Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot
2 backups work out better than 1

[V671 DVU]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot
They don't need two backups for one service... If two are off the road, what's the harm in putting an 09 plate Pulsar on there?

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot
i dont think them pulsars will stay as its been said they will be moving on

[M113 YKC]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot

(01/07/2012 11:41)V671 DVU Wrote:  They don't need two backups for one service... If two are off the road, what's the harm in putting an 09 plate Pulsar on there?

Runcorn mightn't be keeping their older 09-plated Pulsar 2s when their new 61-plated examples and MAN EcoCitys arrive and enter service, however whether they're actually going to stay or transfer elsewhere hasn't been fully confirmed yet. We'll have to wait and see on that one.

(01/07/2012 11:35)bolton bus basher Wrote:  2 backups work out better than 1

Nobody with common sense would keep two new buses in the depot as backups for other new buses! If they had six, they'd send four out onto the X1 and the other two out onto other services - and from past experience, I'm 99.99% sure that that'd be the case! So, going by that, if a Pulsar 2 was to break down on the X1, a Cadet would be there to rescue it because the other two new buses would be out on other services, as expected!

This'll be the case with the one spare, too - there's no chance that they're going to keep one new bus out of service every day, just in-case another new bus needs replacing (especially when this depot has serious reliability issues as it is).

[K853 MTJ]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot

(01/07/2012 12:06)27701 Wrote:  

(01/07/2012 11:41)V671 DVU Wrote:  They don't need two backups for one service... If two are off the road, what's the harm in putting an 09 plate Pulsar on there?

Runcorn mightn't be keeping their older 09-plated Pulsar 2s when their new 61-plated examples and MAN EcoCitys arrive

12 plate pulsars mate :-)
Im just glad were getting new buses, 6 would be better than 5, but as long as the 5 do the job, its all good. However IF the 09s go, and cadets are regularly subbed onto the X1, thats when i will start complaining!

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot
and thats why i wanted 6 as then less chance of getting the cadets on the X1 as i do use that service from time to time and i hate cadets

[K853 MTJ]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot
Oh ok, that justifies 6 new pulsars. NO! Personal preference plays no part in allocations. The only reason cadets shouldnt be on the X1 is because they are too small. Not because 1 person who occasionally uses the service doesn't like them. If a cadet does get put on there in the event of a breakdown, a pulsar can be easily booked off busway circulars (until the EcoCitys come of course) or any other services they may be on to replace the cadet. Other than that however , 5 will do fine, as i say im glad were getting new buses!

[H101GEV (Administrator)]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot

(01/07/2012 11:33)27701 Wrote:  I fail to see how stupid it is! Considering that the service only requires four buses, five buses should be sufficient enough.

Agreed - Arriva have typically ordered buses in recent years allowing for just the one spare, particularly when the buses are ordered for a specific route. Examples include the 12 Enviro400s at Bootle (60 PVR 11), 12 61-plate Pulsar2s at Southport (49 PVR 11), 12 09-plate Pulsar2s at Birkenhead (403/413 PVR of the time 11) and 10 Gemini 2 DLs at Rhyl (11 PVR 9).

In short, five is what one would expect for a route requiring only four buses. Arriva's pockets aren't bottomless, and if there were a sixth bus, one or two would more often than not be spending time off their home route.

[CX54 DKD (Moderator)]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot
When the Cadets arrived for the 89, there were in fact no spares at all - just 8 buses for 8 duties. Runcorn are lucky in getting any spares given how tight companies like Arriva have to be with money nowadays.

[V671 DVU]

RE: Arriva North West - Runcorn Depot
Credit to Ray Barber, 3136/38/40 are now all at Runcorn. Instead of heading to Manchester like 3136 did (by mistake) they were delivered direct to Runcorn. 3137/39 are due in the next few days.