First Greater Glasgow

[route101]

The 1 million dollar question..what’s replacing the low height Scotstoun 400 deckers?

Single deckers.

 

[JumpinTrainz]

The 1 million dollar question..what’s replacing the low height Scotstoun 400 deckers?

I imagine it will be single deckers. I can’t see them getting specific buses just for the 6. Pre-Covid it was mainly E300s and B7RLEs anyway.

I don’t imagine E200EVs will have the range, however. Unless Scotstoun gets a Yutong order I think they’ll either keep some E300s or cascade some E200MMCs from Lanarkshire to cover.

 

[Volvodart]

Bustmes.org is now showing a line through cancelled services, I assume that this is the same information as the bus stop screens, which may not be accurate for some of the cancellations that are running with ticket machine faults.

 

[stait.john]

Has 37145 been withdrawn? It hasn’t been on the road for a long time now or not tracking on bustimes anyway.

Been parked in Caledonia since June 6th according to GreenRoad

 

[JumpinTrainz]

Scotstoun’s buses seem to only be tracking on bustimes on Saturdays for some reason.

 

[Numpt33]

That will justify using E200EVs over deckers. I wonder if the plan will still be to operate some deckers on the 2 and 3 to allow some of the electrics to operate the 8, 90 and 16 like they have been doing. I’m surprised the 2 ever had a frequency decrease in the first place!

It's quite likely that First will want to get their frequent services back up to 10 minute headways - Once this is reached, there aren't any sanctions for late services from the TC. If they're sensible, theyll replace their route branding with 10 minute core network branding.

Speaking as a customer rather than a bus professional I feel the decision by First Glasgow to axe night services is shocking and shows that First Glasgow is more interested in profits for shareholders rather than providing a service to Joe Public. This will affect late night workers and people enjoying a night out in town. As usual it would affect poorer people and vulnerable people like young females.

Perhaps it is time some other bus company started to offer services to the people of Glasgow because as a private monopoly First Glasgow has provided a substandard and expensive service for years and got away with it. How does First Glasgow hope to attract people out of their cars on to buses when they make decisions like this and similar decisions regarding services which they have pushed through with little or no consultation in the last few years? Pardon the pun but First Glasgow seems intent on driving people away from using buses not encouraging more people to use them.

Of course they're more interested in profits - if they "provide a service" which costs them more money than it brings in, they go bankrupt.

Unlike other transport markets, most users of night buses cannot switch to driving, or the train (unless there's a night train) it's either the bus or taxi. Driving while bevvied is no longer viewed as a feasible option.

Any of the other bus companies could offer night bus services with little in the way of notice, but they choose not to, most likely because of the behaviour of passengers to each other and to the driver, leaving First Glasgow who likely also don't want to provide night services as this is where many "incidents" which cause drivers to leave the company will occur. Drivers are expected by passengers to stop passengers boaking on each other, prevent fights between passengers, and run to time when almost everyone getting on the bus is truely sozzled and can't find their ticket/money/phone/purse and hold the bus up getting on and off.

Sluggish pieces of…

Why First Essex doesn’t just get new buses as opposed to someone elses second hand ones is lost on me.

I’ve never been able to get that..

Its to do with depreciation - When a company buys a new bus, it uses it on its most profitable routes, as the investment made is a "loss" on the balance sheet which is spread over the lifetime of the asset, in order to recoup this investment as fast as possible. As the bus ages, it is used on less profitable routes and then on school contract work, and then sold for scrap or to someone who isn't using it for transport (e.g. hot dog stand or something).

You can tell how profitable or marginal your bus service is by the age of the buses you see on the route. If you're on a route which always has new buses - that service will never be cut. If your route always has the old manky rustbucket - you're route is at serious risk of being closed. When you start getting neds on the back of the bus being pricks - that's the canary in the coal mine that your route is about to get reduced. Bad behaviour on buses is usually on empty buses, not busy ones.

 

[Joerf21]

I got exited to see new electrics on the 2, but now they have disappeared. Does anybody know why?

 

[JumpinTrainz]

I got exited to see new electrics on the 2, but now they have disappeared. Does anybody know why?

They seem to be getting used mainly on the 8, 16 and 90 with the 2 and 3 seeing the odd allocation. Perhaps once all 50 enter service we’ll see more on the 2 and 3.

I’d have thought they’d be keen to upgrade the 2 and 3 quite quickly but perhaps they’re wanting to keep a mix of deckers and E200EVs.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Former Aberdeen 69131/258/263/266/267 are now at the Regional Repair Centre (RRC) at Caledonia depot undergoing training conversion.

 

[Scott mac]

They seem to be getting used mainly on the 8, 16 and 90 with the 2 and 3 seeing the odd allocation. Perhaps once all 50 enter service we’ll see more on the 2 and 3.

I’d have thought they’d be keen to upgrade the 2 and 3 quite quickly but perhaps they’re wanting to keep a mix of deckers and E200EVs

The 90 was mostly E200EVs today. I also saw a few on the 6 and noted this morning an E300 on the 34.

 

[JumpinTrainz]

A few E300s have moved to Caledonia. Not sure if this is a temporary measure or if the have been cascaded permanently with the introduction of the E200EVs at Scotstoun.

 

[ScotRail158725]

A few E300s have moved to Caledonia. Not sure if this is a temporary measure or if the have been cascaded permanently with the introduction of the E200EVs at Scotstoun.

Temporary as Caledonia are short of vehicles

 

[92002]

I got exited to see new electrics on the 2, but now they have disappeared. Does anybody know why?

There was a few on the 2 and 3 today. As well a couple on the 6 today for a first.

Mostly all on the 8 and 90 today in numbers.

Guess a good spot to see them is Partick. Until a certain cycle race kicks in later in the week

 

[JumpinTrainz]

Are the new EVs at Scotstoun the same range as the previous batches? They seem to be running quite well and they aren’t all tucked in the depot before 6pm. I noticed one on the 2 this evening too which is good to see them out later.

 

[92002]

Are the new EVs at Scotstoun the same range as the previous batches? They seem to be running quite well and they aren’t all tucked in the depot before 6pm. I noticed one on the 2 this evening too which is good to see them out later.

Noticed one on a 2 at 2200 last Saturday. Although it was a later start to the Day. They seem to manage around 12 hours of work in service on a normal Day.

 

[JumpinTrainz]

Noticed one on a 2 at 2200 last Saturday. Although it was a later start to the Day. They seem to manage around 12 hours of work in service on a normal Day.

They definitely seem to be out longer than I initially thought they would manage. While the Yutongs were the better product - the E200EVs are nice enough buses I want them to work out well.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Noticed one on a 2 at 2200 last Saturday. Although it was a later start to the Day. They seem to manage around 12 hours of work in service on a normal Day.

They definitely seem to be out longer than I initially thought they would manage. While the Yutongs were the better product - the E200EVs are nice enough buses I want them to work out well.

In contrast the Yutongs are managing 20+ hours and have replaced an equal number of diesel buses in Aberdeen. I highly doubt the same can be said for the E200EVs or E400EVs in Glasgow given they get swapped out for diesel buses in the evening.

 

[JumpinTrainz]

In contrast the Yutongs are managing 20+ hours and have replaced an equal number of diesel buses in Aberdeen. I highly doubt the same can be said for the E200EVs or E400EVs in Glasgow given they get swapped out for diesel buses in the evening.

I’m still keeping my fingers crossed for Yutongs in the near future for Glasgow. Not sure how realistic that is

 

[NIT100]

Temporary as Caledonia are short of vehicles

Do you know if that is a general shortage of vehicles, or that they need more single decks to operate routes through Pollok?

 

[MasterSpenny]

64180-87 - TBC
64188 - LG23EYC
64189-91 - TBC
64192 - LG23EYJ
64193-5 - TBC
64196 - LG23EYO
Will post the rest when I see a confirmation of them.

The next instalment of regs, from BLOTW (buslistsontheweb.co.uk):
64180 - LG23EXS
64181 - LG23EXT
64182 - LG23EXU
64183 - LG23EXV
64184 - LG23EXW
64185 - LG23EXX
64186 - LG23EXZ
64187 - LG23EYB

64189 - LG23EYD
64190 - LG23EYF
64191 - LG23EYH

64193 - LG23EYK
64194 - LG23EYL
64195 - LG23EYM

64197 - LG23EYP

 

[E400Lover101]

I noticed on bustimes.org that 33918 was on the 57A. Does anyone know why the low-heights are in Caley?

 

[Volvodart]

Could be ticket machine error as has happened before with odd workings.

 

[Dfatcontroller]

The next instalment of regs, from BLOTW (buslistsontheweb.co.uk):
64180 - LG23EXS
64181 - LG23EXT
64182 - LG23EXU
64183 - LG23EXV
64184 - LG23EXW
64185 - LG23EXX
64186 - LG23EXZ
64187 - LG23EYB

64189 - LG23EYD
64190 - LG23EYF
64191 - LG23EYH

64193 - LG23EYK
64194 - LG23EYL
64195 - LG23EYM

64197 - LG23EYP

64198 - LG23EYR on the 90 today.

 

[ScotRail158725]

I noticed on bustimes.org that 33918 was on the 57A. Does anyone know why the low-heights are in Caley?

It isn’t a mistrack, it is out on the 57A

 

[JumpinTrainz]

Scotstoun must have a surplus of buses now that 30 E200EVs are now in service and afaik nothing has left the fleet other than the E300s and E400 that went to Caley.

 

[stait.john]

It isn’t a mistrack, it is out on the 57A

Currently on Perershill Road.

What I like is on GreenRoad, it’s home depot is Scotstoun, who’s code is KWOD!

 

[route101]

Scotstoun must have a surplus of buses now that 30 E200EVs are now in service and afaik nothing has left the fleet other than the E300s and E400 that went to Caley.

Always thought Scotstoun gets the short straw with double decker numbers. The 77 got new deckers.

 

[JumpinTrainz]

Always thought Scotstoun gets the short straw with double decker numbers. The 77 got new deckers.

I imagine the 77 will go electric very soon so there may be new deckers on the horizon or unless they choose to cascade some from Caledonia.

I agree though. Once the low height E400s go - Scotstoun will have even less deckers.

 

[jazza374]

Saw 67087 in Bellshill with the destination screen the “wrong” way round. Route number 201 to left of screen above driver and the via points appearing one at a time in large font. Via Bellshill, via Motherwell - via Hamilton etc. I assume this is a relic of the bus not being reprogrammed since leaving Aberdeen.

 

[318266]

Saw 67087 in Bellshill with the destination screen the “wrong” way round. Route number 201 to left of screen above driver and the via points appearing one at a time in large font. Via Bellshill, via Motherwell - via Hamilton etc. I assume this is a relic of the bus not being reprogrammed since leaving Aberdeen.

Basically the front display has been programmed as if it were a side display - and therefore displaying the data for if someone had a massive side display. Some settings need to be changed - might even be physically - on the bus' display board when going each way from Glasgow to Aberdeen.