Arriva North West - St Helens Depot

[CX54 DKD (Moderator)]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
It wouldn't surprise me if they were permanent transfers with the intention to run them into the ground alongside the rest of the allocated Marshalls and Plaxton bodied Darts of a similar age. Certainly wouldn't be the first time - as you say - a la the Paladins. I certainly relish the idea that they may depart again mind, we already have plenty!

[motormayhem]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
The way i look at it is when these are up for retirement there is going to big investment needed to replace these as well as the X*** ANC darts with more pulsars more than likely which should bring the age of st helens fleet to a relativley young operating age.

[CX54 DKD (Moderator)]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
That's provided they invest in new stock and don't just cascade stuff in to replace the Darts as they come up for renewal of course! The X-ANC Darts should have a while yet though, they'll be up for renewal around the same time as the Renowns I'd have thought. It's the T-PNCs, T-PNBs, V-DVUs and V-DJCs that are likely to be the next up for disposal with the latter hopefully having a longer reprieve than the rest.

[motormayhem]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
They must have to go for new stock as the only buses that could be cascaded are cadets so unless they wanna move some cadets from other depots then theres not much else they could replace them with or is there ewt else due for withdrawel or cascade.

[CX54 DKD (Moderator)]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
Cascaded Cadets wouldn't actually surprise me but I think it was pretty much established that any Cadets displaced (i.e. the ones with Speke) are heading to Green Lane anyway. With Runcorn it's looking like it will just be Pulsars getting the chop and moving over to Wythenshawe when the gas buses arrive. What I was more getting at, is that they may well invest in new vehicles for other garages who could potentially make a better return on them and then cascade their vehicles, which may not necessarily be up for renewal yet, through to replace ageing Darts; with the main corridors, which make the most money, now having been purchased vehicles within recent orders (or at least had vehicles displaced due to lowered PVRs allocated to them, such as in the case of the 352) with the possible exception of the 89, I don't know whether they'd be able to justify an order for more brand new vehicles quite as well as a garage such as Speke could.

I'm being cynical though, I think potential is certainly there for further investment in new vehicles for SH within the next 12-18 months but whether that will actually happen, remains to be seen.

[K853 MTJ]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
The situation with the gas buses is one that might yet change slightly if what I heard last night comes to fruition. Basically 09 Pulsars may not end up going to Wythenshawe, their destination is still unconfirmed as some final details and plans are yet to be confirmed with regards to the gas buses.
As you say though, with GL needing much renewal also, newer cascaded vehicles are few and far between, so it isnt out of the question that SH may benefit for some new buses in orded to see off the oldest Darts. Not forgetting Chester has a strong fleet of V-DJCs also, so they will probably need to be replaced as well. Looks like its going to be an interesting 12 months!

[motormayhem]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
People think st helens are non profitable where that comes from is beyond me as the words and proof we have been shown shows something totally different as we are not far behind speke profitabillity wise.

[MPTE1955]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
Once the V-DJC's are gone then it will be the X-ANC's as they should have around 3 years 9 months years before they are 15 years old. No doubt all of them will not last until that age. In fact there will be quite a number of X platers with the cadets & some renowns. Once the Y plater renowns are gone there will be quite a gap in single deck buses that will need to be replaced. The gap being about 4 years.

[CX54 DKD (Moderator)]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot

(24/12/2012 10:05)motormayhem Wrote:  People think st helens are non profitable where that comes from is beyond me as the words and proof we have been shown shows something totally different as we are not far behind speke profitabillity wise.

No, that's not at all what I was saying but there's no doubt that St Helens is going to be less profitable, generally speaking, as Speke and, although I'd be happy to be proved otherwise, I wouldn't have thought some of the local routes, where the Darts tend to be allocated, are massively profitable. At least not to the degree to justify further new buses in addition to the Solo SRs anyway.

[motormayhem]

RE: Arriva North West - St Helens Depot
Ive been told they are the 2nd most profitable in the northwest.