Ensign Bus

With thanks to Ross Newman at Ensign Bus we bring you the latest activity at the dealership.

Vehicles in

From First West Yorkshire: Volvo B7L’s YG02DLD/DLJ/DHE.
From Abbey Travel: Tridents LR52KXB/LR02BFJ.
From Metroline: Enviro 400Hs LK58CPO/CPU; MANs LK07AYD/AYG , LK57AYE/AYN/AYP.
From Go Ahead London: Enviro 400s LK56ETU, LX07BXY; Volvo B7TL’s LX06DZW/DZY/EAO.
From Lothian Buses: Volvo B7RLEs SK07CGX, SK07CFZ.
From Tower Transit: Volvo B9TLs BJ11DTK/DVA/DVB/DVR/DUH.
From Go-Coach: Volvo B7TL PJ53OUV.
From Candy Coaches: Volvo B7TL LJ54BDZ.
From Rotala: Enviro 200s SN08AAU/AAV/AAY/AAZ/ABV/ACV/ADV/AEC/ABK/ABX/AEG.

Vehicles out

Trident LX53JYH: Warwickshire Travel.
Volvo B9TLs BJ11EAW/EBA: Abbey Travel, Erith, Kent.
Volvo B7TL’s LJ54BDZ, LJ05BJO: Zinc Inc, Farnham.
Volvo B7TL PJ53OUV: Shoreline Suncruisers, Scarborough.
Volvo B9TL BJ11EBO: Brookline Coaches, West Malling, Kent.
Volvo B11RT BV66WNX: Jeakins Coaches, Thorpe, Surrey.
Volvo B11RT BV66WOD: Shaws Coaches , Goole, Yorkshire.
Tridents LX03BWJ/OPV: Dilwyns Coaches, Bangor.
Enviro 200s YX10BFO/BFL: Panther Travel, Harwich, Essex.
Enviro 400s SN13CHC/CHD/CHH/CHK: RATP London.
Volvo B9TL BJ11DVB: Stanley Travel , Stanley, Co Durham.
Volvo B9TL BJ11DVA: ASD Coaches, Strood, Kent.

The following sold to Shelton Motors for scrap: Tridents LX03NFE, LR52KXB; MANs LK57AYP/AYD/AYE, LK07AYD/AYG; Dart PX55EDO; Enviro 200 LX07BXY; Enviro 400s LK08FLH/FLM, LK58CPO; Optare Solo: KN04XKK.

Vehicles on hire

The ten deckers with Stagecoach Midlands are remaining there at present. HCT now has Volvo B9TL BJ11DVX on hire. All buses which had been on hire to Bournemouth and First Essex have now returned.

First Group

Returned from a loan period at Rotala are a number of Volvo B7RLE/Wright Eclipse-Urbans. 69135/136 are now with First Aberdeen, 69137/138/144/147/150/152 are now with First Glasgow, 69201/220/221/225/230 are with First Scotland East, and 69141/148/151/154/155/160-163/167-170/172-174 are at First Midlands Adderley Green depot.

Megabus

Further recipients of the yellow swoop at the rear of the Megabus livery are Volvo B11RLE/Plaxton Panorama 50410, and MP Travel’s Volvo B11R/Plaxton Panther MP007 (ME69MPT).

Latest News: It has been announced today that Megabus will suspend operation at the end of Sunday 10th January 2021.

Volvo B11RLE/Plaxton Panorama 50410 shows off its new revised Megabus livery in Preston on 1st January 2021. © Paul Gobbiner.

National Express

It has been announced today that all National Express coach services will be suspended at the end of Sunday 10th January 2021. A provisional resumption date of 1st March 2021 has been stated.

National Express West Midlands services are unaffected by this change.

Rotala

A number of former First Group Volvo B7RLE/Wright Eclipse-Urbans which had been on loan here have now been purchased. There are former First 66895/899/900/904-907/914/918/919/930 and 69139/145/146/149/153/156-159/164-166/175/178/180/186.

All the other vehicles which had been on loan have returned to First Group (see above).

Skills Coaches of Nottingham

Skills have been awarded the contract to operate services to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. The contract was formerly operated by Travel DeCourcey before they ceased operations.

Stagecoach UK Bus

The five 11.8m ADL Enviro 200MMCs which are for the Stagecoach ‘autonomous bus’ project remain stored with ADL/Plaxton although we understand that 26330 was taken to Stagecoach East Scotland’s Dunfermline depot in December 2020, but returned south after a very short stay. The five vehicles which will form part of the project are 26326-330 (YX69NUH/O/P/U/V). They carry the former Stagecoach ‘Beachball’ livery and were completed and registered in the early months of 2020.

Whether it is connected to the fact that the autonomous project is still in development we are unsure but Stagecoach East Scotland received five 11.8m ADL Enviro 200MMCs in white ‘dealer stock’ livery in March 2020 which were given fleet numbers 26349-353. Of note is that 26331-348 had been earmarked for new vehicles for Stagecoach Yorkshire which were subsequently cancelled as part of the COVID-19 review.

There is still no official confirmation on the double deck part of any new vehicle orders, which we understand were placed in November 2020. We believe that the order is much reduced from that which was originally placed in Spring 2020 and then subsequently deferred.

Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire

Scania/Enviro 400 15533 is due to arrive here from Stagecoach Oxfordshire on 8th January, with it expected to head straight to the Carlisle paintshop before being allocated to West Cumbria.

Stagecoach East

The latest repaint here is Enviro 200 37228, into Stagecoach ‘Local’ livery.

Fenstanton allocated 37228 entered traffic yesterday following its repaint. It is pictured in Peterborough. © John Abbott.

Stagecoach East Scotland

Former Oxford Tube liveried Van Hool Astromega 50265 has received ‘Citylink’ livery. The repaint was undertaken at Stagecoach West Scotland’s Kilmarnock depot.

Stagecoach Manchester

Now in Stagecoach ‘Local’ livery here is Stockport allocated Optare Solo 47672.

Stagecoach Midlands

Following preparation here, former Stagecoach East Dart SLFs 34422/424 entered service at Kettering depot during the past week. Previously reported as moving to Kettering, similar 34533/835 have also entered traffic at Kettering. These will replace MAN/Enviro 200s 39683/685/699 which are being transferred to Stagecoach Oxfordshire, and also provide a replacement for accident damaged 35184.

This leaves just one former Stagecoach East Dart SLF now in store here, 34421.

Stagecoach North Scotland (Highlands)

Former Stagecoach South East Volvo B9R/Plaxton Elites 53702/714 are now parked at Inverness depot.

Stagecoach Oxfordshire

Volvo B11R/Plaxton Panoramas 50439/440 arrived at Oxford from Plaxton’s at Scarborough shortly before Christmas 2020. It is believed, but not officially confirmed, that the remaining vehicles of the contract (50441-452) will be diverted elsewhere within Stagecoach UK on a temporary basis following the reduction in passenger numbers/vehicle requirement on the Oxford Tube service. After being suspended on Christmas Eve 2020, the Oxford Tube service has not been resumed.

Witney-allocated Enviro 400MMC 11234 has been in use from Banbury depot since 29th December 2020. It had been at Banbury for engineering attention and on completion was put into service. We understand that Banbury’s Optare Solo 47735 is currently at Witney depot. It is believed to be the first time an Enviro 400MMC has operated from Banbury depot.

Enviro 200s 36448/769/770 are understood to have transferred from Banbury to Oxford.

Three MAN/Enviro 200s due here from Stagecoach Midlands at Kettering are 39683/985/999.

Scania/Enviro 400 15533 is due to imminently transfer to Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire.

Pictured in Banbury on 4th December 2020, is Enviro 200 36448. This is one of three of this type currently on loan at Oxford depot. © Lewis Parker.

Stagecoach South Wales

Enviro 300 27700 now carries Stagecoach ‘Local’ livery, whilst in a strange move Scania/Enviro 300 28733 has now received Stagecoach ‘Local’ livery after it was previously outshopped in the new yellow/gold ‘Distance’ livery.

Stagecoach South West

On loan here at Exeter from Stagecoach South for driver training use is MAN/Enviro 300 22741.

Former Plymouth Park & Ride branded ADL Enviro 400 10459 received a repaint last month into Stagecoach ‘Local’ livery.

Stagecoach West Scotland

Additional repaints here previously not reported by us are Scania/Enviro 300s 28656/658/698, Enviro 200 36705, and Optare Solo SRs 47838/843. All have received Stagecoach ‘Local’ livery.

Optare Solo SR 47843 is one of a number of additional vehicles to have gained ‘Local’ livery over the past few months. It is pictured in Kilmarnock on 5th January 2021. © David Oakley.

Wellglade Group

TrentBarton Optare Solo 462 has been reinstated at Sutton. Solos 498 and 499 have received the new Mango branding on their existing TrentBarton red livery.

Notts and Derby Iveco 1001 and Mercedes Benz Sprinter 1016/17/19/22/23/26/27 have been withdrawn at Derby, believed to be down to a drop in demand for the Door2Door service due to the current lockdown restrictions.

7th January 2021