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Perhaps the electric double deckers are there for type training,if they're different to the single deckers in any way.

More news on the tender front has been released. This actually emerged on Friday afternoon and large is good news for most of the operators concerned. 

Firstly the E1 has been regained by Metroline who will return it to Greenford after a decade away. London United have lost the route and it will be run with existing buses in the Metroline fleet as yet to be determined. This starts at the end of May on the same day as the E6 moves out to Abellio. 

Arriva London is breathing a huge sigh of relief as six routes were held. Hybrids are due to be allocated to the 66,103 and 370 on the start of their next contracts and with all three routes at Grays it largely secures the future of the Essex garage. They've also held the 34 and SL1 at Palmers Green and both are to get new electric buses. Enfield has held the 192 with their existing buses.

Stagecoach London has held the 257 at Leyton and it will get new electric buses too.

Finally New Cross in South London has held onto three busy routes. The 36 and 343 will keep their existing hybrid buses however they held the 172 on the basis of it getting new electric buses. 

As for the dates of starting these,the 257 is in October,the Arriva London routes are to begin on varying dates between late August and early November while the three routes at NX are to start next year. 

When driving today I seen a Sheffield branded streetdeck in Leicester with special on the display. Anyone know anything?

Rail replacement until the weekend,specifically the trams.

Has anyone heard when the electric double deckers are due for Leicester?

Well couldn't platform loops work for the Binley station (I can't see them calling it Willenhall as there is the new Willenhall station opening soon in Wolvo, and two in the Midlands sounds like a job lot!) so if Avanti do reinstate the third train, WMR services can stop at the Coventry East Station and be out of the way of fast running services running in the through lines?

If the stopper,on departure from Coventry,is only a few minutes behind the Avanti service it wouldn't really matter when it's timed. Likewise at Rugby too. 

Forgot to mention that routes SL2 and SL3 start over the next few weeks. The latter brings NB4L buses to the outer reaches of South East London running between Thamesmead and Bromley and Stagecoach London is to run it from Bromley from next weekend. The following week the SL2 starts and is to run from North Woolwich to Walthamstow-via Barking and Ilford-and is to be run by Arriva London using some of the HA buses recently made available when Brixton lost the 133 and 333. Incidentally the 69 used to run to North Woolwich until about the start of the century. That starts the following week and bustimes.org has timetables for the SL3 on its website now. 

Some more tender news from London. Routes 90,222,323 and H13 have been given new contracts today. All have been retained by their current operators, which with the exception of the 323-run by Stagecoach London-are operated by Metroline.

Route 90 will get new electric buses in time,the 222 keeps its current Volvo hybrids,the 323-which already has electric buses-will keep them while the H13 keeps its current midibuses.

Contracts start at varying dates with the 90 beginning at the end of August and the 323 not starting until early January next year.

Isn't this ultimately the x3 and Litchfield to Burton x12 today, remember the 112 being in town, also remember the X12 when Midland Classic Ran it to Sutton as used to be able to get to Derby in 2 buses X12 and X38

Possibly. Others who know better can confirm or not.

Going back even further I remember the

X12 Birmingham to Burton

Didn't that become the 112 ultimately?

Must be a nightmare for the scheduling when 20 of your buses are not available.

During holiday periods you can negate it as a result of no schoolbuses running.  

Quick question. Does anyone have a rough idea when Arriva will launch their electric double deckers? I'm looking at a very long overdue visit to Leicester....... 

T

I don't think Galton bridge would be a problem, I think more Rolfe street would be.

That's the one I meant. 

Oh will probably be Birmingham new street to Liverpool then,

Would the 5 car 730s fit on the Walsall to Wolverhampton line I know stations like Sandwell and Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton possibly, Birmingham new street they will fit but stations like bescot stadium, hamstead, I wonder if a 5 car would fit onto the platform.

Smethwick? 

Second fatality at Victoria within 2 years involving an Evoseti on the 13 may the Victim RIP
https://www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68127283.amp?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIUAKwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17065756491006&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com

The irony is that it was closed before Christmas to improve safety. 

I remember someone trying to jump the queue in front of me and I told them in no uncertain terms to go to the back. They cussed under their breath at me-but the funny thing was they didn't get on.....because the bus was full!!! Oh the irony.....