a Facebook group. Any thoughts?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/.../10846546/Metrodecker-the-new-London-bus.html

Metrodecker: the new London bus

Manufactured by Leeds-based Optare, the new fuel-efficient double decker could be in service by the end of the year

London’s historic red buses could be driven into the 21st century after Britain’s richest man unveiled plans to make a lighter, more fuel-efficient version.

The new bus, called MetroDecker, will be built in Leeds by Optare, part of the Hinduja Group run by billionaire Srichand P Hinduja.

It will be the first double-decker bus produced by Optare since HInduja took over and the only one in their current product range. Optare is looking to expand in the UK as double-deckers make up 40pc of the bus market.

In a bid to make it fuel-efficient, the bus will weigh less than 10 tonnes and feature an optimised Mercedes engine, “Ecolife” gearbox and a system that turns off the engine when the vehicle stops moving....

IMO looks better than the NBfL / Borrismaster.....

Dave

 

[Surreyman]

Morning all,

Just found this after following a link on a Facebook group. Any thoughts?

Metrodecker: the new London bus
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/.../10846546/Metrodecker-the-new-London-bus.html

IMO looks better than the NBfL / Borrismaster.....

Dave

Not bad but visually it lacks the 'wow' of the recently launched Enviro 400 MMC.
I suspect Optare will have to price this very competitively to win initial sales.
With all 3 UK body builders having now launched new or upgraded 'deckers it will be interesting to see which one wins the fuel consumption battle.

 

[MCR247]

I really don't like the windows

I can imagine its cheap price being on of its main selling points, as well as initially at least a relatively short delivery time

Is it just me or does the seem to be a trend recently of smaller upper deck windows? :?

 

[Titfield]

The move to smaller windows is for two reasons:
1) weight. Glazing is heavier per square metre than aluminium panelling
2) solar gain. To help reduce solar gain thus making it easier and cheaper to keep the interior of the bus cool by reducing the demand on air con / air chilling.

Operators are very keen to see weight reduced to help improve fuel economy which is a major issue for operators.

 

[ValleyLines142]

I really don't like the windows

I can imagine its cheap price being on of its main selling points, as well as initially at least a relatively short delivery time

Is it just me or does the seem to be a trend recently of smaller upper deck windows? :?

I agree! The 53 in London has new Gemini 3's working it now, see this picture of 13002 (BU 14 EFX). The front window is far too small, and as for the side windows, they just look cheap and tacky!

I'm also not a fan of the Arriva Volvo B5L models that Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle have. The top window looks like it's been squashed by an elephant!

 

[Rapidash]

Can't tell from that pic, but the problem with smaller windows is if you end up with dodgy seat alignments which means you have a window frame stuck in your shoulder for a journey, a problem I regularly encounter on Stagecoaches E400's. Useful if you need a back scratch discreetly though.

 

[ECML180]

Coach & Bus week are covering it according to their Facebook.

Looks good to me, the Gemini 3 IMO looks squashed/squeezed and really the Gemini 1 was better! I think the new Optare DD could really take off, I think plain red may look boring on it but a properly livery would suit very much, wouldn't surprise me to see someone like Welllglade or Nottingham City Transport using these soon.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Hope it's more popular than the Optare Rapta...

 

[starrymarkb]

Have they sold any Metrocities?

 

[gazthomas]

Where does this fit with the much flaunted "Boris Bus"?

 

[Hophead]

One article I read suggests that, as a full integral, this vehicle is considerably lighter than other deckers.

 

[edwin_m]

I really don't see the point of that design of hopper window. It appears that the main pane surrounds the hopper instead of the hopper being a separate pane above the main one. So replacing the main pane probably involves fitting a pre-assembled unit complete with the hopper surround and probably the hopper itself. A lot more expensive as a spare and probably more hassle to fit as well. A traditional design would also look much better.

 

[Titfield]

I am not sure if that is a proper hopper window.

It looks more like a plastic frame stuck on the window.

I suspect this is just for the purposes of the photo to launch the vehicle.

 

[vicbury]

I've stared at the photos a few times now and I actually quite like the look of it. I definitely prefer it to the Gemini 3 and the NBfL.

The opening windows, real or not, look quite smart. They are less intrusive on the clean line of the top of the window than traditional hoppers. However the industry tend for smaller windows is something I'm not keen on. The NBfL is most travel sickness inducing and I'm not sure what any of the new generation of double dockers will be like in this respect.

Finally, in the interests of symmetry, please could all manufacturers ensure that the height of the windows is the same on the top and bottom decks!

 

[hassaanhc]

Can't tell from that pic, but the problem with smaller windows is if you end up with dodgy seat alignments which means you have a window frame stuck in your shoulder for a journey, a problem I regularly encounter on Stagecoaches E400's. Useful if you need a back scratch discreetly though.

I'd rather have the window pillar in the shoulder than it being a couple of inches further and coming in the eye line I think the E400 windows are fine
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Coach & Bus week are covering it according to their Facebook.

Looks good to me, the Gemini 3 IMO looks squashed/squeezed and really the Gemini 1 was better! I think the new Optare DD could really take off, I think plain red may look boring on it but a properly livery would suit very much, wouldn't surprise me to see someone like Welllglade or Nottingham City Transport using these soon.

I've set foot on a new Gemini 3 and it isn't too bad upstairs, although the ceiling does seem a bit low downstairs.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I really don't see the point of that design of hopper window. It appears that the main pane surrounds the hopper instead of the hopper being a separate pane above the main one. So replacing the main pane probably involves fitting a pre-assembled unit complete with the hopper surround and probably the hopper itself. A lot more expensive as a spare and probably more hassle to fit as well. A traditional design would also look much better.

The Citaro single deckers have had it for years, oldest ones I've seen were the 57-reg artics that used to be on the 453 in London.

 

[GaryMcEwan]

Here's a better picture of it taken from Optare's website...

New Optare Decker

 

[jon0844]

Looks like they're definitely openable panels on the windows in the hi-res photo.

 

[GaryMcEwan]

More shots I've found of it...

Lower Deck Interior

Upper Deck Interior

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Is the destination and number displays a LCD/LED screen or a blind? I can't make out what they are from the photos

 

[edwin_m]

Pretty sure it is a blind. As far as I'm aware no London bus has a screen on the front so I presume TfL specifies blinds on (debateable) grounds of readability.

 

[MK Tom]

Will this thing be available for operators outside London?

 

[Via Bank]

Pretty sure it is a blind. As far as I'm aware no London bus has a screen on the front so I presume TfL specifies blinds on (debateable) grounds of readability.

The Citaro-K demonstrator that's been hopping between various operators has a high-res WOB LED destination display. Whether this sort of thing becomes commonplace remains to be seen.

 

[90019]

I think it's a decent looking bus, though for an Optare it looks a little bland.


Are there any pictures of the cab?
I'm curious to know if they're still using the same steering wheel - that horrible design they got second hand from Iveco.

 

[Mikey C]

Conservative for an Optare design, it looks more like something East Lancs would have produced. About time they had a double decker on sale, when you consider the steady business East Lancs had in the mid 2000s, plus the open toppers they produced until recently.
I love this line from the Telegraph report

The new double-decker, which has been built to Transport for London standards and will be painted red

 

[Robertj21a]

Not bad but visually it lacks the 'wow' of the recently launched Enviro 400 MMC.
I suspect Optare will have to price this very competitively to win initial sales.
With all 3 UK body builders having now launched new or upgraded 'deckers it will be interesting to see which one wins the fuel consumption battle.

I believe that it's only 9980 kgs, so that should be popular with all the accountants demanding (rightly) better fuel economy per passenger carried.

Robert

 

[Mikey C]

I believe that it's only 9980 kgs, so that should be popular with all the accountants demanding (rightly) better fuel economy per passenger carried.

Robert

And these days of course, you can sell the environmental benefit!

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Pretty sure it is a blind. As far as I'm aware no London bus has a screen on the front so I presume TfL specifies blinds on (debateable) grounds of readability.

Most if not all buses my way have had orange LED matrix displays for at least 5 years now. I find the readability of blinds can be crap if there's any reflection of the sun and once they start to fade they get hard to read from a distance.

Also LED matrixs have the advantage that a bus company can easily add a new route destination to the bus, where asd a blind would need to be removed and the new destination spliced in.

 

[Robertj21a]

Most if not all buses my way have had orange LED matrix displays for at least 5 years now. I find the readability of blinds can be crap if there's any reflection of the sun and once they start to fade they get hard to read from a distance.

Also LED matrixs have the advantage that a bus company can easily add a new route destination to the bus, where asd a blind would need to be removed and the new destination spliced in.

Very few operators specify blinds on new buses nowadays. TfL will need to join the modern world soon but at least the blinds still in use there aren each likely to remain unchanged for 5-7 years.

Robert

 

[GaryMcEwan]

Very few operators specify blinds on new buses nowadays. TfL will need to join the modern world soon but at least the blinds still in use there aren each likely to remain unchanged for 5-7 years.

Robert

Even Lothian have started to move away from blinds with their E400H's and the single B5TL having LED screens...

 

[theageofthetra]

Presumably it will have aircon as the number of opening windows as depicted is insufficient.