Transdev Blazefield

[Dallamlad]

Indeed they are but there are three branded singles and the PVR is six I believe or at least it was before the timetable change and COVID.

Hotline is interesting. I assumed earlier this year they would get Witch Way cast offs but everyone seems to think they are going to about six different places!

 

[Andyh82]

I feel the single decks on the RedEx at the moment are pretty well suited. Although I believe there are only three of them at Intack, will this be enough once the route gets back running to normal timetables?

If the WW B9s end up in Yorkshire, is there anything else that could be cascaded to take over on the 152? Only deckers I can think of that are 'free' would be the ex RedEx/CityZaps B7TLs... but surely not!

The Red Express/Cityzap buses are actually about 18 months older than the current Hotline buses

And also isn’t the Pendle Wizz supposed to be every 30 mins when things go back to normal, so it’ll need 5 buses.

 

[Aaron Ashton]

If they do keep the old Cityzap buses, I wonder if they would reseat them as 2+1 leather seats wouldn’t be ideal for schools.

Maybe they will get the best of the 12 mechanically (say for instance half) and use the other half for seats and upseat them...would be ideal for schoolwork then...

 

[Aaron Ashton]

Latest small talk is out and confirms Hotline will get an upgrade later this year.

Also talks about the Red Express upgrade. Will be interesting to see if the deckers make a return and in what livery!
View attachment 79020

Technically speaking weren't the 3 PJ05 Pendle Wizz B7s classed as high-spec when it was announced? If so, couldn't the current Hotline fleet be used to convert a route to DD operation (as long as it doesn't serve a LEZ....theSHUTTLE for example, they could cut the frequency whilst introducing double deckers....wouldn't be the first time they've 'upgraded' a route in that fashion....) I know that would then allow some of the BF63s to move onto Hotline and the remainder on Aireline. The displaced Versas could then form part of the new Airport fleet (maybe)....

 

[M60lad]

Weren't the Red Express/CityZap Volvo B7TLs actually bought new for the 36 Leeds-Ripon services?

 

[SCH117X]

Weren't the Red Express/CityZap Volvo B7TLs actually bought new for the 36 Leeds-Ripon services?

Yes and substantially rebuilt including new engines and gear boxes around 10 years ago.

 

[JetBlast]

I was reading on Twitter that some of the Rosso routes now no longer accept contactless payments (despite be advertised as doing so). I was wondering if anyone knows the reason please?

 

[RustySpoons]

I was reading on Twitter that some of the Rosso routes now no longer accept contactless payments (despite be advertised as doing so). I was wondering if anyone knows the reason please?

Could it not have just been a technical issue? Would be a massive step back removing the contactless option, especially after encouraging contactless payment this last few months.

Unless they've used some of the contactless Ticketers for Burnley services?

 

[Andyh82]

Some Rosso buses do have older ticketer machines that don’t have the bit where you can scan QR codes, so it might be that?

These machines pre date the Transdev take over

 

[RustySpoons]

Yorkshire Coastliner has won the oddly titled 'World Cup of British Bus Companies Englands best bus Route 2020' award.



Although this response from Martijn Gilbert whose apparently (in the words of Transdev) 'far less interesting' route beat The 36 made me smile...



It'd have been interesting to see how the results would have gone if AH hadn't asked for votes though.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Yorkshire Coastliner has won the oddly titled 'World Cup of British Bus Companies Englands best bus Route 2020' award.

View attachment 79196

Although this response from Martijn Gilbert whose apparently (in the words of Transdev) 'far less interesting' route beat The 36 made me smile...

View attachment 79197

It'd have been interesting to see how the results would have gone if AH hadn't asked for votes though.

To be fair, Martijn Gilbert wasn't backward in asking for votes either

https://twitter.com/MartijnGNE/status/1266337401804394496?cxt=HHwWgMC8hYvK95IjAAAA

It's just a bit of fun anyway and being honest, there are a few suspicious results:

• Stagecoach 508 that goes through some stunning Lake District scenery gets a third of the votes compared to the GNE 10 that spends most of its time grinding through a large chunk of Tyneside before it finally has a little run through the countryside.
• CityZap being better than the Stagecoach Yorkshire X17 despite having lesser vehicles and mainly trundling along the A64
• GNE X30 better than Arriva's X18 - never in a month of Sundays.

A few stewards enquiries there!!! Suspect there's a few in jokes and oneupmanship going on there.

 

[RustySpoons]

Good spot, didn't see that one!

 

[Alexbus12]

Yorkshire Coastliner has won the oddly titled 'World Cup of British Bus Companies Englands best bus Route 2020' award.

View attachment 79196

Are we to expect this new award to be on a sticker on every coastliner bus now? "Coastliner: the winner of the 2020 Covid19 isolation Twitter bus route competition"

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Are we to expect this new award to be on a sticker on every coastliner bus now? "Coastliner: the winner of the 2020 Covid19 isolation Twitter bus route competition"

It's a bit of fun - not taken seriously

 

[duncombec]

It's a bit of fun - not taken seriously

If there isn't some reference to Rochester Cathedral winning the twitter "World Cup of Cathedral Organ Cases" when it reopens I'll be very disappointed!

Of course it's just a bit of fun and lightheartedness. The industry is going to need all the public engagement it can muster once we are finally allowed back on a bus again, and even if it has just been enthusiasts and avid followers of certain bus company managers involved, anything is better than nothing.

I'm sure there must be a scenic route somewhere south of Derbyshire, mind...

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

If there isn't some reference to Rochester Cathedral winning the twitter "World Cup of Cathedral Organ Cases" when it reopens I'll be very disappointed!

Of course it's just a bit of fun and lightheartedness. The industry is going to need all the public engagement it can muster once we are finally allowed back on a bus again, and even if it has just been enthusiasts and avid followers of certain bus company managers involved, anything is better than nothing.

I'm sure there must be a scenic route somewhere south of Derbyshire, mind...

I shall refrain from making some puerile organ related innuendo.....and I too look forward to seeing the opening

The Needles Breezer on the Isle of Wight was in the final, and the 50 Purbeck Breezer was in the last four. Both rather superb routes dahn saaarf. Not quite so certain why the East Yorkshire 121 got in there. It's not bad from Scarborough to Brid but find it fairly dull after that. There are some nice bits to the Wolds and East Yorkshire TBH but not convinced the 121 reaches them!!!

Transdev have some good routes for scenery. The Coastliner over the Whitby is rightly lauded and I've mentioned the B3 from Keighley to Hebden Bridge as being a good run. However, for a slightly esoteric one, think the 8 from Burnley to Tod via Bacup is a good one, even if the vehicles are a little careworn.

 

[4cryingoutloud]

However, for a slightly esoteric one, think the 8 from Burnley to Tod via Bacup is a good one, even if the vehicles are a little careworn.

You know your stuff Mr Wazoo - three river basins, a windfarm or two and an astronomy observatory - at less than an hour end-to-end, the 8 must be a contender in the bang-for-bucks stakes!

 

[Dallamlad]

Latest talk shop TV is out.

Biggest thing to note from a Lancs/GM point of view is they are looking to move the Rochdale operations to another site (in Rochdale) as doing up the current yard is to expensive.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

You know your stuff Mr Wazoo - three river basins, a windfarm or two and an astronomy observatory - at less than an hour end-to-end, the 8 must be a contender in the bang-for-bucks stakes!

How did not see an observatory!!! It's a little cracker of a route though, and you end up in Tod (which is nice)

 

[4cryingoutloud]

How did not see an observatory!!! It's a little cracker of a route though, and you end up in Tod (which is nice)

Just over the border in Yorkshire. It's only a little place - sadly not open during the route's daylight operating hours, otherwise it would have featured more in publicity over the years I'm sure!

 

[upasalmon]

One thing Transdev Blazefield could do with is a tidy up of the fleet number system Single decks could be 1-1999, double decks 2xxx and York open tops as now 40xx.

Volvo B10BLEs in the 5xx series moved to the vacant numbers in the 10xx series, Volvo B7s 450-455 become 1750-5. 5xx series cleared for more new SDs , some numbers already allocated to ADL E200s.

Double Decks 100 to become 2400, other 4xx DDs become 24xx, 36xx DDs to become 26xx. Dennis Tridents in 20xx (four in all) move to 28xx numbers. This would clear a huge reserve for new DDs (2000-2399). What do others think?

 

[Stan Drews]

One thing Transdev Blazefield could do with is a tidy up of the fleet number system Single decks could be 1-1999, double decks 2xxx and York open tops as now 40xx.

Volvo B10BLEs in the 5xx series moved to the vacant numbers in the 10xx series, Volvo B7s 450-455 become 1750-5. 5xx series cleared for more new SDs , some numbers already allocated to ADL E200s.

Double Decks 100 to become 2400, other 4xx DDs become 24xx, 36xx DDs to become 26xx. Dennis Tridents in 20xx (four in all) move to 28xx numbers. This would clear a huge reserve for new DDs (2000-2399). What do others think?

I think the only people that like tidy fleet numbers are the enthusiasts that want to put them in a neat spreadsheet. For most operators it’s largely an irrelevance.

 

[upasalmon]

I think the only people that like tidy fleet numbers are the enthusiasts that want to put them in a neat spreadsheet. For most operators it’s largely an irrelevance.

Unlike the vast 2003 Stagecoach scheme, my Transdev

 

[upasalmon]

Unlike the vast 2003 Stagecoach scheme, my Transdev scheme is only a PARTIAL scheme, most numbers wouldn't change. It makes sense to put all similar types together.

 

[Tetchytyke]

What do others think?

Fleet numbers are an internal way of identifying a vehicle, nothing more. Unless Transdev move to a national fleet record, like First and Stagecoach did, there's no point spending time and money in renumbering stuff.

 

[Stan Drews]

Unlike the vast 2003 Stagecoach scheme, my Transdev

That was primarily done to suit their group wide Fleet Management Software. Nothing to do with enthusiasts, although they did have somebody sensible devise the scheme, hence why it made some sense ...unlike the later First Group attempt.

 

[Andyh82]

That was primarily done to suit their group wide Fleet Management Software. Nothing to do with enthusiasts, although they did have somebody sensible devise the scheme, hence why it made some sense ...unlike the later First Group attempt.

Of course First took the attitude of, “its just a number, it doesn’t matter what it is” when they renumbered the first few fleets in numerical order based on how they were numbered currently. Then they had second thoughts and came up with something more sensible for the remaining fleets.

As it is, Transdev doesn’t need renumbering, the fleet is fairly small, and most of it is logical.

 

[SCH117X]

The numbering of double deckers in the 400s is a left over from when Coastliner was dealt differently and once those are withdrawn will cease. The 36xx series originally was for vehicles new to the 36 but now covers also covers Coastliner and presumably denotes those with added features; if so then the new Witchway vehcles will probably be in that series.

 

[Deerfold]

Of course First took the attitude of, “its just a number, it doesn’t matter what it is” when they renumbered the first few fleets in numerical order based on how they were numbered currently. Then they had second thoughts and came up with something more sensible for the remaining fleets.

As it is, Transdev doesn’t need renumbering, the fleet is fairly small, and most of it is logical.

Is that the sensible scheme that gave their buses in London 7 or 8 character codes?

 

[Stan Drews]

The numbering of double deckers in the 400s is a left over from when Coastliner was dealt differently and once those are withdrawn will cease. The 36xx series originally was for vehicles new to the 36 but now covers also covers Coastliner and presumably denotes those with added features; if so then the new Witchway vehcles will probably be in that series.

I would be surprised if the new ADLs for the WitchWay were numbered in the same series as the Volvos in the 36xx series. Both sides of the Pennines have tended to have their own numbering systems, but of course there have been various subsequent transfers between the two over the years. In a relatively small company, it doesn’t really cause any issues.