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Post by ajw11239 on Mar 14, 2018 10:19:59 GMT 1
Don't know if anyone else has noticed this but if you look at the Coastliner Twitter feed, they've had a lot of services cancelled due to "technical issues" recently: - today four full journeys end-to-end cancelled - 3rd March three journeys end-to-end cancelled - 2nd March two journeys end-to-end cancelled And there's loads more due to technical issues. They were sent the pride of the north B7 from York a couple of weeks ago, meaning two spares, and now they have one of the Vamooz B7s. Is their fleet stretched at the moment? They managed last summer (with an increased PVR for extra services) with the current fleet but they seem to be having real shortages currently. It's been a common theme in York/Malton and Keighley for some months – I posted something similar back in January. And while it seems to be mostly the ageing Darts that are falling over the most, there have been quite a few Coastliner journeys cancelled, including some of the Bridlington runs. Now, it's bad enough if an 840/843 can't run between Leeds and Malton when there will be another bus along in half an hour or so, or on some of the Wharfedale Links routes where a handful of people might be left with an hour's wait ... but when it's a route that only runs three times a day, they really need to be doing absolutely everything they can to make sure that it runs, even if that means pulling a bus off the Leeds–Malton section to run it. Part of the problem seems to be route availability. The 42 can only use the MPDs. The 22/23, 29, 31X and 181 have to use single-deckers. In the last 6 months, they have taken on routes requiring 9 vehicles from the collapse of Utopia and Stephensons, and there's another one joining that figure when they take over the 72 from POTD next month (any inside info on what they are using for that? I'm guessing it will be another one for the tired Darts). And they are trying to cover all of those routes from within their existing fleet – principally, the section of the fleet that is approaching or past retirement age – so it probably shouldn't be a surprise that they are struggling. Yeah - very good point; I had noticed at one point they cancelled the same 845 journey (the last one of the day too) two days in a row. I'd say that was pretty damn near unforgivable as there must have been people who ended up stranded. Understand the point of the single decks (York are pretty stretched at the moment) but I don't think that route availability is the problem for Coastliner since their buses run exclusively on their services (unless they put one of their B9s/B5s on the 194 which I'm sure doesn't happen though) which would suggest to me that their fleet are struggling in terms of reliability. A few services have been cancelled mid-way too suggesting breakdowns. It does surprise me for what's quite a modern fleet.
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Post by SCH117X on Mar 14, 2018 18:42:15 GMT 1
Any stranded passengers would have had their taxi fares paid for - they did that last week for passengers stranded as a result of the road closure preventing the 24 from running beyond Dacre. Not unknown for a fleet wide defect to arise especially when all built at the same time and consequently using the same sub standard or defective component; the 36 Gemini 1s equally had a poor spell of reliability (although that was more to do with a heat wave)
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Post by westyorkshirebus on Mar 14, 2018 18:49:45 GMT 1
They seem to be regularly cancelling trips on the 662 lately as well, a few teeeted about today
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Post by northerner on Mar 14, 2018 20:44:10 GMT 1
That said, they said Double decks weren't needed on the 60, and look how well that's gone... Ha ha got to love their arrogance to reality
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Post by B521UWW on Mar 15, 2018 22:44:53 GMT 1
Part of the problem seems to be route availability. The 42 can only use the MPDs. The 22/23, 29, 31X and 181 have to use single-deckers. In the last 6 months, they have taken on routes requiring 9 vehicles from the collapse of Utopia and Stephensons, and there's another one joining that figure when they take over the 72 from POTD next month (any inside info on what they are using for that? I'm guessing it will be another one for the tired Darts). And they are trying to cover all of those routes from within their existing fleet – principally, the section of the fleet that is approaching or past retirement age – so it probably shouldn't be a surprise that they are struggling. Does the 72 need single deckers - Geminis go to Grassington on Summer Sundays and Bank Holidays The Darts date from 2002 and 2004; if they are approaching or past retirement age so are a lot of other vehicles, and those of other operators. If they keep the Versas that will be displaced at Harrogate by the Electrics then a reshuffle of vehicles will no doubt occur and maybe some Darts will get a makeover/rebuild as per the B7RLEs. Oddly given the need at York the other 2002 Dart, 705, has finally moved from Keighley according to WYIS but has gone to Burnley. The 72 shows going through Hetton village, which has a low bridge about 13,6" of which none of Transdev deckers would fit under. The X43 on Sunday uses the main road so not a problem. When K&D used to run the school services up there through Hetton they used the ECW or Northern counties bodied olympians (H-RWX batch only) as were lowbridge design. The old RH olympians, GGS or YCL were banned north of Skipton.
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Post by westyorkshirebus on Mar 16, 2018 0:05:18 GMT 1
Are they not still using the versas on all journeys except for those marked in the timetable as planned?
Out of interest, is it usually the Gemini’s used, or any random presidents on those workings?
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Post by Burnside on Mar 16, 2018 10:01:18 GMT 1
Are they not still using the versas on all journeys except for those marked in the timetable as planned? Out of interest, is it usually the Gemini’s used, or any random presidents on those workings? On the 60 ? Yeah Versa's on all journeys except those marked. Not guaranteed to be a Gemini on the decker workings, more likely (cos there's more of them) to be a president.
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Post by northerner on Mar 16, 2018 21:56:32 GMT 1
Are they not still using the versas on all journeys except for those marked in the timetable as planned? Out of interest, is it usually the Gemini’s used, or any random presidents on those workings? On the 60 ? Yeah Versa's on all journeys except those marked. Not guaranteed to be a Gemini on the decker workings, more likely (cos there's more of them) to be a president. 2708 was on the 60 last Saturday which was a bit of a surprise. There's 2 decker boards and recently one of the Geminis has been on the 67/68
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Post by SCH117X on Mar 17, 2018 13:48:01 GMT 1
The allocation of Dart 705 to Burnley is explained by the latest WYIS fleetlist of Streetlight 611 having been withdrawn - I presume this is for repainting for Rosso. Only 8 B10BLEs are listed as replacing the 10 remaining Streetlights at Burnley. Three withdrawn B7RLEs (1840-1842) listed as being reinstated at Blackburn in addition to the recent arrivals of 455 and 1700 so along with the service cuts their could be a cull of B10BLEs at Blackburn providing two more for Burnley and three for York which is currently listed as receiving 1078-1080 and 1082 (and three others) and retaining 1081.
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Post by SCH117X on Mar 21, 2018 22:42:10 GMT 1
Noticed WYIS are reporting Harrogate Gemini 3613 is to be returned off lease.
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Post by SCH117X on Apr 13, 2018 17:19:48 GMT 1
Versa 204 has moved to Keighley from Blackburn branded for the Grassington service
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hstjohnny
Forum Member
Still Awaiting anything other than a Wright Eclipse!
Posts: 240
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Post by hstjohnny on Apr 27, 2018 16:30:46 GMT 1
Keighley have taken delivery of the first of their Mellor Strata Minibuses, reg is LN18 ETV.
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Post by Marcus on Apr 27, 2018 16:55:43 GMT 1
Keighley have taken delivery of the first of their Mellor Strata Minibuses, reg is LN18 ETV. LN18 ETL also
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Post by SCH117X on May 2, 2018 17:36:19 GMT 1
No mention on WYIS yet of their fleet numbers.
WYIS do however list Versa 201-203 and 206 at York together with 205 at Blackburn as to be returned off lease imminently.
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Post by ajw11239 on May 2, 2018 20:20:32 GMT 1
I know this is a bit of a reliability one (and there's a separate thread) but seeing that another set of Versas are due to be returned off lease, Blackburn recently had some Tempos returned, and some Coastliner B9s are due to meet the same fate soon.
Some of these haven't been replaced, and then in addition there's the issue of the additional vehicle requirement with new routes. You can see why they'd be short of buses, and bringing back old B10s isn't going to be a long-term solution?
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Post by westyorkshirebus on May 2, 2018 20:34:41 GMT 1
They have been replaced, all indirectly by Burnley’s new Mainline Versas cascading B7RLEs around, and by service cuts in Blackburn.
They aren’t actually short of buses in actual number terms. Short of serviceable buses maybe.
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Post by stevieinselby on May 2, 2018 20:43:23 GMT 1
They have been replaced, all indirectly by Burnley’s new Mainline Versas cascading B7RLEs around, and by service cuts in Blackburn. They aren’t actually short of buses in actual number terms. Short of serviceable buses maybe. Does that take into account all the additional routes that they have taken on in Keighley and York? Although having said that, CityZap has a dedicated fleet and they have still been suffering from poor reliability (not just traffic related, although that hasn't helped).
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Post by ajw11239 on May 2, 2018 22:47:52 GMT 1
I think the CityZap's poor reliability and cancellations are due to two things
1) The fleet itself - they are suffering from the same set of Transdev "technical issues" (they look good but at the end of the day, are 15yrs old) - they have a spare Pride of the North B7TL, but it was on York's 20 service today because that was short of vehicles, so that might have been why a ZAP had to go.
The 42 seems regularly cancelled and sometimes their other (York and Country) ones - but I think that's because spare vehicles like that PoTN liveried B7TL cannot be used on those. If there aren't any available MPDs, they can't run the 42 (and MPDs aren't the most reliable vehicles out there). Ditto for the other ones needing single decks.
2) The timetable is ridiculously, *impossibly* tight during the day. It's expected in 60 minutes to get from Stonebow, across to the Rail Station, out of York, across to Leeds, arrive and drop everyone off, pick up another load (which can usually be quite a few people on busy loads) and leave. Even 2-3 mins delay to an already difficult schedule causes problems. And that lasts for the whole day so they never make it up. In the evening the PVR goes from 4 to 5 so they get some extra time.
(Also, the old Hungate loop the bus used to use to turn round is closed, so the bus now has to do a loop round either Foss Islands or Monkgate; which, with York's traffic lights, add 4-5mins)
It regularly results in buses being cancelled or curtailed to the rail station, with amusing other things to blame the delay on (today, one was cancelled due to 'heavy rain'). Or sometimes it's curtailed to other places - which is amusing, some end up starting at Hazelwood Castle and on a couple of occasions, York College - on a journey towards York!
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Post by stevieinselby on May 3, 2018 8:46:27 GMT 1
The 42 seems regularly cancelled and sometimes their other (York and Country) ones - but I think that's because spare vehicles like that PoTN liveried B7TL cannot be used on those. If there aren't any available MPDs, they can't run the 42 (and MPDs aren't the most reliable vehicles out there). Ditto for the other ones needing single decks. That's the problem – the 22, 31X, 42 and 181 all need single-deckers, so having a spare double-decker is of limited value if the only routes it can run are the 20 and CityZap. If the MPDs are not reliable enough then they need to get buses that are reliable, or have a spare vehicle and driver permanently stationed at Selby to immediately pick up the slack when one conks out at the far end of the route. When buses only run every 1½ hours at best, the frequency with which they have been cancelling buses recently is totally unacceptable. It's bad enough on frequent routes like the Shuttle, or even CityZap where there are alternatives, but on less frequent services it has to be a very rare event.
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Post by westyorkshirebus on May 3, 2018 20:19:34 GMT 1
Do they not have 2 spare MPDs at York?
The issue with the Cityzap is the impossible timings, but I presume increasing the PVR from 4 to 5 would effect the viability.
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Post by stevieinselby on May 3, 2018 21:27:14 GMT 1
Do they not have 2 spare MPDs at York? They have about 7 MPDs in York (3 Little Explorers, 2 Black, 1 Starship, 1 Keighley, have I missed any?), of which 2 are needed for the 42, 3 are usually booked on the 22 and then they occasionally find their way into the 181 or other routes as well. Hopefully with the new arrival from Keighley, they will have a bit more slack and so they won't be run quite so ragged, but we'll wait and see if things do improve.
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Post by ajw11239 on May 3, 2018 21:47:45 GMT 1
Not sure if the starship one is still around in York, haven't seen it for a while. They've got enough in terms of numbers I guess but maybe that just shows how unreliable the MPDs are. When the Little Explorers service was launched, two conked out on day one.
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Post by SCH117X on May 3, 2018 21:53:19 GMT 1
Do they not have 2 spare MPDs at York? They have about 7 MPDs in York (3 Little Explorers, 2 Black, 1 Starship, 1 Keighley, have I missed any?), No - 703/4 Black, 706/7/14 Little Explorer, 715 Starship, 716 Keighley B10BLE 306 has returned to Harrogate and Versa 203 has been withdrawn according to the latest WYIS list Keighleys Mellor Strata Merc Sprinters are 501-505 (LN18 ETL/ETO/ETT/ETV/EWG)
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Post by westyorkshirebus on May 4, 2018 18:32:54 GMT 1
Keighley President 2707 is currently on loan to Rosso at Burnley
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Post by mark51953 on May 4, 2018 19:36:53 GMT 1
York not had a good day with darts on 42 one been towed in from Selby Bus Station and another broke down in Cambleforth this afternoon
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