Blackheath Bus Services

[winston]

The Platinum concept is really no different to those brands operated by pretty much every other major operator up and down the country: E400MMCs with high backed seating, Wi-Fi and USB ports. The only real differences are the interior colour schemes. That sort of spec is now pretty much the norm on all new buses. Really can't see what the issue is. There a far more important things in life to moan about than modern grey buses.

I'd agree that spec is pretty much standard across most of the major groups, the main difference I can see is that Stagecoach Gold / Arriva Sapphire seats do come with much deeper padding. The Platinum seats are a bit too firm for me.

[richardjones210368]

Response to point 1 of this gentleman's response...

If Im really honest as long as a bus turns up I couldn't care less if its a volvo, E400MMC, old trident, or eclipse so long as it gets me from A-Z... My local route the 12/12A has a cheeky bit of everything on it, and I find it adds to the routes charm. Never know what's going to turn up... Reminds me of being a child in the 90s and it being a toss up between a metrobus or lynx on the 120... happy days, so long as a bus turns up, does the job and gets me where I need to go I couldn't give a hoot what turns up... And I think looking at it from a commuter's point of view I think most are of the same opinion, how many regular none enthusiasts know what a trident is, or a enviro 200.

To me a Trident is ok on.the WB 3 or 3A but on a trunk route in one of the biggest European Cities well till the 31st anyway its an utter disgrace the monoploisic bus company uses bueses over 10 years old on a main trunk route West Midlands Travel Limited show yet again thier contempt fot the countrys 2nd city with this.

[Stuharris 6360]

I'd agree that spec is pretty much standard across most of the major groups, the main difference I can see is that Stagecoach Gold / Arriva Sapphire seats do come with much deeper padding. The Platinum seats are a bit too firm for me.

The spec of NX buses can't be that bad, after all they were asked to contribute to the bus pool in London during the Olympics in 2012.

Not all operators got that honour!

[richardjones210368]

I'd agree that spec is pretty much standard across most of the major groups, the main difference I can see is that Stagecoach Gold / Arriva Sapphire seats do come with much deeper padding. The Platinum seats are a bit too firm for me.

The interiors of Stagecoach South Wests Golds X80 from Torquay to Plymouth are much brighter and cleaner while the Scannias give a much better ride on much worse roads I have had easier smoother rides on the old Long Flume On Blackpool Pleasure Beach the Plantnums are awfull buses totally unsuitable to urban routes the biggest mistake in West Midlands Bus History since the Jumbos especially if you have to use the rottern haulks give me a Streetdeck Double Decker anyday now that is a fine urban bus and the idiots at WMT only bought five or so that tells you so much about a company that puts cheap and nasty before quality.

[richardjones210368]

The spec of NX buses can't be that bad, after all they were asked to contribute to the bus pool in London during the Olympics in 2012.

Not all operators got that honour!

Some honour the overall contract was awarded to FirstGroup what a PLC to compere yourself too!!! Mind you I cannot recall these god awfull grey  zombie buses on the 140 in 2012 unless you know better and wasnt the main interior scheme then the lovley bright TWM Blue & Red or do you know different?

[winston]

The spec of NX buses can't be that bad, after all they were asked to contribute to the bus pool in London during the Olympics in 2012.

Not all operators got that honour!

Where did I say they were bad??

I simply said, the Platinum seats are too firm for me, the seat spec aren't coach seats, nowhere near as comfy as Timesaver or DP Nationals seats were!!

[richardjones210368]

Where did I say they were bad??

I simply said, the seats are too firm for me, nothing like as comfy as Timesaver seats or DP Nationals!!

Now that I do agree on that with WMPTE the brown leather seats on the R reg Suburban Nationals were wicked and never bettered & I went to my swimmng club every saturday morning on one on the 202 & they were a beast of bus @Winston and quite right in the Blackheath thread.

[Mike K]

They are so depressing and awfull Andrew Lincon could do with slaying the lot of them along with his zombies and how you can compere them to the Stagecoach Gold Scannias on the X80 From Torquay to Plymouth is just flabergasting .

You being able to read something I didn't write is even more flabbergasting. You said that the Platinum concept was stupid and that they were unsuitable for the urban routes they operate on. My point was that this concept is really no different to what all the big operators do.
Stagecoach operate high back seated, Wifi equipped MMCs on urban routines in numerous towns and cities. As do Arriva, First etc.

[Stuharris 6360]

Where did I say they were bad??

I simply said, the seats are too firm for me, the seat spec aren't coach seats, nowhere near as comfy as Timesaver or DP Nationals seats were!!

Sorry @Winston, didn't mean to quote you, my point was to be it seems that a forum member is obviously once again criticising the spec of NX buses and that they can't be that bad if they were used during the Olympics.

I can agree with you about the seats, but then these days a lot of buses have these kind of seats as well as trains (try the seats on the class 802 on GWR, my bottom was sore after 1/2 an hour, imagine travelling between London and Penzance on one).

I suppose it comes at the end of the day to money, if you want buses with a higher spec, then you have to pay a higher price and that means higher fares for the passenger.

[richardjones210368]

You being able to read something I didn't write is even more flabbergasting. You said that the Platinum concept was stupid and that they were unsuitable for the urban routes they operate on. My point was that this concept is really no different to what all the big operators do.
Stagecoach operate high back seated, Wifi equipped MMCs on urban routines in numerous towns and cities. As do Arriva, First etc.

You cannot compere the Stagecoach Gold Scannias on the X80 From.Torquay to Plymouth with those utter rubbish hulks we have had forced on us on the X8 at least the X10 gets a fine quality Streetdeck if only I lived a little bit closer to The Stag I would be a happy man on this forum.

[richardjones210368]

Sorry @Winston, didn't mean to quote you, my point was to be it seems that a forum member is obviously once again criticising the spec of NX buses and that they can't be that bad if they were used during the Olympics.

I can agree with you about the seats, but then these days a lot of buses have these kind of seats as well as trains (try the seats on the class 802 on GWR, my bottom was sore after 1/2 an hour, imagine travelling between London and Penzance on one).

I suppose it comes at the end of the day to money, if you want buses with a higher spec, then you have to pay a higher price and that means higher fares for the passenger.

What on earth has an GWR CLASS 802 train.got to do with Blackheath? and for the record I thinlk the NXWM spec  X10 Streetdecks are the best buses on the roads of the West Midlands since the 1976 WMPTE Ailsas so where does that leave your constant crticisim of my comments?

[danny]

With response to @richardjones210368...

Where as I can see your point of view the point still stands that a trident is a double decker on a double decker route. Nxwm have invested heavily In new state of the art buses and standardised platinum on all new orders aswell as invested heavily in a refurbisment program on most older buses both inside and out... A 10 year old trident with a luck of paint and a new interiors.

I fully acknowledge that the platiums may not be to everybody's taste, as winston has said he much prefers the first generation of high spec buses of the 80s, personally my only recolection of such buses are when travel your bus where transfered some DP lynxes which were a regular on my once local 81Y service... I unfortunately have never had the privaledge of riding a DP national or metro bus as there were never in my local garages. But realistically how long are we on buses for for any one time, any single journey I make locally takes between 20-40 minutes, if I have to transfer onto another bus or make a connection I don't tend to be on it for much longer than the time quoted. This is ofcourse discounting traffic, unexpected holdups or three odd mishap.
If I need to go further or there is an alternate I take the train...

I look forward to what nx offering will be this year as we await the long anticipated all electric deckers...

[winston]

Sorry @Winston, didn't mean to quote you, my point was to be it seems that a forum member is obviously once again criticising the spec of NX buses and that they can't be that bad if they were used during the Olympics.

I can agree with you about the seats, but then these days a lot of buses have these kind of seats as well as trains (try the seats on the class 802 on GWR, my bottom was sore after 1/2 an hour, imagine travelling between London and Penzance on one).

I suppose it comes at the end of the day to money, if you want buses with a higher spec, then you have to pay a higher price and that means higher fares for the passenger.

As I already said via PM, you now have the tools to block that certain member or certain members topics if you don't like them....

Platinum's didn't exist until 2015, so I don't see where the reference to 2012 Olympics has any baring, and the only other comments I've seen (not read them all) were regarding elderly Tridents being used on core routes.

[don]

To be honest one could make comments on any of these 'uprated spec' buses - I travelled on an Arriva Sapphire bus that was not only uncomfortable, it was filthy inside, full of litter and was driven by a driver who seemed to think he was driving a private car, throwing the passengers around so much.

Stagecoach SE has introduced an inter urban service which sometimes runs from North Greewich to Canterbury (M2) - it is sometimes run by high spec coaches but equally you might find yourself on a relatively old E400 (Scania or ADL). This is run to an extent in competition with SE trains operated by class 395 or 375 or Kings Ferry's superb coaches. It appears a bit of a half hearted effort!!

I caught a Stagecoach Gold bus from Paignton to Torquay once and the high seats do make them clostrophobic in some conditions - but who gave them permission to have the Prince of Wales feathers logo embossed in the seat headrest backs? I thought they were maybe getting a bit above their station.

The Bournemouth to Salisbury Morebus high spec Go Ahead buses even have tables upstairs.

So I don't see why NXWM is singled out on this.

[winston]

You cannot compere the Stagecoach Gold Scannias on the X80 From.Torquay to Plymouth with those utter rubbish hulks we have had forced on us on the X8 at least the X10 gets a fine quality Streetdeck if only I lived a little bit closer to The Stag I would be a happy man on this forum.

I really wouldn't put Streetdeck & Quality in the same sentence, they seem to spend far more time parked up in Pensnett garage doing nothing (VOR), particularly 3304.