Just when it looked like the Volvo double deckers were due to be eliminated from the fleet, Citybus go and get some more!]
| GNE No. | Reg | Chassis | Body | Seat | New |
| 6922 | LX54GYY | Volvo B7TL | Plaxton President | H41/21D | Jan-2005 |
| 6923 | LX54GYZ | Volvo B7TL | Plaxton President | H41/21D | Jan-2005 |
| 6926 | LX54GZD | Volvo B7TL | Plaxton President | H41/21D | Jan-2005 |
| 6927 | LX54GZE | Volvo B7TL | Plaxton President | H41/21D | Jan-2005 |
| 6928 | LX54GZF | Volvo B7TL | Plaxton President | H41/21D | Jan-2005 |
I believe the original plan was for 6922-6927 but 6924 and 6925 are still up North whilst 6928 was sent instead. It remains to be seen what their Plymouth fleet numbers will be, but there is a gap between the last Volvos and the ex London Enviros - 454-459 so that would fit! All being red already is very handy indeed!
© Jason Beverley
Meanwhile in the other direction 375 headed back North East for eventual preservation
| PCB No | Reg | Chassis | Body | Seats | New |
| 375 | NK55OLM | Scania L94UB | Wright Solar | B43F | Feb-2006 |
What is going on with Citybus, They kept banging on for ages about making a common fleet then it got scrapped. Then they took on the Cornwall contract and now they've gone back to their old ways it seems like the management hasn't got a clue anymore.
ReplyDeleteThe management is adapting to changing circumstances, as any competent company needs to do if it is to survive and thrive in a competitive environment. They would not have landed the Transport for Cornwall contact if they are as clueless as you seem to think they are.
DeleteJulian I never said they were clueless. I just said it was odd, the plan for fleet commonality included the TFC operations.
Deletecity bus 2nd hand 54 plate buses 17 years old a joke .
ReplyDeleteit getting more like old first bus
a dumping ground for old buses
thete be more old buses in a mow than new buses and thete have the check to put fare up to ride on 17 year old buses
orther bus companys bought new buses threw covid
Citybus have for many years purchased a mixture of new and second hand buses. They still have one of the most modern fleets, especially down this part of the world. Quite a few older buses have been replaced recently but the are still taking on additional school work so need older buses. The number of new buses being placed into service anywhere has reduced this last year - deliveries are starting to pick up a bit now. Apart from the massive batch of new buses last year for TFC there have been very few new buses down this part of the world. None for First. None for Stagecoach who over the years have been pretty good at getting new buses - none for a while now.
DeleteI wouldn't say they have an old fleet as when you include most of it is less than 10 years old E400s and E400 Cities you can't complain really. But I don't understand why they pull 52 plate tridents only to replace them with 54 year old tridents for a year or two, Then to replace them with new buses. Surely it would make more sense to keep the ones they have going.
DeleteTFC bought new buses prior to Covid, that was it. There's a lot more detail to managing a fleet the size of GSW now. Totally understand Citybus bringing in older buses for School Contracts. The Scania's from B&H have Euro 5 engines, they got upgraded by GSC - so a good move. The TFC fleet is the youngest fleet of buses in the SW. Citybus have taken a hit because of that. Most of the darts have now gone, Citaros are next as they're no longer easy to get parts for, i believe Citybus are canabalising other Citaros to maintain the existing fleet, but it won't be long before they're gone i'd expect. Rumours flying around about Hydrogen and Gas powered buses could be true - probably why Citybus haven't gotten rid of the EcoCity SDs yet.
DeleteThe older DDs that look likely to be replaced are the few X and Y reg Volvo B7TL from 2001 so 4 years older. The only old school Tridents we had were the 02 Reg Brighton buses which left last year. (I realise the E400s were also Tridents by name but most refer to them as Enviro 400s)
DeletePlymouth Citybus going all DD service? Most of the E200s are in Cornwall now, Citaros & Darts on their way out. Lots of people slamming Citybus for bringing in older buses, but i've heard there's a very big plan on the horizon for new buses in the City. Could get interesting!
ReplyDeleteCitaros could be coming back to service for a short time but that's just a rumor
DeleteCitaros have all had some internal seats removed and other modifications for the driving school, won't be used in service again.
DeleteWhere has that rumour come from?
DeletePlymouth certainly is not the least invested corner of GoAhead, that goes to East Anglia. From 2012-15 Plymouth got a large amount of new buses.
ReplyDeleteAnd a lot newer fleet than First Cornwall by Kernow!
DeleteStagecoach South West have took on 3 B11RT coaches for the FALCON route They are YX64WCK/WCL/WCM from Oxford
ReplyDeletethey are from Bedford not Oxford, former X5 vehicles, they are to replace the older coaches tat get used due to te introduction of a low emissions zone in Bristol
DeleteThey are X5 coaches from Bedford
DeleteParks have taken 4 21 plate caetano levante mk3 volvos
DeleteBf21ddx bf21ddv bf21ddz and bf21dfa
Re Kernow, there are rumours of the 30 E400MMCs returning soon from Somerset, but it always seems to be "soon". I'll believe it when it happens. There's clearly more money to be made in operating Hinkley Point workers contracts than local bus services in Cornwall.
ReplyDeleteNext 25 imminent and purely simply they have to reform for Sept schools. The 21 Volvo and 4 Tridemts standing in for them have gone.
DeleteYes I strongly suspect anon 6 Aug 14:50 is right!
DeleteIf the rumours of a bid for hydrogen buses in Plymouth are to be believed, it could be that Plymouth CityBus is holding back on investment until they know the outcome of that bid.
ReplyDeleteStagecoach is to retrofit an existing diesel bus with hydrogen fuel cell technology. Although the bus will operate in Teesside in the NE of England, this could be an interesting development to watch especially if Plymouth's Enhanced Partnership makes a successful bid for hydrogen-powered buses.
DeletePlymouth City Council published a Statutory Notice of Intent to Prepare an Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme in June 2021*, and I understand that talks are ongoing with Go South West and Stagecoach (at least). The Council, as the LTA (Local Transport Authority), intends to prepare a Bus Service Improvement Plan for submission to the Department of Transport by the end of October 2021. Given that things are in a state of flux at the moment, the operators can be forgiven for putting investment in new buses on hold for a bit!
ReplyDelete* more information on the Council's website under National Bus Strategy.
But Stagecoach is massively short of drivers already as they keep leaving to work for better conditions & job security at Citybus so I doubt it'll be in any position to expand even if it had any local knowledge to do so which drivers say is sadly very lacking. It blames drivers isolating for the vast number of missing services - the weekend was particularly bad - but drivers say that is just a poor excuse! Surprised it hasn't come clean with a reduced emergency timetable as certain other operators elsewhere have done. Poor customer service!
DeleteIt is not only Stagecoach short of drivers. Waited for morning Dartmoor Discovery at Woolwell roundabout and it did not appear. Checked tracker and it was not operating. This made whole point of Discovery useless as no return trip either. Nothing on twitter to advise not run. Decided on trip to Tavistock. Next Stagecoach 1 sailed passed nis and empty. After a long wait single decker with standing load appeared, why they can they not use DD when they know they are short of drivers? Not a very good experience to encourage passengers post covid.
DeleteYes as anon 9 Aug & 13 Aug suggest, the amount of hushed up First SW & Stagecoach SW cancelled services is appalling & damaging the bus industry, whilst a load of rubbish hyping companies up on Twitter is pumped out as a smokescreen instead. After waiting ages for a SC 1 with several buses missing a driver told me it was only managing to run half as so many drivers had quit for better conditions elsewhere (my driver was drafted in from another SC depot depot)
Delete465 has been seen out today in its new TFC livery. This is because it has allegedly made a permanent move to Cornwall alongside 461-464 and 473/474. The ex GNE Presidents 6922/23/25-28 and ex GAL E400s 478/79/88/89/90 have replaced these in Plymouth alongside ex GAL E200s 167-171, which are replacing the Darts that have gone to scrap
ReplyDeleteAre 167 to 171 still happening as one of them bxr i think has been advertised with ensign :/
Delete167-171 are with Citybus ex London SE7,8,15,17,24. ( Citybus don’t have SE9 LX07 BXR )
DeleteSo does anyone know where they are and status of their 2/1 door conversions?
Deleteit's a valid point - the E200s & Volvos recieved from GAL/GNE haven't been seen at all - partly due to the Scanias i believe but ponders the question to why so many buses are sitting off road. Heard rumours of new buses due to the BSIP but not for another 18 months as the avg age of fleet needs to come down by a few years. Anything older than 7 years will be going - which is a fair chunk of the CB fleet.
Delete167, 168, 171 are at Hants and Dorset Trim for conversion.
Delete169,170 went to Hants and Dorset Trim but returned recently unconverted and are now in the compound at Milehouse. Before anybody asks, sorry I don’t know any more than that.
2218 back from HD Trim would never know it had a middle door!
Deletehas anyone else noticed the length of 2217/2218 being slightly longer than the smaller of the E200MMCs? What length are they?
Delete2217 now down at HD Trim
DeleteLX07 BXO (dont know the fleet no) now complete
DeleteFormer pride bus is now TFC
ReplyDeleteThere seem to be double deckers operating services 27/28 and 40/41 lately. 442 was on it a few days ago.
ReplyDeletevery pleased to see Plymouth Citybus & Go Cornwall websites are now looking much better after a few updates - still wondering what's happened to the TFC branding though, very hidden and out of the way - only on the About Us page on GC. Some interesting changes coming on 5th September too.
ReplyDeleteHave plymouth citybus vehicles 86 and 707 been withdrawn as they havent been in service for a while.
ReplyDeleteAlso, 63 seems to keep breaking down.
707 is back in service today, 14/9/21, on service 5 this evening
ReplyDeleteWhat has happened to plymouth citybus 2218 as it hasn't been seen in service since the beginning of this year.
ReplyDeleteAlso, 85 is now a driver trainer. 87 and 93 have also been withdrawn.
87/93 are withdrawn, however they are awaiting part delivery and salvaging from other vehicles, will be out soon.
DeleteThe b7tl was fabulous same as with the east lancs loyne and dennis dart slfs just legendary
ReplyDelete