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Stagecoach West Scotland

route101

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It would be nice to see the X19 receive some newer stock. The current E300s have been on the route since 2015 to coincide with the QEUH opening. Of course they’re not old but I wonder if they’re planning any electric buses on this route. The E300s also haven’t been painted yet I wonder if there are any plans.
I was thinking this the other day. Must be coming up for renewal. Do you think Stagecoach will try any other routes in Glasgow?
 
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Volvodart

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Do Stagecoach make a lot of money from the X19? Before these, it was a route that received hand me downs.
 

GaryMcEwan

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The X19 does quite well from Easterhouse to the City Centre due to going along the M8 motorway. I've seen it also quite busy from the City Centre to Govan as it cuts out Tradeston, goes along the Broomielaw and over the Squinty Bridge.

Plus, they are a hell of a lot cheaper than McGill's.

I think Stagecoach taking on other routes would pan out quite badly for them. A few years ago they had the SPT Evening 46 from Castlemilk to Queenslie but didn't have it for very long at all. Read into that what you will.
 

JumpinTrainz

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Do Stagecoach make a lot of money from the X19? Before these, it was a route that received hand me downs.
I’m not really sure. It used to be a Magic Bus route but it was the only one kept after the 175 and 162 were withdrawn.

It’s seems to be a busy route but I don’t know the exact numbers. The E300s were ordered new in 2015 at the same time it was extended out to the QEUH. There’s been deckers on the route a lot too since then.

The X19 does quite well from Easterhouse to the City Centre due to going along the M8 motorway. I've seen it also quite busy from the City Centre to Govan as it cuts out Tradeston, goes along the Broomielaw and over the Squinty Bridge.

Plus, they are a hell of a lot cheaper than McGill's.

I think Stagecoach taking on other routes would pan out quite badly for them. A few years ago they had the SPT Evening 46 from Castlemilk to Queenslie but didn't have it for very long at all. Read into that what you will.
They also operated a service for a time on a Sunday. I can’t remember what route it actually was but it went through Swinton and used ALX300s. It too died a death very quickly.
 

PaulMc7

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They also had the G1 and G2 that operated from Ruchill and Maryhill to the QEUH but those didn't last too long either. Had it not been for the pandemic they'd maybe have tried something but now I really don't see it happening.
 

Jordan Adam

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The E300s on the X19 are part of the one off batch that were built to Euro 6 standards so i doubt there's much need to replace them yet as they already complied to LEZ from new.
 

route101

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They also had the G1 and G2 that operated from Ruchill and Maryhill to the QEUH but those didn't last too long either. Had it not been for the pandemic they'd maybe have tried something but now I really don't see it happening.

They were to serve student housing too. Only other Stagecoach route was a the 4A which was a spur off the 4 in Newton Mearns.
 

Robbie01

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It would be nice to see the X19 receive some newer stock. The current E300s have been on the route since 2015 to coincide with the QEUH opening. Of course they’re not old but I wonder if they’re planning any electric buses on this route. The E300s also haven’t been painted yet I wonder if there are any plans.
They will get repainted in due course. I believe the only repainting area is Kilmarnock so it will take a while to get all repaints done for all depots.

The E300s on the X19 are part of the one off batch that were built to Euro 6 standards so i doubt there's much need to replace them yet as they already complied to LEZ from new.
That's what I thought. There's certainly nothing in the near future to indicate replacement. The electric buses coming to Stagecoach are for Kilmarnock. And their current E200MMC are transferring to Ayr.
 
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Surreyman

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They will get repainted in due course. I believe the only repainting area is Kilmarnock so it will take a while to get all repaints done for all depots.


That's what I thought. There's certainly nothing in the near future to indicate replacement. The electric buses coming to Stagecoach are for Kilmarnock. And their current E200MMC are transferring to Ayr.
Presumably older E200 will be cascading from Ayr to other Stagecoach 'Op Co's?
 

Scotrail314209

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Back in Dumfries again and relatively glad I didn’t choose the 13:00 101A to Edinburgh. I just seen a Solo trundle past on it! I’d imagine that would be a rather unpleasant 3 hour journey
 

ClydeCoaster

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I see the Volvo 7900e are at Volvo. 29301-306 (SJ21NFD/E/F/G/H/K). Is that all that's due of this type here?
 

route101

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Back in Dumfries again and relatively glad I didn’t choose the 13:00 101A to Edinburgh. I just seen a Solo trundle past on it! I’d imagine that would be a rather unpleasant 3 hour journey
An E300 is not much better to be fair. 101A does that go a different route? Wanted to do the 102 via Thornhill but its like one bus a day.
 
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Back in Dumfries again and relatively glad I didn’t choose the 13:00 101A to Edinburgh. I just seen a Solo trundle past on it! I’d imagine that would be a rather unpleasant 3 hour journey
I took the 1630 from Dumfries and the Solo passed me going south again! (Can't remember where though, think it was north of Abington.)
What sort of stuff is wrong with a Solo? I've never been on one.
I was on one of Borders' Optares for rather a long time earlier today and it didn't seem to have much/anything wrong with it.
Scania E300's are really not ideal for very long journeys, West Scotland is not great at putting the most comfortable buses on their longest routes.
Today was my first time on one of those E300 Scanias and they immediately struck me as being horrendously underpowered for a route like the 101, with lots of high speed running and lots of hills. Do they have less power or weigh more than a standard E300 or a MAN E300?
The one I was on was also absolutely freezing cold, but that's probably to do with the fact they insist on leaving the windows open.
The seats are certainly better on the Scania ones, partly the design and partly the improved leg room over a standard E200/300! Could certainly do with having USBs though.
 
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Scotrail314209

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I took the 1630 from Dumfries and the Solo passed me going south again! (Can't remember where though, think it was north of Abington.)
What sort of stuff is wrong with a Solo? I've never been on one.
I was on one of Borders' Optares for rather a long time earlier today and it didn't seem to have much/anything wrong with it.

Today was my first time on one of those E300 Scanias and they immediately striked me as being horrendously underpowered for a route like the 101, with lots of high speed running and lots of hills. Do they have less power or weigh more than a standard E300 or a MAN E300?
The one I was on was also absolutely freezing cold, but that's probably to do with the fact they insist on leaving the windows open.
The seats are certainly better on the Scania ones, partly the design and partly the improved leg room over a standard E200/300! Could certainly do with having USBs though.

It’s because Solos are crammed and very very slow. They are only really acceptable for short commuter work, not 3 hour long services!

The Scania E300 I had (28666) coped really good on the 101A and actually was quite fast.

I agree on the seating. The 101A is a weird route as it interworks with the 101, which is a commuter service from Biggar to Edinburgh, so it doesn’t really warrant a flashy coach
 

Jordan Adam

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Today was my first time on one of those E300 Scanias and they immediately struck me as being horrendously underpowered for a route like the 101, with lots of high speed running and lots of hills. Do they have less power or weigh more than a standard E300 or a MAN E300?
The one I was on was also absolutely freezing cold, but that's probably to do with the fact they insist on leaving the windows open.
The seats are certainly better on the Scania ones, partly the design and partly the improved leg room over a standard E200/300! Could certainly do with having USBs though.
The Scanias are heavier yet less powerful, they're honestly just pathetically hopeless buses imo. A standard E300 has a 6 cylinder engine putting out 250BHP, the Scanias are 5 cylinder putting out 230BHP. I find the interior layout at the rear of the Scanias very poor too, the rear most row of seats almost feel like you're sitting on the roof!
 

Blindtraveler

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Nowhere near enough to a Pacer :(
The issue with all these services is that they're being run on a shoestring and with a high level of subsidy and will never be profitable so never wasn't the best in the fleet vehicles. The borders to Edinburgh section is perhaps a little more financially solvent but it would certainly make sense to grab some midlife b9 coaches from somewhere and use them on the full route services
 

Scotrail314209

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The issue with all these services is that they're being run on a shoestring and with a high level of subsidy and will never be profitable so never wasn't the best in the fleet vehicles. The borders to Edinburgh section is perhaps a little more financially solvent but it would certainly make sense to grab some midlife b9 coaches from somewhere and use them on the full route services
Oh 100%. The 101A starts getting busier after Biggar when heading towards Edinburgh. It also gets slightly busier in Moffat with people going into Dumfries.
The Scanias are heavier yet less powerful, they're honestly just pathetically hopeless buses imo. A standard E300 has a 6 cylinder engine putting out 250BHP, the Scanias are 5 cylinder putting out 230BHP. I find the interior layout at the rear of the Scanias very poor too, the rear most row of seats almost feel like you're sitting on the roof!
Same, I'm not a huge fan of sitting at the back of the Scanias. It's also unbearably warm back there.
 

route101

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I think there was some issues with coaches on this route from what was posted earlier. The Plaxton coaches that Stagecoach Fife have could be used on this route. They are half low floor half high floor.
 

cnjb8

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I think there was some issues with coaches on this route from what was posted earlier. The Plaxton coaches that Stagecoach Fife have could be used on this route. They are half low floor half high floor.
Plaxton Panther LE? They are tri axle and I think they are 15m long
 

Robbie01

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Presumably older E200 will be cascading from Ayr to other Stagecoach 'Op Co's?
At this moment I'm not sure if it's the E200 or E300 being replaced. With the size of the MMC I'd say it's the E200 being replaced but will be better on the longer runs thus replacing the E300. Will wait and see really.
 
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gnolife

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The Scanias are heavier yet less powerful, they're honestly just pathetically hopeless buses imo. A standard E300 has a 6 cylinder engine putting out 250BHP, the Scanias are 5 cylinder putting out 230BHP. I find the interior layout at the rear of the Scanias very poor too, the rear most row of seats almost feel like you're sitting on the roof!
I see what you mean about pathetic - I'm on one heading out of Newton Stewart for Stranraer and I've known snails go faster
 
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I'm doing a round trip Glasgow - Dumfries - Stranraer - Ayr - Glasgow
I've been trying to plan that, but I can't seem to find an itinerary which doesn't take absolutely all day to complete (e.g. I'd like to finish before 8 or 9pm!!). I'm also trying to plan to use the second part of a return ticket on the 900, which probably doesn't help the timings.
I thought the 500 would have been a coach, thinking about the length of the route?
 

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