New Hydrogen fuelled Buses for Birmingham.

[Bob]

A possibility would be changing the X2 back into a 57, and having it run in tandem with the 60, stopping at all stops.

And for the X1, either truncating it to the Airport --> Coventry, or having it run non-stop from the Airport to Birmingham if there is still demand for a bus service to Birmingham from the Meriden/Coventry area.

And on t'other side, X51 (if it still needs to run) could be ran non-stop from either Great Barr or the M6 J7 roundabout to Birmingham, or withdraw and extend the 51 through to Cannock.

It's what I would look at if I didn't want to run a route with huge similarities to the Sprint service.

Or if the Sprint route is operated by NXWM buses withdraw the X51 and extend the Sprint to Cannock using existing X51 route from Walsall? Reduced journey times to Brum would be popular maybe?

[Kevin]

More back to the point- weren't sprint routes meant to be run by multi door articulated vehicles or have I made that up.

It certainly looks like they're quietly glossing over that, unless they're proposing these buses as a stop gap for the inevitable delay to the planned Sprint vehicles coming in? If not, then I really don't see the point them using the Sprint brand anymore, it will just be a Platinum bus operated by the same operator that runs the current Platinum buses with more stops than the current Platinum route....

[ellspurs]

Would there be anything preventing NX from extending the new Airport Sprint route onto Coventry?
If there's demand for a Birmingham - Coventry route.

Or if the Sprint route is operated by NXWM buses withdraw the X51 and extend the Sprint to Cannock using existing X51 route from Walsall? Reduced journey times to Brum would be popular maybe?

I was looking at it on the understanding that the Sprint routes were as stated and not being changed. Not 100% sure if the northern Sprint terminus was Great Barr or Walsall. If Walsall, would say for the limited-stopness to go from there, if there was the demand for it.

[BBS]

Is there a garage these hydrogen buses are going?Or is it too early yet

[ellspurs]

Is there a garage these hydrogen buses are going?Or is it too early yet

There seems to be space allocated to the articulated versions of the Sprint buses at the new Perry Barr garage (according to plans) so possibly there? It'll be on the Sprint route there as well.

[Stu]

Is there a garage these hydrogen buses are going?Or is it too early yet

It is probably too early yet.

There seems to be space allocated to the articulated versions of the Sprint buses at the new Perry Barr garage (according to plans) so possibly there? It'll be on the Sprint route there as well.

The press release states that it is Birmingham City Council who are buying the vehicles, with National Express operating them.

As BCC will own the vehicles, they may have their own dedicated depot for them, I don't know.

The vehicles will be refuelled at the new bio-mass centre in Tyseley, just off Small Heath Highway, which is also on the Sprint route, so it is feasible they could be refuelled there before returning to depot.

This is all speculation at present though.

[bususer28]

It certainly looks like they're quietly glossing over that, unless they're proposing these buses as a stop gap for the inevitable delay to the planned Sprint vehicles coming in? If not, then I really don't see the point them using the Sprint brand anymore, it will just be a Platinum bus operated by the same operator that runs the current Platinum buses with more stops than the current Platinum route....

The only comfort you could say is by the way the things are going or at least from my view, NX tickets will be accepted on sprint so I honestly believe patronage will be very strong.

[BBS]

There seems to be space allocated to the articulated versions of the Sprint buses at the new Perry Barr garage (according to plans) so possibly there? It'll be on the Sprint route there as well.

Maybe Acocks Green because Tyseley and Acocks Green are near each other.

[Pat]

Maybe Acocks Green because Tyseley and Acocks Green are near each other.

It depends on so much more than the depot being near the biomass centre.  You need to take into account factors such as capacity.

[Tony]

I got this nice photo of First 39702 last Thursday, one of the batch ordered at the same time as the NX ones
http://wmbusphotos.com/FirstUK/30001-39999/39702.html