D&G Bus

[KarlX96]

Updated route list for D&G bus

Cheshire Area
Free Bus (Crewe Bus Station-Tesco Extra Crewe)
1/1A/1B (Crewe Business Park-Nantwich via Crewe, Ashbank, Leighton Hospital & Marshfield)
5/6 Macclesfield-Weston & Upton Prior)
6 (Leighton Hospital-Shavington via Crewe, Brookhouse Estate & Rope)
6M (Wistaston-Malbank School via Shavington & Nantwich) term time only
7 (Crewe-Elm Drive) partly replacing service 9
8 and 8A Wistaston-Elm Green via Crewe & Sydney) 8A replaces other part of service 9
12 (Crewe-Leighton Hospital via Coppenhall) New Service from 24 Aug 15
32 (Crewe-Sandbach via Warmingham)
38 (Nantwich-Macclesfield via Marshfield, Ashbank, Crewe, Haslington, Sandbach & Congleton)
61 (Buerton-Brine Leas High School) Term Time Only
78 (Nantwich-Scholar Green via Leighton Hospital, Sandbach, Alsager & Rode Heath)
85/85B (Crewe-Newcastle via Bridgemere Garden World, Madeley & Keele University)
94 (Congleton-Newcastle via Biddulph, Tunstall & Wolstanton)
300 (Knutsford Town Service)
315 (Rode Heath-Congleton via Alsager, Kidsgrove & Scholar Green)
321 (Red Bull-Newcastle via Scholar Green, Rode Heath & Alsager)
K51A (Betchton-Sandbach School) term time only
SB1 (Sandbach-Cookesmere Lane) Circular
SB2 (Sandbach-Sandbach Heath) Circular
SB3 (Sandbach-Elworth) Circular



Staffordshire and Stone Area
The Orange One (Newcastle-Meir via Stone & Longton)
9 (Biddulph-Clayton via Bradeley, Hanley, Stoke, Royal Stoke University & Newcastle)
9E (Biddulph-Hanley via Bradeley) Monday-Friday, Saturday and Good Friday evenings, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday
12 (Fulford-Newport via Blythe Bridge, Meir Heath, Longton, Barlaston, Stone & Eccleshall)
13 (Stone-Stafford via Norton Bridge & Seighford)
13A (Stone-Stafford via Yarnfield, Swynnerton, Eccleshall & Norton Bridge)
13B (Stone-Stafford via Norton Bridge)
14 (Norton-Stone via Bradeley, Hanley, Trentham Lakes, Trentham & Barlaston)
X14 (Hanley-Stafford via Trentham Gardens, Stone & Eccleshall)
X14A (Hanley-Eccleshall via Trentham Lakes, Newstead, Barlaston & Stone)
X14B (Hanley-Stafford via Trentham, Barlaston, Stone, Eccleshall & Norton Bridge)
15 (Newport-Stone via Eccleshall, Swynnerton, Cranberry, Eccleshall, Stafford, Hilderstone)
15A (Newport-Stone via Market Drayton, Croxton, Eccleshall, Stafford & Hilderstone)
15B (Newport-Stone via Norbury Junction, Eccleshall, Stafford & Hilderstone)
16 (Hanley-Leek via Werrington, Cellarhead & Cheddleton)
16A (Cellarhead-Westwood College via Cheddleton & Leek) Term time only
17 (Hanley-Newcastle via Wolstanton & Bradwell)
22A (Longton-Newstead via Dresden)
31 (Hanley-Leek via Longton, Meir, Blythe Bridge, Cheadle, Froghall & Ipstones)
33/33A (Newcastle-Westlands)
35 (Newcastle-Chesterton via Cross Heath)
41 (Birches Head-Hanley)
43 (Hanley-Baddeley Green via Milton)
73 (Newcastle-Park Site via Silverdale)
74 (Newcastle-Audley via Silverdale & Alsagers Bank)
74A (Newcastle-Audley via Knutton, Silverdale & Alsagers Bank)
74E (Newcastle-Audley via Knutton, Silverdale, Park Site & Alsagers Bank)   
93 (Leek-Gillow Heath via Endon, Brown Edge, Biddulph Moor & Biddulph)
94 (Congleton-Newcastle via Biddulph, Tunstall & Wolstanton)
116 (Leek-Cheddleton)
315 (Rode Heath-Congleton via Alsager, Kidsgrove & Scholar Green)
321 (Red Bull-Newcastle via Scholar Green, Rode Heath & Alsager)
401 (Bentilee-St Thomas More High School) term time only
442 (Ball Green-Excel Academy) term time only
841 (Uttoxeter-Stafford via Hixon & Great Haywood)
841A (Hixon-Stafford via Colwich & Great Haywood)
842 (Stafford-Rugeley via Hopton, Weston, Hixon, Great Haywood & Colwich)
842A (Stafford-Longton via Hopton, Weston, Sandon, Stone & Meir Heath)
BS1 (Smallthorne-Britannia Stadium via Hanley & Stoke Station) Football Season only operates on Stoke City home match days) 
S1 (Stone-Stonefield)
S2 (Stone-Oulton)
S3 (Stone-Aston Lodge)
S4 (Stone-Cherryfields)
S5 (Stone-Walton)
S6 (Cherryfields-Stone Schools via Aston Lodge) Term time only
X15 (Hanley-Buxton via Baddeley Green, Endon, Leek & Blackshaw Moor)

[Ashley 60171]

I see that D&G now have two new 10.8m Optare Metrocity buses - YJ65 EVP / YJ65 EVR - i am not sure yet what routes that these will be allocated to.

They are for service 16 (Hanley - Leek)

[countryliner]

If anyone is interested here is an article about the new Optare Metrocity buses - YJ65 EVP and YJ65 EVR - for D&G bus.

http://www.optare.com/news/2015/12/8/dg-bus-choose-optare-metrocity

[Ashley 60171]

JJZ 5291 and W304EYG were withdrawn after service on new years eve.

[PM]

Now DDA is met, D & G have a very modern operational fleet, even if some of it could well be leased. It's interesting some of the ex Arriva DAF deckers have already been withdrawn.

Sales of the MetroCity appear to have picked up quite well, with a few loyal customers building up, like GHA, Richards Coaches, Manchester Airport etc. Ironically it's proved more popular outside London than in London where it was actually designed for. Wonder if it's just come at the expense of the Versa though, like the Versa finished off the Tempo back in 2008/9 ish.

Apparently the Versa is now being billed as a premium product for very specific applications, the MetroCity is the bog standard product. Looks good though!

[countryliner]

@DiamondDart - Yes the Optare Metrocity seems to have become a very popular vehicle. So far 73 of them have been built with many more on order. Also as you say it is now more popular outside of London than it is within London. It is certainly a very nice and smart looking vehicle. It would be nice if they made an 8.8m version. I wonder if D&G will order anymore. The Optate Tempo and Optare Tempo SR do not seem to be very popular anymore which is a shame.

[PM]

@DiamondDart - Yes the Optare Metrocity seems to have become a very popular vehicle. So far 73 of them have been built with many more on order. Also as you say it is now more popular outside of London than it is within London. It is certainly a very nice and smart looking vehicle. It would be nice if they made an 8.8m version. I wonder if D&G will order anymore. The Optate Tempo and Optare Tempo SR do not seem to be very popular anymore which is a shame.

8.8M encroaches onto Solo SR market though...

[countryliner]

@DiamondDart - Yes i see what you mean. But some operators might want to buy an 8.8m Door Forward bus (as the Optare Solo and Optare Solo SR are Wheel Forward buses). I think that if they did introduce an 8.8m version of the Optare Metrocity it could really help them compete with other manufacturers such as Alexander Dennis.

[PM]

Optare with its lower volumes will always struggle to compete against ADL and Wright except in niche areas. The Solo was a niche that served Optare well until Wright made the WF StreetLite, the Tempo did ok as a relatively lightweight product but got outdated quickly despite looking nice. The Versa was lengthened and it's USP was low weight, Wrights took that on with the StreetLite MAX.

EV buses were a niche they did well on, hybrids likewise. They're obviously hoping the lower weight of their decker vs other manufacturers is enough to win them some orders!

[countryliner]

@DiamondDart - Yes the fully 100% electric EV buses do seem to be quite popular recently. It would be great if more bus operators bought these electric buses.

[PM]

Look what happened to DeCourcey once the funding for PRS ended, they finished up struggling to find work for electric buses. The technology's still really in test-phase and works in very specific applications, Arriva in Milton Keynes I believe have made it work with the charging points installed.

[countryliner]

@DiamondDart - Yes but i can see fully electric buses becoming more and more popular in the future.

[T840MAK]

OrangeONE E200s seem to be everywhere, there's one on the X14 and then 113 is on the 43. Two Y reg MPDs filling in on the OrangeONE

Also seems to be a Metrocity off the road as Solo 143(?) MX58KZK is on the 16 in place of one.

[countryliner]

@T840MAK - That is interesting to hear. I suppose that one of the Optare Metrocity buses might have just been put on a different route.

[T840MAK]

OrangeONE E200s seem to be everywhere, there's one on the X14 and then 113 is on the 43. Two Y reg MPDs filling in on the OrangeONE

Also seems to be a Metrocity off the road as Solo 143(?) MX58KZK is on the 16 in place of one.

Further to this, 9 branded Versa 161 (iirc) was on X15 with plain white E200 100 subbing onto 9s.
16s looked to be two Solos however did see a MetroCity leaving Hanley in the evening out of service and it looks like the PVR of the 16 is actually 3.