mayneway
Member
I’m told the B9s, Scanias and B5 hybrids are all now owned by TFGM and are part of the vehicle pool.
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TfGM Bee Network - fleet discussion
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Class 466
Established Member
Oh, that is interesting. I know the B9s replacement at Queens Road has been ordered but requires infrastructure works at the depot. Assume they’ll head off to a Metroline depot after this.
py_megapixel
Established Member
Is it more of the same BYD/ADL stuff that has been ordered, and if so, will that make Queens Road entirely electric?
mayneway
Member
That’s what’s been suggested yeah.
Class 466
Established Member
As far as I know the BYD/ADL partnership has pretty much ended now. Wont be entirely electric - will still be Enviro 300s, Enviro 400 MMCs (17 & 24 plate), Solos and Mellor Stratas there.
xitz2012@gmail
Member
Don’t forget the E200s and the Evoras! Wonder if Queens Road will get the new Enviro400 EV then?
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Class 466
Established Member
Of course! how could I forget those
darylyates17
Member
How many vehicles are included in this order?
mayneway
Member
They have never said they are moving Queens Road to Central Park; they have only hinted at a ‘super depot’ at Central Park, which was one of the reasons they wanted all three Tranche 2 depots going to the same operator.
They are currently drilling on the site and testing the ground so it looks like something is in the pipeline.
jeffery9098
On Moderation
According to the GMCA, They have required the funding 'to deliver further electrification of Middleton, Bolton, Queens Road, Ashton and Hyde Road Bus Depots' for the Depot Electrification Programme. I am guessing the 'super-depot' seemed inconvenient as the idea was too big for them to consider using real-life scenarios and the ethics behind the super-depot. Either way, if they continue the Depot Electrification Programme just by using existing ones... hats off to them.
Class 466
Established Member
Notice the lack of any mention of Stockport or progress electrifying it and the decision to electrify Middleton/Queens Road - If I were a betting man I wouldn't be surprised if those BZLs operate out of a different Bee Network Franchised Stagecoach depot...
jeffery9098
On Moderation
That's the problem the Volvo BZL are being delayed because of Stockport progress, now TfGM is saying, they will start operating in November 2024. I always knew TfGM owned the Volvo BZL... I can imagine that Volvo BZL being operated out of sharston with half of them sat in depot charging and the other half in services due to the limited amount of buses that can be charged
MasterSpenny
Member
The first three buses for Metroline has arrived in Manchester. They are Enviro 200 MMCs, but they have a small number of differences to the others in Manchester. They are different as they things like camera mirrors installed. The fleet numbers they will display are not known as of yet.
darylyates17
Member
I do wonder how Metroline are going to acquire enough vehicles in the space of only 6 months.
Presumably Stagecoach may sell them a large part of the existing fleet, perhaps keeping E400MMCs for transfer elsewhere?
darylyates17
Member
I have that feeling myself that Stagecoach will sell off all the classic E400s but keep the MMCs and possibly the BYDs if enough facilities are in place for extra EVs.
Class 466
Established Member
BYDs are staying at Sharston and not staying with Stagecoach. TFGM helped fund them originally.
darylyates17
Member
Makes sense if they are owned by TfGM
jeffery9098
On Moderation
If we apply this logic, then the Stagecoach Enviro400 Hybrids that are a part of the Green Bus Fund from 2009 to 2015 mean that the remaining approximately 120 could likely go into the Bee Network if TfGM is slowly buying the vehicles as we speak. Then we could see tons of Enviro400 Hybrids getting splashed into Yellow along with 2013
Yes that is also likely, they are now old technology and something that Stagecoach probably don't want anyway, and based on the fact that some of the Oxford examples have also been sold for scrap, its very likely that these and maybe others drafted in, could end up with Metroline.
mayneway
Member
They are not owned directly by TFGM. TFGM along with the DfT provided some of the funding needed to purchase the BYDs and set up the charging facility at Sharston.
Many of the original batches of E400 hybrids were purchased a similar way with green grants from TFGM and the DFT so will be interesting to see where these end up.
Man of Kent
Member
- Joined
- 5 Jul 2018
- Messages
- 904
Most of the grants specified a minimum time that the buses so funded had to remain in the area. In most cases, this was something between 5 and 8 years. I don't know the precise figure for TfGM, but I expect that it has long since been passed for all the hybrid vehicles.
Notice again a Optate Solo has crept onto the 41 (48101) passed me on Lever Street just now.
Happened a few times now, presumably due to vehicle availability, not an ideal vehicle.
Happened a few times now, presumably due to vehicle availability, not an ideal vehicle.
xitz2012@gmail
Member
Was on one on the 98 earlier… Got absolutely packed! Not a great experience
mayneway
Member
The Solos, and in fact any singles, are never intentionally routed out to boards like the 41 and 97/98, but either during run out or part way through early trips in the day. Faults develop on the intended vehicle and the only vehicles available at the time sometimes are the Solos. It’s not ideal and they should normally get swapped over later in the day but often get overlooked.
Class 466
Established Member
People should just be glad we’re now at a stage where there’s far fewer Single deckers on routes like this than there were under Go North West with those awful Streetlites and dealer spec Enviro 200s. Things have definitely improved post takeover, especially when compared to Tranche 1 which is now operated by said operator.
mayneway
Member
I was at Queens during the journey with Go North West and Tbh they went from having a real pride in the fleet and what was turned out to not giving a hoot.
The ex First E300s are not the best, drivers hate them, awful to drive compared to the GNW E200’s but we have pushed and been given a few E200s which are more durable. Hopefully as we get into autumn and ever closer to Tranche 3 the fleet at Queens will slowly standardise and get better, but yeah nobody is purposely putting Solos out on the busier routes.
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Of course, I understand the point completely however the fact that it seemed to spend most of the day on there suggests that this was indeed overlooked?
Presumably under Bee Network there is now fines against the operator to prevent such a small vehicle dropping on these sort of routes too regularly?
mayneway
Member
It can only be replaced by something bigger if something bigger is available, and if someone is available to swap it over. Queens and Oldham are still severely short of drivers.
Fines will kick In later in the year.