Stagecoach East Scotland

[Stan Drews]

Reserve is basically reserve, they could be used for a number of reasons really.

How long has 34059 been away from Perth? I notice on the fleetcard though that Police Scotland has bought 34060...

Did that pair not move from Perth to Dunfermline last year some time?

 

[mbonwick]

34059/60 did indeed move to Dunfermline last year, though off the top of my head I can't remember when.

16060 has been withdrawn from Perth with an engine defect, replaced by 16324.

 

[Kiewii]

22153 has now entered service at Perth

 

[mbonwick]

22153 is a temporary replacement for 34725, which has gone to Dunfermline. 22265 should replace 22153 in due course.

 

[83G/84D]

Probably old news but Volvo B10M 52670 (M624 ORJ) was on Rail replacement work at Lincoln on 9th November so presumably transferred south from Dunfermline.

Are Stagecoach fleet cards accessible to the public? If so where?

 

[mbonwick]

52670 went to Plaxtons along with a load of other B10M coaches in May this year, as part-exchange for 53723/4. Looks like its found a new home now then.

I make the fleetcards available at http://mbonwick.cu.cc/SCNW/Fleetcards

 

[jamieintercity]

52670 went to Plaxtons along with a load of other B10M coaches in May this year, as part-exchange for 53723/4. Looks like its found a new home now then.

I make the fleetcards available at http://mbonwick.cu.cc/SCNW/Fleetcards

I have just viewed your helpful fleetcards and I noticed that 19654-56 are now allocated to arbroath and 16881 is still in service in arbroath rather than 16228. No sign of 34217 at arbroath, has it transferred to Blairgowrie? And there are still some pyoneers allocoated to Blair but I think they are now withdrawn and sitting in arbroath depot.

 

[mbonwick]

19654-6 moved back in March this year when the majority of working on 73/A was transferred to Arbroath.

The lastest fleetcard was issued back on the 10th November - clearly things will have happened since.

34217 is indeed at Blair, though I imagine it will be moving back when the seatbelted Solos are ready.

 

[Stan Drews]

34217 is indeed at Blair, though I imagine it will be moving back when the seatbelted Solos are ready.

34217 is at Blair for their 34 working, which was having capacity issues with the Solo (normally 47218), so not involved with the Solo for Vario cascade that is almost complete.

 

[Kiewii]

16658 has been operating out of Dundee in the last week or so, and has been seen on services 16 and XCS 28

 

[Liam]

Citylink Gold Coach on the X59 this afternoon. Anyone know why?

 

[overthewater]

http://www.stagecoachbus.com/pressreleasesdetails.aspx?Id=1616

STAGECOACH TO LAUNCH MORE FREE WI-FI
Stagecoach have announced today that free Wi-Fi will be offered on even more buses and coaches in the coming weeks.

The company have already fitted the Express City Connect routes with the free facility and having introduced more coaches and new routes into the network last month, are installing free Wi-Fi on these too.

This means all Express City Connect routes X24, X26, X27, X52, X54, X57, X58, X59, X60 & X61 will feature free Wi-Fi before the end of the year, as well as routes 53, 55 and 57 into Edinburgh.

In addition, the operator is also making some improvements to the current vehicles operating the Jet 747 route, including a refurbishment and fitting the free Wi-Fi.

John Harper, Engineering Director for Stagecoach East Scotland said: “We’re constantly improving our fleet and in the case of the 747 vehicles, the upgrades will refresh the interior and exterior ensuring they provide a great travel experience. By adding the free Wi-Fi to this route, and the remaining Express services, we hope to give our customers yet more reasons to relax and enjoy the journey, letting our drivers worry about the traffic, while passengers can catch up with friends, work or the latest news during their journey.

“By making these improvements to the Jet 747 vehicles, we’ll need to take them off the road for a while, so we’ve borrowed some new JET liveried vehicles to help fill in.”

Stagecoach have confirmed that more than 15,000 people use the free Wi-Fi on the Express network per month, and this is expected to rise once the full Express coach fleet and the Edinburgh Airport bound Jet 747’s are fitted too.

The company is currently going through the process of adding the Wi-Fi kits to the vehicles and expect the work to be complete by the end of December.

The Taylink 99 route, between St Andrews and Dundee also features free Wi-Fi, as well as a number of commuter routes in the Tayside area.

I wonder what the upgraded 747 buses will be like.

 

[Blindtraveler]

id guess new seat covers, repaint inside and out and flooring?

 

[mbonwick]

“By making these improvements to the Jet 747 vehicles, we’ll need to take them off the road for a while, so we’ve borrowed some new JET liveried vehicles to help fill in.”

Interesting....wonder if that's related to the new Versas Aberdeen are expecting? Perhaps they'll be diverted before entering service....

 

[Blindtraveler]

Take it Aberdeen are getting a new fleat for there Jet Branded service? I wonder how long, with it being so popular it will be till wifi becomes standard on all SC vehicles?

 

[overthewater]

What does Aberdeen have for the 727: Jet service?

 

[Stan Drews]

Interesting....wonder if that's related to the new Versas Aberdeen are expecting? Perhaps they'll be diverted before entering service....

According to reports elsewhere, it is indeed the 2 Optare Versas that were due for Aberdeen (25266/7), but apparently not required there for 2-3 months.

 

[Jamester]

There are two new (63 plate) vehicles currently stored at Aberhill with JET branding. I suppose these will be bound elsewhere once the current vehicles are refurbished.

 

[mbonwick]

Regs should be YD63 UYW/X I think, these are the Versas for Aberdeen that have been diverted to allow the existing JET fleet to be refurished.

 

[Jamester]

Regs should be YD63 UYW/X I think, these are the Versas for Aberdeen that have been diverted to allow the existing JET fleet to be refurished.

Ah right. That explains it. And there was me thinking they would be permanent in Fife. I guess Fife has had its fair share of new vehicles of late!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
There's a rumour that some of the double decker fleet in Fife may be changed in a bid to standardise vehicle types in each depot. This would see the existing fleet subject to inter-depot swaps. This could mean that Glenrothes will have all the 07 plate Volvos.

 

[overthewater]

The suggested changes to the North East fife bus network from next August.

http://www.fifedirect.org.uk/consul...&objectid=E63DF578-9BB2-1FBF-91EC24A06DF6E80F

But the biggest impact will be the lose of council funding for ALL Boxing Day and 2 January services.

It is hoped that some services may be reinstated and operated commercially (without subsidy) though this would be at the sole discretion of the bus companies. Loss of most bus services in Fife on Boxing Day and 2 January.

 

[robertclark125]

I think it's not as bad on a regular basis as what it could've been, the interesting part being the conversion of the daytime service on route 95 to commercial. The whole Sunday service on the 95 is already commercial. I'd have hoped a direct link to the community hospital would be retained.

 

[jamieintercity]

A few notes on the buses in the Dundee and Arbroath area over the past few days

19647 was on the 39 service, 19895 on the 31 college service with an unidentified 73 'tayway' branded E400 on the 32 college service all on Monday in Arbroath. All 3 on them were on the 73 route the next day.

16926 was on the 73 service on Monday vice these three I mentioned.

16658 was back allocated to Arbroath and was used on the 47 Montrose town service on Monday.

16932 was used on the 42 Dundee to tayport service on Tuesday.

An unidentified oly was sitting in Dundee bus station yesterday, unsure whether its was 16772 or an blairgowrie one.

And there is a lot of pyoneers and olys sitting in Arbroath's Elliot depot over the past few days unsure of how many they are?

Is 16930 SP03 GDK now a Arbroath bus?

 

[Kiewii]

A few notes on the buses in the Dundee and Arbroath area over the past few days

19647 was on the 39 service, 19895 on the 31 college service with an unidentified 73 'tayway' branded E400 on the 32 college service all on Monday in Arbroath. All 3 on them were on the 73 route the next day.

16926 was on the 73 service on Monday vice these three I mentioned.

16658 was back allocated to Arbroath and was used on the 47 Montrose town service on Monday.

16932 was used on the 42 Dundee to tayport service on Tuesday.

An unidentified oly was sitting in Dundee bus station yesterday, unsure whether its was 16772 or an blairgowrie one.

And there is a lot of pyoneers and olys sitting in Arbroath's Elliot depot over the past few days unsure of how many they are?

Is 16930 SP03 GDK now a Arbroath bus?

16232 was in Dundee yesterday and made it onto a school contract.

16930 is an Arbroath bus.

 

[Stan Drews]

A few notes on the buses in the Dundee and Arbroath area over the past few days

16658 was back allocated to Arbroath and was used on the 47 Montrose town service on Monday.

Hasn't it always been allocated to Arbroath, since it's transfer from Fife?

 

[jamieintercity]

Hasn't it always been allocated to Arbroath, since it's transfer from Fife?

I've heard that 16658 was used around the dundee area for a while before returning back to Arbroath.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

16232 was in Dundee yesterday and made it onto a school contract.

16930 is an Arbroath bus.

Thanks, what routes do 16931 and 16932 during most days in dundee?

 

[mbonwick]

Dundee schools and 73/A are the routes the B7s are booked on.

I can't help feeling most of your questions would be answered by looking at the fleetcard... http://mbonwick.cu.cc/SCNW/Fleetcards

 

[Kiewii]

16772 is allocated to the Harris contract, one B7TL works the 501 and another works on the 16, though will occasionally go onto other routes (like the 42 yesterday)

 

[Stan Drews]

16772 is allocated to the Harris contract, one B7TL works the 501 and another works on the 16, though will occasionally go onto other routes (like the 42 yesterday)

The third DD is a spare, so can/will appear on almost anything else, often covering a SD on maintenance etc.

 

[Jamester]

I think it's not as bad on a regular basis as what it could've been, the interesting part being the conversion of the daytime service on route 95 to commercial. The whole Sunday service on the 95 is already commercial. I'd have hoped a direct link to the community hospital would be retained.

The proposed changes to the 95 are an improvement (at least from a driver viewpoint). Buses should not have to reverse at Younger Gardens. Earlsferry is a constant problem, especially at peak tourist times and very few passengers actually use the service here. The reduced service at Pinkerton, Crail will annoy some. It's a fair walk from that area to the main street. It makes more sense that the service will be subsidised on evenings and Sundays. Although it can be a busy bus on a Sunday, I'm sure it must be commercially viable?

I'm surprised that all journeys on service 41 are staying. The evening journeys on these are ghost runs but it seems everything that goes to Victoria Hospital is sacred.

And imagine the public outcry in a year from now with the possibility (probability) of no service on Boxing Day or 2nd January! It is very unlikely that Stagecoach will provide a commercial service, and if they do, they won't pay drivers a premium rate. I can't see many willing to work these dates for normal rate of pay. Oh dear.