Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

[gilesbus1]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester
I managed to gleen bits tonight about this, initially there are no changes to ops or vehicles all vehicles where bought yesterday along with the shed and an office behind Wigan Bus Station had its rent taken on it the fleet at Wigan is now fooizen till the deal is concluded as this is now an asset that reflects the value of the business. The only unknown quantity is who will operate either the 33 Evening routes on the X34 all other routes will transfer with the depot.

The only promise that has been made is that a new Wigan to Manchester express service is to be started Next Year, wether thats an enhancement and rebranding of the 32 or something else remains to be seen remains to be seen.

Optare Excels are expected to be withdrawn after December but the likely replacements will be MAN's stored at Manchester. Arrows might hit the dust later although this is more suggestive than factual when Stagecoach Manchester gets some 02 plate Tridenst for Magic that will free up existing Low Floor Magics that could mean these get repainted to nornmal livery and moved to Wigan, likely those that are Highbridge and none standard and from independent take-overs.

Any future operations and fleet at this stage is unlikely as Stagecoach needs time to bed down here however it is likely they have bought it with some forward direction as to some future expansion some of it possibly linked to the Leigh Guided Busway in about 2 years time, and also we might logically expect a cleaning out of some competition at Wigan.