First Greater Glasgow

[JumpinTrainz]

Registrations mean nothing these days since the regional DVLA offices closed. Also what would be the point of route branding them of First were intending to move them at a later date?

I get that. It’s also not the first time buses have been intended for somewhere however, and are moved very shortly after introduction. Look at the ALX300s for Glasgow they moved to Aberdeen very soon after. Also many enviros were branded for Simplicity yet they left the fleet for Scotland East. Some are now even heading for Essex. I’m wondering whether they’ll be with us for a short period of time and are intended for somewhere down south at a later date.

As you said though sometimes registrations mean nothing just purely speculation.

 

[lastbus]

I get that. It’s also not the first time buses have been intended for somewhere however, and are moved very shortly after introduction. Look at the ALX300s for Glasgow they moved to Aberdeen very soon after. Also many enviros were branded for Simplicity yet they left the fleet for Scotland East. Some are now even heading for Essex. I’m wondering whether they’ll be with us for a short period of time and are intended for somewhere down south at a later date.

As you said though sometimes registrations mean nothing just purely speculation.

They were built in Scarborough hence the Registration

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

Yeah they were built in Scarborough, there's 3 branded 18s that were built in Falkirk and the rest down south, the first 3 branded 18s where part of the order for the 75s, I'm led to believe the 34s E200MMC are being built in Scarborough aswell and they are full size E200MMCs

 

[lastbus]

Yeah they were built in Scarborough, there's 3 branded 18s that were built in Falkirk and the rest down south, the first 3 branded 18s where part of the order for the 75s, I'm led to believe the 34s E200MMC are being built in Scarborough aswell and they are full size E200MMCs

Can confirm they are full size e200MMCs. Rumoured to be a launch next month for the 34

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

See in terms of the full size ones will it be the same engine as the ones on the 65 plates on the 240 or will it be the bigger engine like the one in the Airport buses

 

[lastbus]

See in terms of the full size ones will it be the same engine as the ones on the 65 plates on the 240 or will it be the bigger engine like the one in the Airport buses

Same as 240 airport bus only has bigger engine due to constant motorway work

 

[Gingerbus1991]

What size are Bluebird's in comparison to Glasgow's?

You can buy 10.3, 10.9 and 11.5m 400MMC buses, all new 400MMCs are 10.3m buses.

Midland bluebird verses First Glasgows have no difference in exterior length,

What size are Bluebird's in comparison to Glasgow's?

My apologies, I tend to reference Bluebird and Scotland East as the same entity.
You can see the difference in length, the tell tale sign be the different window sizes along the buses length.

Midland Bluebird/Stirling UL bus and Stagecoach Western have 10.9m ones.

FiG/FSE have the 10.3m variants.

Note the 6 individual windows on Westway Coaches 11.5m ones.


**PHOTOS ARE NOT MY OWN, BORROWED FOR ILLUSTRATION**

 

[Gla1]

Just back from a visit to Manchester and Glasgow should at least count itself lucky to be receiving these new buses as their fleets are looking shabby and tired now, I think some of the newest buses I see were 12 play enviro 400s. Stagecoach have them shown up well and good with multiple 16 or 17 plate enviros 400s.

 

[Strathclyder]

**PHOTOS ARE NOT MY OWN, BORROWED FOR ILLUSTRATION**

The image of the X85/X87-branded one is mine. Ta for the plug lol

 

[christopherrfc]

is there more changes for January 2019 as ive seen this on vosa

• PM0000006/413 Cancelled
  FIRST GLASGOW (NO2) LTD
  
  Route: Glasgow Road, Blantyre to Minch Way, Petersburn via Calderbank or Chapelhall
  
  Service number: 851
  
  Service type: Normal Stopping
  
  Effective date: 12 Jan 2019
  
  
• PM0000006/371 Cancelled
  FIRST GLASGOW (NO2) LTD
  
  Route: Blantyre to Hamilton via Burnbank
  
  Service number: 813
  
  Service type: Normal Stopping
  
  Effective date: 12 Jan 2019
  

 

[Jordan Adam]

Same as 240 airport bus only has bigger engine due to constant motorway work

Not to forget that they also have Air-Con fitted!

 

[route101]

Not to forget that they also have Air-Con fitted!

Interesting to see where these will go if deckers are coming to the 500!

 

[JumpinTrainz]

Interesting to see where these will go if deckers are coming to the 500!

Given their age I’d like to hope they wouldn’t be cascaded elsewhere from Glasgow. They could be used on the 77 which also goes to the airport but it would be rather random to have the standard E300s then the top spec E200MMCs. Seems silly to have introduced more singles on the route when very shortly down the line they’ve already planned for deckers. Couldn’t they have ordered deckers in the first place in 2016?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Given their age I’d like to hope they wouldn’t be cascaded elsewhere from Glasgow. They could be used on the 77 which also goes to the airport but it would be rather random to have the standard E300s then the top spec E200MMCs. Seems silly to have introduced more singles on the route when very shortly down the line they’ve already planned for deckers. Couldn’t they have ordered deckers in the first place in 2016?

Perhaps it indicates that the Airport service is growing in popularity, outstripping expectations in volume growth and that, if not getting close to capacity, it soon will. After all, the Airport had 8.7m passengers in 2015 and by 2017, it was handling 9.9m. That's pretty big growth!

 

[Jordan Adam]

Perhaps it indicates that the Airport service is growing in popularity, outstripping expectations in volume growth and that, if not getting close to capacity, it soon will. After all, the Airport had 8.7m passengers in 2015 and by 2017, it was handling 9.9m. That's pretty big growth!

I think you're spot on here.

Aberdeen has had a similar situation to some extent. The Stagecoach North Scotland JET727 was started in 2010 with 3 E300s on a 30 minute frequency, these were replaced by 3 Versa's towards the end of the same year. Less than 4 years later in Spring 2014 the PVR had increased to 7 with additional Versa's being bought (12 plate, 13 plate and two 63 plates). Then by 2016 it was converted to decker operation with 8 Enviro400s, since then two further E400s have joined the fleet and the route is still seeing growth. I believe the Jet727 is actually the fastest growing bus route in Scotland, It also won "Best Bus Service" in both 2011 and 2017. In short in just 5 years it went from Every 30 Minutes with 30 seater Versa to Every 10 Minutes with deckers and is still growing, with the new exhibition centre opening in the next year or so and further expansion to the business park there i wouldn't be shocked if it gets further enhancements in frequency in the not to distance future. To say it's been a success is a understatement!

I've went very off topic here, but it's got me thinking quite a bit - so i may post in the Stagecoach NScot thread! First Glasgow are clearly having a similar sort of growth with the 500. So the move to decker operation this soon makes sense, there's no point waiting till the E200s have reached a certain age before replacing them when the growth and demand is there for decker conversion.

As for where the E200s will go, with my limited knowledge of the Glasgow network i would have suggested the 77. But perhaps they could remove the luggage racks and transfer to FSE for the 38 in the hope of growing the route. Alternatively they could move to Aberdeen and operate on the rumoured Service 4 to Portlethen which would go directly up against Stagecoach.

 

[smtglasgow]

Not uncommon to see very full 500’s (presumably no standing allowed on M8), so extra capacity is good. I’d expect the current buses to move elsewhere. Glasgow routes like the 77 are too busy for these high-spec buses – if anything, the 77 needs double deckers too. I’m sure there are other parts of the Empire that would kill for some nearly new E200s.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Not uncommon to see very full 500’s (presumably no standing allowed on M8), so extra capacity is good. I’d expect the current buses to move elsewhere. Glasgow routes like the 77 are too busy for these high-spec buses – if anything, the 77 needs double deckers too. I’m sure there are other parts of the Empire that would kill for some nearly new E200s.

Buses Of Somerset...

 

[smtglasgow]

Thinking about it, Glasgow *might* take the hit for reseating them/taking out the luggage racks – they need all the Euro 6 buses they can get. But if there was a route elsewhere that could take them as they are, that might make more sense.

 

[Realistic_Spy]

The SN16 and SN67 E200MMCs for the 500 coukd be getting used on the 34 if there is hinting to be a low amount of MMCs ordered.

This might be untrue but I think this might happen...

 

[route101]

Buses Of Somerset...

Hopefully they stay . The 10 plate E300s were a bit non standard.

Glasgow airport has lost a few routes so will be interesting to see what happens with the airport buses . The issue i have found is when a number of flights arrive at the same time .

 

[route101]

Not uncommon to see very full 500’s (presumably no standing allowed on M8), so extra capacity is good. I’d expect the current buses to move elsewhere. Glasgow routes like the 77 are too busy for these high-spec buses – if anything, the 77 needs double deckers too. I’m sure there are other parts of the Empire that would kill for some nearly new E200s.

Been on a few 500s with standees on the M8.

 

[Milkboy]

EK punters using the 21 still seem to be stuck with the tired old 51-plate Tridents on most journeys this week, while looking enviously at the new gear on the 18. Any more details on the planned transfers out of/within FiG as a result of the new double-decks?

The ex Yorkshire 53-plate Geminis may be (more than) a bit weary, but from the point of view of passengers on the 21, they're still a joy to behold whenever they show up instead of a Trident...

 

[KGGXXXY]

Another First bus crash
https://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/17262168.bus-crashes-into-garden-of-clydebank-house/

The First Bus reportedly crashed through a brick wall and into the front garden of a property on Farm Road just before the intersection of Craigielea Road, our sister title the Clydebank Post reports.

Duncan Cameron, Operations Director for First Glasgow said: "I can confirm that a vehicle on service 81 was involved in a collision on Farm Road in Duntocher earlier today. No injuries were sustained and an investigation is underway to determine the root cause of the incident.”

 

[JumpinTrainz]

EK punters using the 21 still seem to be stuck with the tired old 51-plate Tridents on most journeys this week, while looking enviously at the new gear on the 18. Any more details on the planned transfers out of/within FiG as a result of the new double-decks?

The ex Yorkshire 53-plate Geminis may be (more than) a bit weary, but from the point of view of passengers on the 21, they're still a joy to behold whenever they show up instead of a Trident...

The 53 plate Gemini’s have started being repainted into the new First livery while the 53 plate ALX400s have been repainted into Olympia so not 100% sure what that means if not nothing at all.

I still see a lot of Tridents out and about on main stream services so it doesn’t look like much has changed fleet wise. Although that could mean more B9TLs have been sent for refurbishment or more B10BLEs have been withdrawn.

 

[Stan Drews]

Been on a few 500s with standees on the M8.

Assuming the buses are certified with standing capacity, then no reason why not. The type of road is completely irrelevant.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Assuming the buses are certified with standing capacity, then no reason why not. The type of road is completely irrelevant.

I'd need to check up on it, but from memory you're not allowed standees on a motorway, regardless of bus type.

I see from that post that Duncan Cameron is now operations director of First Glasgow, i wasn't aware he was back in First Group. Hopefully he's here to stay, that guy work wonders at First Aberdeen!

 

[Stan Drews]

I'd need to check up on it, but from memory you're not allowed standees on a motorway, regardless of bus type.

It’s an urban myth, ...which seems to crop up on this forum every few months!!

 

[lastbus]

I'd need to check up on it, but from memory you're not allowed standees on a motorway, regardless of bus type.

I see from that post that Duncan Cameron is now operations director of First Glasgow, i wasn't aware he was back in First Group. Hopefully he's here to stay, that guy work wonders at First Aberdeen!

Standees are allowed on the motorway unless it’s a coach

 

[Jordan Adam]

It’s an urban myth, ...which seems to crop up on this forum every few months!!

Standees are allowed on the motorway unless it’s a coach

Thanks for clarifying, as i say, i wasn't 100% sure!

 

[route101]

The 53 plate Gemini’s have started being repainted into the new First livery while the 53 plate ALX400s have been repainted into Olympia so not 100% sure what that means if not nothing at all.

I still see a lot of Tridents out and about on main stream services so it doesn’t look like much has changed fleet wise. Although that could mean more B9TLs have been sent for refurbishment or more B10BLEs have been withdrawn.

ALX 400s have always been in that livery since coming to Glasgow , one of first buses to get it in Glasgow .

57 , 60 and 38 are mainline services where tridents are on . Have been that way for around 11 years .

Wonder if the 38 would get new buses ? That route is busy.