Quote from: Mayfield on May 16, 2024, 09:48:26 PMIf they do return to service next week better be quick to get a photo as I bet they don't last a weekYou're always positive about the Hydrogen buses aren't you !
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Show posts MenuQuote from: Mayfield on May 16, 2024, 09:48:26 PMIf they do return to service next week better be quick to get a photo as I bet they don't last a weekYou're always positive about the Hydrogen buses aren't you !
Quote from: Stu on May 12, 2024, 09:53:16 AM@Tony that article I posted on my Facebook page yesterday has definitely attracted a lot of negative/ignorant comments for some reason!Some (actually a lot) of the comments were unsubstantiated rubbish, these new Electric buses are the future, they are comfortable, quite and fairly quick. When the Platinums arrived they were the most impressive buses since the Timesaver metrobuses from 1986. For me the new Electrics are even better. The only problem with them is their seating capacity is a bit low at 65 which is 8 less than a Platinum and 12 less than an Enviro, the main daytime will be fine, but peaks may struggle, buses going towards Perry Barr are carrying more than a year ago. I hoping than come September there will be peak frequency increases on the 33 and 907. If passenger numbers are increasing the last thing we need is them been put off by packed buses especially with Parker on the prowl.
Quote from: BlackCountryBusSpotter on May 09, 2024, 11:52:28 AMHe had already trialed it to with the 31 and 32 in Walsall the 42, 43, 43A in West Bromwich and the 40 in West Bromwich. Only really the 31 and 32 worked and maybe the 40 but if I'm right Diamond didn't want to run in the partnership anymore. So they now operate the 42, NX the 43 the 43A was scrapped. The 40 is still NX and Diamond and the 31 and 32 is NX and Diamond but I believe NX have more journeys on the 32 than Diamond who match or slightly better NX on the 31These were agreed partnerships, not franchises
Quote from: SO6597 on May 08, 2024, 07:44:42 PMI was flicking through the 1986 WMPTE fleet list booklet just now and there's a section on routes that had been registered by WMT in the spring for October. It was organised by garage and in the YW section it shows the following:I think the 77 and 78 were to replace the 27 using double deckers which would of meant rerouting away from Bournville Station, Midland Red West intended to register the 27 in some form on competition with WMT
77 Northfield to Kings Heath
78 Cotteridge to Kings Heath
I'm assuming that the 78 became the retained and extended 27 and I know there was an old 77 that went from Kings Heath to Longbridge but can anyone shed more light on what these routes were intended to be? It also shows the 49 running from Solihull to Rubery and not Northfield, was this part of the mix too?
Also, were there any other routes/changes that were registered but didn't happen in the end (either WMT or MRW)?
Quote from: Tony on May 08, 2024, 08:50:18 PMDo you have figures to show that?I bet he doesn't
Quote from: Tony on May 08, 2024, 08:17:21 AMOnly 3 garages now aren't fully staffed and lost mileage due to breakdowns or no bus is less 1% so not much more NX can do about reliability other than get more electric buses into service which seem to be doing very well at Coventry. All other reliability is down to roads and traffic, like this morning with Six Ways Aston underpass closed causing chaos for all Birchfield Road services, but to someone in Aldridge complaining the 997 is late towards Walsall, that will still be NX's faultYes I was stuck in that this morning, I pleaded with the bus driver on the 907 to go onto the bus lanes but he said no it's a designated route, meanwhile x51/936/997 were using bus lanes. Before I asked him 4863 was on the 51 right in front of us at Perry Barr Bragg Road and he got into City only a few mins late whereas our 907 was nearly 30 mins late.
Quote from: Celestial Toymaker on May 04, 2024, 08:39:48 PMwell, Labour are in IT'S OFFICIAL (just announced) so lets see how much of Andy Streets mess, they can clear up ???So you think this will be the golden bullet that the buses need do you ?
Quote from: Wba_lad on April 28, 2024, 08:11:22 PMI've been seeing all over the news about people moaning about the "outer circle", do you think it will ever go back to being the full circle or will it cause to many issues on the national express side.There were reasons why the 11A/C was split up in the first place, It was originally due to major roadworks in Perry Barr at that time (2021). This arrangement has improved reliability to an extent which is why it is still running now. The idea if it going back to the full circle would reduce reliability more than what it was in 2021, so it should be left alone.
Quote from: ellspurs on April 27, 2024, 03:36:54 PMTo return it to being a full circular route (once he franchises everything).First of all the article says the route was split in half in 2021, but it wasn't, it was split into two sections, the first was a short section from Acocks Green to Perry Barr via Yardley and Erdington, the second is the much longer section from Acocks Green to Erdington via Kings Heath, Bearwood and Perry Barr. Boths routes created an overlap of both routes between Erdington and Perry which was introduced due to the major roadworks in Perry Barr at that time. This arrangement has improved reliability to an extent which is why it is still running now.
Edited to add online article where it is mentioned : https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/secret-dates-jam-sandwiches-school-29047686
Quote from: Tony on April 25, 2024, 12:17:03 PMQuite possible, yes, they are being delivered at around 5 a week, and we have another 4 weeks before the first batch go into useWill it beat the SDA --- S/TVP ---S batches of fleetlines and nationals which added up to more than 220 buses in one registration year, not forgetting the 4 prototype metrobuses of course
Quote from: Simon Dunn on April 17, 2024, 02:10:03 PMCorrect - we have the vehicle on trial for a month.I tried to catch it this morning on the 0739 to Maypole but it went on the outside lane not serving the Selfridges stop with Not In Service on the front. According to bus times it started at Birchall Street at 0758, the bus might of had a minor fault
Quote from: Stu on April 20, 2024, 04:14:15 PMBus Users UK has published a Quick Guide to the recently announced Accessible Information Regulations.Correct me if I'm wrong but if the driver doesn't change to destination at the terminus then the next stops don't work. There have been many occasions when the 50 has been going out of the City with Birmingham still on the front, therefore the next stop announcements don't work
The Regulations will come into force fully by 2031 and will make bus services more accessible to people with disabilities and improve the journey for everyone.
During the phased implementation, passengers will be able to expect clear audio and visual announcements alerting them to next stops, diversions and the final destination.
https://bususers.org/uncategorised/guide-to-accessible-information-regulations/
In a nutshell:
- Vehicles first used in public service after 1st October 2019 will be required to provide audio/visual announcements from 1st October 2024.
- Vehicles first used in public service between 1st October 2014 and 30th September 2019 will be required to provide announcements from 1st October 2025
- Vehicles first used in public service between 1st January 1973 and 30th September 2014 will be subject to these regulations from 1st October 2026
In the case of NX Bus, since October 2019 they've only been buying vehicles with the necessary equipment already installed.
By my estimates, from October 2014 to 2019, the only vehicles that weren't delivered with this equipment would have been the Enviro200 MMCs and the non-Platinum Enviro400 MMCs.
I guess someone at NX is going to be busy getting all the stop announcements recorded for every route!
My concern is how this will impact on smaller independent operators, and whether there will be funding available to help towards the cost of retrofitting buses with the NSA equipment.
Quote from: fleetline6477 on April 14, 2024, 05:29:54 PMI seem to remember that one fleetline also had them fitted, 6890 if I remember.You're right it did and metrobus 2102 I think