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Post by rj131 on Mar 31, 2024 19:46:39 GMT
Manchester Route and Fleet Lists updated now Tranche 2 has kicked off
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Post by TB123 on Apr 1, 2024 15:21:04 GMT
It's disappointing that SME operators have failed to make headway in any of the three Tranches. I know that SME participation is a real concern in West Yorkshire so I wonder if some smaller franchises will be ringfenced specifically for SME operators, or if there will be some way of protecting their level of work? I bet Stagecoach are pleased to hold on to Stockport given their investment in EVs there. Surely with the introduction of a new scheme like this you would want large established operators running the work? There are a number of SME bus operators who are excellent at running quality bus services but less skilled at the intricacies of public sector procurement/bureaucracy, or unable to justify the high cost of consultants for bid submissions, which is what much of this comes down to. All over the UK there are lots of towns where the dominant operator is a smaller one that has replaced a bigger one - be that Thurrock (albeit Ensign recently became a big group division), King's Lynn, North West Surrey or Bracknell because they are often more efficient and nimble. I suspect franchising in West Yorkshire will likely see a lot more smaller operators getting work but I'd mostly put that down to the local bus market and it's economics.
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Post by twobellstogo on Apr 1, 2024 20:35:14 GMT
Manchester Route and Fleet Lists updated now Tranche 2 has kicked off Incredibly pleased to see duplicate route numbers being banished in Greater Manchester. Every county imo should insist on this.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 1, 2024 23:30:20 GMT
The Tranche 3 Operators have been confirmed. Source here. Hyde Road large franchise – Metroline Sharston large franchise – Metroline Wythenshawe large franchise – Metroline Stockport large franchise – Stagecoach Tameside large franchise – Metroline Tameside A small franchise – Go North West Tameside B small franchise – Diamond Trafford small franchise – Diamond Stockport small franchise – Diamond Metroline i believe will now the largest Greater Manchester operator. That's quite something! I was half expecting First to win a small franchise. I suspect there will be significant disappointment they've only ended up with Rochdale as I know they were going hell for leather for tranche 3. I think it will also raise Comfort DelGro from the #7 to the #6 largest bus operator in Britain. They stand out for being the only newcomer to win in Manchester alongside other incumbents, some through changes of depots.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 1, 2024 23:33:13 GMT
It's disappointing that SME operators have failed to make headway in any of the three Tranches. I know that SME participation is a real concern in West Yorkshire so I wonder if some smaller franchises will be ringfenced specifically for SME operators, or if there will be some way of protecting their level of work? I bet Stagecoach are pleased to hold on to Stockport given their investment in EVs there. I suspect that’s probably a solid reason why Stagecoach were able to hold onto Stockport. Quite apart from the 170 electric buses due for Stockport, it is also significant for not being adjacent to other depots won or retained by Stagecoach.
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 1, 2024 23:40:13 GMT
Once upon a time not too long ago a PVR of 39 would be dwarfed by routes in London. I'd also say the 192 might be the flagship Stagecoach route period. You do have others like the Dundee 73 and the London 25 but I'd say the 192 is the jewel in the crown. Yup, shows how far London’s buses have fallen from grace. 38 had PVR 72 25 had PVR 60 18 had PVR 53 Can’t remember the specific figures of any others but I’m pretty sure the 12, 29, 73, 149, 207, 279, 436 and 453 also had PVRs well north of 40 at one point. The 192 certainly is Stagecoach’s flagship route. More than half of my Manchester bus journeys have been on that route. The work Stagecoach have put into that route making it into the runaway success it’s become, just for it to go to another operator would really not have felt right While it is not as near to me as route 197, I end up using route 192 a lot more frequently despite the extra 12 minute walk. To clear up a matter of vehicles needed by Metroline, as Stagecoach are about to receive around 150 electric double-deckers at Stockport, I think this could lead to loans or disposals of some of the older double-decks - notably 08, 58 & 09 reg Stagecoach Manchester E400s - to Metroline until newer vehicles arrive. Just like Stagecoach are purchasing some E400-MMCs for Bee Network to Bee Network spec (I saw 11817 in Manchester on Sunday just before catching the coach to London), so I think Metroline will similarly purchase some vehicles of their choice.
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Post by busoccultation on Apr 15, 2024 16:00:24 GMT
As your quite knowledgeable about Manchester, is there any indication what routes these are going on and are these routes mainly town work or cross country? No idea, the bee network thus far doesn’t really have buses allocated to specific routes, they’re only allocated to whole garages and work the routes within them. (With the exception of Vantage buses only working the vantage to due to needing adapted buses for the guided busway) So whichever depots they’re headed to they’ll likely work all the double deck routes in the depots. But I’m not sure which specific depots they’re headed to yet as soon as I find out I’ll post them. Might need to make a whole new thread somewhere for Metroline Manchester as I’m sure we’ll hear a lot about it in the coming months Taken from the Metroline thread: From what I can see on Go North West part of the Tranche 1 and I don't know if this is just a GNW thing, but they do have set alloacations onto certain routes, like the BYD electrics at Bolton are generally used on the 36, 37 & 471, the ex London E400's are used on the 609 in Wigan that was recently renumbered from the 9 and when GNW had the ex RATP Scanias they spent most of the time on the 163, which now uses a mix of ex London WVL's and the Streetdecks new to Diamond while the Scanias moved to Queens Road with Stagecoach.
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Post by VMH2452 on Apr 15, 2024 16:16:21 GMT
Hopefully they are the OM936 variant rather than the OM934 which has been the default for a while. I haven’t used one of the now-GNW StreetDecks but I’ve heard they aren’t actually bad vehicles. I thought only 1 particular Streetdeck at Go North West had the uprated specs with the rest all being bog standard? Moved from the Metroline thread. Yes I should have made it clearer what I meant. The vehicles I believe are OM934 but aren’t as bad as other pre-administration StreetDecks from what I’ve heard. I’m yet to sample one and probably unlikely to as none of the GNW routes they run on are useful to me.
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Post by greenboy on Apr 17, 2024 12:45:41 GMT
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Post by MetrolineGA1511 on Apr 20, 2024 5:22:01 GMT
So vjaska many routes being taken over by Metroline include the following:- This list is not necessarily complete. All routes I have listed serve central Manchester unless otherwise stated. Hyde Road (currently Stagecoach) 15, 42/42a/42b/42c, 201-206, 250, 255 Sharston (currently Stagecoach) 43, 50, 101, 102. Route 43 seems likely to retain current BYDs. Ashton (currently Stagecoach) 216, 219, 230/231 and other local routes including routes 7/330 to Stockport. Wythenshawe (currently Arriva) 263 and local routes mainly around Altrincham & Sale.
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Post by VMH2452 on Apr 20, 2024 14:09:18 GMT
So vjaska many routes being taken over by Metroline include the following:- This list is not necessarily complete. All routes I have listed serve central Manchester unless otherwise stated. Hyde Road (currently Stagecoach) 15, 42/42a/42b/42c, 201-206, 250, 255 Sharston (currently Stagecoach) 43, 50, 101, 102. Route 43 seems likely to retain current BYDs. Ashton (currently Stagecoach) 216, 219, 230/231 and other local routes including routes 7/330 to Stockport. Wythenshawe (currently Arriva) 263 and local routes mainly around Altrincham & Sale. The list of routes that were included in the initial ITTs when they went out in 2020 are listed here. Since then there have been numerous route changes, withdrawals but for the most part it is correct. There are some routes that aren't listed that did exist and still will exist due to being crosslinked to other routes.
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