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The mainstream media is the railway press in this instance - Paul Clifton writes for RAIL.

The first unit (395012) went in on June 12th and was back in traffic on Monday. The next in line for refurb is 395015 and it should take around three weeks, with the remainder taking around two weeks.

This is an interesting debate, and Ipswich itself is a microcosm of other places in many respects given it has two long-established companies, one in public hands, the other in private. I'm a close observer of our politics and in fact I'm a Labour candidate for the May 2023 elections in...

Yeah, I'm well aware of difficulties elsewhere - it's obviously very sad what happened in Halton etc - but poor management can be found in the private and the public sectors (and whether the council is Labour, Tory or LibDem run - or whatever). Personally quite relaxed about taxpayers' money...

The politics is important here; we're witnessing the dying days of the Tories in government nationally after a 12-year period in which they have dogmatically stuck to an anti-public sector agenda. A Labour government in Westminster will have a different approach, clearly more pro-public...

No chance of the Labour-run Ipswich Borough Council selling Ipswich Buses. I agree the company has issues to deal with, as does the town (not unlike many, many other towns and cities), but it is well-run despite an ageing fleet and has kept its head above water in difficult times. The...

Such a shame that they are doing so badly, for a manufacturer that had such a reputation for stylish and refined products, particularly during the 1990s and early 2000s. The Spectra, Delta and Solo must rate among the finest UK-built buses of all time at least from a passenger point of view and...

It is of course possible that it was both - we just won't know for sure until the facts are determined by the investigation.

Glad to see my words are held in such esteem, as the reliable corroborating source! RAIL is correct, as are the other websites, including IanVisits and Rail Advent, and the current edition of RAIL has the full story.

Hear, hear. You'd hope that management are thinking creatively about what they can do to brighten up the fleet.

Indeed, agree with previous two posters. There is a case to be made for public investment in new or newer buses just as there is a private one. And First could help themselves out with a bit of spending on things like the Ipswich depot roof which might be a short term expense but have a long...

I’m not arguing that there isn’t a considerable public debt owed by IB, but surely one of the benefits of being wholly-owned by the council is that they can help them out with investment in new stock. Why not? It's their asset. It is a clear benefit of public ownership. And yes, the investment...

It seems pretty fashionable to give IB a kicking given their public sector status, but from the passenger's point of view, at least they're trying to invest and improve (I admit IB are probably a shade of once they once were, but that's a sign of the times). Getting those ex-London double deck...

Agreed. They’re making more money, just, but they must invest, particularly on routes like the 66 which has lost much of its ‘Superoute’ shine (and while it always used to get new buses once every few years, does need a decent fleet update). I totally agree with you regarding a reworked red...

Good riddance, National Distress East Anglia! Awful, awful train company.

I see what you mean about opportunity. In my view, it's not just about the supposed high price of copper, which seems to have been an excuse for several years now, but also about the large quantity of railway junk left on the side of lines. An open invitation to thieves? It certainly seems bad...

I think it's more than workable, and with a bit of will from the appropriate authorities it's an easy win. The infrastructure's there, and there wouldn't be much more work needed to upgrade it to passenger standards. Leiston needs much better transport links Suffolk County Council should be...