Wellglade Group

[Trainman40083]

I think the MMCs on the Indigo might be the most likely candidates for primary replacement. They're now nearly eight years old, and I think Trentbarton have figured out that four-pot MMCs aren't their preferred choice. Otherwise, there aren't that many bus routes that could justify getting new buses that haven't gotten MMCs already. However, they may need to get some smaller buses in the coming years as Trentbarton pass their Solos, Solo SRs and Versas on. And then there is the question of electrification: Trentbarton's last bid for electric buses never came to fruition.

Trentbarton 's last bid for electric buses? I only remember that combined bid that would have seen hydrogen buses for Skylink and the Sixes and electric buses for Arriva Derby (38 Sinfin and 1 group Alvaston)..

 

[m79900]

Wrightbus GB Hawks are probably the next best diesels about for the type of work trentbarton have.

The GB Hawk is a funny one, noone has bought them except ever faithful Ulsterbus. I' personally like to see them at Trent though.

 

[Teapot42]

The Derbyshire Times is reporting an accident in Alfreton last night between a Honda CRV and a Nines MMC.

I won't post the link as the DT site carries so much spam and rubbish it barely qualifies as news, but the report says three men in the Honda ran from the scene, implying they were at fault. Damage to the bus doesn't look terrible, but still will be off the road for a while being repaired, which won't help the current vehicle shortages.

 

[BusLink61]

Skylink and Indigo would’ve been my expected ones also

I can’t see many electrics being suited to most of TBs routes as the majority are fairly high mileage, it will be interesting to see how the yutongs hold out on the 9

The Harlequin would be suitable for receiving electric buses in the next year or so if it is to remain a branded route. The Yutong E9’s would also seem appropriate size wise for the Harlequin if Wellglade are planning on going down the Yutong path for electric vehicles. Maybe Trent could do a few trials on there seems as it’s recently been down to one bus anyway, so a good excuse to fill in the gap if one goes off again. It’s a short route anyway, so charging may not be as bigger a problem as it will be for vehicles on long distance services using up more battery.

For that reason, in the next number of years, I could see The Allestree and The Mickleover having some electrics on it due to the nature of the route being shorter and not because the MMC’s are in need of replacing. I know it’s silly to be talking about new buses for The Mickleover, but it will be some time before Trent are using electric buses and I think they will be some of the first routes to have them on in Derby.

The 24 plate MMC’s would perhaps work on The Indigo or the Skylink Nottingham. If Trent aren’t buying more buses from ADL, then in my view their options for the likes of the Skylink Nottingham and The Indigo are newer 24 plate MMC’s or if second hand buses aren’t a thing for those routes, then they’ll have to go with electrics if no other diesel bus types float their boat…

 

[38291018]

Personally, I'd say there was zero chance of Notts and Derby having 72 and 76. I suspect 56 will keep going, using spares from 55. I thought 65 was fairly new, like 09 plated. More chance of suitable Volvo coaches (not ex Red Arrow ones).

Ye 65 is fairly new but just thought if 56 went mabey they should replace 65 to get rid if all the Dennis coaches so they can just stick to volvos and the 4 scanias then eventually remove the scanias for just volvos till mabey the yutongs in years to come come off flixbus and mabey become spare. And yes I already assumed they trying to sell the last 4 redarrow volvo coaches.

Buses will get replaced if the profit justifies the return. Is the future clear? After all, the EM Mayor might decide to go for franchising, and as we have seen in Manchester, there may be unexpected outcomes. Is the MMC the right bus for Trentbarton? Especially the 4 pots. Allestree route seems to be struggling. One had an engine replacement and is now MOT expired. Three of the others are close to MOT expiry, so many days a PVR of 5, becomes just 3 buses working.

Mabey I'm wrong but I feel I read somewhere mabey by another user in another thread that the EM mayor was fine with how the buses was at the moment and wasn't thinking about franchising yet as she still can influence nottingham city transport if she wants to. I guess nobody but her and her inner circle knows for sure what's happening right now tho.

Skylink and Indigo would’ve been my expected ones also

I agreed too however was wondering mabey a bit out there one as well, would you think the Calverton would as they have had a few types of buses the last few decades with Citaros, scanias and now volvos for a while unless they get cascade MMC'C in another few years too mabey from some of the skylinks and indigos

The GB Hawk is a funny one, noone has bought them except ever faithful Ulsterbus. I' personally like to see them at Trent though.

Can they get the seating that trentbarton wants on the GB Hawk. I know they have had wrightbus products in past so I assume they still offer it

The Harlequin would be suitable for receiving electric buses in the next year or so if it is to remain a branded route. The Yutong E9’s would also seem appropriate size wise for the Harlequin if Wellglade are planning on going down the Yutong path for electric vehicles. Maybe Trent could do a few trials on there seems as it’s recently been down to one bus anyway, so a good excuse to fill in the gap if one goes off again. It’s a short route anyway, so charging may not be as bigger a problem as it will be for vehicles on long distance services using up more battery.

For that reason, in the next number of years, I could see The Allestree and The Mickleover having some electrics on it due to the nature of the route being shorter and not because the MMC’s are in need of replacing. I know it’s silly to be talking about new buses for The Mickleover, but it will be some time before Trent are using electric buses and I think they will be some of the first routes to have them on in Derby.

The 24 plate MMC’s would perhaps work on The Indigo or the Skylink Nottingham. If Trent aren’t buying more buses from ADL, then in my view their options for the likes of the Skylink Nottingham and The Indigo are newer 24 plate MMC’s or if second hand buses aren’t a thing for those routes, then they’ll have to go with electrics if no other diesel bus types float their boat…

The Allestree and Mickleover can be electric yes however I thought there's plans for harlequin to merge into the v3 to make a half hourly service via Willington to burton unless what I read was wrong.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Jan 2026 ==

9/9A derby-ockbrook, I assume is being retendered now that central connect are pulling out. Wonder if littles will rerun it again using one of those solos they apparently gained from trent or mabey notts derby will have a go. I'll be shocked if it's not one of the 2 because diamond already pulled out of it and it does seem a long way to the depot unless they can try connect the 70/70A into it, which I doubt or someone like harpurs which don't do bus services (excluding schools) at the moment start it which I doubt but who knows

 

[joieman]

Trentbarton 's last bid for electric buses? I only remember that combined bid that would have seen hydrogen buses for Skylink and the Sixes and electric buses for Arriva Derby (38 Sinfin and 1 group Alvaston)..

Trentbarton were planning on getting BYD/ADL E200EVs back in 2019 but for whatever reason that plan never materialised either.

Given the troubles that many other operators are having in securing hydrogen supplies from their buses, the prospect of potential fuelling troubles, on top of Wellglade's existing availability issues, doesn't bear thinking about!

 

[SSmith2009]

9/9A derby-ockbrook, I assume is being retendered now that central connect are pulling out. Wonder if littles will rerun it again using one of those solos they apparently gained from trent or mabey notts derby will have a go. I'll be shocked if it's not one of the 2 because diamond already pulled out of it and it does seem a long way to the depot unless they can try connect the 70/70A into it, which I doubt or someone like harpurs which don't do bus services (excluding schools) at the moment start it which I doubt but who knows

Afaik Littles have been awarded the 9/9A contract.

 

[Trainman40083]

Afaik Littles have been awarded the 9/9A contract.

I guess they might use the ex TM Travel Solo, or an Enviro 200.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Jan 2026 ==

Trentbarton were planning on getting BYD/ADL E200EVs back in 2019 but for whatever reason that plan never materialised either.

Given the troubles that many other operators are having in securing hydrogen supplies from their buses, the prospect of potential fuelling troubles, on top of Wellglade's existing availability issues, doesn't bear thinking about!

Ah yes, they did have a demonstrator on the H1, with talk of having them on the Mickleover.. Possibly the Council didn't get the bod in, in time.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Jan 2026 ==

The Derbyshire Times is reporting an accident in Alfreton last night between a Honda CRV and a Nines MMC.

I won't post the link as the DT site carries so much spam and rubbish it barely qualifies as news, but the report says three men in the Honda ran from the scene, implying they were at fault. Damage to the bus doesn't look terrible, but still will be off the road for a while being repaired, which won't help the current vehicle shortages.

Looks like 259

 

[cnjb8]

The GB Hawk is a funny one, noone has bought them except ever faithful Ulsterbus. I' personally like to see them at Trent though.

Considering they have the same 4 cylinder engine as a Streetdeck, I would rather have an Evora

 

[derbybusdepot]

Afaik Littles have been awarded the 9/9A contract.

Bus times now has the Littles timetable for 9/9a. Pretty much same as now, without the Borrowash to Long Eaton section on the route 9C trips.

The timetable will be quite tight using a Solo or E200.

 

[Trainman40083]

Bus times now has the Littles timetable for 9/9a. Pretty much same as now, without the Borrowash to Long Eaton section on the route 9C trips.

The timetable will be quite tight using a Solo or E200.

The minibus did seem rather nippy. That said Enviro 200s have been used before (and often worked late)

 

[callum3490]

Considering they have the same 4 cylinder engine as a Streetdeck, I would rather have an Evora

Isn’t the Hawk available with the merc 6 cylinder as well?

I’m not sure on the likeliness of the GB Hawk as an option either considering they got rid of the citaros from the skylink supposedly due to their running and maintenance costs - they were also sold not cascaded so obviously weren’t big fans

 

[Llandudno]

Personally, I'd say there was zero chance of Notts and Derby having 72 and 76. I suspect 56 will keep going, using spares from 55. I thought 65 was fairly new, like 09 plated. More chance of suitable Volvo coaches (not ex Red Arrow ones).

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Jan 2026 ==


Buses will get replaced if the profit justifies the return. Is the future clear? After all, the EM Mayor might decide to go for franchising, and as we have seen in Manchester, there may be unexpected outcomes. Is the MMC the right bus for Trentbarton? Especially the 4 pots. Allestree route seems to be struggling. One had an engine replacement and is now MOT expired. Three of the others are close to MOT expiry, so many days a PVR of 5, becomes just 3 buses working.

I believe EM Mayor Claire is not considering franchising more favouring partnership working with operators.

 

[joieman]

I’m not sure on the likeliness of the GB Hawk as an option either considering they got rid of the citaros from the skylink supposedly due to their running and maintenance costs - they were also sold not cascaded so obviously weren’t big fans

The Citaros were also non-standard. By way of comparison, Kinchbus also sold off their four Optare Tempos in 2020, despite them being newer than any of the Wright Solars across the Wellglade fleet, which ultimately persisted for about five more years.

 

[Mollman]

I believe EM Mayor Claire is not considering franchising more favouring partnership working with operators.

Yes, the issue of the impact on Nottingham City Transport (and other municipals) is the elephant in the room for franchising in areas like the East Midlands

 

[Travelmonkey]

Yes, the issue of the impact on Nottingham City Transport (and other municipals) is the elephant in the room for franchising in areas like the East Midlands

I know Warrington's own buses a municipal in Warrington put in for some of the Manchester work but were not successful. It will be a big blow for NCT to loose to the private sector.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jan 2026 ==

Unfortunately one of the Villager E200MMCs was involved in a RTC with a Diamond Streetdeck this morning.

 

[Trainman40083]

I know Warrington's own buses a municipal in Warrington put in for some of the Manchester work but were not successful. It will be a big blow for NCT to loose to the private sector.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jan 2026 ==

Unfortunately one of the Villager E200MMCs was involved in a RTC with a Diamond Streetdeck this morning.

Might have been 301 if it happened in Tutbury. But an X38 stopped tracking in Burton earlier.

 

[Travelmonkey]

Might have been 301 if it happened in Tutbury. But an X38 stopped tracking in Burton earlier.

It was the one with the Burton Bridge as its rear decoration on the livery, it was on the corner of the lower high street in Tutbury,

 

[YX73OUB]

259 is indeed the nines bus involved in the incident in Alfreton last week. No serious injuries but the bus has took a battering, and is away at Plaxton for rebuild along with 253 which took a nasty hit to the rear between Xmas and new year

 

[Trainman40083]

259 is indeed the nines bus involved in the incident in Alfreton last week. No serious injuries but the bus has took a battering, and is away at Plaxton for rebuild along with 253 which took a nasty hit to the rear between Xmas and new year

They will be needing obstacle deflectors on before long. Must be scary being a bus driver, given the quality of some car/van drivers. So, I say to you. Stay safe. If you can't, swerve.

 

[YX73OUB]

They will be needing obstacle deflectors on before long. Must be scary being a bus driver, given the quality of some car/van drivers. So, I say to you. Stay safe. If you can't, swerve.

The last two most recent ones have put things into perspective a little - highlighting vulnerability. However it is accepted as being part of the job / day and when you see the calibre of driving on the roads now... it's a miracle more serious incidents don't take place.

 

[Trainman40083]

Looks like Comet Wright Volvo 750 is back out tonight.. If so, a car trying to drive through the back, didn't kill it of

 

[Davidsb3]

Looks like Comet Wright Volvo 750 is back out tonight.. If so, a car trying to drive through the back, didn't kill it of

Very much is back (Me being the lucky one lol) to all of our amazement as we thought it was gonna get written off due to the damage it sustained from the accident

 

[Trainman40083]

Very much is back (Me being the lucky one lol) to all of our amazement as we thought it was gonna get written off due to the damage it sustained from the accident

I guess the motorist's insurance paid for it. A d I thought it was BAD.

 

[YX73OUB]

You can't keep a Volvo down!

 

[Davidsb3]

I guess the motorist's insurance paid for it. A d I thought it was BAD.

Yes seems like it did, and alot of parts were used off 704 to help the repair apprently

 

[Trainman40083]

Yes seems like it did, and alot of parts were used off 704 to help the repair apprently

Yes, old buses with other issues are invaluable in cases like this.. Maybe the days of Versas on the Comet, are behind us now.

 

[Davidsb3]

Yes, old buses with other issues are invaluable in cases like this.. Maybe the days of Versas on the Comet, are behind us now.

We can only hope...

 

[Trainman40083]

We can only hope...

Well, unless they get the Sixes Versas.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Jan 2026 ==

Yes seems like it did, and alot of parts were used off 704 to help the repair apprently

Maybe 704 will also be back on the road soon. After all, it is still taxed. I thought they might cash the VED in.

 

[43055]

Looks like the allestree is back to full strength as well with all 5 enviro's tracking.