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Post by SILENCED on Sept 25, 2019 13:06:09 GMT
To be honest, I think they did listen to their biggest customer First, who wanted lightweight fuel efficient buses. It angers me that First could quite easily invest in new buses for areas such as Huddersfield but instead continue on with their ageing fleet of double decks in particular. The lack of new bus orders in recent years is one of the main reasons why Wright finds itself in administration It is not just First though ... there was always going to be a retraction in the number of buses built after the rush for DDA compliance was over ... they probably expanded too quickly, making hay while the sun shines, than looking at the longer term trends. Although it was a great contract win at the time, too much reliance on the NBfL contract was probably ultimately their downfall. |
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Post by SILENCED on Sept 25, 2019 13:07:29 GMT
My thoughts are with all of the affected people and their families. This is devastating news for the area and Northern Ireland as a whole. Let's not forget those working at the Wright servicing centre in Orpington |
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Post by allentc on Sept 25, 2019 14:02:41 GMT
My thoughts on spare parts, clearly some will no longer be available, some Operators might have a few in stock, possibly someone else will make them, but more likely it will lead to a broken down or crashed bus having to be stripped to keep remainder of fleet operational. In the short-term this may be a bit of an issue getting reliable and speedy supply lines up and running but as bus manufacturers are just assemblers, most parts should still be obtainable into the future. For instance engine and transmission parts can be sourced from Cummins, Mercedes, Volvo, ZF and Allison. Doors are Ventura Systems units and parts can be obtained via companies like Carwood and Transport Door Solutions who already have ties to Ventura. Lighting comes from companies like BMAC, Invertec and Hella. Suspension, steering and axles tend to be ZF units or if a Volvo chassis then it can all be sourced from Volvo. Seat parts can be sourced from likes of Fainsa, Esteban etc. Metal side body panels can be easily fabricated (a lot of the bus refurbishers make their own already) and companies like N & M Fibreglass already supply replacement composite panels for several Wright products. Exhaust system if an integral are probably Eminox units or some other similar company. Glass can easily be reproduced. Blinds and destination equipment from McKenna or Hanover. Floor coverings from Tarabus/Gerflor and fabrics from Camira. Electronic systems may be trickier but again these are generally supplied by the likes of Actia or Continental or could be examined and repaired by refurbishers like Alliance Electronics or Omni Tech. Mirrors from Ashtree Vision and Safety.
It would be a bit of hassle going to each one of those companies individually for parts but it is possible. Alternatively the likes of Carlyle or Heavy Duty parts would likely pull all that together to create a single point of contact for replacement Wright parts including snapping up the current inventory like Xpart did (and do) for MG Rover cars.
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Post by londonbusboy on Sept 25, 2019 14:36:08 GMT
Could Optare go the same way? The Metrodecker seems to be a failure and then we dont really see many other Optare products in London. ADL seem to produce the only 8.9m vehicles as well Optare have very strong backing from the Ashok Leyland so they are secure.
The Metrodecker EV seems to have found some sales in London and if Metroline's experience go well they could quite possibly win more orders from other operators since electric buses seem to be the direction we are heading in. I seemed to remember reading somewhere that the Metrodecker EV is considerably lighter than other proposed offerings and yet offers a similar range which is quite an engineering achievement. As for short buses I suppose the Solo could pick up more sales again.
A "bit off the wall"...but I wonder if Ashok Leyland would be interested in acquiring some of Wrightbus to combine it with Optare? They are two very different companies but would have the might, network/support and engineering know-how to take on ADL if combined. Otherwise a Chinese buyer is to me, the most probable outcome. I doubt New Flyer Industries/ADL would be interested...I can't see what they would gain apart from another UK based factory which they probably don't need at the moment.
The Metrodecker was released years ago with no serious orders until Metrolines recent batch. You would think operators would jump at a vehicle being so lightweight but i suspect the quality is poor which is keeping them away. Solos the wheels are right at the front which doesnt always work well (i have colleagues that drive single door WS and they moan about where the front wheels are) |
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Post by SILENCED on Sept 25, 2019 14:46:01 GMT
Optare have very strong backing from the Ashok Leyland so they are secure.
The Metrodecker EV seems to have found some sales in London and if Metroline's experience go well they could quite possibly win more orders from other operators since electric buses seem to be the direction we are heading in. I seemed to remember reading somewhere that the Metrodecker EV is considerably lighter than other proposed offerings and yet offers a similar range which is quite an engineering achievement. As for short buses I suppose the Solo could pick up more sales again.
A "bit off the wall"...but I wonder if Ashok Leyland would be interested in acquiring some of Wrightbus to combine it with Optare? They are two very different companies but would have the might, network/support and engineering know-how to take on ADL if combined. Otherwise a Chinese buyer is to me, the most probable outcome. I doubt New Flyer Industries/ADL would be interested...I can't see what they would gain apart from another UK based factory which they probably don't need at the moment.
The Metrodecker was released years ago with no serious orders until Metrolines recent batch. You would think operators would jump at a vehicle being so lightweight but i suspect the quality is poor which is keeping them away. Solos the wheels are right at the front which doesnt always work well (i have colleagues that drive single door WS and they moan about where the front wheels are) Was on a Solo at the weekend ... Having no front wheel wheel arch intrusion in the saloon creates a far better layout |
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Post by COBO on Sept 25, 2019 14:46:27 GMT
Sad news. I wonder if the London operators like Metroline, Go Ahead and RATP knew something was wrong is the reason why they switched from using Wright bus vehicles to other bus manufacturers.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2019 14:53:30 GMT
Can't quite believe Wrightbus have got to this point, and its a massive shame. Back in 2014/2015, the Gemini 3 was extremely popular with London operators and was most people's choice for new double decks, they even won an order from Stagecoach which at the time hardly had any Wrightbus products in its fleet. If anyone would've been in a bit of trouble at the time I would've thought it was ADL as the Enviro400H MMC didn't really take off in London until late 2015 and the E200MMC until 2016. I have noticed however the quality of Wrightbus's products dropping slightly. The original Gemini's and Gemini 2's were well built products, but the Gemini 3 and Streetlite feel like they've been cheaply made and have probably contributed to the downfall of Wright. I've also been hearing feedback from drivers about the Streetlites being terrible to drive, and drivers much prefer to drive the Enviro400 MMC over the Gemini 3's, which is probably why Go-Ahead have switched to ADL for their orders over the past year. They were ordering Streetlites all the time for single deck routes but recent non-electric single deck orders have been E200MMCs and I can see why. I do hope they receive some kind of investment though, and I think they will. It would be really sad to see them go under and it would give ADL and Optare a near monopoly in the UK bus market. Just a quick question, if Wright have made staff redundant and the company finds a buyer and gets out of administration, would those staff automatically regain their jobs? Certainly wouldn't say I prefer driving an ADL bus to a Volvo. From my perspective, having driven both types at Camberwell and then the WHVs at Morden Wharf, the WHV is a far superior bus to drive than an EH. I just find I can't get comfortable in an EH. Can't really put a finger on it but the WHV is just far more comfortable for the driver. Always preferred Volvo's to ADL products though, and I'd still take a WVL over a WHV or any ADL bus. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2019 14:55:52 GMT
My thoughts on spare parts, clearly some will no longer be available, some Operators might have a few in stock, possibly someone else will make them, but more likely it will lead to a broken down or crashed bus having to be stripped to keep remainder of fleet operational. In the short-term this may be a bit of an issue getting reliable and speedy supply lines up and running but as bus manufacturers are just assemblers, most parts should still be obtainable into the future. For instance engine and transmission parts can be sourced from Cummins, Mercedes, Volvo, ZF and Allison. Doors are Ventura Systems units and parts can be obtained via companies like Carwood and Transport Door Solutions who already have ties to Ventura. Lighting comes from companies like BMAC, Invertec and Hella. Suspension, steering and axles tend to be ZF units or if a Volvo chassis then it can all be sourced from Volvo. Seat parts can be sourced from likes of Fainsa, Esteban etc. Metal side body panels can be easily fabricated (a lot of the bus refurbishers make their own already) and companies like N & M Fibreglass already supply replacement composite panels for several Wright products. Exhaust system if an integral are probably Eminox units or some other similar company. Glass can easily be reproduced. Blinds and destination equipment from McKenna or Hanover. Floor coverings from Tarabus/Gerflor and fabrics from Camira. Electronic systems may be trickier but again these are generally supplied by the likes of Actia or Continental or could be examined and repaired by refurbishers like Alliance Electronics or Omni Tech. Mirrors from Ashtree Vision and Safety.
It would be a bit of hassle going to each one of those companies individually for parts but it is possible. Alternatively the likes of Carlyle or Heavy Duty parts would likely pull all that together to create a single point of contact for replacement Wright parts including snapping up the current inventory like Xpart did (and do) for MG Rover cars.
Already having issues as they could not get hold of a new fuel tank for a WVL at Morden Wharf that was leaking diesel. Engineers said they simply couldn't get one since Wrights closed their parts center in Orpington, and said they couldn't get one anywhere else for whatever reason. |
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Post by M1104 on Sept 25, 2019 15:12:49 GMT
Can't quite believe Wrightbus have got to this point, and its a massive shame. Back in 2014/2015, the Gemini 3 was extremely popular with London operators and was most people's choice for new double decks, they even won an order from Stagecoach which at the time hardly had any Wrightbus products in its fleet. If anyone would've been in a bit of trouble at the time I would've thought it was ADL as the Enviro400H MMC didn't really take off in London until late 2015 and the E200MMC until 2016. I have noticed however the quality of Wrightbus's products dropping slightly. The original Gemini's and Gemini 2's were well built products, but the Gemini 3 and Streetlite feel like they've been cheaply made and have probably contributed to the downfall of Wright. I've also been hearing feedback from drivers about the Streetlites being terrible to drive, and drivers much prefer to drive the Enviro400 MMC over the Gemini 3's, which is probably why Go-Ahead have switched to ADL for their orders over the past year. They were ordering Streetlites all the time for single deck routes but recent non-electric single deck orders have been E200MMCs and I can see why. I do hope they receive some kind of investment though, and I think they will. It would be really sad to see them go under and it would give ADL and Optare a near monopoly in the UK bus market. Just a quick question, if Wright have made staff redundant and the company finds a buyer and gets out of administration, would those staff automatically regain their jobs? Certainly wouldn't say I prefer driving an ADL bus to a Volvo. From my perspective, having driven both types at Camberwell and then the WHVs at Morden Wharf, the WHV is a far superior bus to drive than an EH. I just find I can't get comfortable in an EH. Can't really put a finger on it but the WHV is just far more comfortable for the driver. Always preferred Volvo's to ADL products though, and I'd still take a WVL over a WHV or any ADL bus. The firm could go for more EHV class Volvos in future to maintain that bit of variety. |
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Post by John tuthill on Sept 25, 2019 15:26:44 GMT
In the short-term this may be a bit of an issue getting reliable and speedy supply lines up and running but as bus manufacturers are just assemblers, most parts should still be obtainable into the future. For instance engine and transmission parts can be sourced from Cummins, Mercedes, Volvo, ZF and Allison. Doors are Ventura Systems units and parts can be obtained via companies like Carwood and Transport Door Solutions who already have ties to Ventura. Lighting comes from companies like BMAC, Invertec and Hella. Suspension, steering and axles tend to be ZF units or if a Volvo chassis then it can all be sourced from Volvo. Seat parts can be sourced from likes of Fainsa, Esteban etc. Metal side body panels can be easily fabricated (a lot of the bus refurbishers make their own already) and companies like N & M Fibreglass already supply replacement composite panels for several Wright products. Exhaust system if an integral are probably Eminox units or some other similar company. Glass can easily be reproduced. Blinds and destination equipment from McKenna or Hanover. Floor coverings from Tarabus/Gerflor and fabrics from Camira. Electronic systems may be trickier but again these are generally supplied by the likes of Actia or Continental or could be examined and repaired by refurbishers like Alliance Electronics or Omni Tech. Mirrors from Ashtree Vision and Safety.
It would be a bit of hassle going to each one of those companies individually for parts but it is possible. Alternatively the likes of Carlyle or Heavy Duty parts would likely pull all that together to create a single point of contact for replacement Wright parts including snapping up the current inventory like Xpart did (and do) for MG Rover cars.
Already having issues as they could not get hold of a new fuel tank for a WVL at Morden Wharf that was leaking diesel. Engineers said they simply couldn't get one since Wrights closed their parts center in Orpington, and said they couldn't get one anywhere else for whatever reason. As you say, 'for whatever reason' Why can't they get the leak fixed? Remove it, drain it,weld up the leak. I did just that 30 years ago on a Triumph Herald!! Are these tanks such a pecular shape that nothing else will do?!  |
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Post by ServerKing on Sept 25, 2019 15:45:01 GMT
I see there is some discussion in a NBFL thread but it deserves a dedicated thread of its own. Ian Paisley Jr says it is likely the firm will go into administration today after failing to strike a deal with Weichai and latterly industrialist Darren Donnelly:
With the benefit of hindsight Mark Nodder's retirement back in April was very well timed...!  The original Gemini was a ground breaking product that took a lot of sales away from then market leader combo ALX400/President and thrusted Wright into the limelight having only previously been a small player with the Dart based Handybus and the Crusader. Back then the Nokia phone type-styling made the existing products on the market look dated and the build quality was second to none although I gather it had issues with being much heavier than its competitors - probably due to over-engineering caused by it being their first foray into the double deck market and Wright's keenness to get it correct first time round. The Gemini body was available on several chassis and was a sales hit for many years. There were blink-and-you'll-miss-it facelifts and refinements over the years but it did keep selling in significant numbers.
Fast forward today and where did it go wrong?
- Was it their decision to copy ADL and Optare and shift focus towards integrals?
- I have heard that the Streetdeck has had a lot of quality issues. Certainly the styling was controversial and it was quickly modified for some buyers with glass wrapped upper pillars. The Streetlite doesn't seem to have much love out their among bus enthusiasts and again there are anecdotal stories of poor reliability and build quality.
- Was there an over reliance on the NBFL contract a lack of a plan to deal with the end of the contract and what to do with the excess capacity and loss of revenue. - Were they too dependent on the UK market and a small part of Asia? ADL have made significant inroads into USA/Canada market with the E500 and lately Europe (Berlin and Switzerland), South America (Mexico), New Zealand and Singapore. I vaguely recall somewhere that exports account for about 50% of ADL's revenue lessening their reliance on the slow UK market.
What happens now? I'm guessing a Chinese buyer will swoop in and buy up the tooling, designs and intellectual property. They might keep a small work force there to assemble knock down kits sent from China and perhaps keep a small R&D team to pursue new technologies. There is past form with LDV vans, LTI and MG Rover Group. Why take on a failing company with all the risks/liabilities when you can let it go bust and cherry pick the valuable bits for a fraction of the price.
Who will provide parts for the existing buses out there? Perhaps one of the aftermarket parts houses like Carlyle or Heavy Duty parts will buy up the parts stock and keep the supply going.
Will be a shame if it disappears entirely. Competition is good and I think they forced ADL to up their game and improve the quality and standards of their product. Otherwise ADL is left as the only major player with a bit-part played by Optare. There is a real chance for Optare to make some major headway especially into the London market now with the Metrodecker if Wright falls out of the equation.
It would be interesting to hear your views.
Well written, and it is a shame for any company to go under, but as an observation the products were never exciting. The then ground-breaking Nokia face became ubiquitous in B7TL guise with GAL and others (also in Arriva London South DW form) but I always remember them (especially the VLW's on the 243) for rattling panels, especially the glass sections by the exit doors. Bodges were done by AR with some sort of heavy-duty black mastic glue which just looked awful. (I won't mention the roaring fans as that was a Volvo thing). The baby brother to the Gemini / Pulsar was the Streetlite, which has remained unchanged (except a new Mercedes engine and Voith 4 speed box with stop start). Meanwhile ADL during the time of Wrighbus' Gemini had the ALX400, E400 and now the E400 MMC, and the backing of a decent engine provider. (Although Alexander, forerunner to ADL gave us the brilliant VDL DLA's  ) I think with no more orders (I assume Go North East are taking the last of the Citaro engined StreetDecks) everyone will revert to ADL or Caetano. A Chinese buyer could come in and make crappy knock-offs of the brand, but even they realise their design was not that great. I think frequent Holiday shutdowns didn't help them (I remember hearing of various shutdowns whilst the 4 series DW's were being built), plus getting the buses onto a ferry to the mainland, and down the M6 to London put them at a disadvantage to ADL. Clumsy accidents during delivery (Tottenham HV's, prangs, bumps), or as we call in IT Out Of Box Failure / DOA when the product fails straight after delivery or has to go all the way back to Northern Ireland didn't help either. I guess this story has gotten lost in the turbulent political news of Bojo facing investigation for misleading the Queen / Trump in trouble for bribing Ukraine to dig dirt on Biden, his political opponent  Administrators may oversee the last orders, but sadly they will be dealing with redundancies and selling off the buildings to no doubt become apartments in future... I thought the Frog Faces were bold but the StreetDeck could have been a success story with a 6 cylinder Cummins engine instead of one from a small Mercedes Atego truck... when they saw the Volvo B5TL was not selling either, I'm surprised none of them read reviews of the OM934 and how bad it was or saw YouTube videos and thought, 'cripes, we need to up our game here' and put a bigger engine in. They were too fixated on their international market (outside of Hong Kong, it was flogging the StreetDeck to anyone who'd take it... one ended up in South America somewhere and not dealing with the market at home, except filling niches no one was interested in. They were the Audi of the bus world with every possible model. from the SRM which no one bought after the ones on the 183, to the virtual electric version of the SRM (I think ended up on the 37 but they never made the charging infrastructure for it). They were even going to do a Daimler engined SRM with normal gearbox, following the success of the StreetDeck  |
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Post by BK15AZR on Sept 25, 2019 15:48:43 GMT
Can't quite believe Wrightbus have got to this point, and its a massive shame. Back in 2014/2015, the Gemini 3 was extremely popular with London operators and was most people's choice for new double decks, they even won an order from Stagecoach which at the time hardly had any Wrightbus products in its fleet. If anyone would've been in a bit of trouble at the time I would've thought it was ADL as the Enviro400H MMC didn't really take off in London until late 2015 and the E200MMC until 2016. I have noticed however the quality of Wrightbus's products dropping slightly. The original Gemini's and Gemini 2's were well built products, but the Gemini 3 and Streetlite feel like they've been cheaply made and have probably contributed to the downfall of Wright. I've also been hearing feedback from drivers about the Streetlites being terrible to drive, and drivers much prefer to drive the Enviro400 MMC over the Gemini 3's, which is probably why Go-Ahead have switched to ADL for their orders over the past year. They were ordering Streetlites all the time for single deck routes but recent non-electric single deck orders have been E200MMCs and I can see why. I do hope they receive some kind of investment though, and I think they will. It would be really sad to see them go under and it would give ADL and Optare a near monopoly in the UK bus market. Just a quick question, if Wright have made staff redundant and the company finds a buyer and gets out of administration, would those staff automatically regain their jobs? Have to agree that Gemini 1/2s are great buses to ride on esp. in summer - the arched roof plays a part in air circulation and actually makes the upper deck much cooler than an Enviro 400MMC (which feels like an oven inside). But I'm not a fan of the Gemini 3 at all...think the staircases have been traded off so much for more space that they're barely walkable for someone like me in size 9 shoes! I struggle falling off the stairs every time. Anyways, it's definitely sad to see Wrightbus going...  |
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Post by BK15AZR on Sept 25, 2019 15:57:39 GMT
I see there is some discussion in a NBFL thread but it deserves a dedicated thread of its own. Ian Paisley Jr says it is likely the firm will go into administration today after failing to strike a deal with Weichai and latterly industrialist Darren Donnelly:
With the benefit of hindsight Mark Nodder's retirement back in April was very well timed...! The original Gemini was a ground breaking product that took a lot of sales away from then market leader combo ALX400/President and thrusted Wright into the limelight having only previously been a small player with the Dart based Handybus and the Crusader. Back then the Nokia phone type-styling made the existing products on the market look dated and the build quality was second to none although I gather it had issues with being much heavier than its competitors - probably due to over-engineering caused by it being their first foray into the double deck market and Wright's keenness to get it correct first time round. The Gemini body was available on several chassis and was a sales hit for many years. There were blink-and-you'll-miss-it facelifts and refinements over the years but it did keep selling in significant numbers.
Fast forward today and where did it go wrong?
- Was it their decision to copy ADL and Optare and shift focus towards integrals?
- I have heard that the Streetdeck has had a lot of quality issues. Certainly the styling was controversial and it was quickly modified for some buyers with glass wrapped upper pillars. The Streetlite doesn't seem to have much love out their among bus enthusiasts and again there are anecdotal stories of poor reliability and build quality.
- Was there an over reliance on the NBFL contract a lack of a plan to deal with the end of the contract and what to do with the excess capacity and loss of revenue. - Were they too dependent on the UK market and a small part of Asia? ADL have made significant inroads into USA/Canada market with the E500 and lately Europe (Berlin and Switzerland), South America (Mexico), New Zealand and Singapore. I vaguely recall somewhere that exports account for about 50% of ADL's revenue lessening their reliance on the slow UK market.
What happens now? I'm guessing a Chinese buyer will swoop in and buy up the tooling, designs and intellectual property. They might keep a small work force there to assemble knock down kits sent from China and perhaps keep a small R&D team to pursue new technologies. There is past form with LDV vans, LTI and MG Rover Group. Why take on a failing company with all the risks/liabilities when you can let it go bust and cherry pick the valuable bits for a fraction of the price.
Who will provide parts for the existing buses out there? Perhaps one of the aftermarket parts houses like Carlyle or Heavy Duty parts will buy up the parts stock and keep the supply going.
Will be a shame if it disappears entirely. Competition is good and I think they forced ADL to up their game and improve the quality and standards of their product. Otherwise ADL is left as the only major player with a bit-part played by Optare. There is a real chance for Optare to make some major headway especially into the London market now with the Metrodecker if Wright falls out of the equation.
It would be interesting to hear your views.
Well written, and it is a shame for any company to go under, but as an observation the products were never exciting. The then ground-breaking Nokia face became ubiquitous in B7TL guise with GAL and others (also in Arriva London South DW form) but I always remember them (especially the VLW's on the 243) for rattling panels, especially the glass sections by the exit doors. Bodges were done by AR with some sort of heavy-duty black mastic glue which just looked awful. (I won't mention the roaring fans as that was a Volvo thing). The baby brother to the Gemini / Pulsar was the Streetlite, which has remained unchanged (except a new Mercedes engine and Voith 4 speed box with stop start). Meanwhile ADL during the time of Wrighbus' Gemini had the ALX400, E400 and now the E400 MMC, and the backing of a decent engine provider. (Although Alexander, forerunner to ADL gave us the brilliant VDL DLA's ) I think with no more orders (I assume Go North East are taking the last of the Citaro engined StreetDecks) everyone will revert to ADL or Caetano. A Chinese buyer could come in and make crappy knock-offs of the brand, but even they realise their design was not that great. I think frequent Holiday shutdowns didn't help them (I remember hearing of various shutdowns whilst the 4 series DW's were being built), plus getting the buses onto a ferry to the mainland, and down the M6 to London put them at a disadvantage to ADL. Clumsy accidents during delivery (Tottenham HV's, prangs, bumps), or as we call in IT Out Of Box Failure / DOA when the product fails straight after delivery or has to go all the way back to Northern Ireland didn't help either. I guess this story has gotten lost in the turbulent political news of Bojo facing investigation for misleading the Queen / Trump in trouble for bribing Ukraine to dig dirt on Biden, his political opponent Administrators may oversee the last orders, but sadly they will be dealing with redundancies and selling off the buildings to no doubt become apartments in future... I thought the Frog Faces were bold but the StreetDeck could have been a success story with a 6 cylinder Cummins engine instead of one from a small Mercedes Atego truck... when they saw the Volvo B5TL was not selling either, I'm surprised none of them read reviews of the OM934 and how bad it was or saw YouTube videos and thought, 'cripes, we need to up our game here' and put a bigger engine in. They were too fixated on their international market (outside of Hong Kong, it was flogging the StreetDeck to anyone who'd take it... one ended up in South America somewhere and not dealing with the market at home, except filling niches no one was interested in. They were the Audi of the bus world with every possible model. from the SRM which no one bought after the ones on the 183, to the virtual electric version of the SRM (I think ended up on the 37 but they never made the charging infrastructure for it). They were even going to do a Daimler engined SRM with normal gearbox, following the success of the StreetDeck The prototype StreetDeck for KMB in Hong Kong has just got licensed a couple of weeks ago...1.5 years after it arrived in Hong Kong!! Heard it failed the tests with the Transport Department for many times and was kept from the roads until recently...but think KMB was looking for high capacity 2-axle DDs which can fit in the air-con units and Euro 6 diesel engines so probably there weren't many choices out there. Doubtful about whether the extra 50 they ordered can be delivered any time soon now... |
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Post by capitalomnibus on Sept 25, 2019 16:10:52 GMT
When i was at Camberwell for a training session John Trayner said he isnt ordering anymore Volvos until they overcome an issue (i cant remember what this was but think its to do with the exhaust system) Perhaps this issue with Volvo stopped orders from Wrightbus. Could Optare go the same way? The Metrodecker seems to be a failure and then we dont really see many other Optare products in London. ADL seem to produce the only 8.9m vehicles as wellThere warranty seems to be a problem and parts supply chain. I don't know if it is down to a lack of funds etc. but it has been months operators have had problems with vehicles off the road awaiting parts or warranty for long periods of time which inevitably costs NSB's etc. I really cant say Optare would fall, they have changed hands many times over the years, even Dennis in the late 80's nearly went down, they were very small compared to the likes of Leyland, MCW, Volvo, Scania for the bus market. Their ability to come up with the Dart using the driveline that was already popular in the MCW Metrorider, but come up with a better chassis on a shrunken single decker was a winner.
Not sure what you meant by ADL seem to produce 8.9m only.
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Post by capitalomnibus on Sept 25, 2019 16:15:28 GMT
Personally I think Wright should have followed ADLs lead and worked with their customers on new model of bus. It was the best decision ADL ever made to collaborate and consult with large customers both TfL and non-TfL on the MMCs. Maybe if Wright did this they would have a product people wanted want to purchase How can it be 'progress' when the LT type bus weighs 12tons+? If carting around a dirty great battery is progress, don't know what all this weight is doing to the bus lanes, maybe the answer WAS to go back to trollybus infrastructure In fairness, the LT has 3 doors & 2 staircases and is far more longer than the normal decker. |
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