Stagecoach announces its largest ever bus order

[cainebj]

STAGECOACH BOOSTS UK ECONOMY WITH RECORD £100M ORDERS FOR NEW BUSES AND COACHES

03 Mar 2014

• Orders for regional bus operations top £545million in last seven years, plus £100million in London since 2010
• Communities in Scotland, England and Wales to benefit from latest orders
• £21million hybrid bus fleet for London and more gas buses for Sunderland
• Entire Oxford Tube fleet to be replaced, plus new coaches for megabus.com in UK and Europe
• More than 350 new vehicles to have wi-fi installed

Stagecoach Group today (Monday 3 March 2014) announced a major boost for British manufacturing as it unveiled record orders worth over £100million in hundreds of new buses and coaches.

Britain's biggest bus and coach operator has placed orders for almost 570 vehicles for the financial year 2014-15, benefitting communities in regions across England, Scotland and Wales. The investment in new greener vehicles also includes a £21million fleet of hybrid electric buses for London and new coaches for the company's expanding megabus.com budget travel service in the UK and Europe.

The vast majority of the new buses and coaches will be produced in the UK. The investment will support hundreds of British manufacturing jobs and smaller businesses in the supply chain who produce key components from drivers' seats and toilets to wheelchair lifts and destination displays*.

It is the largest set of orders ever placed by Stagecoach and is also understood to be the biggest placed by any bus operator in Britain. It takes Stagecoach Group's total orders of new buses and coaches for its regional bus operations in the UK to around £545million in last seven years. The Group has also ordered more than £100million of new vehicles for its London bus operations since buying the business in 2010.

In the next financial year, Stagecoach is investing more than £81million in 495 new vehicles to go into service in local communities outside London, across Scotland, England and Wales. In addition, a £21million fleet of 70 state-of-the-art hybrid buses will be introduced at the Group’s London operations.

All of the new vehicles will be fitted with CCTV while more than 350 will also have wi-fi installed, giving customers free internet access during their journeys.

The latest orders follow an annual competitive tendering process and the first of the new vehicles will be delivered from Spring 2014.

Highlights of the latest investment are:

• More than 420 low-floor double-decker, single-decker, midi and mini buses for Stagecoach regional bus networks in the UK. These include a fleet of 29 next-generation model double deck vehicles for Manchester services and 38 new Gold specification vehicles to go into service across the UK.
• A special consignment of 26 state-of-the-art double-deck coaches to replace the entire existing Oxford Tube fleet.
• 72 cleaner, greener hybrid vehicles to go into operation in London
• A further 23 eco-friendly gas buses for the company’s operations in Sunderland
• A total of 17 new coaches for megabus.com in the UK and Europe as well as inter-urban bus routes in the UK and a further three megabusGold.com sleepercoach vehicles.

All of the new vehicles meet Euro 5 or Euro 6 emissions standards.

Stagecoach is already the UK’s biggest investor in green hybrid electric buses, which produce up to 30% less carbon emissions than standard buses. The company has more than 270 hybrid electric buses already in service across the UK.

Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Martin Griffiths said: “This record investment is a major boost for UK jobs in manufacturing and many other smaller businesses in the supply chain.

"It is also a huge vote of confidence in the future of bus and coach travel in Britain. By investing in quality and continuing to offer the best value travel of any major operator in the UK, we can help people save money, rely less on their cars and use a greener way to access work, health, education and leisure."

Details of the new orders are as follows:

UK REGIONAL OPERATIONS
• 69 ADL Enviro 400 Scania double-deckers
• 86 ADL Enviro 300 single-deckers
• 28 ADL Enviro 300 Scania single-deckers
• 23 ADL Enviro 300 Scania GAS single-deckers
• 26 Astromega Euro 6 double deck coaches
• 3 Astromega Euro 5 double-deck coaches
• 6 Van Hool Altano TDX 21 left-hand drive coaches
• 199 ADL Enviro 200 Dart 4 midibuses
• 2 ADL Enviro 200 Dart 4 Euro 6 midibuses
• 29 ADL Enviro400 Euro 6 double-deckers
• 13 Optare Solo Cummins minibuses
• 8 Plaxton Elite i Volvo B11R Euro 6 coaches
• 3 Van Hool Astromega double-deck sleepercoach vehicles

LONDON

• 32 Wrightbus Gemini Volvo B5LH Euro 6 hybrid double-deckers
• 40 ADL Enviro 400 Trident Euro 6 hybrid double-deckers
• 1 ADL Enviro 400 Trident Conventional Euro 6

http://www.stagecoachgroup.co.uk/media/news-releases/2014/2014-03-03.aspx

 

[Robertj21a]

.
No wonder that Stagecoach is the Number One operator in the UK, some miles ahead of anyone else.

Robert

 

[Surreyman]

I am making the assumption that E20D numbers 37031 - 37078 are extra 'add-on' orders to the 2013 orders and are not included in the 199 + 2 listed here?
Ditto Optare Solos 47863-47876?

The orders listed here for London are confusing, recent info published by LOTS in the last 2 weeks indicates another 30 Volvo B5LH just ordered(in addition to the 32 already on order?
LOTS summarises Stagecoach Londons current orders as 62 Volvo B5LH/Wright (13001-13062) & 73 Enviro E40H (12261-12333) are the 40 E40H included in this total or additional? no mention of a solitary diesel E40D, can anyone clarify?

The coach order appears to be 100% Double-Deck/Inter-deck vehicles.

 

[mbonwick]

37031-78 were additional to the original 2013/4 order, mostly for Northampton. All have now been delivered.

47863-76 are Solos aquired with Norfolk Green.

I believe LOTS is correct that there are more B5LHs and E400s on order than the press release states. Originally there were to be 10 E40Ds for routes 262/372, but the plan appears to have changed now....

 

[Surreyman]

37031-78 were additional to the original 2013/4 order, for Northampton. All have now been delivered.

47863-76 are Solos aquired with Norfolk Green.

I believe LOTS is correct that there are more B5LHs and E400s on order than the press release states. Originally there were to be 10 E40Ds for routes 262/372, but the plan appears to have changed now....

Hate to nit-pick but 47863 at Merthryr Tydfil, 47864-47866 at Aldershot,
47867 -47873 at Aberhill, 47874 at Dover & 47875/76 at Aberdeen, these are the 14 'add-ons' to the 2013 orders.

 

[transmanche]

No wonder that Stagecoach is the Number One operator in the UK, some miles ahead of anyone else.

If you are the largest operator, then it stands to reason that you need to order more new buses per year than anyone else - even before you allow for any growth...

 

[starrymarkb]

Hate to nit-pick but 47863 at Merthryr Tydfil, 47864-47866 at Aldershot,
47867 -47873 at Aberhill, 47874 at Dover & 47875/76 at Aberdeen, these are the 14 'add-ons' to the 2013 orders.

And some of the E200s are with South West

 

[Robertj21a]

If you are the largest operator, then it stands to reason that you need to order more new buses per year than anyone else - even before you allow for any growth...

So is Stagecoach the UK bus operator with the largest fleet nowadays ? - I thought it was First Group (or have their lost networks cost them the top place?)

 

[Scania3379man]

Hi guys,

I wonder stagecoach manchester will get anything? I pressume they not give new bus to wigan only 540, 658 or 598 cos they are old bus lol. If u guys say no, I understand that.

Thank you,

Martyn

 

[Aictos]

Hopefully this will mean Stagecoach in Peterborough can finally cascade the single deckers elsewhere and have a all double decker fleet

Getting fed up of using buses that are full and standing because they can't be arsed to put buses with more capacity on these routes, oh sure they've supposed to run some routes on a 10 minute frequency but that was a disaster because you only need one bus running late to have a knock on effect on other routes :roll:

 

[Deerfold]

So is Stagecoach the UK bus operator with the largest fleet nowadays ? - I thought it was First Group (or have their lost networks cost them the top place?)

I'd expect selling First London probably put First out of the running in terms of bus numbers.

 

[Surreyman]

Hi guys,

I wonder stagecoach manchester will get anything? I pressume they not give new bus to wigan only 540, 658 or 598 cos they are old bus lol. If u guys say no, I understand that.

Thank you,

Martyn

Manchester are shown as due 29 E40D Euro 6.
I would hazard a guess that they might be in line for some replacements of the oldest MANs.

 

[mbonwick]

Hate to nit-pick but 47863 at Merthryr Tydfil, 47864-47866 at Aldershot,
47867 -47873 at Aberhill, 47874 at Dover & 47875/76 at Aberdeen, these are the 14 'add-ons' to the 2013 orders.

Indeed they are, my mistake - the perils of multitasking!

 

[Volvodart]

I'd expect selling First London probably put First out of the running in terms of bus numbers.

I think First have about 6,400 with Stagecoach over 8,000.

 

[Scania3379man]

Manchester are shown as due 29 E40D Euro 6.
I would hazard a guess that they might be in line for some replacements of the oldest MANs.

Ah, surreyman, There is no new bus for wigan, ok thank you, any idea what 29 euro 6 E40D for in manchester route?

thank you,

Martyn

 

[Surreyman]

Ah, surreyman, There is no new bus for wigan, ok thank you, any idea what 29 euro 6 E40D for in manchester route?

thank you,

Martyn

I don't get to go to Manchester very often theses days but I am sure someone on this forum has an idea, thats if he is allowed to say!
Manchester seems to get a regular annual influx of new vehicles each year, would imagine that 29 of the oldest Enviro 400s - '07 reg? will be cascaded out to other Stagecoach companies.
Rumour & I stress Rumour, has it that a start on replacing the Magicbus fleet might be made with ex London Tridents.

 

[KendalKing]

47863-76 are Solos aquired with Norfolk Green.

The Solo's acquire with Norfolk Green, are numbered 47881-47911.

 

[BestWestern]

Any particular reason that S'coach chooses to mount its E400s on a Scania chassis rather taking complete vehicles from AlexDennis - bearing in mind Suiter's interests in AD? Is this policy in place precisely because of that situation perhaps, in order to keep any unsavoury suggestions at bay, or is the Scania just a better product? Strange to see Stagecoach shunning Volvo after all these years (particularly having had experience of recent Scania offerings alongside [older] Volvo equivalents :-/ ).

 

[starrymarkb]

Any particular reason that S'coach chooses to mount its E400s on a Scania chassis rather taking complete vehicles from AlexDennis - bearing in mind Suiter's interests in AD? Is this policy in place precisely because of that situation perhaps, in order to keep any unsavoury suggestions at bay, or is the Scania just a better product? Strange to see Stagecoach shunning Volvo after all these years (particularly having had experience of recent Scania offerings alongside [older] Volvo equivalents :-/ ).

It was initially to do with Euro 4 and 5. There were two methods to get emissions with within the new limits. SCR or EGR.

SCR or Selective Catalytic Reduction was adopted by Volvo, Mercedes, Cummins (so Dennis and VDL by extension), DAF and Scania (V-Engines only). This requires AdBlue (Urea) to be injected into the Exhaust to neutralise the pollutants. This means the vehicles and depots have to have additional storage tanks. (Plus you have to buy AdBlue)

EGR or Exhaust Gas Re-circulation was adopted by MAN and Scania (Straight Engines) - it sends some of the exhaust back through the engine a second time to ensure the pollutants are fully burnt. No additives are needed. (Scania marketed it as "Just Add Diesel")

Stagecoach prefer EGR (though most depots now have AdBlue facilities.) It was why Optare added MAN engine options and ISTR that there were some experiments with MAN engined E400 Trident chassis. Though Stagecoach then switched to Scania as MAN's recent models proved unreliable.

 

[Rapidash]

Any of those E400's coming down to Devon? Some of the Trident 1's are getting a bit long in the tooth. Had one on the X46 loose all power on the A380 the other day! Driver said it'd been reported for faults for the last three weeks, but no major work done...

Mebbe we could have some more Golds? Plllleeeeaaaaassse?

 

[starrymarkb]

Probably New or some cascaded from Manchester. I suspect Exeter will also need new Solos for the E/F soon as the current batch are 10 years old now. The two 04 Trident batches will also be up for replacement soon.

 

[Surreyman]

It was initially to do with Euro 4 and 5. There were two methods to get emissions with within the new limits. SCR or EGR.

SCR or Selective Catalytic Reduction was adopted by Volvo, Mercedes, Cummins (so Dennis and VDL by extension), DAF and Scania (V-Engines only). This requires AdBlue (Urea) to be injected into the Exhaust to neutralise the pollutants. This means the vehicles and depots have to have additional storage tanks. (Plus you have to buy AdBlue)

EGR or Exhaust Gas Re-circulation was adopted by MAN and Scania (Straight Engines) - it sends some of the exhaust back through the engine a second time to ensure the pollutants are fully burnt. No additives are needed. (Scania marketed it as "Just Add Diesel")

Stagecoach prefer EGR (though most depots now have AdBlue facilities.) It was why Optare added MAN engine options and ISTR that there were some experiments with MAN engined E400 Trident chassis. Though Stagecoach then switched to Scania as MAN's recent models proved unreliable.

Agree with all your comments starrymarkb, Stagecoach seem to have developed an ordering history of mixing Scania and All-ADL vehicles for the last few years, presumably their must be an element of price 'trading' playing the 2 manufacturers off each other, again ref emissions, the E40Ds for Manchester are noted as Euro 6 spec, the Scanias I imagine are Euro 5, not sure if Scania has a 'market ready' Euro 6 'Decker? can anyone confirm?
I understand that all Euro 6 spec will require ad blue irrespective of SGR or EGR.
I imagine the orders this year are on the larger size in order to take advantage of still available (and cheaper) Euro 5 models.

 

[jp4712]

I think it's slightly disingenuous to describe this as the biggest order for buses ever placed in Britain - the National Bus Company used to order much more than this quantity every year. London Transport also ordered more than this from time to time, I believe the RT family was ordered in relatively few tranches (now THAT would be a Purchase Order form worth having a copy of!).

 

[Surreyman]

Cambridge were due 11 Scania/E300 from the 2013 orders but they were diverted to Torquay, are they still due as 'extra' orders or do they form part of the 2014 orders?

 

[mbonwick]

Was to have been 11 Scania E400s, and they were diverted to Torquay and Oxford.

They were not replaced on the 2013/4 order, and are expected to be somewhere on this year (2014/5) order.

 

[tbtc]

UK REGIONAL OPERATIONS
• 69 ADL Enviro 400 Scania double-deckers
• 86 ADL Enviro 300 single-deckers
• 28 ADL Enviro 300 Scania single-deckers
• 23 ADL Enviro 300 Scania GAS single-deckers
• 26 Astromega Euro 6 double deck coaches
• 3 Astromega Euro 5 double-deck coaches
• 6 Van Hool Altano TDX 21 left-hand drive coaches
• 199 ADL Enviro 200 Dart 4 midibuses
• 2 ADL Enviro 200 Dart 4 Euro 6 midibuses
• 29 ADL Enviro400 Euro 6 double-deckers
• 13 Optare Solo Cummins minibuses
• 8 Plaxton Elite i Volvo B11R Euro 6 coaches
• 3 Van Hool Astromega double-deck sleepercoach vehicles

LONDON

• 32 Wrightbus Gemini Volvo B5LH Euro 6 hybrid double-deckers
• 40 ADL Enviro 400 Trident Euro 6 hybrid double-deckers
• 1 ADL Enviro 400 Trident Conventional Euro 6

Excuse my ignorance, but does this mean no new "hybrid" double deckers outside London (presuming that the "69 ADL Enviro 400 Scania double-deckers" are common or garden diesel ones)?

 

[Blindtraveler]

Have to say, personally I much prefer the Scania inviro to the full ADL moddle. Hope highland get some of this to cascade a few vehicles to Aviemore as an upgrade badly needed here. That said, the remaining B10ms tackle the climb to Cairngorm better than anything else.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
and did same depot not lose its brand new e400 last year too?↲

 

[starrymarkb]

Excuse my ignorance, but does this mean no new "hybrid" double deckers outside London (presuming that the "69 ADL Enviro 400 Scania double-deckers" are common or garden diesel ones)?

Probably depends on when the next round of Green Bus funding is. I understand there is still a big difference between a Hybrid and Diesel in purchase cost.

Has anyone bought Hybrids without funding?

 

[AndrewP]

I think they specify ADL chassis for purely urban work and Scania for routes with longer runs in them.

 

[Blindtraveler]

makes sense, given that to me the Scania is a better product.