TfGM Bee Network - fleet discussion

[Fin447]

There is 30+ hybrids at Stockport

 

[mayneway]

Also noted Stagecoach are still using standard livery, first livery and Go North west liveried buses today

With regards to the liveries, TFGM insist the buses are spray painted and not brush painted so it means than normal. There’s 4 First liveried E300’s away for paint and retrim and when they return 4 more will go. Once the E300’s have been done they will focus on the MMC 400’s.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jan 2025 ==

All the ticket machines changed last night didn't they? So not a hangover of old number on an old machine?

Already sussed!

Ticketer were at all depots installing machines on behalf of TFGM, the engineers either assign to the correct fleetnumber or spare.

 

[M60lad]

Considering some if not all of MMC400Citys have now gone to Stockport is Oldham due to get anything in return?

Is there a reason why Oldham seem to have quite a number of E300s out on various routes today and hardly any electrics out? Is it to do with the weather or is there another reason?

Does anyone know what ticket machines Metroline and using and why none of their routes are tracking today?

 

[py_megapixel]

Does anyone know what ticket machines Metroline and using and why none of their routes are tracking today?

They are the same Ticketer system as all the other Bee Network operators.

There seem to be some IT issues in general with Metroline this morning... as well as the tracking problems, quite a few buses seem to be running around with the destination blinds and/or auto announcements not working properly. Not necessarily related, of course, and to be expected in these early stages, but I imagine everything will get sorted soon enough.

 

[mayneway]

Considering some if not all of MMC400Citys have now gone to Stockport is Oldham due to get anything in return?

Is there a reason why Oldham seem to have quite a number of E300s out on various routes today and hardly any electrics out? Is it to do with the weather or is there another reason?

Does anyone know what ticket machines Metroline and using and why none of their routes are tracking today?

We seem to be going round in circles with some of the questions.
The electrics drain a lot quicker when very cold and take longer to charge, a mixture of reasons including cab and saloon heating being on full etc.

All operators will be now using Ticketer machines. It will probably take a few days for them to be online and tracking.

 

[SW Buses]

With the commencement of Tranche 3 today and the introduction of Metroline, does anyone know the PVR (Peak Vehicle Requirement) of the total Metroline operations?

 

[Dfatcontroller]

See so far Metroline are not tracking at all

Also noted Stagecoach are still using standard livery, first livery and Go North west liveried buses today

I was sent a photo earlier from my brother of a new-to-First Manchester Wright Eclipse Gemini, still in Go-NW blue/grey, carrying a Stagecoach fleet number with Metroline legals!

 

[cnjb8]

See so far Metroline are not tracking at all

Also noted Stagecoach are still using standard livery, first livery and Go North west liveried buses today

Metroline buses are now tracking and ticket machines are being added right now

 

[JasonL]

Metroline buses are now tracking and ticket machines are being added right now

The BZLs are not being tracked but they probably might on Monday morning

 

[xitz2012@gmail]

I noticed that routes 472/474 have moved back to Bolton and are using EVs, as was stated a while back in this thread, but correct me if I'm wrong, wasn't the 163 supposed to do the same? The 163 seems to still be operated out of Heywood with B9s and Evosetis, has the 163 electrification been cancelled or is it coming later?

 

[Fin447]

Considering some if not all of MMC400Citys have now gone to Stockport is Oldham due to get anything in return?

Is there a reason why Oldham seem to have quite a number of E300s out on various routes today and hardly any electrics out? Is it to do with the weather or is there another reason?

Does anyone know what ticket machines Metroline and using and why none of their routes are tracking today?

Oldham received more 24 plate mmcs in exchange

 

[toms]

I noticed that routes 472/474 have moved back to Bolton and are using EVs, as was stated a while back in this thread, but correct me if I'm wrong, wasn't the 163 supposed to do the same? The 163 seems to still be operated out of Heywood with B9s and Evosetis, has the 163 electrification been cancelled or is it coming later?

I think the 163 was supposed to stay because it doesn’t go the same way the 472 and 474 do, something to do with pollution but I can’t remember what it was named

 

[Cavendish1]

Surprised at the amount of B9s out today, have the scanias gone?

 

[esmith2k5]

I think the 163 was supposed to stay because it doesn’t go the same way the 472 and 474 do, something to do with pollution but I can’t remember what it was named

Correct its the major junction just west of Bury centre thats an exceedence zone, although 475/477 and 163 were planned to go ZE, evidently hasnt as of yet

 

[Simon75]

Are Stagecoach still using Vix on the Bee Network

 

[mayneway]

Surprised at the amount of B9s out today, have the scanias gone?

The original plan was that all 20 Scania’s and 15 of the B9’s were to see use at Hyde road and Sharston with the other 36 B9’s going into storage with no plan to use them, it now seems Metroline have rejected the scania’s and are instead using most of the B9’s.

 

[citybus2500]

The original plan was that all 20 Scania’s and 15 of the B9’s were to see use at Hyde road and Sharston with the other 36 B9’s going into storage with no plan to use them, it now seems Metroline have rejected the scania’s and are instead using most of the B9’s.

The use of 45 E400s removed the need for the Omnicity. 51 of the 52 B9s have been allocated Metroline fleetnumbers, although not all may be used. It wasn't intended to use that many but the rejection of the ADL E400EVs required them.

Many of the B9s are in not the best condition, they are certainly showing a lack of TLC from recent times!

 

[Along the bay]

The use of 45 E400s removed the need for the Omnicity. 51 of the 52 B9s have been allocated Metroline fleetnumbers, although not all may be used. It wasn't intended to use that many but the rejection of the ADL E400EVs required them.

Many of the B9s are in not the best condition, they are certainly showing a lack of TLC from recent times!

What's happening to the E400EVs then?

 

[GWVillager]

Correct its the major junction just west of Bury centre thats an exceedence zone, although 475/477 and 163 were planned to go ZE, evidently hasnt as of yet

Would that involve electric minibuses for the 477 or would it go back to midibuses?

 

[mayneway]

Would that involve electric minibuses for the 477 or would it go back to midibuses?

The E100’s were meant to be being used on the 475/477 but there’s charging issues which means it probably won’t happen and the 100’s will go elsewhere!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Jan 2025 ==

The use of 45 E400s removed the need for the Omnicity. 51 of the 52 B9s have been allocated Metroline fleetnumbers, although not all may be used. It wasn't intended to use that many but the rejection of the ADL E400EVs required them.

Many of the B9s are in not the best condition, they are certainly showing a lack of TLC from recent times!

It’s not what I was told.
Metroline flatly refused to use the Scania’s due to their overall condition. Many of them bounced back to Stagecoach who refused to do anything further with them claiming that’s how they received them in March.
It’s come full circle really though as TFGM are now being forced to rent diesel E400’s off Stagecoach at a considerable cost.

The B9’s were in a lot worse condition when stagecoach first inherited them. Many have had completely new suspension, axles and the dodgy exhaust mods rectified and put right.

 

[py_megapixel]

It wasn't intended to use that many but the rejection of the ADL E400EVs required them.

What do you mean by "the rejection of the ADL E400EVs" - is there now a fleet of brand new electric E400s sitting around doing nothing, and if so, how come?

 

[Class 466]

Begs the question as to whether Metroline have enough vehicles still to be delivered to sufficiently replace the E400s & B9s. Especially if the 'rejection' of 400EVs is true.

 

[AWK]

The use of 45 E400s removed the need for the Omnicity. 51 of the 52 B9s have been allocated Metroline fleetnumbers, although not all may be used. It wasn't intended to use that many but the rejection of the ADL E400EVs required them.

Many of the B9s are in not the best condition, they are certainly showing a lack of TLC from recent times!

Are the Scanias that were latterly used at Queens Road owned by TfGM and presumably for them now to either dispose or deploy to another franchise operator?

 

[mayneway]

Are the Scanias that were latterly used at Queens Road owned by TfGM and presumably for them now to either dispose or deploy to another franchise operator?

They are owned by TFGM and previously owned by GNW.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Jan 2025 ==

Begs the question as to whether Metroline have enough vehicles still to be delivered to sufficiently replace the E400s & B9s. Especially if the 'rejection' of 400EVs is true.

Well from what I’ve been told today there was around 30 drivers and boards at Hyde road this morning with no vehicles, and a handful at Ashton and Sharston in the same position.

 

[Class 466]

10429 is out this evening on the 41 - replacing 11850! Benefits of having plenty of reserve vehicles at Queens already on show.

 

[47550]

Begs the question as to whether Metroline have enough vehicles still to be delivered to sufficiently replace the E400s & B9s. Especially if the 'rejection' of 400EVs is true.

Looking at bustimes (with usual caveats) around 35 of the BZLs are in service (out of 110 due) plus the 24 e400 EVs mean that there are around 100 vehicles to enter service yet. These will replace the 45 e400s (08 reg) and 50 or so B9s. So the maths should work.

 

[py_megapixel]

Looking at bustimes (with usual caveats) around 35 of the BZLs are in service (out of 110 due) plus the 24 e400 EVs mean that there are around 100 vehicles to enter service yet. These will replace the 45 e400s (08 reg) and 50 or so B9s. So the maths should work.

I didn't think the BZLs were all going to Metroline - there was talk of TfGM allocating the remaining ones somewhere else instead.

Plus if what mayneway says is correct, like-for-like replacement will still leave them with a significant shortage of vehicles. At least they'll still have those old B9s, which might have a good few miles left in them yet...

 

[Class 466]

Looking at bustimes (with usual caveats) around 35 of the BZLs are in service (out of 110 due) plus the 24 e400 EVs mean that there are around 100 vehicles to enter service yet. These will replace the 45 e400s (08 reg) and 50 or so B9s. So the maths should work.

They seem to be having some issues with the BZLs too - a number only did one or two trips this morning (if that) before disappearing back into Hyde Road for the rest of the day.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I saw this out today on my local? I thought they were all withdrawn last week?

(Image shows what I believe is a B9 (?) bus in Pendleton)

 

[W176 XMA]

View attachment 172385

I saw this out today on my local? I thought they were all withdrawn last week?

(Image shows what I believe is a B9 (?) bus in Pendleton)

That's running for Metroline, they were withdrawn from Stagecoach at Queens Road