Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Bus News

[m79900]

What are Trent likely to buy midibus wise in the future? Solos? Streetlites? Mellor Stratas?

 

[Trainman40083]

the 2XX series will probably be pushed into the 3XX now the group has no tempos. a rumour was floating around Langley mill that eVoRa's were being looked at... would prefer eVoRa's to the washing machine ADLs.

Think there is a fairly long lead time with the Volvo EvoRa, certainly with the chassis. And the body is built in Egypt. Was it the Optares that once had "made in Britain" stickers on; although possibly not with TB

What are Trent likely to buy midibus wise in the future? Solos? Streetlites? Mellor Stratas?

Well I can't see Streetlites or Stratas, but then I doubt Solos too.

 

[M803UYA]

Think there is a fairly long lead time with the Volvo EvoRa, certainly with the chassis. And the body is built in Egypt. Was it the Optares that once had "made in Britain" stickers on; although possibly not with TB


Well I can't see Streetlites or Stratas, but then I doubt Solos too.

Volvo was carrying a lot of stock of the Evora last year - hence why people were flocking to them. Keenly priced too!

 

[Trainman40083]

Volvo was carrying a lot of stock of the Evora last year - hence why people were flocking to them. Keenly priced too!

But they would not have the right Trentbarton spec. Seen the ZEBRA 2 funding announcement. Let me say it might explain 29 ADLs instead.

Some people think Notts and Derby B1 is a spare ticket machine, not a real bus, on bustimes. It sure looks real to me. Yes, on loan Littles Tempos B1 and B2 both still at Meadow Road depot.

Question - I have heard of a few people who have had contactless bank cards rejected, using tap on /tap off . Given (well in normal non £2 fare days), the system would not know the final fare, because there may be other subsequent journeys during the day, does the system put a reserve on funds to ensure it will be paid? Much like we see at petrol stations. It could "reserve" say the price of a day ticket".

 

[43055]

Yes - not 75. I got the wrong one and meant 74.
But it does look like the owners have been looking at 2 second hand coaches in Scotland and may have purchased them.
There are as well (can't remember if mentioned) 29 new ADLs on order for this year that will be split between Derby LM and Kinch.

Interesting you say Kinchbus as it seems that they have got Zebra funding for 22 electric vehicles unless it is some extra vehicles for the Skylink frequency increase. As for trent maybe for the H1 at LM and at Derby possibly the mickleover to get the 7/8 min frequency back

the 2XX series will probably be pushed into the 3XX now the group has no tempos. a rumour was floating around Langley mill that eVoRa's were being looked at... would prefer eVoRa's to the washing machine ADLs.

I believe there is part of Ilkeston which the E200's can't or struggle to get round.

 

[Trainman40083]

Interesting you say Kinchbus as it seems that they have got Zebra funding for 22 electric vehicles unless it is some extra vehicles for the Skylink frequency increase. As for trent maybe for the H1 at LM and at Derby possibly the mickleover to get the 7/8 min frequency back


I believe there is part of Ilkeston which the E200's can't or struggle to get round.

I thought the Ilkeston issue was about clearance that a ferry lift option would sort. I thought the Kinchbus bid was lodged by Derby / Nottingham City Council and for hydrogen buses. I can't see electric buses on Skylink, which is 24/7. Some diagrams appear to be over 500 miles.

 

[43055]

I thought the Ilkeston issue was about clearance that a ferry lift option would sort. I thought the Kinchbus bid was lodged by Derby / Nottingham City Council and for hydrogen buses. I can't see electric buses on Skylink, which is 24/7. Some diagrams appear to be over 500 miles.

Seems to be a separate Leicestershire bid with Arriva as well for the other Kinchbus routes.

Successful bid for £8m ‘green’ bus funding is just the ticket | Leicestershire County Council

Greener, cleaner journeys on key bus routes in Leicestershire will now be in the offing following a successful county council and bus operators’ bid for Government funding. The £8.1m slice of a £129m Government cash pot will help buy electric buses and chargers, cutting carbon emissions.

www.leicestershire.gov.uk

Greener, cleaner journeys on key bus routes in Leicestershire will now be in the offing following a successful county council and bus operators’ bid for Government funding.

The £8.1m slice of a £129m Government cash pot will help buy electric buses and chargers, cutting carbon emissions.

Bus operators Kinchbus and Arriva have worked with the county council on the proposal, emphasising the role of the Leicestershire Enhanced Bus Partnership, which fosters stronger links between the local authority and bus operators.

The emission-free buses will run on several routes focused on Loughborough, including Kinchbus 2, 5, 9, 11, 12, sprint and the campus shuttle as well as Arriva’s 127 service to Shepshed and Leicester. Elsewhere, similar buses would also feature on Arriva routes 5/5A to Melton Mowbray.

Buses and coaches already have the lowest carbon footprint per passenger of any form of motorised transport, but electric buses have no emissions at all.

Councillor Ozzy O’Shea, county council cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “We’re committed to providing more environmentally friendly greener bus services and this successful bid will help us towards achieving that goal. Delivering cleaner transport is a key priority and good air quality is hugely important to everyone.”

The bid for zero-emission bus funding (ZEBRA 2) is a key strand of the county council’s approach to passenger transport over the next 12 months.

Tom Morgan, Managing Director at Kinchbus, said: “This successful bid marks significant investment in buses within the East Midlands and specifically in Leicestershire, reiterating our commitment to high quality, customer-focused and sustainable public transport within the community we serve.

“It will accelerate our decarbonisation strategy, with buses at the heart of it, and result in cleaner air for everyone.”

Toby France, Head of Commercial at Arriva, said: “This project will help unlock further significant investment in Leicestershire’s buses, and builds on our recent investment in 24 electric double-decker buses at our Thurmaston depot.

“Our ultra-low emission Euro VI diesel vehicles are already the most environmentally friendly way to travel across Leicestershire, reducing congestion in our town centres.

“The introduction of further emission-free electric vehicles to our fleet will continue to support the reduction in our customers’ carbon footprint.”

The ZEBRA 2 funding follows a £7.63m funding award to the county council, combining Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus (BSIP+) and Network North funding - Network North being the £36bn transport plan which replaces HS2 in the north.

 

[DDB]

The PM was at a Trent Barton depot but have they actually been awarded any funding under this round?

 

[m79900]

Question - I have heard of a few people who have had contactless bank cards rejected, using tap on /tap off . Given (well in normal non £2 fare days), the system would not know the final fare, because there may be other subsequent journeys during the day, does the system put a reserve on funds to ensure it will be paid? Much like we see at petrol stations. It could "reserve" say the price of a day ticket".

There's been a couple of times lately when using the bus when it only charged me 10p for a journey. I'm guessing it's a problem with some of the ticket machines, but I'm not complaining!

 

[Trainman40083]

There's been a couple of times lately when using the bus when it only charged me 10p for a journey. I'm guessing it's a problem with some of the ticket machines, but I'm not complaining!

Would that happen if you did a return trip on say Red Arrow (well if it was £7.50), then your next journey would cap at the ZigZag rate?

499 was pulled by VOSA this week on the swift, it has been used in service for 10 days without a valid MOT... it really is about time VOSA & the traffic commissioner did something about trentbartons engineering

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/results?registration=yj12+nao&checkRecalls=true

Looks like it has one now

499 was pulled by VOSA this week on the swift, it has been used in service for 10 days without a valid MOT... it really is about time VOSA & the traffic commissioner did something about trentbartons engineering

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/results?registration=yj12+nao&checkRecalls=true

Looks like it has one now

 

[adrianjohnson]

The PM was at a Trent Barton depot but have they actually been awarded any funding under this round?

According to this article in the Derby Telegraph, he announced funding for buses in North East Derbyshire (Stagecoach): https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/prime-minister-says-government-doing-9183337

 

[Davidsb3]

Interesting you say Kinchbus as it seems that they have got Zebra funding for 22 electric vehicles unless it is some extra vehicles for the Skylink frequency increase. As for trent maybe for the H1 at LM and at Derby possibly the mickleover to get the 7/8 min frequency back


I believe there is part of Ilkeston which the E200's can't or struggle to get round

Kinch is struggling quite badly from what is seen, even though out of that 29 they won't get many to help them out. We don't know what the split is between the depots as that is being kept quiet for some reason. All we hope as is as drivers we get enough so we can get out of the position we are currently in of being constantly short of buses.

 

[Open top 80]

There an article in the Manchester evening news today (Friday) about High Peak bus on the 199 Stockport to Buxton bus crash into a canopy near Exchange Street

 

[tram21]

There an article in the Manchester evening news today (Friday) about High Peak bus on the 199 Stockport to Buxton bus crash into a canopy near Exchange Street

Potentially 806? Do you have a link to the article?


EDIT

It's one of the MMCs, 535, article here: https://www.manchestereveningnews.c...ews/sorry-not-service-shock-pictures-28870581

Emergency services descended on Stockport after a bus crashed into the town's Garrick Theatre. Two fire engines were sent out to Exchange Street, off the A6 Wellington Road South, shortly before 10.50pm last night (March 21).

An image from the scene shows a High Peak Skyline service had smashed into the building. The bus runs through Stockport on its way between Buxton, in Derbyshire, and Manchester Airport.

The glass panel display at the front of the bus appears smashed following the collision with the theatre.
Behind the smashed glass, the display reads: "Sorry, not in service."

The site was cleared after around half an hour. A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: “At just before 10.50pm yesterday (Thursday, March 21) two fire engines from Stockport and Whitehill fire stations were called to reports of a collision involving a bus and a building on Exchange Street, Stockport.

 

[Trainman40083]

Kinch is struggling quite badly from what is seen, even though out of that 29 they won't get many to help them out. We don't know what the split is between the depots as that is being kept quiet for some reason. All we hope as is as drivers we get enough so we can get out of the position we are currently in of being constantly short of buses.

Given all Kinchbus services that I can think of, except Skylink are to get electric buses as part of Zebra 2 funding, I would not be at all surprised to see all the Enviro 200MMCs on Skylink replaced with new, and their existing buses displaced to other routes. The Skylinks do some serious mileage, working 24/7, some certainly around 500 miles a day. I thought some KB Enviros had already passed the mileage on the Mickleover ones. Kinchbus Skylink is probably the main profit maker now, what with employment at EM Gateway. Buses released might well be used to enhance services through Spondon and restore the old frequency to Mickleover (certainly to the Royal).. I suspect the issue we have at the moment with the Royal is that perception of unreliable buses, makes more go by car and the Royal decides to build a multi storey car park. With over 2000 new houses proposed beyond Radbourne Lane, it will surely get busier around there

The PM was at a Trent Barton depot but have they actually been awarded any funding under this round?

Well, there was an announcement for electric buses for Kinchbus (all the routes except Skylink)... Wonder if the supportive crowd hearing him talk, were staff or bused in?

 

[joieman]

Interesting you say Kinchbus as it seems that they have got Zebra funding for 22 electric vehicles unless it is some extra vehicles for the Skylink frequency increase. As for trent maybe for the H1 at LM and at Derby possibly the mickleover to get the 7/8 min frequency back

Kinchbus had a Mellor Sigma 8 demonstrator on loan last summer on the Sprint. Personally, though, I think the Sprint needs something bigger than Mellors, although this might be tricky as many of the university campus roads are quite narrow, hence why slimline Solos were bought back in 2007.

There's been a couple of times lately when using the bus when it only charged me 10p for a journey. I'm guessing it's a problem with some of the ticket machines, but I'm not complaining!

I noticed that myself, but it usually changes to the proper fare later

 

[Mollman]

There's been a couple of times lately when using the bus when it only charged me 10p for a journey. I'm guessing it's a problem with some of the ticket machines, but I'm not complaining!

If you're paying by card then that is quite common with Ticketer machines with capping. Thanks 10p is to check your card is valid then at the end of the day the system charges the full amount taking into account any caps.

 

[Trainman40083]

If you're paying by card then that is quite common with Ticketer machines with capping. Thanks 10p is to check your card is valid then at the end of the day the system charges the full amount taking into account any caps.

Yes, the 10p is an authorisation charge, which gets replaced by the end of day figure which might well the relevant ZigZag cap. I still wonder how some people get a bankcard declined. On the railway, it was because the bank system wanted a PIN, entered through an ATM...(the railway system at the time was not real time)

 

[joieman]

Now Kinchbus can breathe a bit easier now that it's half term. There appears to be full service on the town routes this morning.

 

[tram21]

School time shouldn't really affect service levels at all given that they don't operate any school extra services?

Now Kinchbus can breathe a bit easier now that it's half term. There appears to be full service on the town routes this morning.

 

[bringiton]

School time shouldn't really affect service levels at all given that they don't operate any school extra services?

They have a campus service

 

[derbybusdepot]

Even with the reduced Easter service on the sprint service (unibus), there are still cancellation from Kinch today.

Trent have 2 buses missing on Ilkeston flyer and 2 missing on h1

 

[Trainman40083]

Even with the reduced Easter service on the sprint service (unibus), there are still cancellation from Kinch today.

Trent have 2 buses missing on Ilkeston flyer and 2 missing on h1

Maybe all the bus drivers have annual leave to use up before the end of March.

 

[m79900]

They have a campus service

Is that the Sprint?

 

[Trainman40083]

Is that the Sprint?

The Sprint goes to the railway station, the campus service stays around the Uni. Doesn't look to be many Citaros in use

 

[tram21]

Is that the Sprint?

And the campus shuttle which must me fun for the drivers! Just within campus all day- I had forgotten this existed!

Doesn't look to be many Citaros in use

There are never any Citaros in use! 904 has been out recently, and 906 came back after about a year away but died again!

 

[Deerfold]

Is that the Sprint?

The two routes are related, with the campus shuttle mirroring part of the sprint. They're each every 10 minutes during term and just the sprint running every 15 outside term times.

 

[joieman]

There are never any Citaros in use! 904 has been out recently, and 906 came back after about a year away but died again!

Apart from 906, all the Citaros have been out of service for a month or more.

801 is back in service now, and 822 has entered service on the 2

 

[Trainman40083]

Looks like Trentbarton Enviro 200MMCs 109, 128 and 174 are , or are ready to read the Leicester to Derby Skylink service. 109 and 174 stay in Mango livery and 175 is expected to join them. It will be interesting to see what spare bus cover looks like on the TB routes these Enviros covered. Looks like TB Derby has Solo SR 506 and Versa 849 on loan today. Yesterday it was Solo SR 499 working Allestree then Comet, loaned from normal operator Notts and Derby

 

[tram21]

Vectare service 833 (Bingham Villager) ends today, as the contract passes over to Centrebus. With the service being dominated by Mercedes EVM Citylines, it will be interesting to see what goes on the service under its Centrebus operation.

Looks like TB Derby has Solo SR 506

Nottingham don't really need 506 now with 741 over here, it's just the Rushcliffe Villager which needs a smaller spare bus where possible, but Volvos and Enviros can cope on it if required.