Lack of investment in ex-Lea Hall routes in East Bham

[don]

Allocations to routes is also affected at the moment by emission rules. Currently just over 50% of the fleet is certified Euro 6 (The Green Urban traps fitted to Tridents and B7TLs are not certified Euro 6 as Green Urban lost their DfT certification) And as different restrictions and aims apply in different areas vehicles have to match.

NXWM does aim to be 100% fully certified Euro 6 in about 18 months time so all the areas with old buses will be getting more investment

Interesting - presumably the Green Urban issue has changed plans as I think you quoted end of March 2020 previously as being Euro 6 compliant (I think TfWM also quoted it).

I don't think anyone can deny that investment decisions have focussed on certain groups of routes over the last decade or so, or that certain routes have not had new vehicles in a long time. I guess it is one of the issues of balance running and growing commercial services, trying to get the best return for investment, meeting local political imperatives, environmental requirements, and engineering needs.

However it is interesting to see the garage allocation decisions for instance for the fireworks services in another thread - clearly Coventry thought the people visiting Kenilworth deserved virtually new vehicles whereas those visiting Himley mostly got 17 or 18 yr old vehicles!! All that said the 94 seems to be reported with much newer vehicles sometimes than has been the case (some platinums and 09 E400s - the Geminis are getting on a bit though).

[Sh4318]

I, for one, am sick to the back teeth of the constant whining about investment, as it's been previously stated, if you're that unhappy with the "lack of investment" - ignoring the euro 6 traps retrofitted onto the Gemini's, cascaded 48** Enviros, occasional platinum allocations onto the 94, branding of 4 year old MMCs for the Outer Circle and X12 & X70 platinum routes (which serve Castle Bromwich by the way) - then take it up with NXWM or your local council.

[Kevin]

If ex Lea Hall services have been so neglected, why haven't the competition wiped the floor with NXWM?...
Oh wait...

[Tony]

If ex Lea Hall services have been so neglected, why haven't the competition wiped the floor with NXWM?...
Oh wait...

Yes, competition against the 15 year old tridents on the 97 went well didn't it?

[winston]

Yes, competition against the 15 year old tridents on the 97 went well didn't it?

Same with competition on the 55, 71E & now reduced 94 - tendered work is deemed more lucrative.

[2900]

Interesting - presumably the Green Urban issue has changed plans as I think you quoted end of March 2020 previously as being Euro 6 compliant (I think TfWM also quoted it).

I don't think anyone can deny that investment decisions have focussed on certain groups of routes over the last decade or so, or that certain routes have not had new vehicles in a long time. I guess it is one of the issues of balance running and growing commercial services, trying to get the best return for investment, meeting local political imperatives, environmental requirements, and engineering needs.

However it is interesting to see the garage allocation decisions for instance for the fireworks services in another thread - clearly Coventry thought the people visiting Kenilworth deserved virtually new vehicles whereas those visiting Himley mostly got 17 or 18 yr old vehicles!! All that said the 94 seems to be reported with much newer vehicles sometimes than has been the case (some platinums and 09 E400s - the Geminis are getting on a bit though).

You should have seen the state the himley shuttle buses were in on return to garage floors caked in mud, so why bother putting on the newest buses.  potential hazard risk IMO

[Busboy105]

If ex Lea Hall services have been so neglected, why haven't the competition wiped the floor with NXWM?...
Oh wait...

Look at the routes that Diamond tried to compete with. The 17 and the 97 are the most frequent routes in that part of Birmingham and the buses they used wasn't really up to spec with the NX ones. Then again, NX has a massive stronghold on the West Midlands, the competition isn't strong enough. I wish we had one of the "Big Three" operators operating in Birmingham, that would probably make NX a decent company

[Tony]

Look at the routes that Diamond tried to compete with. The 17 and the 97 are the most frequent routes in that part of Birmingham and the buses they used wasn't really up to spec with the NX ones. Then again, NX has a massive stronghold on the West Midlands, the competition isn't strong enough. I wish we had one of the "Big Three" operators operating in Birmingham, that would probably make NX a decent company

Most of the 'big 3' as you call them as well as Go-Ahead (incidently NX are bigger than all of them) have tried to compete and failed.
Arriva have had 3 garages in the West Midlands and closed all 3
Go-Ahead previosuly owned Diamond and made huge losses and sold it to Rotala
Stagecoach had a garage in Coventry which closed and the routes stopped.
Midland Red West (pre-First) operated in Birmingham and had to give up.

[Wumpty]

Look at the routes that Diamond tried to compete with. The 17 and the 97 are the most frequent routes in that part of Birmingham and the buses they used wasn't really up to spec with the NX ones. Then again, NX has a massive stronghold on the West Midlands, the competition isn't strong enough. I wish we had one of the "Big Three" operators operating in Birmingham, that would probably make NX a decent company

Who are the "Big Three" operators you mention? Surely NXWM is arguably the largest so would that make it 2 more?

NXWM ARE a decent company, in terms of fleet and working conditions. Their fleet investment is unrivaled in the West Midlands and their "stronghold" is down to mass investment, years of acquisitions in areas and being able to grow, sometimes very unprofitable, routes and compete with smaller companies using buses nearly over 20 years older.

If you look at the Traffic Commissioners weekly updates, you will see swathes of small operators who rock up with a couple of old Darts and think they can offer passengers something different and "compete" with NXWM - truth is, they are using a couple of old buses to slash operating costs, make a fast buck then disappear as quickly as they appeared in the first place.

Think back to the bus wars of the 90s where so-called competition was rife and you'll see a fleet of ageing Leyland Nationals with no refurbishment or investment, in any old livery trundling up and down routes carrying next to nothing. Nowadays, NXWM have learned from their mistakes and have carefully crafted strategic investment onto key routes and DO place newer buses onto routes that need and deserve them. Just because some of their buses may be 56-63 plates doesn't mean that they haven't been subject to a mass refurb plan to bring them up to a standard that is both environmentally and commercially acceptable.

And before anyone asks, I' don't work for them but would be proud to do so............and also be very careful what you wish for.

[Busboy105]

Most of the 'big 3' as you call them as well as Go-Ahead (incidently NX are bigger than all of them) have tried to compete and failed.
Arriva have had 3 garages in the West Midlands and closed all 3
Go-Ahead previosuly owned Diamond and made huge losses and sold it to Rotala
Stagecoach had a garage in Coventry which closed and the routes stopped.
Midland Red West (pre-First) operated in Birmingham and had to give up.

Arriva has 3 garages in the West Midlands? I know about Wednesfield and Hill Top but what was the other one?
@Wumpty In terms of the "Big Three" operators, I meant First, Stagecoach and Arriva.

[Tony]

Arriva has 3 garages in the West Midlands? I know about Wednesfield and Hill Top but what was the other one?
@Wumpty In terms of the "Big Three" operators, I meant First, Stagecoach and Arriva.

Midland Red North set up in Walsall at Dereg.

So where do NX come if they are your big 3?
National Express is valued at approximately 3 time the value of Stagecoach

[Busboy105]

Midland Red North set up in Walsall at Dereg.

So where do NX come if they are your big 3?
National Express is valued at approximately 3 time the value of Stagecoach

When I mean by big it's the regions that they serve. NXWM is pretty self-explanatory but First, Stagecoach and Arriva are found almost everywhere in the UK.

[Tony]

When I mean by big it's the regions that they serve. NXWM is pretty self-explanatory but First, Stagecoach and Arriva are found almost everywhere in the UK.

And you don't see National Express everywhere in the UK?

If you think the others are found almost everywhere in the UK try looking for an Arriva bus in Scotland, or a First Bus in London and the South East

[Busboy105]

And you don't see National Express everywhere in the UK?

If you think the others are found almost everywhere in the UK try looking for an Arriva bus in Scotland, or a First Bus in London and the South East

That's what I meant by almost everywhere @Tony. I know about the First London demise having being from London. I didn't know about Arriva not being in Scotland but hey, the more you know.
And National Express has to go everywhere in the UK, it's a coach service or else the National bit would look a bit silly.

[2206]

The 55 and 17 buses are just having around £30,000 spent on each bus to modify them to Euro 6 (1795 is at Graysons) and fully refurbish the interiors and exterior...is that not investment?

Caught 1799 on the 55 this evening, the bus was rammed and was struggling to cope with passenger numbers. Can't see how anyone can consider that as "investing in the corridor". Left City Centre around 16:00.