Stagecoach Group (Group-wide matters)

[gka472l]

Good news for Stagecoach. Hopefully means they can continue to invest in the business although altering the awful 2020 livery would be a good start.


Tridents going yes, These are for Hop12 (if it will still be called that), the current 67 plates are then going to Exeter (rumoured) as Exeter is crying out for more decker's. My guess is this will see off some of the MX56 plate Enviros too.

Current Hop12's said to be leaving Devon when the new ones arrive, all I know is they're going 'up north' but as to exactly where isn't known at the moment.....

HTH

 

[Tetchytyke]

I wonder if some of Newcastle's forthcoming new deckers will be allocated to it, matching what Stagecoach North West currently provides on its share of the service.

Stagecoach Cumbria have a mix of E300 and E400MMC on the through service, with E200s on the Brampton shorts. The deckers are needed for the school times in Brampton.

It'd be interesting what Busways allocate to it, I'd imagine a mix of E200MMC and E400.

 

[johnw]

“There is also a trickle of ex - London vehicles, which though they may be mechanically 'hammered' & have centre doors etc, are all now Euro 6 compliant and provide a cheap solution for some operators i.e First have just acquired some for operations in Essex.”

Stagecoach have stated repeatedly that full hight buses with dual doors don’t work for regional fleets.

 

[GWVillager]

“There is also a trickle of ex - London vehicles, which though they may be mechanically 'hammered' & have centre doors etc, are all now Euro 6 compliant and provide a cheap solution for some operators i.e First have just acquired some for operations in Essex.”

Stagecoach have stated repeatedly that full hight buses with dual doors don’t work for regional fleets.

Why not, if First can do it?

 

[cnjb8]

First spec full-height deckers anyway so it doesn't matter in that respect (although the recent StreetDeck deliveries have been deliberately ordered at a lower height as their Ipswich depot has a height restriction and its easier to order the whole batch at the lower height). All of the ex-London deckers they have acquired recently have had the second set of doors removed too.



In terms of Stagecoach, the only deckers available to cascade from their London depots are OmniCity's purchased after they sold their London operations. These buses are non-standard for the group

 

[CBlue]

First spec full-height deckers anyway so it doesn't matter in that respect (although the recent StreetDeck deliveries have been deliberately ordered at a lower height as their Ipswich depot has a height restriction and its easier to order the whole batch at the lower height). All of the ex-London deckers they have acquired recently have had the second set of doors removed too.



In terms of Stagecoach, the only deckers available to cascade from their London depots are OmniCity's purchased after they sold their London operations. These buses are non-standard for the group

Given the reception a batch of ex-London OmniCities got after arriving at Cambridge, I hope they don't cascade any more of the cursed things! They look smart but are appalling to travel on - crashy suspension, rock hard plasic seats, every interior panel banging into its neighbours and a general feeling that the bus is about to disintegrate underneath you at speed. Cambridge depot couldn't get rid of them quickly enough

 

[Busoccultation]

Given the reception a batch of ex-London OmniCities got after arriving at Cambridge, I hope they don't cascade any more of the cursed things! They look smart but are appalling to travel on - crashy suspension, rock hard plasic seats, every interior panel banging into its neighbours and a general feeling that the bus is about to disintegrate underneath you at speed. Cambridge depot couldn't get rid of them quickly enough

East Scotland and Kent were meant to receive a handful of London's 58reg Omnicitys in 2021 and planned for a single-door conversion, but in the end that didn't happen and most of those Scanias ended up staying in London as an open top for the City Sightseeing service to supplement the former Megasightseeing Enviro 400's for the service to grow as the tourists slowly returned to London when the covid restrictions ended.

 

[CBlue]

East Scotland and Kent were meant to receive a handful of London's 58reg Omnicitys in 2021 and planned for a single-door conversion, but in the end that didn't happen and most of those Scanias ended up staying in London as an open top for the City Sightseeing service to supplement the former Megasightseeing Enviro 400's for the service to grow as the tourists slowly returned to London when the covid restrictions ended.

I think East Scotland ended up with some anyway, alongside Kent which got the ex-Cambridge fleet dumped on them.

 

[Busoccultation]

I think East Scotland ended up with some anyway, alongside Kent which got the ex-Cambridge fleet dumped on them.

You're right both Kent and East Scotland did receive some Omncitys in 2019, to be fair I was referring to the second time Stagecoach planned to send some outside of London in 2021 when Rainham received the electrics on the 174.

 

[al_557]

Cambridge depot got rid of the Ex London Scania OmniCities when the recent service cuts happened at the end of October. They also swapped their former Peterborough 64 plate E200's for their old 10 plate E400's with Bedford depot not long after.
It's gonna be interesting to see what moves where within Stagecoach East when Cambridge depot receives a batch of 30 Volvo BZL Electric deckers for the Citi 2 and Park and Ride services in the spring.

 

[GusB]

The news about Stagecoach being awarded Transport for West Midlands routes has been moved here:

Stagecoach win Travel for West Midlands Tenders

Stagecoach have won some Travel for West Midlands routes, which commenced operation yesterday. They had been up for tender in November (Stagecoach website). We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded new tenders and will be running the following new routes from 1st January 2023 41...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[GusB]

Stagecoach's Martin Griffith's is to retire.

Martin Griffiths to retire as Stagecoach shuffles top team - routeone

Martin Griffiths is to retire from the position of Stagecoach Chief Executive as part of changes to the group’s senior management structure.

www.route-one.net

Martin Griffiths (pictured, above) is to retire from the position of Stagecoach Chief Executive as part of changes to the group’s senior management structure. That work reflects the “evolution of the business from a global listed PLC to a UK private company” and its aspirations for further growth.

The transition will also see Chief Financial Officer Ross Paterson leave Stagecoach. He and Mr Griffiths will depart in March after a handover period. Ray O’Toole (pictured, below) has become Executive Chairman with immediate effect, and Bruce Dingwall has been appointed Mr Paterson’s successor as CFO from 1 February. Carla Stockton-Jones will continue to lead day-to-day operations as UK Managing Director.

Change comes after Stagecoach was purchased by DWS Infrastructure in 2022. That development also saw the departure of co-founder and non-executive Director Sir Brian Souter from the business.

 

[Morgsie]

Had an email this afternoon from Megabus and it looks like they are exapanding as they are launching a new network and as from 27th March serving new destinations which includes Canterbury, York, Gatwick Airport and Weymouth. Does anyone here know more about this including what other new destinations?

In 2023, we challenged ourselves to go further and visit new places, and with it being our 20th birthday too – this year is definitely our year.

So we’re launching our brand new network from 27 March, with tickets on sale now ready and waiting for you to enjoy. We’re talking new destinations (Canterbury, York, Gatwick Airport and Weymouth to name a few!) and more trips on the journeys we know you love. Very exciting. We’re also still offering the likes of seat reservation, extra legroom seats and coach tracker on most services, which makes travelling with megabus even better.

Most trips are on sale up to 29 October, so that means you can book ahead for your Easter and summer travel.

 

[Peter Philips]

Had an email this afternoon from Megabus and it looks like they are exapanding as they are launching a new network and as from 27th March serving new destinations which includes Canterbury, York, Gatwick Airport and Weymouth. Does anyone here know more about this including what other new destinations?

Appears to include a new (Adventure Travel) Swansea-Cardiff-Newport-UWE-Bristol-Reading-Heathrow (T2/T3)-Gatwick (N & S)-Canterbury-UKC route.

 

[Woolos 22]

Stagecoach South Wales have closed the Blackwood depot. The services which operate from there have been transferred to Caerphilly and Cwmbran. The 151 Blackwood to Newport service now has some empty buses running to the start and finishing between Cwmbran and Blackwood moves.

 

[Typhoon]

Had an email this afternoon from Megabus and it looks like they are exapanding as they are launching a new network and as from 27th March serving new destinations which includes Canterbury, York, Gatwick Airport and Weymouth. Does anyone here know more about this including what other new destinations?

Appears to include a new (Adventure Travel) Bristol-Reading-Heathrow-Gatwick-Canterbury route.

I've looked at Canterbury - seems to operate to Gatwork and Heathrow non-stop to Bristol then Newport and Cardiff (for the date chosen, 2 Apr, there was a not-very-handy 2 hours 25 minute wait at Heathrow for a connection to Reading for the early journey, the evening one does call at Reading but not Newport).

Canterbury - serves the University of Kent as well as the city, departure times at 03:00 and 17:00.

There used to be a local company that operated to the airports. used shuttle minibuses to pick up in towns, plenty of attractive advertising. They seem to have closed down. I'm not certain about this at all, Canterbury is not the biggest city in the world. True, there is no other obvious public transport links to these airports. National Express covers Stansted several times a day but calling at Maidstone, the Medway towns and Bluewater on the way (as well as dropping off at Stratford). I;m not certain this will work at all, and I won't be going to Canterbury bus station for the early morning journey to find out!

 

[route101]

I've looked at Canterbury - seems to operate to Gatwork and Heathrow non-stop to Bristol then Newport and Cardiff (for the date chosen, 2 Apr, there was a not-very-handy 2 hours 25 minute wait at Heathrow for a connection to Reading for the early journey, the evening one does call at Reading but not Newport).

Canterbury - serves the University of Kent as well as the city, departure times at 03:00 and 17:00.

There used to be a local company that operated to the airports. used shuttle minibuses to pick up in towns, plenty of attractive advertising. They seem to have closed down. I'm not certain about this at all, Canterbury is not the biggest city in the world. True, there is no other obvious public transport links to these airports. National Express covers Stansted several times a day but calling at Maidstone, the Medway towns and Bluewater on the way (as well as dropping off at Stratford). I;m not certain this will work at all, and I won't be going to Canterbury bus station for the early morning journey to find out!

I believe National Express have started a service to Heathrow from Canterbury, the 008.

Interesting to hear a new route from Megabus , been a while since they have started a new route.

 

[markymark2000]

I've looked at Canterbury - seems to operate to Gatwork and Heathrow non-stop to Bristol then Newport and Cardiff (for the date chosen, 2 Apr, there was a not-very-handy 2 hours 25 minute wait at Heathrow for a connection to Reading for the early journey, the evening one does call at Reading but not Newport).

It's actually Swansea to Canterbury.


Other things I have found is Preston gets quite a boost with more trips now towards London via Liverpool. For some bizzare reason though, people using Megabus don't value their time and so Preston to London takes over 8 hours via Liverpool, Warrington, Manchester, Newcastle Under Lyme, Birmingham, Reading and Heathrow. What a long way around. Preston to Manchester via Liverpool and Warrington, one of the most daft things that I have ever seen in my life. Somehow Megabus think this will only take an hour longer, I wonder how quickly they will see that this will actually take much longer?!?!



Other new routes
Strange 1 or 2 trips (day dependant) linking Gatwick, Heathrow and Victoria Coach Station. This direction only though.

Friday-Monday Leeds to Gatwick via Manchester, Birmingham and Heathrow service by Thandi

Friday to Monday Manchester to Gatwick via Coventry and Heathrow operated by Orion

Thursday to Monday Leeds to Portsmouth extra run via Manchester, Birmingham, Oxford and Southampton. Ran by Stotts

Weymouth to London is an extension of the current M3 which will be cut down from 6 trips to 4 and a journey time increase on current sections to be up to 50 minutes longer (despite no change to the route)

Norwich to Birmingham route by Prospect Coaches has changed. It seems to show Norwich to Cardiff via current route to Birmingham then via Bristol to Cardiff. Return suggests Bristol, Swindon, Oxford, Birmingham then as current to Norwich. Bit weird. Norwich to Birmingham does seem to up to 2 per day though rather than 1. Also runs Thursday - Monday

New Leeds to London via Manchester service. Running Thursday-Monday ran by J&B Travel. After being a long time breakdown cover, now they have their own proper run.

A few other random trips appearing but as Megabus don't have proper routes (like NatEx have route numbers and that route does vaugly the same thing each trip, Megabus just makes loads of routes link into one route number. Like the Barnstaple route is M36 southbound from Leeds but M36 northbound to Bradford and doesn't serve Leeds), it's hard to work out a lot of changes.

Operator wise, Stotts, Airsym and Adventure seem to be taking on more work.
Thandi is a new operator to the network plus J&B having a proper run now rather than just breakdown cover.

 

[RELL6L]

Stagecoach South Wales have closed the Blackwood depot. The services which operate from there have been transferred to Caerphilly and Cwmbran. The 151 Blackwood to Newport service now has some empty buses running to the start and finishing between Cwmbran and Blackwood moves.

Looks like all 151s and X24s interwork at Newport, everything arriving as one leaves as the other.

The 21 from Cwmbran to Blackwood does a 9 and a return trip on the 5 before heading back to Cwmbran.

Caerphilly vehicles on the 50 interwork at both ends. At Newport they become a 56 to Tredegar or Blackwood and return. At Bargoed some become a 27 to Blackwood then do a return trip on the 52, which seems to have been extended to Ebbw Vale before returning the same way.

The X15 seems to have input from Merthyr and Cwmbran plus some still from Brynmawr- maybe even some Caerphilly. Complex!

 

[Peter Philips]

It's actually Swansea to Canterbury.


Other things I have found is Preston gets quite a boost with more trips now towards London via Liverpool. For some bizzare reason though, people using Megabus don't value their time and so Preston to London takes over 8 hours via Liverpool, Warrington, Manchester, Newcastle Under Lyme, Birmingham, Reading and Heathrow. What a long way around. Preston to Manchester via Liverpool and Warrington, one of the most daft things that I have ever seen in my life. Somehow Megabus think this will only take an hour longer, I wonder how quickly they will see that this will actually take much longer?!?!



Other new routes
Strange 1 or 2 trips (day dependant) linking Gatwick, Heathrow and Victoria Coach Station. This direction only though.

Friday-Monday Leeds to Gatwick via Manchester, Birmingham and Heathrow service by Thandi

Friday to Monday Manchester to Gatwick via Coventry and Heathrow operated by Orion

Thursday to Monday Leeds to Portsmouth extra run via Manchester, Birmingham, Oxford and Southampton. Ran by Stotts

Weymouth to London is an extension of the current M3 which will be cut down from 6 trips to 4 and a journey time increase on current sections to be up to 50 minutes longer (despite no change to the route)

Norwich to Birmingham route by Prospect Coaches has changed. It seems to show Norwich to Cardiff via current route to Birmingham then via Bristol to Cardiff. Return suggests Bristol, Swindon, Oxford, Birmingham then as current to Norwich. Bit weird. Norwich to Birmingham does seem to up to 2 per day though rather than 1. Also runs Thursday - Monday

New Leeds to London via Manchester service. Running Thursday-Monday ran by J&B Travel. After being a long time breakdown cover, now they have their own proper run.

A few other random trips appearing but as Megabus don't have proper routes (like NatEx have route numbers and that route does vaugly the same thing each trip, Megabus just makes loads of routes link into one route number. Like the Barnstaple route is M36 southbound from Leeds but M36 northbound to Bradford and doesn't serve Leeds), it's hard to work out a lot of changes.

Operator wise, Stotts, Airsym and Adventure seem to be taking on more work.
Thandi is a new operator to the network plus J&B having a proper run now rather than just breakdown cover.

So seemingly no attempt to return to providing direct M6 London -Exeter-Plymouth services (slower/more expensive/inconvenient connections available via Falcon to Bristol which doesn't serve central Exeter) despite all the rail strike disruption & Flixbus 045 competition (and no services beyond into Cornwall which Flixbus doesn't serve yet).

 

[Typhoon]

I believe National Express have started a service to Heathrow from Canterbury, the 008.

Interesting to hear a new route from Megabus , been a while since they have started a new route.

You are right. A 02:25 start.

 

[GoneSouth]

I find planning with megabus to be impossible with some routes only going one way and then struggling to find a way home that doesn’t take longer than walking! I’ve given up and stick to the train.

 

[Peter Philips]

You are right. A 02:25 start.

I was surprised at the new Canterbury-London 008 routing, running from Gillingham direct west to Heathrow before heading back east to London Victoria. I recall the old 008 many years back was Folkestone-Ashford-Maidstone (until M&D Invictaway services started)-London Victoria run by East Kent.

 

[317 forever]

Had an email this afternoon from Megabus and it looks like they are exapanding as they are launching a new network and as from 27th March serving new destinations which includes Canterbury, York, Gatwick Airport and Weymouth. Does anyone here know more about this including what other new destinations?

Thank you for the announcement that they have introduced their summer schedule. A quick glance this morning indicates good timings for a Liverpool day trip on Eurovision Day.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

What's happening with the new ADL E400 SmartHybrids for Witney plus some of the 200 ADL E400 diesels for Oxford?

 

[Dfatcontroller]

What's happening with the new ADL E400 SmartHybrids for Witney plus some of the 200 ADL E400 diesels for Oxford?

Probably in queue for build.

 

[Surreyman]

What's happening with the new ADL E400 SmartHybrids for Witney plus some of the 200 ADL E400 diesels for Oxford?

I was under the impression that there are 15 E400MMC Diesels on order for Witney & 55 E400EV(electric) for Oxford?

 

[Volvodart]

The combined electric buses order for Oxford including Wrightbus was announced as starting in September with completion by March 2024, and with the 200 diesels for 2023 announced as delivery starting March 2023.

 

[GusB]

Please keep this thread for discussing group-wide matters. Issues pertaining to one particular operating company should be discussed in the relevant thread - please use the search feature to find it. If there isn't a relevant thread, feel free to start one.

 

[150249]

Does anyone have a list of the fleet numbers of the new E400MMCs?