TfGM Bee Network - fleet discussion

[tomoufc]

It’s a lot better. 53’s and 95’s tend to be problem free now.
It’s the sad reality of franchising, the only way operators can avoid punctuality fines is to insist on lots of running time and recovery time.

I’d rather an on time bus than a constantly late one on an unrealistic timetable. Hopefully councils will start to put in some serious bus priority measures.

 

[M60lad]

Another interesting one today is that I didn't realise a Metroline Manchester vehicle can be transferred to a Stagecoach Depot if their short as that is indeed what has seemed to have happened today as about 13:10 this afternoon I spotted former Metroline Manchester E400 TE648 (Itself a former Stagecoach Manchester example) operating on 192s complete with destination display and with Stagecoach Manchester legal address but still with Metroline fleetnumbers.

 

[Leyland Bus]

Another interesting one today is that I didn't realise a Metroline Manchester vehicle can be transferred to a Stagecoach Depot if their short as that is indeed what has seemed to have happened today as about 13:10 this afternoon I spotted former Metroline Manchester E400 TE648 (Itself a former Stagecoach Manchester example) operating on 192s complete with destination display and with Stagecoach Manchester legal address but still with Metroline fleetnumbers.

Aren't these loan buses that have been returned to Stagecoach upon arrival of new buses to Metroline??

 

[GCH100]

Aren't these loan buses that have been returned to Stagecoach upon arrival of new buses to Metroline??

It is one of 4 vehicles that Stagecoach have taken back from Metroline, in order to cover School Contracts formerly operated by Metroline, due to driver shortages

 

[Leyland Bus]

It is one of 4 vehicles that Stagecoach have taken back from Metroline, in order to cover School Contracts formerly operated by Metroline, due to driver shortages

Which were only on loan to Metroline in the first place IIRC, so we're destined to return at some point anyway?

In Bolton news, former StreetDeck turned ElectroLiner 3501 has now returned. It is currently in the paintshop, devoid of fleetnumbers and will be spruced up prior to inspection by TfGM before it re enters service...

 

[citybus2500]

It is one of 4 vehicles that Stagecoach have taken back from Metroline, in order to cover School Contracts formerly operated by Metroline, due to driver shortages

Incorrect. They are operating duplicate morning school journeys for 2 weeks. Surprised to see one of them on the 192 though!

 

[Leyland Bus]

Which were only on loan to Metroline in the first place IIRC, so we're destined to return at some point anyway?

In Bolton news, former StreetDeck turned ElectroLiner 3501 has now returned. It is currently in the paintshop, devoid of fleetnumbers and will be spruced up prior to inspection by TfGM before it re enters service...

3501 is now officially numbered 2201...

Photo shows a rear shot of newly converted ElectroLiner 2201, formerly diesel StreetDeck 3501.

 

[Bungle965]

No questioning the allegiances of 80091 this afternoon!

(Photo showing a Manchester City themed next stop indicator)

 

[mayneway]

Aren't these loan buses that have been returned to Stagecoach upon arrival of new buses to Metroline??

Supposedly yes they are on loan to TFGM pending the arrival of more new vehicles and the installation of chargers.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Feb 2025 ==

Incorrect. They are operating duplicate morning school journeys for 2 weeks. Surprised to see one of them on the 192 though!

We’ve been told it’s for the short term future hence why the vehicles have returned to Stockport.
Stagecoach are also supplying upto 30 drivers to Metroline for the next 6 weeks to help with their driver problem.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Feb 2025 ==

Another interesting one today is that I didn't realise a Metroline Manchester vehicle can be transferred to a Stagecoach Depot if their short as that is indeed what has seemed to have happened today as about 13:10 this afternoon I spotted former Metroline Manchester E400 TE648 (Itself a former Stagecoach Manchester example) operating on 192s complete with destination display and with Stagecoach Manchester legal address but still with Metroline fleetnumbers.

The vehicles technically belong to or are rented to TFGM so they will move them where needed in the network.

 

[toms]

3501 is now officially numbered 2201...

Photo shows a rear shot of newly converted ElectroLiner 2201, formerly diesel StreetDeck 3501.

Has the EV sticker been placed upside down?

 

[MCRTransitYT]

Has the EV sticker been placed upside down?

Yes - meant to point downwards

 

[toms]

Yes - meant to point downwards

Wondered why it looked strange, thought it was some Mandela effect

 

[Leyland Bus]

Yes - meant to point downwards

Since corrected...

 

[317 forever]

I do see the case for buses to have such similar interiors to Metrolink trams, to give local public transport a unified image.

The only thing is, such an interior is already 15 years old. It might have been nice for a new interior to have been created for buses, and trams later refurbished to include similar interiors.

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

The vehicles technically belong to or are rented to TFGM so they will move them where needed in the network

As I understand it the TEs are still owned by Stagecoach and on loan from them to Metroline pending delivery of new vehicles. AFAIK the plan is for them to return to Stagecoach and be transferred elsewhere in the country

 

[toms]

I do see the case for buses to have such similar interiors to Metrolink trams, to give local public transport a unified image.

The only thing is, such an interior is already 15 years old. It might have been nice for a new interior to have been created for buses, and trams later refurbished to include similar interiors.

It’s not exactly the same..
The trams have blue dots on the seat moquette aswell as grey black and yellow like the buses. Trams have black and white flooring and the buses have grey

 

[MCRTransitYT]

Does anyone know what's happening with 6159? I'm guessing in for repaint but why has it been VOR for so long

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I do see the case for buses to have such similar interiors to Metrolink trams, to give local public transport a unified image.

The only thing is, such an interior is already 15 years old. It might have been nice for a new interior to have been created for buses, and trams later refurbished to include similar interiors.

They'd do well to fit the M5000s with the same TV style information displays as on the Bee Network buses, to be honest. They'd compliment the very basic LED well, providing far more information.

Surely the Metrolink (predominantly silver, let's face it) livery will become all over yellow and Bee Network branded soon?

 

[toms]

They'd do well to fit the M5000s with the same TV style information displays as on the Bee Network buses, to be honest. They'd compliment the very basic LED well, providing far more information.

Surely the Metrolink (predominantly silver, let's face it) livery will become all over yellow and Bee Network branded soon?

Supposedly what you state above with the screen next stop displays is supposed to be happening. Whether or not it does we don’t know.
To do with the Metrolink brand, they were supposed to go all over yellow, then the plan was only to repaint a few m5000s. Now I don’t think there are any plans at all to do with their liveries. Burnhams idea was just to put a Bee Network sticker on the side on his recent tweets. I quite like how it is now, and if you think about it, London’s buses are red, overground is orange and the trams are green, so instead of colours for us, what we have now in terms of yellow buses and spotty trams and different brand names is alright. There is yellow on trams signage and buses so it’s alright I guess

 

[TheSmiths82]

I have been on a few new Fleetdecks recently, now they must have at least 20,000 miles on them the engines are already sounding a bit nosier. You can really tell you're on a diesel bus and some how they seem to sound louder than the older ADL buses. My bus last night had the stop announcements on them but I really think they could do with being re-recorded with a proper local (but well spoken) accent. It starts to get a bit grating when you ever "the next stop is Uxfud Roooad" every few seconds. On a side note I have now noticed for the firs time that the Metroline services seem to be more reliable than when it was Stagecoach. Every bus I got this weekend was on time which was a rare thing in the old days.

 

[mayneway]

As I understand it the TEs are still owned by Stagecoach and on loan from them to Metroline pending delivery of new vehicles. AFAIK the plan is for them to return to Stagecoach and be transferred elsewhere in the country

They are owned by Stagecoach and are part of the TFGM vehicle pool, and are subsequently loaned to Metroline pending the arrival of more new vehicles and the installation of additional chargers at depots.

 

[mattyharding]

Hi, what buses do you think will replace the B5LHs out of Oldham Depot

 

[W176 XMA]

Hi, what buses do you think will replace the B5LHs out of Oldham Depot

Nothing, they're staying around for a while yet

 

[tomoufc]

I have been on a few new Fleetdecks recently, now they must have at least 20,000 miles on them the engines are already sounding a bit nosier. You can really tell you're on a diesel bus and some how they seem to sound louder than the older ADL buses. My bus last night had the stop announcements on them but I really think they could do with being re-recorded with a proper local (but well spoken) accent. It starts to get a bit grating when you ever "the next stop is Uxfud Roooad" every few seconds. On a side note I have now noticed for the firs time that the Metroline services seem to be more reliable than when it was Stagecoach. Every bus I got this weekend was on time which was a rare thing in the old days.

That sounds like the Northern announcement accent, which I take to be an East Lancashire one. I love it, and ‘well spoken’ is subjective. I’d certainly rather that than Received Pronunciation.

 

[TheSmiths82]

That sounds like the Northern announcement accent, which I take to be an East Lancashire one. I love it, and ‘well spoken’ is subjective. I’d certainly rather that than Received Pronunciation.

It was more like Rode, than Rooad (I was very tired when I wrote that, hence Fleetdecks and not Streetdecks) , it was a generic digital Doris voice. It sounds just like the ones on London buses and I am guessing they are using the same wordbank. I quite like the Northern train ones.

 

[toms]

It was more like Rode, than Rooad (I was very tired when I wrote that, hence Fleetdecks and not Streetdecks) , it was a generic digital Doris voice. It sounds just like the ones on London buses and I am guessing they are using the same wordbank. I quite like the Northern train ones.

It’s the Amazon Polly ivona Amy voice that they use. It’s AI genrated so you can get it to say anything rather than paying people to use their voices or recording new announcements constantly, it’s quicker too
It’s the same voice that National Express West Midlands use on their buses

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Mar 2025 ==

A question for anybody at Stagecoach Manchester. In terms of service numbers, TfGM states that the 67A and 33B services would be joining the Bee Network last year but I’ve never seen a Stagecoach bus use them, I’ve only see 67 and 33. Does anyone know why or have I just never seen them because I’ve searched for pictures and its only showing be when the routes were with Go Ahead

 

[Leyland Bus]

It was more like Rode, than Rooad (I was very tired when I wrote that, hence Fleetdecks and not Streetdecks) , it was a generic digital Doris voice. It sounds just like the ones on London buses and I am guessing they are using the same wordbank. I quite like the Northern train ones.

You might not, they appear to have changed them... it sounds like they've had younger people do the announcements now...

*my bold.

 

[WibbleWobble]

A question for anybody at Stagecoach Manchester. In terms of service numbers, TfGM states that the 67A and 33B services would be joining the Bee Network last year but I’ve never seen a Stagecoach bus use them, I’ve only see 67 and 33. Does anyone know why or have I just never seen them because I’ve searched for pictures and its only showing be when the routes were with Go Ahead

33B and 67A only run early mornings. 33B is literally one inbound journey.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

A question for anybody at Stagecoach Manchester. In terms of service numbers, TfGM states that the 67A and 33B services would be joining the Bee Network last year but I’ve never seen a Stagecoach bus use them, I’ve only see 67 and 33. Does anyone know why or have I just never seen them because I’ve searched for pictures and its only showing be when the routes were with Go Ahead

The 67A only runs in the very early morning (except Sundays when it runs for a bit longer), the 33B only runs at 5am on weekdays, so it's probably no suprise that there are no photos of a bus route that would probably only be seen in the dark.
They've definitely joined the Bee Network, if you look on Bustimes.org you can see that the buses that run the route belong to Stagecoach Bee Network and go on to run other Bee Network routes later in the same day.

 

[Cavendish1]

Can i ask a question to those in the know, is there any stipulations in contracts as to the exterior cleanliness of buses?

I only ask as Ashton has only half heartedly washed theirs twice since the commencement of tranche 3, hardly a good advertisement for the bee network?