Stagecoach Group (Group-wide matters)

[Scotrail88]

https://twitter.com/mcvuk/status/1580801335594999808?s=46&t=JgbKvsbGptD2CdDaDP0zWA

Maybe these??

 

[Jordan Adam]

Highland are undergoing a fleet replacement program which will see 70-100% of the fleet at most depots replaced as and when the council tenders come up for renewal. It started with Orkney last year and Skye receiving its new vehicles now. The new buses are mostly Evoras but there's likely to be a small number of Solos, deckers and coaches.

The new EVs for Inverness are Yutong.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Bit of a departure for Stagecoach ordering yutong? Not that I'm complaining mind, I far prefer their product to anything that ADL can throw together with a bit of glue and a lot of good luck at 5 a.m. on a Friday

 

[computerSaysNo]

Highland are undergoing a fleet replacement program which will see 70-100% of the fleet at most depots replaced as and when the council tenders come up for renewal. It started with Orkney last year and Skye receiving its new vehicles now. The new buses are mostly Evoras but there's likely to be a small number of Solos, deckers and coaches.

The new EVs for Inverness are Yutong.

Did Stagecoach choose the Evoras on its own? I thought Orkney council insisted on/part funded the Evoras and that if that hadn't been there Stagecoach would just have bought their standard E200MMCs?

 

[Volvodart]

Stagecoach would have tendered with the proposal to acquire them. The council involvement was increasing the amounts they paid Stagecoach to run the services.

 

[Busoccultation]

I am not aware of an 'official' order for 2022, - Zero Emission Bus orders confirmed for the 4 Scottish companies, 25 for Highland, 20 for Bluebird, 32 for East Scotland & 39 for Western, the 25 for Highland are apparently 10m 'midibuses' make/model of the others not specified unless anyone knows otherwise.
30 Volvo D/d ZEBs confirmed for Cambridge, Manchester are due @ 170 ZEBs for Stockport - details not known, Oxford due 55 ZEB - details not known, most of these ZEBs will not be delivered until 2023 earliest, some later.
I make the total @371 but some may not arrive until 2024, so thats potentially 371 older vehicle replaced, mostly by cascade.
I am not aware of anything else due but happy to be corrected/updated!

If we include London, then they have 12 9.4m Metrocitys that were ordered by Tower Transit due for the 339 route in early-mid 2023 and also about 8 or so small electrics around the 8.9m length (The exact number and type are yet to be confirmed) for the W5 route as part of their acquisition of the HCT Group.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Did Stagecoach choose the Evoras on its own? I thought Orkney council insisted on/part funded the Evoras and that if that hadn't been there Stagecoach would just have bought their standard E200MMCs?

Yes, the vehicles were fully paid for by Stagecoach, as Volvodart says part of Stagecoachs bid for the new tenders includes fleet renewal.

Part of the reason for going with Evoras was due to capacity requirements, the 21xxx Evoras at Highlands are longer 12.8M models with 47 seats in standard configuration however there is tracking in the wheelchair bay where two additional seats can be added increasing seat capacity to 49. This allows them to be used on the school contracts which had previously been operated by coaches. A number of them are kept in 49 seat configuration and as such don't get used on service work.

 

[Surreyman]

If we include London, then they have 12 9.4m Metrocitys that were ordered by Tower Transit due for the 339 route in early-mid 2023 and also about 8 or so small electrics around the 8.9m length (The exact number and type are yet to be confirmed) for the W5 route as part of their acquisition of the HCT Group.

Was aware of the 339 (ex T.T) was not aware of (Electric) plans for W5 - due you have a source?

 

[LUYMun]

The latest swap-around in the South territory will see most of the Darts and older (04, 54 reg) Tridents placed into reserve (and likely withdrawal afterwards) from Aldershot, and E300s replacing them.

 

[Busoccultation]

Was aware of the 339 (ex T.T) was not aware of (Electric) plans for W5 - due you have a source?

https://tfl.gov.uk/forms/13796.aspx?btID=1967 - Comes under the notes section as specified with new electrics bearing in mind that it mentions HCT Group as the successful tender as the tender announcement for the W5 was long before HCT in London was sold to Stagecoach.

 

[EnviroExplorer]

The latest swap-around in the South territory will see most of the Darts and older (04, 54 reg) Tridents placed into reserve (and likely withdrawal afterwards) from Aldershot, and E300s replacing them.

Where are said E300s likely to be coming from ? I’m assuming it’s somewhere that has surplus examples due to recent service cuts

 

[Surreyman]

https://tfl.gov.uk/forms/13796.aspx?btID=1967 - Comes under the notes section as specified with new electrics bearing in mind that it mentions HCT Group as the successful tender as the tender announcement for the W5 was long before HCT in London was sold to Stagecoach.

Thanks, I missed this, I note the W5 currently uses Solos(8.8m) and is somewhat 'out of area' - will be interesting to see what make/model the new electrics will be, also whether will operate from Ash Grove or possibly Lea Interchange?

 

[Devon Sunset]

https://twitter.com/mcvuk/status/1580801335594999808?s=46&t=JgbKvsbGptD2CdDaDP0zWA

Maybe these??

Saw 2 of these northbound on the M6 just passed Carlisle on Friday.

 

[aswilliamsuk]

Anyone know what the Stagecoach order is for this year. I have seen a few Mcv Evoras heading north on the M6. I saw 2 on Monday near Stafford. Today I saw another 2 by Coventry heading north all in Stagecoach colours

There are a small number of Volvo B8RLE/MCV being delivered to Stagecoach Highlands. So far 21391-93 and 39506-08 (so three long, three shorter models) have entered service on Skye (as part of a larger fleet replacement following tender wins). Believe there are at least twelve coming - whether that includes the additional two reported to be due for Orkney I don't know.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Sunderland bus strike: Stagecoach blocks free travel passes for families

Drivers say Stagecoach is "vindictive" after suspending free travel for their partners and children.

www.bbc.co.uk

What's your take on this?

It'd be about right for Busways management.

But it is not unusual for companies to withdraw perks during an industrial dispute. Although more sensible management tend to use it as a threat rather than anything more, as pouring petrol on a fire is rarely a successful negotiating tactic.

 

[aswilliamsuk]

Thanks, I missed this, I note the W5 currently uses Solos(8.8m) and is somewhat 'out of area' - will be interesting to see what make/model the new electrics will be, also whether will operate from Ash Grove or possibly Lea Interchange?

The W5 was my local route (I lived just off Oakfield Road in N4) for twelve years until I moved to the Kent Coast. The current Solos have been showing their age for a while, and it will indeed be interesting to see what vehicles are specified. The roads over the top of Crouch Hill in particular are rather narrow, with some tight corners, hence why narrow Solos were specified in the first place, although the shortest E200 classics/E200 MMCs in the erstwhile CT Plus fleet have regularly been used too - I can't imagine a BYD/ADL will fit at all in any length, so options may well be limited to Switch or Mellor, I'd think!

 

[Volvodart]

Stagecoach passengers set to benefit from UK's largest bus order during 2022

https://www.stagecoachgroup.com/media/news-releases/2022/2022-11-10.aspx

STAGECOACH PASSENGERS SET TO BENEFIT FROM UK'S LARGEST BUS ORDER DURING 2022
10 Nov 2022

Stagecoach passengers are set to benefit from a multi-million pound investment in 200 new low-emission double decker buses, which will be introduced across the country during 2023. It represents the largest single order placed in the UK bus industry this year.

Passengers in towns and cities across the UK will see the new buses start to be delivered from March 2023. The 200 buses will be introduced in areas as far south as Torquay, to up as far as Newcastle in the north east.

The new buses will be manufactured in the UK by Alexander Dennis. They feature Euro VI engines, which are significantly cleaner engines, helping to cut carbon emissions. This investment means that Stagecoach will remove older buses from its fleet, benefitting local air quality.

Stagecoach is continuing to cut carbon emissions as part of its sustainability strategy, with the target of a zero emissions UK bus fleet by 2035. During 2021-2022, through modal shift, Stagecoach bus services helped to avoid over 19,000 tonnes of CO2. The 200 new double decker buses will help reduce a further 3,500 of carbon tonnes per year.

In Scotland, Stagecoach has also announced that it will be introducing the UK’s first all-electric city bus networks in Inverness and Perth, with a fleet of 38 new e-buses helping to drive cleaner air in these two major cities.

Sam Greer, Regional Director for Stagecoach, said: “We are proud of the continued investment we are making to our fleet with the largest single order for new buses in the UK this year. This really shows our commitment to the future prosperity of our communities and to our people who can all benefit from cleaner transport and a growing bus sector.

“These new double decker buses will complement the investment we are already making with our electric buses to modernise our fleet in some of Britain’s major towns and cities, enabling reduced pollution and meaning customers will see more comfortable, quieter and newer vehicles on their everyday journeys.

“We look forward to working with ADL to get our new buses into service starting early next year.”

Paul Davies, Alexander Dennis President & Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to continue to support Stagecoach in making buses across the UK cleaner and greener. Our low-emission Enviro400 is a tried and tested product that combines efficiency with high passenger capacity. Robust and easy to maintain, the 200 new buses will integrate seamlessly into Stagecoach’s fleet.

“After the challenges both operators and manufacturers in the UK bus industry have faced in the last years, it is a heartening step on the road to recovery to see significant volumes of vehicles being ordered again by the country’s largest bus operator, Stagecoach.”

The 200 new low-emission Enviro400 double decker buses will replace older buses in the Stagecoach fleet and will be introduced in: Oxford, Manchester, Yorkshire, Preston, Northampton, Mansfield, Portsmouth, Chichester, Winchester, Torquay, Folkestone and Newcastle.

ENDS

 

[Blindtraveler]

Definitely a positive step. Nothing new for Cumbria i c and I should imagine they are crying out for something a bit more modern after a number of years of limited investment.v

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

Stagecoach passengers set to benefit from UK's largest bus order during 2022

https://www.stagecoachgroup.com/media/news-releases/2022/2022-11-10.aspx

I'd imagine all the Scania E400's and E400 Hybrids at Oxford (I live a short bus ride from there) will be displaced!

 

[Blindtraveler]

The Scanias should still have a fair bit of life in them I guess?

 

[Surreyman]

I'd imagine all the Scania E400's and E400 Hybrids at Oxford (I live a short bus ride from there) will be displaced!

Interesting given that there's approximately 55 Electric buses supposedly to be ordered for Oxford some time soon?

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

Interesting given that there's approximately 55 Electric buses supposedly to be ordered for Oxford some time soon?

Maybe the E400MMC's will be for routes requiring speeds of around 50mph.

 

[tbtc]

Yorkshire

Cheers

Wasn’t expecting that; things are so tight around here that we’ve been taking cascaded stock from low budget MagicBus and repainting it in main fleet livery, which feels like the equivalent of rummaging through half price bins of Poundland stock because you can’t afford full price in there!

But they’ve taken on additional chunks of work around Rotherham/ Sheffield where Powells/ First no longer run, so maybe that’s helped the case that Yorkshire deserves to do better than be a dumping ground for MagicBus cast offs?

 

[Snow1964]

Interesting given that there's approximately 55 Electric buses supposedly to be ordered for Oxford some time soon?

Perhaps they don’t want electrics for some services to Banbury, Bicester, Witney, etc.

But will clearly make a big dent in the remaining Trident ALX400 fleet that are scattered around the country (these are all at least 16 years old already)

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

Perhaps they don’t want electrics for some services to Banbury, Bicester, Witney, etc.

But will clearly make a big dent in the remaining Trident ALX400 fleet that are scattered around the country (these are all at least 16 years old already)

Not just that - if all the Gold Scania E400's and early Hybrid E400's at Oxford get displaced then it means cleaner engines and improved comfort for passengers (like the ex-Witney Scanias at Liverpool) .

 

[Surreyman]

As it appears that all of Manchesters Cummins engined E400 fleet has now been upgraded to Euro 6, might Manchesters new allocation be to displace the 20 MAN engined examples which have not been upgraded?

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

As it appears that all of Manchesters Cummins engined E400 fleet has now been upgraded to Euro 6, might Manchesters new allocation be to displace the 20 MAN engined examples which have not been upgraded?

How come Manchester nearly always gets new buses but some areas get left out?

 

[Megafuss]

How come Manchester nearly always gets new buses but some areas get left out?

Because they can pay them back quickly?

 

[JD2168]

Cheers

Wasn’t expecting that; things are so tight around here that we’ve been taking cascaded stock from low budget MagicBus and repainting it in main fleet livery, which feels like the equivalent of rummaging through half price bins of Poundland stock because you can’t afford full price in there!

But they’ve taken on additional chunks of work around Rotherham/ Sheffield where Powells/ First no longer run, so maybe that’s helped the case that Yorkshire deserves to do better than be a dumping ground for MagicBus cast offs?

Sheffield needs newer stock with the Clean Air Zone starting early in 2022 so needs Euro 6 minimum.

 

[LOL The Irony]

I believe that Sheffield are getting the first MMCs Manchester got.