Stagecoach Group (Group-wide matters)

Mwanesh · 18 Apr 2019

Rumour has it that Stagecoach South East are starting an Express route from Canterbury to North Greenwich .Thats why the Elites have gone to Herne Bay for storage .We will only know more in due course.Will keep updated when more info comes in handy.

RailUK Forums

Mitchell Hurd · 18 Apr 2019

Well. That must be a record for Megabus.com in the UK - the 13:25 from Cardiff to Newcastle is running 210 minutes late. Ouch! Technical fault though. At least its not as bad as trains though in recent times.

Mitchell Hurd · 18 Apr 2019

Mitchell Hurd said:
Well. That must be a record for Megabus.com in the UK - the 13:25 from Cardiff to Newcastle is running 210 minutes late. Ouch! Technical fault though. At least its not as bad as trains though in recent times.

Thankfully I wasn't on this coach today.

GaryMcEwan · 18 Apr 2019

Perth had quite a few ex Hong Kong Citybus' were converted for Megabus duties frequently appearing on normal service routes. You would always be guaranteed that one would appear on the 15 Perth - Comrie in the afternoon.

GusB · 18 Apr 2019

GaryMcEwan said:
Perth had quite a few ex Hong Kong Citybus' were converted for Megabus duties frequently appearing on normal service routes. You would always be guaranteed that one would appear on the 15 Perth - Comrie in the afternoon.

I'd rather forget those ex-Hong Kong Olympians. I had a bit of a hair-raising journey heading to Glasgow for Hogmanay one year. I'd had a reasonably comfy journey from Inverness, and then we were dumped at a freezing cold Broxden and had to await a late-running connection from Aberdeen that was completely rammed with students and backpacks. I'm glad to see standards have improved since!

317 forever · 27 Apr 2019

tbtc said:
The route is up and running but the buses aren't yet (so Rawmarsh putting other vehicles out on it in the meantime). I've not seen pictures to know if they'll be in a "dedicated" livery.

There's an interesting bit of co-operation going on, with the Stagecoach X6 broadly dovetailing with the Powells X7 to provide a fifteen minute service from Bramley and eastern Rotherham along the Parkway into Sheffield (providing a much faster journey than the First X1 which was recently reduced to every fifteen minutes - and runs via central Rotherham and Meadowhall).

For those with a spare day, wanting to tour South Yorkshire with a day-rider, the X6 also connects with other Stagecoach services like the 19 at Bramley (Rotherham - Dinnington - Worksop) and various Doncaster - North Nottinghamshire services at Parrots Corner (the Park & Ride south of Doncaster) - I think the Stagecoach ticket is £6/ day, so much more of their South Yorkshire network is opened up by the X6 (e.g. Sheffield - Barnsley on the "Gold" X17, Barnsley - Doncaster on the X19/X20, Doncaster - Parrots Corner on the 21/25/99, Parrots Corner - Sheffield on the X6...).

Thank you for your reply. I had a look for each of the vehicles on flickr. None came up as refurbished or on route X6 yet.

atraindriver · 5 May 2019

LukeCymru · 11 May 2019

Does anyone know which of the SRs from Carlisle way will be transferring down to S Wales in the near future?

Typhoon · 11 May 2019

Mwanesh said:
Rumour has it that Stagecoach South East are starting an Express route from Canterbury to North Greenwich .Thats why the Elites have gone to Herne Bay for storage .We will only know more in due course.Will keep updated when more info comes in handy.

Rumour appears to be true. https://www.adzuna.co.uk/jobs/details/1147517862?v=76B40E4B8696177D5A535724755ABABBC1467053&se=F83gRVhASK-487rj0H0Mng
Interesting destination.

overthewater · 11 May 2019

Was this the depot that was planning to use B8 panthers? Also today in Preston area, there is a Strike..........

Due to forthcoming proposed Industrial Action, we regret to inform customers that our services in South Lancashire will be disrupted on Saturday 11th May and Tuesday 14th May.
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promo...-and-south-lancashire/potential-strike-action

The following services will not operate on Tuesdays - 1A, 4, 8 , 9, 24, 109A and 109 evening service (please see the timetable above)

The following service will not operate on Saturdays - 1A, 4, 4C, 8, 9, 24, 109A , 109 evening service (please see the timetable above) and X8.

How long will strikes go on for?
The dates we are currently aware of are:

Saturday 11th May

Tuesday 14th May

Saturday 25th May

Tuesday 28th May

Friday 31st May

Saturday 1st June

Strike action is being taken by Unite the union therefore we’re unable to advise of further dates or the frequency of any strike action, but should more dates be announced we will publish service information on our website as soon as possible.
What tickets are available?
There will be an adult £1.50 flat fare Preston Citi zone and an adult £2.50 flat fare across the rest of the network.

There will be a child £1 flat fare across all routes.

All day and weekly tickets are still available for sale and for our customer who already have tickets you can use them as normal.

Will I get days back on my ticket if there is a strike?
Customers should contact us directly by email [email protected]

I have a dayrider or megarider ticket through the Stagecoach bus app, can I use this?
If you have pre-purchased dayrider or megarider tickets with the Stagecoach bus app you can still use your ticket, however please check to see if your service is running, if it is not running please do not activate these on strike days as we aren’t able to refund or extend these tickets.

Got a question that needs answering?
Follow us on Twitter for live service updates or to ask us a question - @StagecoachMCSL - don't have Twitter? Don't worry you can still see our live updates even without an account.

Give us a call on 01772 255777 (on strike dates lines open 7am - 4pm Monday - Friday and 8:30am - 3:30pm Saturdays)

We will continue to keep you updated via our website and live Twitter feed.

martian boy · 12 May 2019

goldisgood said:
I've read on another forum that Stagecoach Gold is to be discontinued - has anyone else heard anything about this?

South Wales, Stagecoach Gold 120/130 downgraded from gold today. Never achieved gold standard. Timekeeping poor. Part of the problem was the stop/start when the bus stopped and the doors opened. Drivers did not like it. Brakes would lock, then you had to press brake again before bus moved off. There was also a mess up with the timetable.

General public not happy with their removal, but were always complaining about late running/two buses together.

robk23oxf · 12 May 2019

martian boy said:
South Wales, Stagecoach Gold 120/130 downgraded from gold today. Never achieved gold standard. Timekeeping poor. Part of the problem was the stop/start when the bus stopped and the doors opened. Drivers did not like it. Brakes would lock, then you had to press brake again before bus moved off. There was also a mess up with the timetable.

General public not happy with their removal, but were always complaining about late running/two buses together.

Surely that's a problem that could be resolved by disabling the stop/start system rather than downgrading the route?

Robertj21a · 12 May 2019

martian boy said:
South Wales, Stagecoach Gold 120/130 downgraded from gold today. Never achieved gold standard. Timekeeping poor. Part of the problem was the stop/start when the bus stopped and the doors opened. Drivers did not like it. Brakes would lock, then you had to press brake again before bus moved off. There was also a mess up with the timetable.

General public not happy with their removal, but were always complaining about late running/two buses together.

The engine cut out is now available on many new buses, I really can't believe that it's anything that drivers in just one part of the country can't cope with !

TheGrandWazoo · 12 May 2019

robk23oxf said:
Surely that's a problem that could be resolved by disabling the stop/start system rather than downgrading the route?

Suspect that it was only one, side issue and that the main reason was it wasn’t making the returns. I thought the 120/130 was a strange choice; the 122 seemed more logical or, as is now the case, the 151.

LukeCymru · 12 May 2019

Indeed 120/130 not making enough of a profit to keep them GOLD. Full rollout of Gold 26 and 151 tomorrow morning.

martian boy · 12 May 2019

Robertj21a said:
The engine cut out is now available on many new buses, I really can't believe that it's anything that drivers in just one part of the country can't cope with !

When the stops are in very close proximity, in some cases you can see the stop up ahead from the stop you are at, you lose a lot of time has the engine does not start until the doors are fully closed. The brakes also lock on them until the suspension is fully raised. When you’ve got a multitude of pensioners, “lower the floor right down please,” it takes forever.

The buses went today.

martian boy · 12 May 2019

robk23oxf said:
Surely that's a problem that could be resolved by disabling the stop/start system rather than downgrading the route?

It was requested, but refused.

Cesarcollie · 12 May 2019

martian boy said:
It was requested, but refused.

The stop-start system is part of what makes them ultra-low emission, and hence the latest, cleanest standard, as well as reducing fuel use and qualifying for a higher rate of BSOG. Turning the system off is therefore not a sensible idea!,

padbus · 12 May 2019

Cesarcollie said:
The stop-start system is part of what makes them ultra-low emission, and hence the latest, cleanest standard, as well as reducing fuel use and qualifying for a higher rate of BSOG. Turning the system off is therefore not a sensible idea!,

It's difficult to believe that turning the engine off for the 10 seconds it takes for a passenger to disembark and then starting it again uses less fuel than keeping it running.

radamfi · 12 May 2019

Having the engine off while stationary is not only good for the environment (which is why many cars employ a start-stop system) but is also more comfortable for the passenger as it cuts out the vibrations that a diesel bus makes.

robk23oxf · 12 May 2019

Cesarcollie said:
The stop-start system is part of what makes them ultra-low emission, and hence the latest, cleanest standard, as well as reducing fuel use and qualifying for a higher rate of BSOG. Turning the system off is therefore not a sensible idea!,

Stop/start technology is used by vehicle manufacturers to improve the average emissions result in government tests and earn them a lower VED band. Once you own the vehicle you can disable it and the VED band doesn't change and you'll probably get better fuel economy. Most cars have an option to switch stop/start off.

Cesarcollie · 12 May 2019

robk23oxf said:
Stop/start technology is used by vehicle manufacturers to improve the average emissions result in government tests and earn them a lower VED band. Once you own the vehicle you can disable it and the VED band doesn't change and you'll probably get better fuel economy. Most cars have an option to switch stop/start off.

No doubt true, but DVSA and hence the TC take rather more interest in bus/Coach Operators than they do in the private motorist.

robk23oxf · 13 May 2019

Cesarcollie said:
No doubt true, but DVSA and hence the TC take rather more interest in bus/Coach Operators than they do in the private motorist.

I have no reason to believe they would be upset by operators disabling stop/start on their vehicles just as much as they wouldn't be upset with any other minor modifications that operators make. Stop/Start is not tested as part of the MOT either.

carlberry · 13 May 2019

padbus said:
It's difficult to believe that turning the engine off for the 10 seconds it takes for a passenger to disembark and then starting it again uses less fuel than keeping it running.

It's rarely 10 seconds however which is why it makes a difference.

padbus · 13 May 2019

radamfi said:
Having the engine off while stationary is not only good for the environment (which is why many cars employ a start-stop system) but is also more comfortable for the passenger as it cuts out the vibrations that a diesel bus makes.

The vibrations a diesel bus makes whilst idling are much less than the shaking which occurs when the engine starts. The noise made is also an issue. It's bad enough for the passengers. Imagine what it must be like living near a bus stop. Stopping the engine whilst the bus is stationary is one of those ideas which sounds good in theory but is not so good in practice, particularly on urban services with closely spaced stops.

extendedpaul · 13 May 2019

Mitchell Hurd said:
Well. That must be a record for Megabus.com in the UK - the 13:25 from Cardiff to Newcastle is running 210 minutes late. Ouch! Technical fault though. At least its not as bad as trains though in recent times.

There have been a couple of twitter reports of 5 hour delays in the last few days. On Friday a Megabus was stuck behind a serious RTI for several hours and yesterday there were reports of similar delays through Birmingham due to road closures for a bike race.

Surreyman · 13 May 2019

If anyones interested, when I went to the ADL Guildford Chassis plant open day, in build were a number of E200MMC 11metre chassis marked 'customer Stagecoach' presumably these are the batch for Hull?

mbonwick · 13 May 2019

Hull's aren't due until July - believe there's a batch before them, for where I know not.

CharlesR · 14 May 2019

Anyone have an idea if west are due any new buses this year?

Surreyman · 17 May 2019

martian boy said:
South Wales, Stagecoach Gold 120/130 downgraded from gold today. Never achieved gold standard. Timekeeping poor. Part of the problem was the stop/start when the bus stopped and the doors opened. Drivers did not like it. Brakes would lock, then you had to press brake again before bus moved off. There was also a mess up with the timetable.

General public not happy with their removal, but were always complaining about late running/two buses together.

LukeCymru said:
Indeed 120/130 not making enough of a profit to keep them GOLD. Full rollout of Gold 26 and 151 tomorrow morning.

Routeone magazine are announcing this as "£4m Investment' in new Gold Routes, 24 vehicles etc, this is borderline fake news, don't know whether the Stagecoach press release was deliberately confusing and Routeone didn't read properly, otherwise this is confusing 'Spin' - apparently claiming £4m of new investment, when in actual fact they have simply moved some existing Gold vehicles from one route to another - the £4m was used to buy the vehicles in a previous year.

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