|
Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 6, 2024 5:17:59 GMT
Thanks for letting me know. I reckon on riding one on an Ealing/Greenford/Wembley trip next year. I was not expecting to locate or ride a VHR yesterday. Although not my favourite buses, they are distinctive and still better than ex-Tower Transit frogfaces. When riding LTs I like exiting at the rear. By way of an embarrassing true story, when I got up from my seat with a view to getting off, I did momentarily look back then realise that, being a VHR not an LT, there was of course no rear staircase or exit. The ex TT VHs are atleast better to look and and has much better visibility for the interior and exterior as nothing blocks the exterior mirrors and the lighting on the interior means you are not staring at darkness when trying to see passemg3rs getting off. Absolutely rancid vehicles the VHRs. I guess you are commenting on how the VH and VHR compare to drive as against to ride. In the medium term, I reckon the VHRs will be withdrawn before the VHs, even early ones. While I was peeved to have to settle for a VHR on route H12 after looking forward to an ADH, riding the ADH on route 340 instead more than made up for it.
|
|
|
Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 6, 2024 4:17:42 GMT
The 92 being converted to single decker in the 90’s. Horrible times. Also around the same time the 105 being run by London & Country from Addlestone bus garage (or somewhere nearby). Probably the worst breakdown in service I’ve experienced. The first week of operations was a nightmare. You could be waiting for an hour in Greenford before a single bus appeared. Yes, there was a time when so many routes in west London went single-deck that there were few fully double-deck routes other than routes 18,83 and 207. Thank you for others that all of you have posted here. Both stints of route 25 with First, later Tower Transit, feel like aberrations. It feels too big and important a route to be lost by former LBL subsidiary East London, now of course Stagecoach (but Macquarie 2006-10). In fact, to a lesser extent its whole time away from BW feels a bit of a long-term aberration!
|
|
|
Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 2, 2024 11:42:39 GMT
Yes, I saw DDEs on route 395 alongside BMEs (the latter I reckon being Sunday/Bank Holiday spares) and DMEs on route 326 yesterday. I cannot place what route the DDEs were built for in the first place. I should check your fleetlist Vjaska as you kindly add original reason for vehicles being built. The DDEs were originally for the 470s. Thanks for letting me know. I reckon on riding one on an Ealing/Greenford/Wembley trip next year. I was not expecting to locate or ride a VHR yesterday. Although not my favourite buses, they are distinctive and still better than ex-Tower Transit frogfaces. When riding LTs I like exiting at the rear. By way of an embarrassing true story, when I got up from my seat with a view to getting off, I did momentarily look back then realise that, being a VHR not an LT, there was of course no rear staircase or exit.
|
|
|
Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 2, 2024 11:34:00 GMT
Concerning the most recent tender change for route 340, we can safely bring 4 operators into this sentence. Can we describe any other recent tender changes with 4 operator names? Route 340 changed from Arriva using some ex Stagecoach Volvo V5LHs, to RATP using some ex Tower Transit Volvo B5LHs. (The vehicle type is irrelevant to my point and would not have to be the same type after the chahge.) The W19 was retained by Stagecoach, but with a various novated fleet involved. The ex-HCT 66reg E200s being kept, but with the 11reg E200s (ex-First and ex-Metroline) being replaced by 65reg ex-Tower Transit. True enough, but I am actually referring to changes of operators where the route changes from 1 non-indigenous batch to another. But yes, the original operator of vehicles literally changing upon retender. I can think of another contemporary example actually. Routes 262/473 from Stagecoach ex-Tower Transit Streetdecks to (albeit temporarily) Go-Ahead ex-First Volvo B9TLs. So, route 340 not unique after all. Whoops!
|
|
|
Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 2, 2024 11:30:42 GMT
What would be the point in that. There's already the 136 that links Elephant to Lewisham. Why not put that money into actually trying to get the extension works consultation completed? For years they've been talking about extending that line to DEATH!!!! EXTEND IT NOW!!! The 136 is hardly a quick way to get to Lewisham though. What I do notice, which is what mkay315 may have been referring to, is that the roads from Elephant & Castle to Lewisham over the planned Bakerloo Line extension are already well covered by buses with a maximum of 1 change. I can think of routes 53/63/363/453 linking with at least route 21 but also routes 53/453 linking with routes 36/321/436. So, already pretty easily connected with existing buses.
|
|
|
Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 2, 2024 11:21:17 GMT
Anybody would think that this was some kind of April Fool but it has emerged on the 2nd so it’s not a joke but looks like a joke. The proposal would have been outlined yesterday had it not been a Bank Holiday.
|
|
|
Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 2, 2024 9:20:19 GMT
BTW I am pleased a new thread has been created, as this is of course a new Mayoral election after 2021.
|
|
|
Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 2, 2024 9:16:21 GMT
Khan is likely to retain the route with Existing Promises There was never likely to be anything electric in his promises. I of course don't live in London but think he will get in again, probably with around 45% of the vote.
|
|
|
Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 2, 2024 8:51:30 GMT
Reading Buses has been awarded £4.7 million ZEBRA2 funding towards 24 electric double-deckers. They would be used on routes 17 and 21 and will enter service over the next couple of years. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-68658329No order has been announced, but Reading Buses has trialled a number of electric demonstrators over the pas few months including a BYD/ADL Enviro400 City EV, a Wright Streetdeck Electroliner and the new double-deck Yutong U11DD. The existing gas-powered Scania/ADL Enviro400 City on route 17 date from 2018 and would be cascaded to other routes - there are a number of former hybrid ADL Enviro400s that date from 2010/2011 and are nearing the end of their working life, these are mainly used on routes 15, 16, 23/24 and 26. The vehicles on route 21 are some of the first ADL Enviro400 MMCs to enter service in the UK and date from late 2014. Thank you for this heads-up. I could find it intriguing to postpone my visit to Oxford so that I can compare Oxford & Reading electric buses on the same visit.
|
|
|
Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 2, 2024 8:48:33 GMT
After all the excitement about funding for electric buses, some more prosaic vehicle news. Go North West has sent nine mid-life ADL Enviro200s down to Plymouth, they are 4011-4019 and are currently in blue-and-orange "Orbits"-branded livery. All are B39F. Their intended use is not known at this stage but Plymouth CityBus is still operating a number of elderly Enviro200s in daily service. 4011 - SK15 GXZ 4012- SN16 OGU 4013 - YY16 YJV 4014 - YY66 PCU 4015 - YY66 PCV 4016 - YY66 PDO 4017 - YY66 PDU 4018 - YY66 PFJ 4019 - YY66 PFK Source: www.plymothiantransit.com/2024/03/north-west-to-south-west.htmlAs Go North West had some 12 reg Eclipses ex Plymouth, I wonder whether these are returning to the South West now?
|
|
|
Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 2, 2024 8:45:39 GMT
Sorry I didn't note their IDs and may have missed them listed here.
It's just that on Sunday before boarding the coach to London in Manchester, I saw Stagecoach E400-MMC and Evora, both to Bee Network spec, with 24 reg's.
|
|
|
Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 2, 2024 8:39:31 GMT
Good job this appeared on 2nd April and not 1st April or I would have been wondering. I know what you mean. When I saw the heading I thought it was a new thread created yesterday morning
|
|
|
Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 2, 2024 8:33:13 GMT
Or he has put his clocks forward prematurely No - the times are too out-of-proportion for that. I think you know that we were actually both joking
|
|
|
Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 2, 2024 8:30:29 GMT
Anyone know the seating capacity of the Volvo BZLs? I'm 6ft and couldn't fit into any of the seats behind the first step up at the back... Certainly wouldn't be a good experience if I was a regular 251 user, definitely a downgrade from the E200s in terms of seating. I feel like the higher headrests give it a more claustrophobic feel too. I wonder, do TfL specify seat pitch/dimensions or is this left to operator's choice? VMSS - 23 VMS - 25 VMSL - 29 I rode a VMSS and VMSL yesterday. With just 2 extra seats compared to a VMSS I no longer feel disappointed that the VMSs were not yet in service yesterday.
|
|
|
Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 2, 2024 8:17:45 GMT
I’m guessing the 113 is going to be getting more WDEs originally for the 297 batch to release more it’s VMHs for the 4, so the 4’s VWHs gets released for the 237 and VWs on the 237 get released for the 28’s new contract. WDE2800 has just entered service on the 113. Metroline fleets gonna be busy next month Furthermore, some VWHs off route 306 could release some VWs from another route to assist with routes 28 & E1.
|
|