|
Post by ak121 on Jul 21, 2018 12:52:44 GMT
Metroline (the company as a whole) and EW could compromise with each other by ordering VEHs (Volvo B5LH Enviro 400 bodied buses). This means that the there will still be an Alexander Dennis body, which EW are adamant that they keep, but the engine complies with Metroline's recent double deck orders for the last 3 years. It will be a new type introduced to the company, however. They'd probably be similar to the buses found at Stagecoach PD (13061- 13081) and Go- Ahead SI (EHV1- EHV16) Metroline don't seem too keen on the MMC deckers since their sole order of the integrals for the 332. My guess is probably down to price? Yes, it's a shame really as most of the 332's buses are fantastic. I love it when they zoom down an empty Praed Street in Paddington or down the A5 in the late evenings (after rush hour obviously, otherwise the traffic would be too chaotic )
|
|
|
Post by ak121 on Jul 21, 2018 12:35:12 GMT
Yes, routes 113 & 240 at least had VPLs in the early 00s. I think Metroline are so keen on, or have such a maintenance contract with, Volvo that all new hybrid double-decks will be Volvo. I wonder what will be on route 113 when I go to Edgware in October: TE, TEH or VMH? Metroline (the company as a whole) and EW could compromise with each other by ordering VEHs (Volvo B5LH Enviro 400 bodied buses). This means that the there will still be an Alexander Dennis body, which EW are adamant that they keep, but the engine complies with Metroline's recent double deck orders for the last 3 years. It will be a new type introduced to the company, however. They'd probably be similar to the buses found at Stagecoach PD (13061- 13081) and Go- Ahead SI (EHV1- EHV16)
|
|
|
Post by ak121 on Jul 15, 2018 22:17:03 GMT
I have just noticed that on the 105's new VHs the blind box is on top of the window next to the front doors, wheras all previous versions of the Gemini 3's blind boxes are all the bottom of the window.
|
|
|
Post by ak121 on Jul 15, 2018 13:50:02 GMT
Although they have won those routes, they have lost many routes in London, such as the 18, 207, H12, 105, 79, 224, 223, E5, E7, E9, 228, 427, 139, 82 to name a few in the past few years. The 18 and 207 are/ were Metroline's biggest routes and I think this many losses does raise a concern tbh.... They have also lost the E1, E3 and E10. There’s nothing to be concerned about. It’s all part of the tendering game. There are winners and losers. All operators have had bad times there was a time when Tower Transit and Arriva London had bad luck with the tendering game but they have all bounced back. Yes, this is true they did loose those 3 routes in 2014, but have a great chance of winning them this year. I have also forgotten that Metroline lost the 214 and U5 as well. I really do hope that they bounce back from the consecutive loses.
|
|
|
Post by ak121 on Jul 15, 2018 0:17:57 GMT
For some odd reason, along the Uxbridge Road, routes E2 and E8 miss out random stops. Heading Eastbound, everything stops at Longfield Avenue outside the council, except the E2 and E8 which zoom straight past. The E7 stops here too so it isn't like this is confined to the routes going straight through, avoiding Haven Green. I'm not complaining though, it means I can often make a 207/427 in front as the E2 overtakes! Heading Westbound, the E2 doesn't stop at Northfield Avenue (just before it turns left), whilst the E8 skips the stop after (Dean Gardens / Bedford Road). It just seems a bit random. Another one I don't get is why the 27 has a massive gap between stops, from Chiswick Road to Chiswick Business Park. It skips both Gunnersbury Station (not stopping at a station is something even the 607 doesn't manage) and The Plaza, where I believe new bus stops should've emerged. If Chiswick Park hadn't refused (assuming that's why they haven't been erected), maybe the route would've actually generated some usage and they wouldn't have to cut it! All the route does at the moment is serve a dingy construction site at the back of the Danone quarter, but there are 14 other buildings which would be directly served by other bus stops in the park! The Uxbridge Road bus stops are actually very confusing: Westbound: 427: Christchurch Ealing Police Station Dane Road (Same Name, different stop to E8's one) Northfield Avenue (Shares with E8) Dean Gardens / Bedford Road (E8 completely misses this one, but E3 serves) West Ealing Broadway (Same name, different stop to E8's one) Grosvenor Road Church Road (E8 as well) Hanwell Broadway (E8 as well) E8: Ealing Town Hall St Leonards Road Dane Road (Same name, different stop to 427's one) Northfield Avenue (Same stop, shares with 427, very rare ) (Completely skips Dean Gardens / Bedford Road) West Ealing Broadway (Same name, different stop to 427's one) Michael Gaynor Close Church Road (427 as well) Hanwell Broadway (427 as well) Eastbound: 427: Hanwell Broadway (E8 as well) Grosvenor Road (E8 as well) West Ealing Broadway (Same name, different stop to E8's one) Dean Gardens / Bedford Road (E8 as well, E3 skips this stop as it has to turn right and instead serves Dean Gardens / Mattock Lane) Broughton Road St Leonards Road (Same name, different stop to E8, E2, E7 and 483/N83 as well and very unusual) Longfield Avenue (E8 and E2 completely skip) Bond Street (Every route stops here apart from 607 and 65, talked about later) E8: Hanwell Broadway (427 as well) Grosvenor Road (427 as well) West Ealing Broadway (Same name, different stop to 427's one) Dean Gardens / Bedford Road (E8 actually serves rather than skipping like westbound services, but E3 skips unlike westbound services) Dane Road St Leonards Road (Same Name, different stop to 427 and 207/N207 only) Bond Street (all routes apart from 607 and 65) This one stretch of road with a few routes, but every route basically has a unique stopping arrangement. It seems like whenever there is roadspace, TfL try and segregate the continuous Uxbridge Road routes (427, 207/N207, 483/N83 and 607) with the E Prefix routes. However, the 483 and N83 leave the 427 and 207 at St Leonards Road and serves the E Prefix bus stop with the same name, weird. Also, when going eastbound, all routes serve Bond Street, wheras the 607 stops at the eastbound 65's Christchurch stop. On the other hand, all the Uxbridge Road routes stop at Christchurch Eastbound, as there is no Eastbound Bond Street stop. Loads of skipping, alternative stops and weird stopping arrangements and even the locals get mixed up sometimes, It took me a few months to get to grips with the Uxbridge Road corridor in between Boston Manor Road and Ealing Broadway Station. Apologies for the long post, hope this simplifies things for people and for people who aren't familiar with the area, they'd probably get even more confused tbh!
|
|
|
Post by ak121 on Jul 13, 2018 22:59:18 GMT
Are there any routes upcoming that Metroline could win? They desperately need to win some routes, because at the moment they losing them left, right and centre... Why are Metroline desperate to win some routes - only recently, they won the 30, 317 & 393 and have retained a lot of other work so are hardly a cause for concern. Although they have won those routes, they have lost many routes in London, such as the 18, 207, H12, 105, 79, 224, 223, E5, E7, E9, 228, 427, 139, 82 to name a few in the past few years. The 18 and 207 are/ were Metroline's biggest routes and I think this many losses does raise a concern tbh....
|
|
|
Post by ak121 on Jul 13, 2018 18:43:34 GMT
Are there any routes upcoming that Metroline could win? They desperately need to win some routes, because at the moment they losing them left, right and centre...
|
|
|
Post by ak121 on Jul 1, 2018 22:17:10 GMT
Was wondering, does anyone know what night bus route starts operation at the earliest time and what night bus route ends operation at the latest time? Also which day route runs the latest (not a 24 hour route) and which one begins the earliest?
|
|
|
Post by ak121 on Jun 24, 2018 18:50:40 GMT
On the new VMH blinds, why is there a blind for the N271? Could anyone give me details on this mysterious route?
|
|
|
Post by ak121 on Jun 18, 2018 18:41:59 GMT
Hey Everyone! Hope all of you are well. These are a few of my favourite iBus announcements in London: 1. Picardy Manorway / Belverdere Station 21. Nadine Street 2. Herschel Street 22. West Croydon 3. Jessamine Road 23. Christie Drive 4. River Road / Waverley Gardens 24. 432 to Anerley Station 5. 27 to Chiswick Business Park 25. W4 to Oakthorpe Park 6. 7 to East Acton or Oxford Circus 26. 168 to Old Kent Road Tesco 7. Oxford Gardens 27. Chastillian Road 8. Artesian Road 28. Cephas Street 9. St Stephen's Road 29. Three Colts Road 10. South Hampstead Station / Loudoun Road 30. Booth Memorial 11. H13 to Northwood Hills, St Vincents 31. Gooshays Drive 12. 182 to Harrow Weald, Oxhey Lane or Brent Cross 32. Gubbins Lane 13. 16 to Victoria 33. N86 to Harold Hill, Dagnam Park Square 14. EL2 to Dagenham Dock 34. 34 to Barnet Church 15. 430 to Roehampton, Danebury Avenue 35. (Various Routes) to Walthamstow Central 16. Mount Angelus Road 36. Bengal Road 17. 205 to Bow Church or Paddington 37. 491 to North Middlesex Hospital 18. (Various Routes) to Stratford 38. (Various Routes) to Edmonton Green 19. (Various Routes) to Golders Green 39. Solon Road 20. 59 to Streatham Hill / Telford Avenue 40. Innova Park 41. Solar Way 42. Glover Drive / Tesco & IKEA 43. Zambezi Drive 44. Gorringe Park Avenue 45. Amen Corner 46. Tooting / The Mitre Would love to see what are your favourite iBus announcements!!
|
|
|
Post by ak121 on Jun 15, 2018 19:27:14 GMT
Yes, I just love the way Picardy Manorway / Belvedere Station is said! The pause before Stratford just sounds funny and interesting, love hearing it on the 425's DNs. Coming to think about it, also the way Emma says Uxbridge, 7, East Acton, Oxford Circus and Walthamstow Central is just absolutely amazing! There are some really funny announcements, I love the way she says ‘Riverdale Road’ on the 269 and “Marquis of Granby / Goldsmiths” on the 172 Another good one is on the 205 when she says “alight here for Mile End Park” at Mile End Station. They amalgated two separate ones together and it sounds really stupid. It first says “Mile End” which is taken from the D7 and 323 destination announcement and stuck a ‘park’ on the end of it. So it says “Mile End Station ... Alight here for ... Mile End ... PARK” it’s awfully funny lol. Another announcement that I really like and is quite funny is on the 27. When going towards Chiswick, the Chiswick Business Park part of the announcement is so quiet, compared to "27 to". So it ends up like 27 to Chiswick Business Park.
|
|
|
Post by ak121 on Jun 14, 2018 22:25:12 GMT
In contrast, I have a few favourite Ibus announcements and the way Emma pronounces them: Picardy Manorway / Belvedere Station (Various Routes) to Stratford Love the way she pronounces "Picardy Manorway / Belvedere Station" and fell almost in love with that announcement when I went on the 401 on it's first day with Arriva earlier this year As for ''to Stratford'' my favorite one of the lot is the ''86 to Stratford'' especially on a ALX400 as it gives me good memories of how I've started to become in love with Buses Yes, I just love the way Picardy Manorway / Belvedere Station is said! The pause before Stratford just sounds funny and interesting, love hearing it on the 425's DNs. Coming to think about it, also the way Emma says Uxbridge, 7, East Acton, Oxford Circus and Walthamstow Central is just absolutely amazing!
|
|
|
Post by ak121 on Jun 13, 2018 19:32:00 GMT
I think it depends on how much emphasis Emma Hignett places on a certain syllable(s) and the tone she uses within the number sequences and destination names. Some sound more 'natural' than others i.e. as if a conversation is taking place, as is the case with some of the routes you mentioned. The 16 for example, the 'teen' part of the 16 has a somewhat unfinished tone to it. This topic doesn't bug me much, but it's just a thought. I would personally prefer it if Emma consistently employs a more 'robotic' tone for the iBus I like the variation in tones; not for the more human element but for character to the iBus network. I like the delay before announcing Stratford on routes terminating there; I like how elegant Barking is announced; instead of harshly saying it and so would be an action instead of saying a place name The only thing that gets to me is botched jobs where TfL aren't bothered to rerecord announcements. I'm glad Regent Street has been mentioned; 'Plaistow Prince....Regent Lane' always ticks me off when I hear the budget fusion by TfL. Balaam Street was onced passed off as Balham Street by TfL; rerecordings of both bus stop names and curtailment points by buses soon followed. In contrast, I have a few favourite Ibus announcements and the way Emma pronounces them: H13 to Northwood Hills, St Vincents 16 430 / 170 to Roehampton, Danebury Avenue Mount Angelus Road Picardy Manorway / Belvedere Station (Various Routes) to Paddington 205 to Bow Church (Various Routes) to Stratford (Various Routes) to Golders Green Nadine Street West Croydon 59 to Streatham Hill / Telford Avenue South Hampstead Station Loudoun Road
|
|
|
Post by ak121 on May 28, 2018 17:11:31 GMT
Once there was a ball kicked underneath the tyre of a Metroline DE on the 195 and the ball must've been really strong, the whole bus was raised and then finally the ball popped. It sounded like a bullet in the middle of Southall Broadway!
|
|
|
Post by ak121 on May 23, 2018 19:45:18 GMT
Congratulations to everyone! Loved taking part in this rather challenging quiz.
|
|