January 4th 2016

Information uploaded on January 4th 2015 at 10:10
We hear that MAN/Enviro 300 22890 turned up with Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire on 23rd December 2015 from Stagecoach East Scotland, something of a surprise we understand as it was not one of the vehicles expected. The other four in Cumbria before the Christmas break were 22875/85/88/89. At the start of 2016 22580, 22872/75/78/80-83/85/86/88-90 had arrived. Both 22580 and 22890 are on loan only whilst work takes place preparing the other recently transferred vehicles for service.
Also at Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire, Volvo B10Ms 20905/44/45 were withdrawn from service at Kendal shortly before the 2015 Christmas holiday. Optare Solo 47884 is set to be withdrawn from service at Carlisle and sent to Lillyhall for DDA modifications with 47010, which has recently been fitted with seat belts, replacing it at Carlisle. Volvo Olympian 16639 has also been fitted with seat belts for schools work, whilst Optare Solos 47011 has additionally received seat belts. It is understood that withdrawn Dart SLF 34219 may be bought for preservation. MAN/ALX300 22149 has been made DDA complaint and will return to service later this month. It is currently at West Cumbria but will be allocated to Kendal, where 22269 is also due to be allocated on transfer from Carlisle, a temporary replacement at Carlisle is MAN/Enviro 300 22580. Work is also underway on DDA modifications to Optare Solo 47884. Volvo Olympians 16640/51 are both back in the main fleet at Kendal pending modifications being completed on other vehicles. Former Manchester Optare Solo 44751 is in service at Morecambe whilst 47745 is being used on a Sainsbury’s contract from West Cumbria. Finally MAN/ALX300 22823 is now in driver training livery.
Stagecoach East’s Peterborough-based Enviro 200 37228 was significantly damaged in a collision with a car and building in Broadway. Peterborough on Christmas Eve 2015. Further vehicles into the greener, smarter travel green livery are ex Busway Enviro 400 15457 and the first Volvo B7RLE to receive the colour scheme 21229. Former Busway B7RLEs 21223/29 are now allocated to Cambridge. A further vehicle to lose Norfolk Green livery for corporate Stagecoach Livery is Optare Versa 25268 at King’s Lynn.
Following its repaint at the end of last year Stagecoach Midlands’ Scania/East Lancs 15402 currently carries Corby Star livery but without any branding.
Now with East Yorkshire Motor Services is MCV-bodied Volvo B8RLE 386 (BT65JGX). Painted into fleet livery is Gemini 3 797. Former Whittles Volvo B9R 87 (FJ11 GKA), now EYMS 94, which had been on loan to National Express Operations is now back at Hull.
The three remaining Optare Solo SRs at Stagecoach Oxfordshire’s Banbury depot have all bee transferred to Witney depot as expected. The transfers were 47831 exchanged for 47452 on December 22nd 2015; 47833 exchanged for 47658 on December 30th 2015 and 47832 exchanged for 47453 on December 31st 2015. Additionally Oxfords 47455 has also transferred to Banbury on loan and will remain here until mid-Febrary for us on the S4 Connect service.
News from Whippet Coaches is that just before the New Year the company collected from R H Bodyworks of Eye, Suffolk three of our refurbished Volvo B7TL Geminis. These are 432/3/6  (LK54FLB/C/F) - previously Tower Transit 32796/7/500. Sister vehicle 435 (LK54FLE) was used to ferry the drivers over for the collection & then it was left at R H's for its own refurbishment.
Single deck saloons WS301-3/6/9  (H13/4/6WCL, FE51RCU, V293UVY) were Withdrawn at the end of 2015 as they do not meet the DDA Regulations that came into force on January 1st 2016.
We understand that former Merseyside Dart SLFs 34790 34791 are in use with Stagecoach South East at Ashford, where they have replaced 33175 and 33176.
The remaining MCV and East Lancs-bodied MANs with Stagecoach Yorkshire are expected to be taken out of front line service later this month as a result of a vehicle cascade following the entry into service of new Enviro 200s 26020-33. 26020-23 are for Barnsley where 26020-22 will carry branding for service 11 with 26024-33 going to Rawmarsh with 26024-31 being branded for service 22X. All are fitted with WiFi. A consequence of the cascade will see MAN/ALX300 22086 become another member of the type to be converted for driver training duties. Further Optare Solos to be made surplus here will be 47282/89/91. Due to be transferred from Chesterfield to Barnsley are 22648, 47296, 47423, 34575-78, whilst expected to move from Rawmarsh are 22550 to Barnsley, 22551 to Ecclesfield and 22546-49/52-55 to Chesterfield.
 
With thanks to Ross Newman at Ensign Bus we are able to detail the company’s activity during December 2015
Vehicles in
From Metroline: Darts LK03NLM, LK03NLL, LK03NLJ, LK53FDE, LK53FDG / LK53FDN. 
Tridents LN51KZC, LK03GGA, LK03CDJ, LK03GHJ
From Arriva London: DAF’s LJ03MVG, LJ04LFB/LFD, LJ53NGU, LJ04LDY/LDZ/LEF/LEU/LFA/LDV/LGF/LGG/LGK/LGL, LJ05BMV/BMY/BMZ/BNA/BNB/BND/BNE/BNF/BNK/BNL/GKX/GKY/GKZ/GLF/GLK/GLV.    
Volvo B7TL’s LJ54BCZ/BDU/BCY/BDF/BDY/BBZ, LJ54BFE (for scrap), LJ03MHZ/MJU/UOU/UOV.
From Go-Ahead London: Scania’s YN06JYF, YN06JYH.  MAN AE09DHO  
Darts W334VGX, SN03YCF/YCE/YCD/YBY/YBX. Volvo B7TL W415WGH.
From London United: Enviro 200’s YX60BZB/BZC/BZD/BZE/BZF/BZG.
From Sanders Coaches: DAF SB120 YJ03PKZ, YJ03PKX.
From Rubicon Travel: Olympian E305MSG.
From Galleon Travel: Enviro 200’s YX09FNG, BX58BEY, BX58BFA.
Vehicles out
Darts LK03NLL, LK53FDE: Swallow Coaches, Rainham, Essex.
Scania YV03RCY: Sleafordian, Sleaford, Lincs.
Volvo B10BLE T812CBW: Cambridge Bus and Coach, Swavesey, Cambs.
Dart NA52AXM, Volvo B7TL’s W415WGH, LJ54BFE: MC Tractors, Ely for scrap.
Volvo B7TL LG52DDF: Faresaver, Chippenham.
Scania’s YN53RXU/RXZ/RXY, Tridents LX04FXL/FXP/FXJ: Galleon Travel, Roydon, Essex.
Olympian E305MSG: FM Agrieszka Szwerthalter, Imieln, Poland.
Darts BX54DKJ/DKD: Hams Travel, Flimwell.
Scania YN03DFC: Stagecarriage, Redcar.
Dart W334VGX: Centaur, Crayford.
Enviro 200 YX11HPU: Grant Palmer, Dunstable.
Tridents PN03UMA/UMH: Belle Vue, Manchester.
Darts NA52AWZ, YT51DZZ : Discount Travel , Smethwick.
MAN AE09DHO: Associated Coach Sales, New Zealand.
Scania YN03WRP: Edward Thomas, West Ewell.
Trident X263NNO: Regal Busways, Chelmsford.
DAF DB250 LJ03MVG, Volvo B10M P172KBD: Mike Lawrenson, Preston.
Volvo B7TL LJ03MGY: Country Lion, Northampton.
DAF DB250’s LJ53NHP/NHN: Sanders Coaches, Holt.
DAF DB250’s LJ05BMV/BMY/BMZ/BNA/BNB/BND/BNE/BNL/GKX/GKY/GKZ/GLK: McGills Buses, Glasgow.
Spectra S404NVP: Wilts Lodge School, Rutland.
Scania’s YN06JYH/JYF: Johnsons Coaches, Hopthorpe.
DAF’s YJ03PKZ/PK : Mullaneys Coaches, Watford.
Volvo B10BLE R846PRG: The Big Lemon, Brighton.
Volvo B7TL LJ03MJF: Redline, Aylesbury.
Scania’s YV03PZE/PZG/RAU: Westbus, Hounslow.
Enviro 200’s YX60BZB/BZC: DA Coaches, Coatbridge.
Trident LK03GHJ: Bear Buses, Feltham, Middx.
Dart MX54BLU: Finesse Coaches, Birmingham.
Dart BX54DKE: Abellio London.