First Group: General Discussion

[cnjb8]

I think most areas have seen pvr reductions, some not immediately obvious. Are Solars fairly heavy fuel guzzlers?

They are pretty much a non-standard type now. South West and Scotland East are replacing theirs too

 

[darylyates17]

They are pretty much a non-standard type now. South West and Scotland East are replacing theirs too

Makes sense to replace them the following batch of Enviro200 MMCs are already at Adderley Green so less non standard vehicles. btw does anyone knows if 69141 is still going to be used at Adderley Green? its nearly a year since it left Bolton and its still yet to enter service.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Makes sense to replace them the following batch of Enviro200 MMCs are already at Adderley Green so less non standard vehicles. btw does anyone knows if 69141 is still going to be used at Adderley Green? its nearly a year since it left Bolton and its still yet to enter service.

Hmmm.....suspect at that age, it may be being depreciated but whatever is ailing it is terminal

 

[tbtc]

Makes sense to replace them the following batch of Enviro200 MMCs are already at Adderley Green so less non standard vehicles

I hope these 16-plates have a good time in Staffordshire - I was on one this afternoon - they are decent enough machines, but always non-standard here in Sheffield (they came at the same time that we were getting various small batches of Steetlites to replace the hated B7Ls) so I never expected them to stick around - I didn't know why we didn't just get more Streetlites instead of the small number of non-standard vehicles (I prefer them to the Stretlites, don't get me wrong, it's just that they are an odd little fleet in a depot that's mainly Streetlite/ Gemini) - it just makes me feel old to think that they are already a third of the way through their expected lifespan!

 

[M60lad]

There's also another rumor doing the rounds that apparently First Oldham might be losing some if not all of their E300s but if they are I'm not to sure as of yet what's due to come to replace them as Oldham have got about 30 of them in the fleet so it will be some replacement.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Incoming…. Trip report on First Essex and observations in the appropriate place

 

[vla50]

In the First G Glasgown & First S East fleets the training fleets I've noticed especially for cities with LEZs have very old stock being used as trainers, is there any plan on replacing them with perhaps B7RLEs?

 

[cnjb8]

In the First G Glasgown & First S East fleets the training fleets I've noticed especially for cities with LEZs have very old stock being used as trainers, is there any plan on replacing them with perhaps B7RLEs?

Glasgow and Scotland East are bringing in B7RLEs previously on loan to Rotala for training.

 

[G760XRE]

Hmmm.....suspect at that age, it may be being depreciated but whatever is ailing it is terminal

Makes sense to replace them the following batch of Enviro200 MMCs are already at Adderley Green so less non standard vehicles. btw does anyone knows if 69141 is still going to be used at Adderley Green? its nearly a year since it left Bolton and its still yet to enter service.

I noted 69141 at Adderley Green depot last month. It has been cannibalised for parts. Doubtful it'll ever enter service here.

 

[darylyates17]

I noted 69141 at Adderley Green depot last month. It has been cannibalised for parts. Doubtful it'll ever enter service here.

Appreciate the confirmation that it's withdrawn. I had a feeling it was being used for parts.

 

[Whisky Papa]

Has anybody any idea what happened to the special dividend FirstGroup were supposed to be paying from the sale proceeds of their US operations? I thought I had read it would be late Autumn or early Winter 2021, but I can't seem to find a reference to it at present.

 

[Volvodart]

£500 million was used to buy back shares of shareholders who tendered to be included in the scheme.

 

[Whiteway215]

Has anybody any idea what happened to the special dividend FirstGroup were supposed to be paying from the sale proceeds of their US operations? I thought I had read it would be late Autumn or early Winter 2021, but I can't seem to find a reference to it at present.

I think the best place for information is on the FirstGroup PLC website under ‘Return of Value-Proposed Tender Offer’

 

[Whisky Papa]

I think the best place for information is on the FirstGroup PLC website under ‘Return of Value-Proposed Tender Offer’

Many thanks. I'd been aware of the Tender Offer, but it didn't suit me to sell my remaining shares (particularly for the very modest premium on offer). I must confess I hadn't realised until now it was going to be the sole means of redistributing the money, which seems very different from the "Special Dividend" the financial press was talking about over the summer.

 

[oldman]

if the cash had been used to pay a special dividend, the share price would have crashed as soon as the cash was distributed. Using the cash to buy back shares and cancel them protected the share price. It had to be one or the other, not both.

 

[Volvodart]

Some of the major shareholders wanted to get rid of their shares. A dividend would not have helped them and it could have caused problems for getting the dividend option approved.

 

[Whisky Papa]

if the cash had been used to pay a special dividend, the share price would have crashed as soon as the cash was distributed. Using the cash to buy back shares and cancel them protected the share price. It had to be one or the other, not both.

Yes, they often used to buy back small tranches of shares in open trading, particularly once the price had fallen from its earlier dizzy heights. I'm quite happy to keep hold of mine in the hope of a modest regular dividend in future.

 

[RELL6L]

Looks like First Manchester at Oldham (but not the Bolton outstation for V1 & V2) are on strike today and Thursday. Not seen anything about this elsewhere. No buses out on bustimes and First GM's website confirms it - appears to be about pay.

 

[83G/84D]

I understand a batch of Streetlites are due this year (63401-63433). Can anyone say where they will be going on delivery?

 

[Volvodart]

Probably some are the 39 buses going to Bradford, but the exact number of single deckers for there are unknown.

 

[APT618S]

Probably some are the 39 buses going to Bradford, but the exact number of single deckers for there are unknown.

The 2022 First Bus Handbook by British Bus Publishing has new Streetdecks 35638-35665 as allocated to Bradford, (no registrations yet) so 28 double deckers. As a guess the remainder will be singles. The Streetlites (63401-63433) are shown as unallocated.

 

[Volvodart]

Any other new Streetdeck numbers shown (as in quantity)?

 

[83G/84D]

The ones for Weston-super-Mare follow on from the Bradford examples. Fleet numbers 35666 to 35692.

 

[robert west]

I understand a batch of Streetlites are due this year (63401-63433). Can anyone say where they will be going on delivery?

I doubt it will be Essex, although they could do with some new single deckers.

 

[cnjb8]

I understand a batch of Streetlites are due this year (63401-63433). Can anyone say where they will be going on delivery?

My guesses are West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire or Midlands. Probably wrong though.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

My guesses are West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire or Midlands. Probably wrong though.

West Yorkshire is a reasonable bet; there's been talk of Streetlites for Bradford. Not certain what in Midlands would attract new Streetlites, even if some of the Citaros in Worcester are now rather mature.

 

[83G/84D]

I was thinking Essex or East of England to see off the remaining Darts, just guessing.

 

[cnjb8]

West Yorkshire is a reasonable bet; there's been talk of Streetlites for Bradford. Not certain what in Midlands would attract new Streetlites, even if some of the Citaros in Worcester are now rather mature.

I was thinking Leicester. They have some 2007-09 B7s which could be cascaded to Potteries or Worcester

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I was thinking Essex or East of England to see off the remaining Darts, just guessing.

Suspect that those would be replaced by cascaded e200s. I was thinking Wales but they've enough Darts to replace anyway

 

[Robertj21a]

I was thinking Leicester. They have some 2007-09 B7s which could be cascaded to Potteries or Worcester

Isn't the whole Leicester fleet being changed to electrics?