long acre

[Dylan4579]

Is it true that this garage is up for sale???

[dayvid]

I doubt it, but who knows as ive heard this rumour that it would be up for sale in 2013.

[BCMobile]

What so the whole operation will be moved to the "Red" diamond depots? Dont they do coaches from that depot? Where will they go, or are they losing the contract?

[bwsau cymru]

im sure if for sale it wouldn't all go to red diamond as tivadale would be more suited for a large amount of work. I could see the 50 and maybe 19 going to reddich maybe some other south Birmingham routes and that would be it. rest would go to tivadale and they may even give up on coaches only decent contract they now have is the national grid stuff maybe the could close long achere and move to an indusrial unit like de courcey size. If it is for sale who do people think with buy the site? I would like to say de courcey but doubt it as the money spent on miller street would be a waste. I would say most likely would be arriva as they are trying to buy diamond anyway or possible it could be an opening for stagecoach and we could see more megabs routes around Birmingham. what ever the result is if it is sold I think really national express should take on the site just to stop other operators taking on a prime site it would be very bad news for nx is stagecoach or arriva took on the site.

on the other hand I would doubt it would be for sale as the rotala head office is part of the site

[winston]

Is it true that this garage is up for sale???

That was posted on WM Bus Users FB page by someone who claims to work for NXWM at HQ as a route planner, whether there's any truth in it I'm not certain. In addition he states that Rotala Plc still own the former Zak's base that NXWM were renting for storage @ Shady Lane & the former North Birmingham Busways depot. Shady Lane was correct up until NXWM were renting the land at least....

[winston]

What so the whole operation will be moved to the "Red" diamond depots? Dont they do coaches from that depot? Where will they go, or are they losing the contract?

The coaching/contract side of Long Acre has shrunk quite a bit of late, Flights Hallmark lost the NEC shuttle contract last year involving 10 vehicles and last Sunday (21.4.13) transferred all of their remaining NX diagrams on routes 210 & 777 to DeCourcey involving approx 12 coaches worth of work, DeCourcey also won the NEC shuttles

[winston]

im sure if for sale it wouldn't all go to red diamond as tivadale would be more suited for a large amount of work. I could see the 50 and maybe 19 going to reddich maybe some other south Birmingham routes and that would be it. rest would go to tivadale and they may even give up on coaches only decent contract they now have is the national grid stuff maybe the could close long achere and move to an indusrial unit like de courcey size. If it is for sale who do people think with buy the site? I would like to say de courcey but doubt it as the money spent on miller street would be a waste. I would say most likely would be arriva as they are trying to buy diamond anyway or possible it could be an opening for stagecoach and we could see more megabs routes around Birmingham. what ever the result is if it is sold I think really national express should take on the site just to stop other operators taking on a prime site it would be very bad news for nx is stagecoach or arriva took on the site.

on the other hand I would doubt it would be for sale as the rotala head office is part of the site

If Rotala want to grow in the West Midlands they need to retain Long Acre & try & fill it once again, just can't see that happening at present. Long Acre is also used to prepare group vehicles when transferring between subsidiaries as well as Head Office functions, nothing stopping them finding an office elsewhere if it is on the market or maybe they could even expand office / depot facilities at Tividale, they have the overflow yard opposite for additional parking which is mainly full of withdrawn buses at present awaiting sale or scrapping

NXWM could buy it for additional capacity or to block another operator from expanding, but it's not as though it was a purpose built bus depot anyway. Any operator could set up a new base from any sizeable industrial unit if they wished too, can't see Stagecoach ever setting up in the West Midlands, Brian Souter wants NXWM or nothing...... Again Arriva don't see at present to have any great master plan to take on NXWM, Arriva are more of a threat to Rotala than anyone at present.......

[Stu]

Is it true that this garage is up for sale???

That was posted on WM Bus Users FB page by someone who claims to work for NXWM at HQ as a route planner, whether there's any truth in it I'm not certain. In addition he states that Rotala Plc still own the former Zak's base that NXWM were renting for storage @ Shady Lane & the former North Birmingham Busways depot. Shady Lane was correct up until NXWM were renting the land at least....

Yeah, the same guy who also claims that Perry Barr and Black Country garages never receive new buses because theirs break down the least, and that its always Acocks Green and Bordesley that get new buses because theirs always break down.  ::)

[winston]

Yeah, the same guy who also claims that Perry Barr and Black Country garages never receive new buses because theirs break down the least, and that its always Acocks Green and Bordesley that get new buses because theirs always break down.  ::)

That's the one Stu..... who claims PB have 17 B10L's with a further 4 currently in repair at Miller St, do they not know down at HQ that very few buses ever come back from Miller St & that PB actually only have 15 B10L left???

Someone of his reply's have seem quite plausible and could back up his claim/position within NX, but they other replies, I'm not convinced.........

[dayvid]

im sure if for sale it wouldn't all go to red diamond as tivadale would be more suited for a large amount of work. I could see the 50 and maybe 19 going to reddich maybe some other south Birmingham routes and that would be it. rest would go to tivadale and they may even give up on coaches only decent contract they now have is the national grid stuff maybe the could close long achere and move to an indusrial unit like de courcey size. If it is for sale who do people think with buy the site? I would like to say de courcey but doubt it as the money spent on miller street would be a waste. I would say most likely would be arriva as they are trying to buy diamond anyway or possible it could be an opening for stagecoach and we could see more megabs routes around Birmingham. what ever the result is if it is sold I think really national express should take on the site just to stop other operators taking on a prime site it would be very bad news for nx is stagecoach or arriva took on the site.

on the other hand I would doubt it would be for sale as the rotala head office is part of the site

I dissagree, National Express has too much of a hold on the West Midlands for too long.
Competition in Birmingham alone is more or less non existant.
Competition is better for the people of Birmingham.
And i would more than welcome the other BIG operators coming into the Area.

[Nathan4775]

I could see the 50

Wouldnt it make sense to send the 50 to Tividale IF IT WAS closing down ? to save Dead Mileage ?

[tank90]

I could see the 50

Wouldnt it make sense to send the 50 to Tividale IF IT WAS closing down ? to save Dead Mileage ?

The 50 has been run from Redditch before, its not that far from Redditch.

[Kevin]

I thought Long Acre was quite a busy depot, from what I see going to/from work in Nechells

[winston]

I thought Long Acre was quite a busy depot, from what I see going to/from work in Nechells

Long Acre generally deals with new intakes & disposals for various group subsidiaries.

As an operation base, the fleet has shrunk quite a lot over the past couple of years due to commercial service withdrawals; Centro/NEC & NX contract losses etc. Capacity wise, I would guess its a around 50% of the fleet strength it once had

[tank90]

I thought Long Acre was quite a busy depot, from what I see going to/from work in Nechells

Long Acre generally deals with new intakes & disposals for various group subsidiaries.

As an operation base, the fleet has shrunk quite a lot over the past couple of years due to commercial service withdrawals; Centro/NEC & NX contract losses etc. Capacity wise, I would guess its a around 50% of the fleet strength it once had

An ideal place for in house refurbs like NX do at Miller Street.