Wellglade Group

[38291018]

First 11 due in October, remaining 10 early next year. Confirmed as Yutongs (some of them E12s) according to the Leicester Mercury.

Don't seen E12 mentioned specifically just that there's 2 types built by yutong and don't know if anyone has mentioned what type per bus for what route, however from this I assume that E9L are nearly guarenteed to be brought preferably kinch 5, campus/sprint as tighter roads needs the smaller bus which is a total pvr of 8/9 meaning only 1/2 spaces left depending if E9L is 10 or 11 batch which will allow for kinch2+spare 2 spares or just kinch2 or the spare as kinch 2 is 1 pvr

So E10/12 are nearly guareneed for kinch 11/12 and Kinch 9 as that's a total pvr of 7 meaning atleast 3 spares

So In all makes sence for there be 2 spares of each type making kinch 2 a E10/12route (although could be either) making E9L the 11 batch for 2 spares and E10/12 10batch with 2 spares as I don't see E10/12 having atleast 3 spares mabey 4 if E9L only has atleats 1 mabey 2.

Plus volvos+versa=9 as current as MMC spares are mostly skylinks so a batch of 10 E10/12 seems reasonable and solos/sr is currently 10 11 if include the burned down number 7 so makes sence to be a E9L batch of 11

Current pvr for the electrifying routes
2 = 1 pvr
5 = 2 pvr
9 = 3 pvr
11/12 = 4 pvr
Sprint/campus = 6/7 pvr

 

[Edvid]

Yutong bus model names refer to their length; the longer models (referred to as 12 metres long) will be E12s unless the LM quoted the wrong length.

 

[Trainman40083]

What date to they expect the charging infrastructure to be up and running at the Kinchbus depot?

Yutong bus model names refer to their length; the longer models (referred to as 12 metres long) will be E12s unless the LM quoted the wrong length.

I actually thought three lengths of Yutong would come, with the smallest E9L for the CS and Sprint .

 

[bringiton]

What date to they expect the charging infrastructure to be up and running at the Kinchbus depot?

They have had surveys of the depot done, given the ev's will be entering service towards the end of the year there is still time and I assume work's will start once all the planning applications have been submitted and approved. Hopefully it goes more smoothly than NCT's EV introduction did

 

[SSmith2009]

What date to they expect the charging infrastructure to be up and running at the Kinchbus depot?


I actually thought three lengths of Yutong would come, with the smallest E9L for the CS and Sprint .

I did wonder this myself as the article mentions cantilever seats so did think of Sprint (less normal seating giving more floorspace for standing passengers with the option of tip down seating if needed)

 

[MCR247]

I did wonder this myself as the article mentions cantilever seats so did think of Sprint (less normal seating giving more floorspace for standing passengers with the option of tip down seating if needed)

Cantilever seats are ‘normal’ seats - they aren’t tip up. The cantilever just means they’ll be mounted to the walls and not the floor. The main benefit of this is that it makes the floor easier to mop/keep clean. I don’t think they’d give any extra floor space for standing passengers

 

[Qwerty133]

Don't seen E12 mentioned specifically just that there's 2 types built by yutong and don't know if anyone has mentioned what type per bus for what route, however from this I assume that E9L are nearly guarenteed to be brought preferably kinch 5, campus/sprint as tighter roads needs the smaller bus which is a total pvr of 8/9 meaning only 1/2 spaces left depending if E9L is 10 or 11 batch which will allow for kinch2+spare 2 spares or just kinch2 or the spare as kinch 2 is 1 pvr

So E10/12 are nearly guareneed for kinch 11/12 and Kinch 9 as that's a total pvr of 7 meaning atleast 3 spares

So In all makes sence for there be 2 spares of each type making kinch 2 a E10/12route (although could be either) making E9L the 11 batch for 2 spares and E10/12 10batch with 2 spares as I don't see E10/12 having atleast 3 spares mabey 4 if E9L only has atleats 1 mabey 2.

Plus volvos+versa=9 as current as MMC spares are mostly skylinks so a batch of 10 E10/12 seems reasonable and solos/sr is currently 10 11 if include the burned down number 7 so makes sence to be a E9L batch of 11

Current pvr for the electrifying routes
2 = 1 pvr
5 = 2 pvr
9 = 3 pvr
11/12 = 4 pvr
Sprint/campus = 6/7 pvr

The 2 will almost certainly be E12s as it’s the priority for a Volvo at the minute. They currently have 9 larger buses for the non skylink routes and one of 107/108 is on the 9 at least half of the time at the minute and are still regularly using solo SRs on these routes so 11 E12s and 10 E9Ls would seem to make more sense.

 

[bringiton]

742 has entered service at Notts and derby.

 

[m79900]

742 has entered service at Notts and derby.

Do you think we'll see more follow?

 

[Trainman40083]

Do you think we'll see more follow?

Yes, like 745.

 

[38291018]

Other day I saw 2 or 3 littles enviro400 following eachother and was curious as i assume they still own them all but do littles still own D18, D21, D22, D24 and if so how come only D24 is listed on bustimes?

 

[Trainman40083]

Other day I saw 2 or 3 littles enviro400 following eachother and was curious as i assume they still own them all but do littles still own D18, D21, D22, D24 and if so how come only D24 is listed on bustimes?

Only buses with ticket machines would surely track? Littles fleet is predominantly used on contracts. Last time I went past there must have been at least 8 deckers there Enviro 400s, an ALX 400, Presidents.

 

[Lyle_Lanley]

About three or four years ago when Ian Morgan stepped back from the day to day business, he said that he had no interest in selling up. Historically, had there been realistic approaches to buy the business? Despite the challenges since Covid, as a KinchBus user (mostly on the Skylink and 9), I still find the service pretty reliable and very friendly.

 

[YX73OUB]

About three or four years ago when Ian Morgan stepped back from the day to day business, he said that he had no interest in selling up. Historically, had there been realistic approaches to buy the business? Despite the challenges since Covid, as a KinchBus user (mostly on the Skylink and 9), I still find the service pretty reliable and very friendly.

There's been numerous approaches to purchase the business over the years.

 

[49er]

About three or four years ago when Ian Morgan stepped back from the day to day business, he said that he had no interest in selling up. Historically, had there been realistic approaches to buy the business? Despite the challenges since Covid, as a KinchBus user (mostly on the Skylink and 9), I still find the service pretty reliable and very friendly.

Yes, but ... If you were a town bus user you might feel differently. Once again, this afternoon the 11 is a bus short. Kinch clearly still do not have enough buses. 715, which spent the morning on 11, switched to route 2 around 13:30, after 822 was taken off that route. Meanwhile, DRT 1031 has been out of action since 8 April. Kinch, presumably, cannot be seen to be failing to deliver the agreed level of service in West Rushcliffe, and has to find a bus from somewhere. Today that is being provided by Sprint vehicle 6, with 831, which might otherwise be expected to run on the town service, helping out on the campus shuttle. As ever, it is the town service that pays the price. The DRT vehicles do not seem to have a high level of reliability. I do not know the details of Kinch's deal with Notts County Council, but did they really expect both vehicles to be available 365 days a year? With no apparent spare capacity, the cost now clearly lies with users of the town service.

 

[bringiton]

Yes, but ... If you were a town bus user you might feel differently. Once again, this afternoon the 11 is a bus short. Kinch clearly still do not have enough buses. 715, which spent the morning on 11, switched to route 2 around 13:30, after 822 was taken off that route. Meanwhile, DRT 1031 has been out of action since 8 April. Kinch, presumably, cannot be seen to be failing to deliver the agreed level of service in West Rushcliffe, and has to find a bus from somewhere. Today that is being provided by Sprint vehicle 6, with 831, which might otherwise be expected to run on the town service, helping out on the campus shuttle. As ever, it is the town service that pays the price. The DRT vehicles do not seem to have a high level of reliability. I do not know the details of Kinch's deal with Notts County Council, but did they really expect both vehicles to be available 365 days a year? With no apparent spare capacity, the cost now clearly lies with users of the town service.

It's a pretty one off thing though nowadays. Most of the time it's full service unless one breaks down, then a spare is pretty quickly put on to replace it. 822 was guaranteed to be replaced with a volvo as well, probably why the volvo got put on 11 before switching over

 

[Trainman40083]

Yes, but ... If you were a town bus user you might feel differently. Once again, this afternoon the 11 is a bus short. Kinch clearly still do not have enough buses. 715, which spent the morning on 11, switched to route 2 around 13:30, after 822 was taken off that route. Meanwhile, DRT 1031 has been out of action since 8 April. Kinch, presumably, cannot be seen to be failing to deliver the agreed level of service in West Rushcliffe, and has to find a bus from somewhere. Today that is being provided by Sprint vehicle 6, with 831, which might otherwise be expected to run on the town service, helping out on the campus shuttle. As ever, it is the town service that pays the price. The DRT vehicles do not seem to have a high level of reliability. I do not know the details of Kinch's deal with Notts County Council, but did they really expect both vehicles to be available 365 days a year? With no apparent spare capacity, the cost now clearly lies with users of the town service.

Ah well , within a year, Kinchbus will have a new fleet (except for the DRT) vehicles. New electric buses for all except Skylink Derby, and more ADLs for Skylink. Then nearly all the "old" buses can be cascaded elsewhere. Maybe what is run depends on which routes make a profit.

 

[busspotter1]

Ah well , within a year, Kinchbus will have a new fleet (except for the DRT) vehicles. New electric buses for all except Skylink Derby, and more ADLs for Skylink. Then nearly all the "old" buses can be cascaded elsewhere. Maybe what is run depends on which routes make a profit.

More ADL's for the Skylink? New or used?

 

[liamf656]

More ADL's for the Skylink? New or used?

Brand new to replace the current fleet

Elsewhere, former X38 Volvo 742 and former TM Travel Solo 1202 are both now in service with Notts & Derby as of today

 

[Trainman40083]

Brand new to replace the current fleet

Elsewhere, former X38 Volvo 742 and former TM Travel Solo 1202 are both now in service with Notts & Derby as of today

The current Skylink Derby fleet are certainly clocking up the miles.

 

[cnjb8]

More ADL's for the Skylink? New or used?

Brand new to replace the current fleet

Elsewhere, former X38 Volvo 742 and former TM Travel Solo 1202 are both now in service with Notts & Derby as of today

Assuming the Mango's are being replaced too, is it 16 that have been ordered?

 

[bringiton]

Assuming the Mango's are being replaced too, is it 16 that have been ordered?

Yeah its 16 ordered for skylink derby

 

[joieman]

109 seems to have taken a bit of a bash today: I saw it being recovered from St. Margaret's Bus Station in Leicester with a smashed windscreen.

 

[49er]

Kinch town services 5 and 12 apparently to be rerouted south of the town in June. Biggest change will be on 5 which will run in a loop via Allendale Road and Haddon Way. 12 to be adjusted slightly to cover a couple of stops no longer be served by 5.

 

[joieman]

Kinch town services 5 and 12 apparently to be rerouted south of the town in June. Biggest change will be on 5 which will run in a loop via Allendale Road and Haddon Way. 12 to be adjusted slightly to cover a couple of stops no longer be served by 5.

I think the southern loop of the 5 is becoming so big that they should also introduce a service to run around the loop in an anticlockwise direction. What they'd do with the northern half is another matter

 

[Qwerty133]

Yeah its 16 ordered for skylink derby

So at least a couple of the current ones will be staying given there will be nothing else suitable in the Kinch fleet and it has a PVR of 16. At present a typical day sees between 15 and 17 of the 18 enviros in service (on days where 17 are in service one will be on a different route) however it is isn't uncommon to see 14 and 2 town spares making up the 16 so would probably make sense to have at least 3 if not 4 spares.

 

[bringiton]

So at least a couple of the current ones will be staying given there will be nothing else suitable in the Kinch fleet and it has a PVR of 16. At present a typical day sees between 15 and 17 of the 18 enviros in service (on days where 17 are in service one will be on a different route) however it is isn't uncommon to see 14 and 2 town spares making up the 16 so would probably make sense to have at least 3 if not 4 spares.

While its 16 ordered for skylink, im not sure how many are ordered extra for spares. Given the towns will be going electric it would make sense to get like you say 3 or 4 spare diesels for skylink.

 

[callum3490]

Would be surprised if any spares have been ordered for Skylink, more likely that either 107-109 will stay with kinch or maybe some of the current skylinks will stay on as spares depending on what the plan is for that batch

 

[bringiton]

Would be surprised if any spares have been ordered for Skylink, more likely that either 107-109 will stay with kinch or maybe some of the current skylinks will stay on as spares depending on what the plan is for that batch

There will be a plan in place for the fleet and where the current fleet will be allocated in the long term.

 

[49er]

It's a pretty one off thing though nowadays. Most of the time it's full service unless one breaks down, then a spare is pretty quickly put on to replace it. 822 was guaranteed to be replaced with a volvo as well, probably why the volvo got put on 11 before switching over

"One off" isn't quite the phrase that would spring to mind for the affected bus users. This afternoon we enjoyed almost an action replay of Monday's events - this time involving the 5. Made worse by the remaining vehicle on 5 running about 25 minutes late. At least on Monday Kinch eventually managed to post a 'cancelled' message against affected journeys. Today we had the bizarre situation of Kinchlive promising 3 journeys in the next hour - only the first of which was ever going to materialise.
I do agree things have improved greatly over the last 18 months, but there is still some way to go. At present we seem to be on a permanent knife-edge with passengers being let down far too often.
Other recent gaps in services were 17 February when 11 ran almost all day with just one vehicle, and 13 March when no buses at all ran on the 11 from mid-afternoon. The March event was made worse as - inexplicably - the two buses on 12 were allowed to run nose-to-tail over the same period : in effect delivering only 25% of the timetabled service on 11/12 combined. I am aware of these occasions as they affected journeys attempted by members of my household. I know other odd journeys have been missed, but am unable to say how bad (or good) the overall picture would be. But, judging by bus-stop conversations (there tend to be a lot of these when buses don't turn up) many users are still rather unimpressed, and look forward to the day when "one off" is indeed an apt description when the odd bus doesn't arrive.