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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Oct 29, 2022 22:40:44 GMT
I had a rather unlikely thought this afternoon. I rode a former Arriva Yorkshire Olympus in Leicester on route 49. I occasionally think of London routes elsewhere in the country, and couldn't help imagining what London route 49 could be like run by Arriva! BN could have won it had it not been withdrawn from Streatham but became less likely once curtailed at Clapham Junction. Now that it is due to be a South Kensington - East Acton shuttle, it seems extremely unlikely Arriva would run it in the future.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Oct 29, 2022 21:51:40 GMT
Can we drop the name-calling please? By all means disagree with each other but keep personal insults out of it. I think by the term twisted old wreck he was likening him to a 318 bus It seemed there's plenty of fight in Rishi, so Keir may have met his match... Still, these are very well paid people, nothing will have a direct impact to improve our lot in life. We will see what the next crisis is... Liz Truss is about to release her knighthood list for those who toiled with her for 44 days As Rishi Sunak is only 42, he isn't much older than buses on route 318. Little did I know when I first rode a Titan and a D class train on 15.5.80 that we would eventually have a Prime Minister born earlier that week.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Oct 23, 2022 16:32:21 GMT
Does anyone know what LT562 was doing at Edgware? I feel like it could be type training for a potential conversion of the 32 to LT operation. http://instagr.am/p/CkDePFFowFL An LT conversion when the 32 moves to W could allow the current TEHs to be used as a temporary allocation on the 142. Could be a while into the new contract before the new WDEs are in service, considering the 297's batch is expected in September. However, where would any spare LTs come from to cover the 32, unless from another operator? Are the transfer of route 32 back to W and WDE code for Metroline Electroliners confirmed?
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Oct 23, 2022 16:24:43 GMT
The 318 is busy and would benefit from dual door buses, so the SLS's will be ideal. ENS's are only 12 plate, it might blow drivers minds dealing with something so new 🤯🤣 Though if Arriva want to hang onto the route for another 10 years, the newer Sly S's would be ideal. Only obstacles would be bus length due to tight turns on roads around Northumberland Park and Stamford Hill. It would be nice if the 410 were to keep its ENS buses, even though they are very slow up Anerley Hill, they look almost new even at 10 years old, and have a much nicer interior than the SLS. When I rode one on route W11 I felt it was one of the nicer E200s around. I was therefore pleased they were retained for other use, namely route 410. I therefore hope they are not withdrawn when route 450 is lost.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Oct 23, 2022 13:28:47 GMT
Neither are suitable as the contract for these routes require long single deckers. I expect ENR1-7 to be withdrawn and would be perfect for work outside of London as they are already single door. Do not be surprised if ENSs are replaced do not quote me on this though... Overall I expect ENR1-7, SW1-10 and some surplus SLSs to be withdrawn. The SWs mainly due to how unreliable they are. One of the ENR's should try the 318 to see if they fit, if they do, then there's a use for them. Even the SLS's would do I wonder whether the ENSs on route 410 would fit? It could be elegant as well as simple to convert route 410 to full SLS and route 318 to ENS. This would give route 410 SLSs of a similar age and provide route 318 with more modern buses than their current antiques fleet.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Oct 23, 2022 13:26:19 GMT
If enough MPs really want to avoid Boris becoming Prime Minister again, they could join Penny's campaign so that she gets 100+ nominations and potentially keep him out of the final 2 for any members' vote.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Oct 22, 2022 5:07:28 GMT
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Oct 22, 2022 4:51:41 GMT
That is in good time for the route 307 gain.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Oct 22, 2022 4:44:13 GMT
Well 263 are going to get its own batch of electrics in 2023 well temporarily until 2025 the electrics originally ordered for the E2/E8 have been temporarily diverted to the 245 and 263 while the E2 and E8 gains there hybrids temporarily until 2025. I presume that 263 are going to get beforehand. It's likely it will get them off the 271 when it goes. Most logical would be when the 263 contract ends that the 271 is withdrawn. Except that route 271 is unlikely to be withdrawn until next October, but the new contracts for routes E2/E8 start next May. EDIT: I have now seen the post indicating that route 271 will be withdrawn in February. So route 263 would inherit the route 271 contract and hybrids. Route 21 would be diverted to Holloway 8 months ahead of its next tender.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Oct 22, 2022 4:42:34 GMT
Another electric allocated route! Personally I would have allocated the spare EVs to the 263 which seems to use Diesels on a daily basis. There are only enough to convert a route with a small PVR which the 317 fits. The 317 also sees regular OME workings too so drivers are already trained with the type. The 263 is allocated diesels for the foreseeable. With route 263 still have diesels, I am not sure how routes E2/E8 can gain hybrids from route 263. I can only suppose that the loss of route 91 will provide hybrids for route 263.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Oct 22, 2022 4:39:34 GMT
i wonder if it'll continue to use new routemasters, if not the new routemasters that are allocated to it currently could be used to possibly convert the 32 if that transfers back to W. I could easily see the 32 convert to use the ones off the 16 for another contract. Route 32 would be an easy candidate for LTs. So I reckon could route 98, at least after it is diverted to Victoria.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Oct 22, 2022 4:29:43 GMT
I think they could do a job just not in London - a flat town route in the provinces would probably be the ideal place for them They seem to like them up North I remember that humiliating video of one Streetdeck demonstrator with Arriva Kent Thameside managing around 40 on a motorway as everything flew past it, including lorries www.youtube.com/watch?v=xELkh071IiMIf they struggle in 30 mph London, I can’t see them manage on NSL roads elsewhere. Unless they are needing thrashed enough, as Streetlites on the 232 with the same engine, seem to manage just fine Ironically we are on page 417 of the thread now, so perhaps it's a sign of where they head next As there are already Streetdecks at Arriva Wakefield and Liverpool Green Lane, maybe the London route 340 examples could join them.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Oct 22, 2022 3:40:42 GMT
Nearly spat my lunch out all over the keyboard reading that. Starmer has infinitely more credibility among the general population than Corbyn did. Corbyn would have been a disaster for this country. Not as bad as Truss, but then again the public did not get a say on whether they wanted Truss and her daft neo-libertarian policies. Starmer would be a safe, if un-dynamic pair of hands. Perhaps exactly what we need after 6 years of non-stop unpredictability which has left our country as a laughing stock across the world. The only way for Tories to avoid an early general election is to bring back Boris Johnson with Sunak as chancellor. The two of them publicly burying the hatchet, uniting warring factions of the party, and seeing out the remaining two years delivering their manifesto promises. If Sunak or anyone else becomes PM and wants to rip up the Tory manifesto promises they were elected upon (levelling up anyone?), there has to be a general election to allow us to have our say on how we want our country to move forward and who is the best party to do that. Re levelling up... don't you think Sunak would deliver on that? He is a northern MP. Although he does have a northern constituency, it is Richmond in Yorkshire, one of the wealthiest in the country. It remained Conservative throughout the Labour government years and was even the constituency of William Hague, Conservative leader from 1997-2001.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Oct 22, 2022 3:34:04 GMT
I honestly can’t believe what I just read! Boris is expected to run for the leadership! Absolute joke! I don't see how it could even work having Boris back as Prime Minister. After so many MPs resigned from government, he started running out of MPs to fill some positions. Mind you, without looking up who they are, I have read that 2 MPs who resigned from his government have now decided to nominate him back as Prime Minister. You couldn't make it up.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Oct 22, 2022 3:29:18 GMT
Liz Truss has just announced (at 13.34) that she is resigning as Leader of the Conservative Party. She will remain as Prime Minister until a successor is chosen, which could be as early and next week. I suspect it will be an internal decision without any of us members being involved. It’s a shame she f**ked it up so early but let’s be honest for all his faults Boris was and always will remain a tough act to follow. She was deluded to think she could even implement her vision. Her idea that tax cuts would so stimulate growth as to pay for these tax cuts was never even going to work.
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