February 26th 2020: Fleet Ramblings26/2/2020
We are pleased to be able to provide a Fleet Ramblings catch-up and will attempt to do another update later this week.
Stagecoach UK Bus
We understand that despite rolling out the new livery at the end of January, the required templates for use in the paint shops to enable repaints to carry the new livery are only just being received. As a result a number of buses emerged in the old livery scheme after the new livery announcement, or in all over white.
Go North East
We like this…. The company is Introducing Northern Coaching! And is tidying up the fleet of PSVAR compliant coaches for use on rail replacement and contract operations into a series of retro liveries from North of England coach names with recent historical connections to Go North East (and also companies East Yorkshire acquired in the 1990s Former East Yorkshire coach 92 which was re-numbered as/to 7144 when it was transferred to the Go North East fleet & registered as A10 EYC, has now been re-registered back to FJ11 GJZ as of 18 February 2020. The A10 EYC registration mark/plate has now been transferred to Go North East coach 7108. Fleet no. 7108 has been repainted in a version of Charterplan livery, the coaching arm of Greater Manchester Transport which was later acquired by East Yorkshire when expanding their coaching operations/business. Fleet no. 7110 has been repainted in a version of Armstrong Galley livery which was the coaching arm of Busways in Tyne & Wear, again being acquired by East Yorkshire when expanding their coaching operations/business. Fleet no. 7111 has been repainted in a version of OK livery which was also known as OK Motor Services/OK Travel. This operator was later acquired by Northern/Go North East. A 4th coach fleet number: 7098 is currently under repaint, and its retro livery has yet to be confirmed. Citaro 5287 is the latest recipient of the 2019 GNE livery, which now just leaves one of the type, 5290, in the Wear Xpress livery. The company has reported the following information: Week ending 9th February 2020 Repaints last week included Mercedes Citaro 0350N/Mercedes Citaro 5287 (NK08 CFX) and 5291 (NK08 CGG) into the 2019 fleet livery. Service revisions came into effect from Sunday 26 January which saw revised bus workings at Riverside for operational efficiencies and to improve reliability on service 6. As such, Mercedes Citaro 0350N/Mercedes Citaros 5275-5282 are all to undergo repaint into fleet livery (from Blaydon Racer and Citylink). Following completion of the last remaining “Wear Xpress” branded Citaro, float 5486 and 5487 have now transferred from Deptford to Riverside, in order to provide cover whilst 5275-5282 undergo repaint. Week ending 2nd February 2020 Repaints last week included Scania N94UD/East Lancs OmniDekka 6166 and Mercedes Citaro 0350N/Mercedes Citaro 5290 into the 2019 fleet livery. Scania N94UD/East Lancs OmniDekka 6166 is now in service at Chester-le-Street, so similar 6143 is now in a float/reserve capacity to allow cover for 6162-6164 to undergo seat re-trim. Scania L94UB/Wright Solar 5230 has been sold to Coachpoint Ltd. Repainted last week was Mercedes Citaro 0350N/Mercedes Citaro 5277 (NK07 KPL), into the 2019 fleet livery. Former East Yorkshire Volvo B5TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini 3 797 (BX14 SYT), now numbered 6335 within the Go North East fleet, has entered service at Riverside. It has been repainted into the “spare bus” X-lines livery and existing seats replaced with high-back Esteban Civic V3 seats trimmed in Go North East’s new moquette, with cream headrests. It should see primary allocation to services X9/X10 (Newcastle-Middlesbrough), as well as the Tyne Valley Ten 10/10A/10B services when not required to run on the X9/X10.
Stagecoach South East
Further fleet changes that took place on or around the weekend of 8th/9th February included Scania/Enviro 400MMCs 15331/32 from Hastings to Thanet being replaced at Hastings with Enviro 400MMCs 10703/04 which were at Folkestone. Scania/Enviro 400 15262 has transferred from Thanet to Herne Bay allowing similar 15704 to transfer from Herne Bay to Folkestone. Finally Enviro 400 19051 is a transfer from Thanet to Folkestone. We understand that Dart SLFs 34492/98 and 34652 have gone on loan to Stagecoach South and were transferred to Guildford on February 23rd. Stagecoach East Midlands Vehicles returned to service following completion of repairs here are Volvo B7TL 16916 (at Scunthorpe); Trident 18021 (at Gainsborough) and Dart SLFs 34851 and 35131 (at Gainsborough). Former Long Sutton Trident 18347 has transferred from Hull to Lincoln (for use at the Newark outstation). Dart SLF 34456 will be stood down from the main fleet at Scunthorpe and moved to the Reserve Fleet. It had been expected that 34426 would be stood down but this was changed at the last moment. Reserve Fleet Dart SLFs 35147/48/49 have been returned to main fleet use at Hull (from the Reserve Fleet). Enviro 200s 36453/54 have transferred from Hull to Mansfield with 36509/11/12 moving from Mansfield to Worksop. Rail Replacement Unit-allocated Volvo B12M 52678 and Volvo B12B 53030 have been taken out of use at Lincoln and are now for disposal. Enviro 400 19684 has lost its Hull City FC (Tigers) all over advert and currently carries all over white livery. Also in all over white, having lost its blue Hull Park & Ride livery, is Enviro 300 27882. Enviro 400 19688 is now back at Hull from Long Sutton with 19687 due to transfer back to Hull imminently following the entry into service at Long Sutton of Scania/Enviro 400 15620. This leaves just 15616 to enter service at Long Sutton and when it does 19689 - the last ADL Enviro 400 at Long Sutton - will transfer back to Hull. This will leave a Scania/Enviro 400 fleet at Long Sutton. Further ADL Enviro 400s to be transferred here from Stagecoach North East are 19197, 19200/03/06. Recently transferred 19210 is due to be allocated to Skegness allowing Volvo B7TL 16906 to transfer to the Seasonal Reserve Fleet. In turn this will allow Seasonal Reserve Fleet Volvo B7TL 16902 to be taken out of use for disposal. Following completion of repairs Trident 17718, which had been delicenced at Gainsborough, will be allocated to Lincoln, whilst 18042 is due to transfer from Hull to Lincoln. These two vehicles are expected to cover for Tridents 18347 and 18392 which are being delicenced for repairs.
Stagecoach East
In preparation for the entry of the BYD/Enviro 400City EVs here, 14033/34, which took place on February 17th, a second Stagecoach Manchester-example arrived at Cowley Road depot on February 11th and was expected to stay until around 17th February when it, and 14031, were expected to return to Manchester. Service changes in Peterborough next month are likely to see a reduction in Peak Vehicle Requirement. Enviro 400 19580 and Enviro 300 27855 are on loan from Cambridge to Bedford. We also understand that Enviro 400 19583 has also spent a few days on loan to Bedford. Busway-liveried Scania/Enviro 400s 15211 and 15218 have been reported minus guidewheels and on loan from Fenstanton to Cambridge. We understand that 15211 is on City 3 services today whilst 15218 is working the Cambridge-Ely 9/39 services. There have been reports the Scania/Enviro 15216 is at Bedford for all over repaint into the Ocean Green colour whilst 15294 is reported as repainted into that scheme. The transfer of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 44009 from Cambridge to Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire is expected to take place by early next week.
Stagecoach Manchester
We understand that BYD/Enviro 400City EVs 14001-08/12/19/21/24/25/28 are all now at Sharston to assist with engineering and driver training programmes. Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire Schoolrunner vehicles now withdrawn and for disposal are Volvo B10M 20457 and Volvo Olympian 16670 whilst now sold is MAN/Enviro 300 22881 which has gone to Catch 22 Bus of Blackpool. Scania/Enviro 400 15700 has transferred from Morecambe to Barrow in exchange for 15699. Enviro 400MMC 10560 has been transferred from Morecambe to Kendal whilst Seasonal Reserve Dart SLF 35193 is now withdrawn and stored pending disposal. Optare Solo 47014 is expected to receive the ‘555’-style of Lakes green livery. There are now three vehicles here in various stages of repaint - Scania/Enviro 400 15697 /98 and Enviro 300 27750 all expected to emerge in the new Stagecoach Local livery. The repaint of 15698 has been completed in the new livery, believed to be the first normal repaint anywhere in Stagecoach UK Bus in one of the new colour schemes, although it still awaits application of the new Stagecoach logos.
Stagecoach West
Make a note in your diary. The company is planning a family day on Saturday 16th May 2020 which will also see heritage and modern buses operating shuttle services. The event will raise funds for a local charity and will be centred on Cheltenham Racecourse, which has ample display space but also links with the local steam railway. Plans are still being finalised but we understand initial ideas include a display of preserved and modern buses along with a service of current and preserved buses between the Racecourse and Cheltenham Railway Station. Another service being considered would be from the Racecourse via Cleeve Hill to Winchcombe and back. Cheltenham’s first tram route and one of the first bus routes (replacing the trams) ran to Cleeve Hill. At Winchcombe there would be another link with the steam railway. One of the special routes may also include a trip through the bus wash at Cheltenham although there will be no access to any parts of the depot. Stagecoach South West MAN/Enviro 300 24144/6 are further repaints here in all over white but with old-style fleet names. Stagecoach Oxfordshire Scania/Enviro 400 15536 has been transferred to Stagecoach Yorkshire and has entered service from Chesterfield depot.
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