DartSLF Bus Awards 2015

[SK15 GZG (Moderator)]

DartSLF Bus Awards 2015
Same as last year's questions but with three new ones added. I'm looking forward to seeing all of the responses

1 - Who was the best company of the year?
2 - Who was the worst company of the year?
3 - Which North West depot do you think made the most progress in 2015?
(This can be any depot located in the North West region)
4 - What bus(es) were the best delivery to a company of the year?
(This includes new and old buses to a company/depot that may have already been in use!)
5 - What withdrawn bus(es) were the hardest goodbye from a company of the year?
(This includes new and old buses that left a company/depot, even if they're still in use elsewhere!)
6 - Which bus(es) looked the smartest during the year?
7 - What was the rarest sighting of the year?
8 - What was the biggest surprise in the industry of the year?
9 - What was the biggest disappointment in the industry of the year?
10 - What bus was the best during the year?
11 - What bus was the worst during the year?
12 - What bus(es) are you most looking forward to in 2016?
13 - What bus(es) would you like to see in the North West in 2016?

[MPTE1955]

RE: DartSLF Bus Awards 2015
1. Arriva for investment.
2. Also Arriva but for reliability, some of their services reliability has become awful, particularly 60/61 services.
3.Green Lane for influx of deckers and their average bus age dropping quite a bit.
4.Best delivery for me has been the commanders to Bootle depot and also those nice Enviro300 golds for the 1/2 Chester services, so a bit of old and new.
5. withdrawn buses have to be the B10M's from Stagecoach.
6.Howards buses always look smart.
7. Rarest sighting is difficult, a stagecoach decker on a 10A is quite rare.
8. Fishwicks going.
9. Biggest disappointment has to be same as above and I can't think of anything else soo the long standing independent Fishwicks leaving the scene.
10. Struggling for one in particular but the Enviro 400's on Norwich Park and ride services that I sampled over Christmas were quite nice. A lot nicer internally than the norm, so more them as a whole rather than one.
11. Well a dart would be an obvious one so I won't go there but there are any number of Pulsars that could get this one but I will go for 3058, truly awful with vibrations akin to a dart. Just about beats tarted up Southport pulsar 3033.
12. Can't claim to be looking forward to any buses in particular for the coming year.
13. Some Enviro400 mmc's would be nice in Merseyside, would make a change from looking at the old Enviro400.

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: DartSLF Bus Awards 2015
1 - Who was the best company of the year?
Arriva Merseyside - Finally investment in Deckers that has been needed for years!
2 - Who was the worst company of the year?
Catch 22 LTD - Wrong how a company can advertise to operate a Service yet not show up.
3 - Which North West depot do you think made the most progress in 2015?
(This can be any depot located in the North West region)
Arriva St Helens - Capacity on the 10/10A has improved thanks to the new Enviro 400s and Services such as the 89 and 320 have seen improved Timetables and improved time keeping!
4 - What bus(es) were the best delivery to a company of the year?
(This includes new and old buses to a company/depot that may have already been in use!)
Again Arriva St Helens based Enviro 400s due to the Capacity that has been needed for years.
5 - What withdrawn bus(es) were the hardest goodbye from a company of the year?
(This includes new and old buses that left a company/depot, even if they're still in use elsewhere!)
Arriva Boltons DAF Ikarus - Always thought these where great Buses for DAF, Like the leg room on the back row as well
6 - Which bus(es) looked the smartest during the year?
Go Goodwins Fleet in general, Yet to see a scratch on them!
7 - What was the rarest sighting of the year?
I remember seeing one of Arriva Birkenheads Optare Solos on the 2
8 - What was the biggest surprise in the industry of the year?
Arriva buying so many Deckers for the North West as Arriva had become known for buying Single Deckers for routes that needed Double Deckers
9 - What was the biggest disappointment in the industry of the year?
Arriva buying streetlites for Birkenhead, horrid Buses with bad legroom at the back and act as Green houses on wheels during hot summer days
10 - What bus was the best during the year?
Peoplesbus X1 BUS is a fantastic Bus, Does not feel 15 years old at all!
11 - What bus was the worst during the year?
Stagecoach Middletons MCV Evolutions, Shed was an understatement, Glad to see the back of them
12 - What bus(es) are you most looking forward to in 2016?
Looking forward to see the Buses for the Leigh Guided Busway since they have Tables in them
13 - What bus(es) would you like to see in the North West in 2016?
I know it wont happen but i think the Metrocitys look smart, would not mind a couple of them to show up around here

[Jack]

RE: DartSLF Bus Awards 2015
MetroCitys have already shown up in the North West with GHA in Warrington.

[RedPanda]

RE: DartSLF Bus Awards 2015
1 - Who was the best company of the year? Arriva Merseyside for investment on routes into Liverpool
2 - Who was the worst company of the year? Diamond NW things just seem to be taking an age
3 - Which North West depot do you think made the most progress in 2015?
(This can be any depot located in the North West region) Arriva Green Lane for investment on 10B,12, 13
4 - What bus(es) were the best delivery to a company of the year? Enviro 400 mmc (34/x34 branding)
(This includes new and old buses to a company/depot that may have already been in use!)
5 - What withdrawn bus(es) were the hardest goodbye from a company of the year? 2236? Lasted so long and only withdrawn because of an expensive fault
(This includes new and old buses that left a company/depot, even if they're still in use elsewhere!)
6 - Which bus(es) looked the smartest during the year? I was thinking of Jim Stones but some Enviro 200's have a odd coloured front bumper so probably Avon would be my bet
7 - What was the rarest sighting of the year? Either the electric solo at St. Helens or the ugly white decker with a blue and red stripe. Both on test.
8 - What was the biggest surprise in the industry of the year? Takeover of SLT
9 - What was the biggest disappointment in the industry of the year? Diamond NW professionalism, staff are great but I can't say the same for the buses as one is Diamond, one SLT and one Preston Bus
10 - What bus was the best during the year? I had a short journey on Wrexham's 4410 and loved every minute of it. Extremely comfy seats, quiet engine and wifi that works
11 - What bus was the worst during the year? A number of pulsars too many to mention. Just seem to rattle and the din from the engine is a no no. Another one would be an Arriva southport Alexander Dennis Dart 4. Caught one on the 44 to Crossens, I think it was 2141 and it just shuddered all over the place.
12 - What bus(es) are you most looking forward to in 2016? I have to say that I dont know of any orders so lets say a ride on a Diamond NW decker on the 126/132 if they ever enter service
13 - What bus(es) would you like to see in the North West? Electric solos

Please reply if I've missed any

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: DartSLF Bus Awards 2015

(29/12/2015 17:09)RedPanda Wrote:  1 - Who was the best company of the year? Arriva Merseyside for investment on routes into Liverpool
2 - Who was the worst company of the year? Diamond NW things just seem to be taking an age
3 - Which North West depot do you think made the most progress in 2015?
(This can be any depot located in the North West region) Arriva Green Lane for investment on 10B,12, 13
4 - What bus(es) were the best delivery to a company of the year? Enviro 400 mmc (34/x34 branding)
(This includes new and old buses to a company/depot that may have already been in use!)
5 - What withdrawn bus(es) were the hardest goodbye from a company of the year? 2236? Lasted so long and only withdrawn because of an expensive fault
(This includes new and old buses that left a company/depot, even if they're still in use elsewhere!)
6 - Which bus(es) looked the smartest during the year? I was thinking of Jim Stones but some Enviro 200's have a odd coloured front bumper so probably Avon would be my bet
7 - What was the rarest sighting of the year? Either the electric solo at St. Helens or the ugly white decker with a blue and red stripe. Both on test.
8 - What was the biggest surprise in the industry of the year? Takeover of SLT
9 - What was the biggest disappointment in the industry of the year? Diamond NW professionalism, staff are great but I can't say the same for the buses as one is Diamond, one SLT and one Preston Bus
10 - What bus was the best during the year? I had a short journey on Wrexham's 4410 and loved every minute of it. Extremely comfy seats, quiet engine and wifi that works
11 - What bus was the worst during the year? A number of pulsars too many to mention. Just seem to rattle and the din from the engine is a no no. Another one would be an Arriva southport Alexander Dennis Dart 4. Caught one on the 44 to Crossens, I think it was 2141 and it just shuddered all over the place.
12 - What bus(es) are you most looking forward to in 2016? I have to say that I dont know of any orders so lets say a ride on a Diamond NW decker on the 126/132 if they ever enter service
13 - What bus(es) would you like to see in the North West? Electric solos

Please reply if I've missed any

Some of your replys are mixed up with the question and the Diamond Bus Deckers are already out

[RedPanda]

RE: DartSLF Bus Awards 2015

(29/12/2015 17:45)T42 PVM Wrote:  Some of your replys are mixed up with the question and the Diamond Bus Deckers are already out

My bad... I can only think of Arriva Green Lanes deckers that's going to be new and to be honest they have enough of the things and you can ride one anytime of the day. I was trying to think outside the box something brand new to the Arriva North West/Stagecoach and First fleet .

[motormayhem1]

RE: DartSLF Bus Awards 2015
1..arriva for its large investment.
2..diamond for reasons i dont want to say on a public domain as it wouldn't be fair.
3..arriva speke for being nearly a full 100% double deck fleet.
4..arriva st helens Enviro400 due to increasing capacity on a much needed route.
5..arriva 2800 as for some strange reason i had a soft spot for it.
6..stagecoach gold Enviro300 on the liverpool-chester routes as think the livery and interior looks good.
7..would be arriva birkenhead solo on the service 2
8..arrivas investment in deckers due to them doing a u turn on wanting single decks.
9..seeing the demise of fishwicks after so many years of hardwork.
10. The wright streetdeck what was on trail at arriva just due to its oddity in merseyside.
11..arrivas 2212 as the engine went bang on me while doing my 31's.
12. I too think first bus deckers for the leigh guided busway.
13. MMC Enviro400 for arriva merseyside.

[H101GEV (Administrator)]

RE: DartSLF Bus Awards 2015
1 - Who was the best company of the year?
Arriva without a doubt for transforming their core fleet in Liverpool with 100 new double deckers, and 50 or so more to come in 2016.

2 - Who was the worst company of the year?
Perhaps not the worst but the most lacklustre: Stagecoach Merseyside for me. Their fleet lags behind Arriva's considerably in terms of quality and capacity. With Arriva now offering many more double deck services and additional features such as leatherette seating, it's time for Stagecoach to buck their ideas up in Liverpool.

3 - Which North West depot do you think made the most progress in 2015?
Green Lane by a country mile. From zero to nearly 50 double decks in a few short months. The fleet is starting to look much tidier now too as refurbishments continue, and they seem to be a lot better at keeping the new deckers on their intended routes unlike Bootle and St Helens.

4 - What bus(es) were the best delivery to a company of the year?
The 100 new Enviro400s to Arriva's Speke, Green Lane, Bootle and St Helens depots, unquestionably.

5 - What withdrawn bus(es) were the hardest goodbye from a company of the year?
I can't say I'll genuinely miss anything that has been withdrawn this year, but it's a slight shame to see the DAF Cadets go. Those buses are certainly a considerable step-up from the ragbag collection of Darts Arriva has had over the years, but the unrefurbished ones were absolutely rancid internally so those examples won't be missed.

6 - Which bus(es) looked the smartest during the year?
Nothing in particular stands out, but perhaps the Arriva Enviro400s again, especially the newest batch at Speke.

7 - What was the rarest sighting of the year?
I haven't paid much attention to rare sightings this year so haven't a clue.

8 - What was the biggest surprise in the industry of the year?
The demise of Ace Travel. A solid independent who are missed.

9 - What was the biggest disappointment in the industry of the year?
Stagecoach Merseyside's continuing unwillingness to invest in new double deckers for Liverpool routes. A handful of ageing Enviro400s (some of which have already left) is just not good enough.

10 - What bus was the best during the year?
Nothing stands out.

11 - What bus was the worst during the year?
Take your pick from the 2451-2474 fleet of Myllenniums. Awful, awful buses which can't go quickly enough. Some which stand out as particularly dreadful are 2451, 2455 and 2467, but 2456 still takes the biscuit.

12 - What bus(es) are you most looking forward to in 2016?
The proposed hybrid Enviro400s for Green Lane and pSpeke for the 14, 18 and 79 routes. High time core Liverpool routes benefited from hybrid buses. Additional EcoCity buses for the 82A would be very welcome as well to ease this route's overcrowding issues.

13 - What bus(es) would you like to see in the North West in 2016?
As above: hybrid Enviro400s.

[Lynx]

RE: DartSLF Bus Awards 2015
1. Who was the best company of the year?
Arriva simply for the reasons already mentioned.

2. Who was the worst company of the year?
Network Warrington for abusing there position.

3. Which North West Depot made the most progress this year?
Toss up between St. Helens and Green Lane but Green Lane edges it slightly when you look at the average age of the fleet in December 2013 compared to December 2015 its easy to see why they have made the most progress. Not to mention the abundance of long overdue deckers.

4. What buses were the best delivery to a company of the year?
I'm a fan of the Enviro300s on the 1, plenty of leg room and most feel quite well built in comparison to other Enviro300s operated by Stagecoach, I will however miss the Solars doing the 1.

5. What withdrawn buses were the hardest good bye of the year?
X reg cadets, by no means the best buses in the world but they where nice and most still had plenty of life left in them at the time of withdrawal.

6.Which buses looked smartest during the year?
Halton's Omnicities by a country mile. There was one or two done back at the end of 2014 but most of the fleet has been done now bar 2 and they are simply stunning.

7. What was the rarest sighting during the year?
I've not witnessed anything particularly rare myself but perhaps the time I spotted a solo sr on the 360.

8. What was the biggest surprise in the industry of the year?
Fishwicks of course.

9. What was the biggest disappointment of the year?
Nothing that anyone else would find particularly disappointing stands out but for me personally as a self confessed Halton Supremacist it would be Halton's acquisition of second hand darts going on 13 years old.

10. What was the best bus during the year?
R839 PRG

11. What was the worst bus during the year?
2960

12. What buses are you most looking forward to in 2016?
Nothing I'm particularly "hyped" about.

13. What buses would you like to see in the North West during 2016?
The StreetDecks are really quite nice and the Metrodeckers are also quite nice so some of these wouldn't go a miss.