Saturday 31 August 2019

Better Support Demanded to Tackle Rising Congestion in North East and Help Make Buses Even Better

Bus operators from across the North East, including Go North East, Arriva, Stagecoach and a number of smaller operators, set out their vision for the future of the region’s buses earlier this week at the launch of ‘NEbus’, the re-invigorated operators association of local bus companies.




The event, which took place at Times Square in Newcastle, saw stakeholders from across the region gather to hear about the work of bus companies in recent years in investing in the latest generation environmentally friendly vehicles, innovations such as contactless ticketing and onboard facilities such as better seats, USB charging points, free WiFi and more. 




They also heard how bus operators are a major employer with over 6,000 local people working for them and how Tyne and Wear has the 4th highest bus use per head of population in England outside of London, higher than any other PTE area.

Whilst bus users in the North East give their buses a higher than average 90.3% overall satisfaction rating in the most recent annual Bus Passenger Survey by the Transport Focus watchdog, bus operators are calling for better support to tackle rising congestion and help make buses even better.

NEbus Chair, Martijn Gilbert, said: “Delivering high quality, sustainable public transport is a shared responsibility between operators, Local Authorities and Central Government.




“No one party has all the solutions, so if buses are to truly fulfil their potential then they need greater support from stakeholders, especially with matters such as tackling some of the worst congestion which undermines the delivery of reliable bus services and add to costs. This, in turn, will deliver greater air quality benefits by reducing pollution from idling vehicles and enabling more attractive low carbon journeys by public transport modes such as the bus.

“There is already a good story to tell about buses in the North East, with operators employing over 6,000 local people and having a combined overall customer satisfaction rating above 90%. Investment figures are also high, with over £80 million spent on new buses since 2015, and more arriving each year with the latest low emission technology, but there is more that can be done to help improve services across the region and we are calling on partners across the region to embrace a more positive message about buses and work with us to deliver further improvements.”

The NEbus launch included public engagement activities in the afternoon, with examples of the latest buses from all of the major operators.

With more journeys being made on buses than any other form of public transport, the North East’s bus operators are calling for buses to have a higher profile, for stakeholders to recognise the huge steps forward that the industry has made in recent years, talk more positively and to work more collaboratively in partnership to enable local bus services to be even more successful in supporting the economy of the North East as they are in places like Brighton, Harrogate, Nottingham, Oxford, Rossendale, Reading, Sheffield, Southampton and others.

In addition to tackling the important issues of congestion and air quality, NEbus’ future vision also focuses on connecting communities and supporting the local economy to help keep our towns and cities moving.

The group will also continue to work on new initiatives in joined-up customer communications, marketing, multi-operator ticketing, shared technology and more.

To find out more about NEbus, visit nebus.co.uk 

Friday 30 August 2019

Lincoln Launch Date Set for LNER Lincoln Services


London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has announced that new Azuma services will be introduced between Lincoln and London King’s Cross from Monday 21 October 2019.

The Azuma services will be the first wave of new LNER trains between the two cities.




Azuma trains will begin operating weekday services in each direction alongside the existing daily LNER High Speed Train (HST) service from 21 October, with tickets on sale from Friday 30 August.

David Horne, Managing Director at LNER, said: “Azuma trains will not only revolutionise the customer experience for those who travel with us between Lincoln and London but open up huge 
economic benefits for the city and wider area thanks to the increase of services from one train each way to six return services.”

“With these new regular services in both directions, offering journey times from December of just under two hours between London and Lincoln, it offers significantly more opportunities for business travel, tourists and the many international visitors wanting to experience the many historic and cultural attractions Lincoln proudly offers including the magnificent Cathedral, Castle and stunning views from the Medieval Wall.”

The Azuma fleet will provide a two-hourly Monday to Friday service departing London at 10:06,12:06, 14:06 and 16:06. Southbound services will depart Lincoln at 11:18, 13:23, 15:26 and 17:14.

The current 07:30 Lincoln to London and return service from London at 19:06 will be replaced by an Azuma train later in the year as the transformation of LNER services on the route continues.

Full details of the additional train times are already included in the current LNER timetable as the introduction of the new Azuma fleet was anticipated ahead of the next timetable change in December.



A sixth daily return weekday service will be introduced as part of the December timetable change, alongside five additional services on Saturdays. The Saturday Azuma service will be introduced from Saturday 7 December to provide extra seats for people wishing to visit the popular Lincoln Christmas Markets. From the December timetable change, there will be five services in each direction on Sundays.



From the best ever WiFi, plug sockets at every seat and more legroom in Standard class to extra space for bags, ergonomically designed seats and an excellent range of refreshments served at seat or from the Cafe Bar, the new Azuma fleet will transform the journey experience.

The Azuma fleet offers significant environmental benefits. Azuma trains will run using overhead electric wires between London and Newark North Gate. The bimode Azuma fleet will then operate under diesel power for the short stretch between Newark and Lincoln. The modern engines will cut harmful emissions by 90 per cent compared to existing diesel-only High Speed Trains.
An innovative traffic light seat reservation system above seats in Standard and First Class will make it easier for customers to find reserved or available seats on-board.

Communities and customers at stations across the route will benefit from cleaner air and substantially lower noise pollution levels thanks to the Azuma trains being quieter than the existing fleet which will be fully replaced by June 2020.

Thursday 29 August 2019

VDL Bus News

VDL Groep states in its financial report for 2019 that the bus division expects to be profitable whereas in 2018 it ended up in the red. A slightly lower turnover is reported compared with the same period in 2018 but the results overall will be better.


The company are witnessing a very swift transition over to electric public transport solutions. During 2019 alone, VDL have already delivered around 500 electric buses. 

The electric vehicles manufactured by VDL that are on the European roads have already accumulated over 35 million ‘clean’ kilometres. More than 300 electric VDL buses are now operating in the Netherlands and are helping the environment by saving over 20,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. To put that into perspective: emissions from one tonne of CO2 is equal to seven flights from Amsterdam to Paris. 



The expectation is that the company will make Bus manufacturing profitable this year. In addition, investments in innovative and sustainable mobility solutions remain at a high level. 

The modular platform, initially developed for bus transport, will also be rolled out to other sustainable transport concepts.



The order portfolio of VDL Bus & Coach has increased, from 281 million euros in the first half of 2018 to 405 million euros this year. 
This is due in part to healthy orders for electric vehicles.



The combined turnover of the VDL Groep after the first six months of 2019 amounted to 2.9 billion euros. This is a decrease of about 5 per cent compared to the first half of 2018 when it was 3.1 billion euros. However, in spite of a declining turnover, the Dutch company managed to increase the operational result by 7 million euros compared to the same period last year, to 76 million euros. 





An explanation for this is that more projects have been completed. The total order book of VDL Groep (excluding the Car Assembly division) grew by more than 22 percent in one year, from 957 million to 1,171 million euros. “We can look back with satisfaction to the last six months”, says Willem van der Leegte, President and CEO of VDL Groep. “Both turnover and results are developing in line with expectations. We are, however, also wary of changes in the short term as a result of economic and political developments.”

 

Wednesday 28 August 2019

Bosch Developing New Vehicle Dashboard

Bigger, more visually attractive, and with more and more features, digital displays are becoming a key feature of vehicle cockpits, according to German supplier Bosch. Their engineers believe that in the cockpits of the future, digital displays will play a key role in the interaction between drivers and their vehicles. With its new 3D display products, Bosch is responding to this trend.



The products use passive 3D technology to generate a realistic three-dimensional effect that allows visual information to be grasped faster than when displayed on conventional screens. 
“Displays are increasingly becoming interactive systems that can better anticipate drivers’ individual needs,” says Dr. Steffen Berns, president of Bosch Vehicle Multimedia. 

In its press release about this Bosch says that forecasts suggest that the global vehicle display market will double from 15 billion dollars (13.4 billion euros) to 30 billion dollars (26.7 billion euros) by 2025 (source: Global Market Insights). 
Bosch believe displays are increasingly becoming interactive systems. Berns: “Alerts that seem to jump out of the display are much more obvious and urgent.” When parking, moreover, the rear-view camera image is more realistic, allowing obstacles to be detected earlier. When navigating street canyons, this 3D effect also plays a decisive role, as the spatial depth of the map display makes it immediately clear which building marks the next turn. 

 Conventional dashboards are fast disappearing
in favour of digital versions

The eyes are responsible for 90 percent of all human sensory perception. Bosch believes the future is all about interaction between users and displays. Its portfolio includes applications of all kinds – from small and flat to large and curved, and sometimes in unusual shapes such as round or with trimmed corners. Interaction even can take the form of voice or touch control – the latter also with haptic* feedback. Especially when the drivers of the future let their autopilot do the driving, the human-machine interface (HMI) will be crucially significant for the interaction between the car and its driver.

Haptics is any form of interaction involving touch. It can refer to: Haptic communication, the means by which people and other animals communicate via touching. Haptic perception, the process of recognizing objects through touch.

Tuesday 27 August 2019

Charging Station at MB Bus Plant


Daimler Buses has equipped its Mannheim bus plant with a central charging station for the fully-electric eCitaro. It ensures that when the eCitaro that leaves the factory it is ready for the hand over to customers in a fully charged state. It has a flexible and modular infrastructure concept that deals with cable, pantograph and charging rail.




The charging station is compatible with all common charging technologies: 150 kW cable-bound charging, 300 kW rapid charging using a pantograph on the bus roof and 300 kW rapid charging using an inverted pantograph. 
The charging station consists of four parking bays. It can handle the different charging systems from two manufacturers. Buses can be charged with an output of 150 kW. The system, delivered by the Dutch company Heliox, has a modular design to ensure that it can be expanded as required.



The electric charging station is located directly behind the vehicle handover hall which is a strategically interesting location and is built in a space-saving way to resemble a bridge. The city buses drive straight under the charging station and park there for charging. The total connection power at the charging station is 1.2 megawatts. The corresponding cables are roughly as thick as a human arm and run in an extendable cable channel in the ground.



MB's decision to set up the central electric charging station within the plant's premises was focused on testing both charging via the roof and the vehicle's own charging technology.

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Monday 26 August 2019

Trans Lancs Cancelled


The organiser's of the Trans Lancs Show have taken the difficult decision to cancel the event which was to be held in Manchester’s Heaton Park on Sunday 1 September.

They have issued the following statement.

"A site inspection has revealed that the rally site, which has been subjected to some of the heaviest rain in recent memory, is saturated and unfit to carry the weight of vintage buses and lorries.

Even at this stage, it’s clear that there’s no chance of the ground recovering in time even if the weather improves. We know that the people who enjoy the event will be disappointed, and at the moment we’re contacting all entrants directly to let them know that the Rally won’t be going ahead. 
The Trans Lancs is one of the biggest events of its kind and the biggest in the north, and it has been a fixture in the rally calendar for over forty years – so it’s a hard decision to cancel it this year.

The rally site condition has been in decline and in the coming weeks we’ll look further at whether we can commit to returning next year. In the meantime we’re sorry to let people down, but we can’t go ahead when the condition of the ground is so poor that the inevitable consequence would be stuck or damaged vehicles.

 Heaton Park Tramway



But we can’t just not do anything – read on for our alternative plans…

Firstly, on Sunday 1 September we’ll be operating a heritage bus service linking the Museum of Transport with our friends at Heaton Park Tramway at the park’s Middleton Road entrance.

 Manchester Museum of Transport

Secondly, we’ve linked up with our friends Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust (RVPT) (www.rvpt.co.uk) to create a special one-off display for Ribble and North Western buses at the Museum of Transport, celebrating 100 years of Ribble and 90 years of the old X60 Manchester – Blackpool express service.



We’ll create photo-line-ups, there’ll be a ‘Ribble 100’ display from RVPT and we’ll work to make it worth your while to come to Manchester.
We’re very sorry indeed that the Trans Lancs Transport Show has been cancelled. But we just can’t take chances with the vehicles that so kindly come along. 

 Manchester Museum of Transport

Please pass the news on, and visitwww.motgm.uk for more details of the free bus service plus the Ribble centenary and X60 display at the Museum on 1 September."


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Sunday 25 August 2019

Class 222 Maintenance Contract




East Midlands franchisee Abellio and leasing company Eversholt Rail have awarded Bombardier Transportation a £133m contract to continue to maintain the 27 Class 222 DEMUs at Derby Etches Park depot until December 31 2022. Heavy component maintenance will take place at Bombardier Crewe.



The Class 222 fleet is on lease to East Midlands Trains and are currently operational on the Midland Mainline.


They are part of Bombardier’s Class 22 X high speed diesel electric multiple unit range.  They offer a comfortable and relaxing passenger environment optimised for longer distance services with 125mph capability.
The fleet achieves consistent high reliability figures and unrivaled performance and is a class leading inter-city train fleet.
The vehicles can be formed in different unit configurations and lengths to suit particular operational needs.  Formations allow these units to be optimised for capacity and role.
The fleet is currently configured as:

• 6 x 7 car units
• 17 x 5 car units
• 4 x 4 car units

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Saturday 24 August 2019

SCMAGLEV and Railway Park


Japan is known worldwide for its high speed rail network and one of the famous early 'Bullet Trains' is displayed in the UK transport Mueum in York.

Japan have their own museum. SCMAGLEV and Railway Park Museum in Nagoya shows the advances in high speed railway through rolling stock displays, which include the Superconducting Magnetically Levitated Vehicle (Maglev), as well as historic railway rolling stock.


In the spacious and well-lit main hall, trains are lined up side-by-side, new on the left to old on the right. A so called Yellow Doctor is on show, one of the yellow-painted shinkansen that analyze the tracks and cables to make sure there are no issues or imperfections that would cause serious issues when hit by a few hundred tons of high-speed steel and aluminum.

This park offers a place to learn how the railway has impacted society, economy, culture and lifestyle.

Visitors can enjoy learning through the numerous models and simulators.



 Class C62 Steam Locomotive - Fastest narrow gauge steam locomotive 
 Class 955 Shinkansen
Before the Shinkansen first opened in the '60s it took nearly 7 hours to get from Tokyo to Osaka by train. The Shinkansen made that trip in less than half the time. Decades of improvements mean that now it takes less than 2.5 hours.

  MLX 101 -1 Maglev
Maglev trains work on the principle of magnetic repulsion between the cars and the track. The word maglev is actually a combination of the words “magnetic” and “levitation.” The magnetic levitation, or floating of the train, is achieved through the use of an electrodynamic suspension system, or EDS.
In April 2015, a manned superconducting Maglev train broke two previous land speed records for rail vehicles. The train was clocked at 603 kilometres per hour or 375 mph.
 Series N700 Shinkansen
 Hoji 6005 Steam passenger car


Full information about the museum and the fascinating collection of rolling stock here

Friday 23 August 2019

Solaris Claims to be The European Leader in Electric Buses


Thanks to three large orders placed by customers from Berlin, Warsaw and Milan, Solaris has claimed the lead spot in Europe in terms of contracts for electric buses in 2019.




With these three large orders in the first months of 2019, Solaris is to deliver a total of up to 470 electric buses. In addition Solaris has contracted 90 more electric buses that are to make its way to other European cities. The Polish manufacturer says it accounts for a total of 25% electric buses for which European carriers have called tenders in 2019. The firm has thus taken the lead in Europe in terms of contracts landed for electric buses.

The European fleet currently comprises approximately 3500 electric buses, while barely five years ago their total number equalled merely 240. At the end of 2018, the European Parliament set itself the goal to ensure that in 2025, 50% of all new city buses are electric, whereas in 2030 that share is supposed to climb to 75%.



In autumn Solaris will present a new generation of batteries – the Solaris High Energy Plus, with its maximum capacity nearly doubled.

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Thursday 22 August 2019

IRISH NTA STARTS PROCUREMENT PROCESS FOR 600 HYBRID BUSES


The Irish National Transport Authority (NTA) has published in July a notice for procurement of 600 hybrid double-deck buses. NTA has commenced the procurement process as a key element of the BusConnects programme. 
 The (NTA) is the transport authority for the Greater Dublin Area and the public transport licensing agency for Ireland.



NTA intends to enter into a Single Supplier Framework Agreement for the buses.

This process is part of the transition to low emission buses, including electric vehicles, for the urban public bus fleet, as provided for in Project Ireland 2040 and the Climate Action Plan. 
The Framework Agreement is intended to permit the purchase of double-deck diesel-electric hybrid buses from the supplier during the period of the Framework Agreement. 
It is envisaged that up to 600 buses may be purchased under this Agreement over a period of around five years. The first delivery could take place before the end of 2020. BusConnects aims to expand the current bus system in the Dublin region by creating 230km of dedicated bus lanes and redesigning of the network.

NTA expects the new hybrid buses to be at least 30% more energy efficient than current diesel-only buses, and as a result will reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. The NTA also intend that the new buses will be capable of zero-tailpipe-emissions operation – which means buses should be able to drive a certain amount of time without using the diesel-engine. Combined with the overall reduction in energy consumption, this will contribute to an improvement in air quality in the Irish cities that will be served by these vehicles.”

The buses to be provided under the Framework Agreement are intended to be double-deck vehicles with a minimum of 40 seats on the upper deck, a minimum of 17 seats (not including longitudinal tip-up seats) on the lower deck and an overall capacity (including standees) of 70 passengers or greater, subject to the vehicle length not exceeding 11.50 metres. Clearly this double deck condition excludes many of the European brands and will probably give Wright Bus, Optare and Alexander Dennis the best chance of winning business.

Wednesday 21 August 2019

40 New Buses for Malta


Malta Public Transport, the national operator of the bus service on the Maltese Islands, has expanded its fleet by 15%, as the frequency on the islands’ most popular routes is increased to cater for the growing number of people choosing to travel by bus.




The inauguration of 40 new 12-metre Otokar Kent buses was announced by the Minister for
Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg and Minister for Finance Edward Scicluna, together with Chairman of Malta Public Transport Felipe Cosmen.

“While mobility is evolving, public transport remains the most efficient and most eco-friendly way of moving large amounts of people,” said Felipe Cosmen, Malta Public Transport Chairman. “With this investment, more than half the fleet is less than four years old.”



Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg and Minister for Finance Edward Scicluna, together with Chairman of Malta Public Transport Felipe Cosmen.

The company has introduced 250 new buses since it took over the operation in 2015. The new buses provide clean and fully accessible transportation, which Malta Public Transport is confident will play an important part in reducing the country’s collective carbon footprint. 

The new buses also feature USB charging points and free Wi-Fi, which is available on all the fleet, while some of the buses were specifically built for airport routes, with larger luggage space.

With a population of less than half a million people, the bus service in Malta has seen massive increases over a number of years with 2018 being a record year with 53.4 million passengers, and the first six months of this year already experiencing an 8% increase over the same period of last year.



The Minister for Transport, Infrastructure, and Capital Projects Ian Borg remarked that public transport is very important for Malta, forming part of the holistic plan that the Government put in place in order to address the congestion and traffic issues.

“These numbers are showing us that public transport is meeting the people’s demands and therefore it is important that we put more efforts in order to improve efficiency further, for the benefit of the commuters,” explained Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg.

Cosmen welcomed the government’s decision to upgrade the public transport network with new routes and frequencies. This upgrade will offer passengers better connectivity, while increasing capacity on the busiest routes at peak times.

“It is a very interesting time for mobility in general, but particularly here in Malta with its opportunities, factors and characteristics,” continued the Chairman, “it encourages Malta Public Transport to push for more innovation.” He concluded by thanking all the workers for their dedication and energy in achieving these important results, as well as all the loyal customers.

Tuesday 20 August 2019

First Electric Bus in Wales


Wales' first electric bus will start work on the roads of Newport this week.

Newport Transport has bought a former Yutong E12LF demonstration bus which will be the first in Wales to be used on a permanent basis.





The city, along with Cardiff and Caerphilly, has won grant funding from a UK government grant scheme to promote greener public transport.

£8.5m worth of UK government funding following trials last year. The money comes from a £48m Department of Transport grant scheme to promote greener public transport across England and Wales.
Cardiff will have a fleet of 36 buses, while Stagecoach will have 16 for its Caerphilly depot.

Next year Newport will receive 14 more, Cardiff will receive 36 and 16 will go to Caerphilly.


Newport Transport has been awarded just under £1m to fund the first electric bus.

It follows electric bus trials in Cardiff which began in 2018.

Electric buses produce no emissions but diesel versions produce carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide.




Newport's first electric bus  has been supplied by Yutong and is three years old and cost £250,000 compared with the £340,000 cost of buying the vehicles new.

The buses' batteries need to be replaced every six years and cost £150,000 but Newport Transport has a deal with the energy company Zenobe. L
ike Abellio with its newly-announced Caetano electric fleet in London, the Yutong’s batteries will be owned and maintained by Zenobe.

Charging will be taken care of at the Newport depot overnight, when the bus is not needed in service. .


The company continues to own and maintain the batteries and charging systems, and Newport Transport effectively buys the energy off them.


The bus can travel 116 miles (187km) in one charge which the company says will be more than enough for a day's driving.


Morgan Stevens, operations director at Newport Transport, said: "It improves the quality of experience the passengers will have on the bus.

"It's a lot quieter - there's a lot less noise, a lot less vibrations on the engine - which will improve the passenger experience on short and long-distance journeys."

The company's managing director Scott Pearson described the opportunity as "massive".

"The Welsh Government has already declared a climate emergency [and] there are a number of poor air quality zones in Newport that need to be addressed," he said.

"So the first electric vehicles are going to go on one of those routes - that's Caerleon and back - that's got three poor air quality zones in it."

"With the M4 relief road now not being built, I think bus can offer that alternative of mass transportation and if we do it with electric vehicles, it ticks so many boxes.

 

Monday 19 August 2019

DATE FOR THE DIARY - Metropolitan Line Heritage Train 8th September


Enjoy lazy September days on the Metropolitan line, travelling in vintage style through lush suburbia on 1950s ex-British Rail 4TC coaches, hauled by Sarah Siddons electric locomotive and a Class 20 locomotive.
Re-live the 1950s as you board the heritage train and take time to enjoy the special atmosphere at Amersham station, where you can mingle with costumed characters and browse our special pop-up Museum shop.
On Sunday 8 September only, courtesy of the LTM Friends, you'll also be able to enjoy free heritage rides up to Amersham Old Town, where the annual Heritage Day is taking place, on buses including RM2 from the museum collection.


Tickets and journey times

Journey 1 (single)
Wembley Park 10:23
Amersham 11:14
Adults £20 1st Class, £15 Standard class
Children 3 -16 £5 (under 3s go free)
Journey 2 (return)
Amersham 11:42
Harrow-on-the-Hill 12:10 arrive
Harrow-on-the-Hill 12:22 depart
Amersham 12:50
Adults £15 1st Class, £10 Standard class
Children 3 -16 £5 (under 3s go free)
Journey 3 (return)
Amersham 13:42
Harrow-on-the-Hill 14:10 arrive
Harrow-on-the-Hill 14:22 depart
Amersham 14:50
Adults £15 1st Class, £10 Standard class
Children 3 -16 £5 (under 3s go free)
Journey 4 (single)
Amersham 15:26
Wembley Park 15.59
Adults £20 1st Class, £15 Standard class
Children 3 -16 £5 (under 3s go free)

Sunday 18 August 2019

Alexander Dennis Enviro Bus Launch in Scarborough


'East Yorkshire', operator of Scarborough Locals buses, has unveiled eight brand new, ultra-low emission buses to operate in and around Scarborough.

The new ADL Enviro200 MMC single deck buses are being used on the popular Service 7/7A circular routes between Scarborough, Crossgates, Eastfield and Osgodby, with the route set to be branded as Scarborough Sevens.




Meeting the highest Euro 6 environmental standards, the buses will help to keep our air clean and free from pollution. Each bus also features comfortable seating, free Wi-Fi, USB charging points and next stop announcement systems.

The public were able to take a look at one of the buses and see the Scarborough Sevens brand for the first time at an event in Scarborough, as well as finding out more about bus travel in and around Scarborough with a new local bus guide. 


Commenting on the announcement, Area Director of East Yorkshire, Ben Gilligan, said:


“We are delighted to launch our new Scarborough Sevens buses, part of our ongoing commitment to improving bus services in Scarborough by investing in our fleet.

The buses all feature the latest technology to improve the passenger experience, with charging ports for smartphones, free Wi-Fi and next stop announcements which help passengers who don’t travel on the route regularly to know exactly where they are and where they need to get off.”

The buses build on East Yorkshire’s existing investment in its fleet, which has already seen £2m of new coaches, two new low-emission single deck buses and eight refurbished Scarborough-based Coaster buses join the fleet in the last few months. Investment has also been made in upgrading its open top buses, with newly branded Beachcomber buses now operating.

All the new buses have been locally built at the ADL factory in Scarborough, helping support jobs and the local economy, and will be in service over the next few weeks.

Up until 2018, EYMS was owned by Peter Shipp, who had been with the company since 1980. In June 2018, Peter Shipp handed over the company to the Go-Ahead Group.

Full history of east EYMS  here

Saturday 17 August 2019

Virgin Takes Delivery of First Airbus A350-1000


Virgin Atlantic has become the second UK airline in the space of a few weeks to take delivery of an Airbus A350-1000, with the formal handing over of its first aircraft in Toulouse.




The airline states on social media: “We are the officially the proud owners of our first A350-1000, Red Velvet.”

The hand-over comes after its London-Heathrow based rival British Airways took delivery of its first A350-1000 in July and introduced the type into service last week. Click 
here for story.

Virgin’s first aircraft, registration G-VLUX, has been officially accepted at the Airbus delivery centre at Toulouse-Blagnacairport. 



It is the first of 12 of the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-powered aircraft the airline has on order, with deliveries due through to 2021. Virgin says the new wide-body will initially operate between London Heathrow and New York John F Kennedy, with the inaugural flight due to be flown on 10 September. The airline has not yet confirmed any other routes.



A key new feature on Virgin’s A350-1000s is a revamped on-board bar dubbed “The Loft” Virgin says that “as the largest social space in the airline’s fleet, it’s designed for customers to gather, chat, enjoy a drink or dine with friends”.

Friday 16 August 2019

DATE FOR THE DIARY - Saturday & Sunday 31st August & 1st September - Seaton

A Jurassic Mule Reunion Gala Weekend is being held on Saturday 31st August and Sunday 1st September, with free heritage services on the old 124 route as well as 2 other local services, all based out of Seaton's Underfleet Coach Park.

Although the event is free, passengers are encouraged to buy a programme, which contains timetables and vehicle details. The programmes can be bought on Ebay (details below)
Holders of programmes are entitled to a vehicle allocation supplement when they attend the event.




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