Stagecoach UK Bus
We understand that Stagecoach has significantly scaled back its new vehicle plans for the 2020/21 financial year. Bids had been made for new vehicles as part of the 2020/21 Budget Review process and, although not announced by the company, new vehicle requirements had been agreed.
However, Stagecoach made it clear in a trading statement earlier this month that it had significantly scaled back its Capital Expenditure Budget for 2020/21 which will impact on new vehicles being taken into the fleet.
In the statement Stagecoach said: 
“In our (previous) statement of 23rd March, we outlined a number of actions we had taken in response to the impact of the COVID-19 situation on the business. Those management actions include reducing our capital expenditure.  
“Prior to COVID-19 having an effect on the business, our capital expenditure plans for 2020/21 envisaged around £105m of cash capital expenditure and around £38m of new leases. For the time being, we have scaled down the planned expenditure to around £40m of cash capital expenditure and around £20m of new leases.  
The scaled down plans reflect vehicles ordered which are either already built or largely built, vehicles required for new London bus contracts secured, electrical infrastructure work required for new London bus contracts secured, completion of some ongoing land and buildings work, and a reduced spend on technology and change projects.”
We believe that the 52 ADL Enviro 400MMCs for the Stagecoach Manchester fleet will be built and delivered - the first three had been delivered to Manchester in March. We have no confirmation on which other vehicles may still be on the order book for provincial fleets and whether the recently-announced order for new coaches for Stagecoach Oxfordshire’s ‘Oxford tube’ operations remain on the order books. 

​We take another dip into our archives today and go back to April 2004 when Stagecoach launched its ‘Citi’ network concept in Peterborough. It had previously launched the ‘Citi’ network in Cambridge in 2001. 
For Peterborough there was investment in 20 new Dart SLFs. These would replace a mix of Alexander Dash and Plaxton Pointer-bodied Darts and Volvo B6s, whilst some Alexander ALX200-bodied Darts were transferred to other parts of the company. Their introduction saw the recasting of the entire Stagecoach operation in Peterborough. 
One of the new Darts, 34549 (GX04EZB) was used to promote the new network in the week leading up to the timetable changes.

​We were able to take a number of photos prior to the 20 new Darts entering service and here is one of them. It took quite a while positioning the vehicles.

​From the first day in service 34541 (GX04EYS) is seen heading for Bretton with a service 2 working from Paston via city centre.

​Our next image is of some of the displaced Darts heading for storage and disposal.

​Many of the 20 Darts which launched the Peterborough Citi network are still with Stagecoach but split now between the East, East Midlands and South East operating subsidiaries. But not all city routes in Peterborough were given the Citi treatment in 2004. Route 1 operating between Orton-city centre-Werrington needed double decks and continued to be operated by Volvo Olympians, many of them were former London examples such as 16097 (R97XNO) and they had ‘One’ slogans applied. Two tears later investment saw them replaced with Tridents.

​We have searched to the bottom of our archive box today and bring you two images from Eastern Counties Peterborough depot in the very early 1980s, which are perhaps of questionable quality having not survived well over the last 40 years. First up is Bristol FLF FLF469 (KNG469D) which was new in November 1966 and operated until late 1982 when it was exported to Florida.

Next up is another Bristol FLF, FLF463 (KAH463D) was new in October 1966 and like FLF469 remained operational with Eastern Counties until late 1982. Following its withdrawal we understand it was sold and used as a Staff Bus by Matchbox Toys. It is parked up at Lincoln Road depot alongside Leyland National LN563 (PVF363R).

Stagecoach East
We have been asked several time where the Cambridge Enviro 400s are currently operating.
Currently we believe that 17 are on loan to other depots, seven are delicenced or out of use leaving 27 operational at Cambridge.
Those at Bedford are to allow the X5 Cambridge-Bedford-Milton Keynes (it is temporarily not operating between Milton Keynes-Bicester-Oxford) and the 99 Milton Keynes-Luton Airport to be operated by double decks to facilitate social distancing. The Enviro 400s also have driver screens which the coaches normally used on the two routes do not.
Likewise at Peterborough the vehicles are on loan to allow virtually all services to be operated by double deck vehicles. We understand that at Peterborough only three single decks currently remain in use - 37222, 37223 and 37225.. 
The current Cambridge Enviro 400 status is:
Delicenced (3): 19164, 19567, 19576
Out of use/mothballed but not delicenced (4): 19588, 19590, 19592, 19593
Operational at Cambridge (27): 19568, 19575, 19577, 19579, 19580, 19582, 19583, 19585, 19586, 19594, 19597, 19603, 19606, 19607, 19608, 19609, 19610, 19611, 19612, 19613, 19614, 19616, 19617, 19618, 19619, 19620, 19693
On loan to Bedford (7): 19574, 19581, 19584, 19587, 19589, 19591, 19596
On loan to Peterborough (10): 19578, 19595, 19598, 19599, 19600, 19601, 19602, 19604, 19605, 19615
 
East Yorkshire
The remaining National Express fleet at Hull, Scania K410s 1-7 have now been delicenced here. Also delicenced from Hull is
​Enviro 400 906.

Stagecoach East
The company has named ADL Enviro 400MMC 11279, based at Bedford depot, Captain Tom Moore. Tom celebrates his 100th birthday this month and has been walking lengths of his garden to raise money for NHS Charities Together. As of today he had raised over £28 million.
 
Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire
Last weekend Ray Stenning of Best Impressions, who has created hundreds of transport brands and liveries, celebrated his 70th birthday. To mark the milestone ten bus companies have named vehicles after him. Not one of the ten buses named but carrying a temporary name for a photoshoot is Enviro 300 27142, which also carries a Ray Stenning/Best Impressions ‘Cross Pennine’ livery.
 
Stagecoach South
Winchester-allocated Enviro 200MMC 37406 has had the King's City branding removed and is in an all-white livery is expected to receive the new Stagecoach ‘Local’ Livery
Four of Winchester King's City Branded Enviro 200MMCs, 37409/11/15/19, have so far been repainted and have received the Stagecoach ‘Local’ Livery


Stagecoach West
Previously unreported by us is the naming of the Enviro 200MMCs delivered here at the end off last year. Our regular correspondents Dave Russell & Deric Pemberton report the following names are carried:
37616 Cotswold Crusader,
37617 Dave,
37618 Nicky Price,
37619 Eddie ‘The Eagle’,
37620 Dan Harper,
37621 Gus the Bus,
37622 Bus-Lightyear,
37623 Edward Jenner,
37624 Best Mate,
37625 Glorious Glosters,
37626 Brian Dance,
37627 Riders of Rohan,
37628 Dorothea Beale,
​37629 Bus McBusterton.

Stagecoach East Midlands
Previously decommissioned Enviro 200 36707 and Enviro 200MMCs 37457 and 37458 have been returned to operational status and transferred from Lincoln to Worksop.

Malcolm reports that as a result of the COVID-19 ‘lockdown’ this week’s news report is rather shorter than usual on current pictures and information but hopes everyone will enjoy ‘Times of Old’ with some cracking pictures to view.
 Click on this link to go straight to the latest page:  OCBP Weekly Briefing nr 101 - Friday, April 24th 2020 
​This week’s report includes:
Update on COVID-19 situation plus Stagecoach update
Golden Tours in Hemel from Adam Green
From Times of Old memories flood back - a weekly reminisce
Eastern Bus Enthusiasts and L720JUD
Adam Baker updates us from Guildford
North of the Border from Gordon Scott
…..plus all the local news and some pictures of other operators. 
Don’t forget that you can check out the Oxford & Chilterns Bus Page at any time by visiting
www.oxford-chiltern-bus-page.co.uk

Stagecoach West
Three Enviro 300s here have so far received the new Stagecoach ‘Local’ livery - 27705 followed by 27714 and then 27554. Now in the paint shop and due to receive the same livery is 27719. Only 27705 is in service with the other three currently delicenced.

Stagecoach West Scotland
Open Top converted Enviro 400 19046 has received the new Stagecoach ‘Local’ livery.

Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire
The seven Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 513CDi vehicles which had been on hire here and numbered 80044-50, are being returned. They have not been used.
The four Enviro 200s due to transfer here from Stagecoach Manchester, 36416/17/19/22, are expected here tomorrow and will initially go into store at West Cumbria.
The two Slimline Optare Solo SRs recently transferred back here from Stagecoach East Scotland, 48001 and 48002, will shortly receive Lakes Connection livery and are due to replace Optare Solos 47721/22 on the Keswick Circular 77 and 77A services.

We have two archive images for today’s selection, both featuring Midland Red in Nuneaton. First up is BMMO S6 3072 (HHA673) - this batch had out of sequence registration numbers. It is pictured heading into Nuneaton Bus Station. It was part of the allocation at Nuneaton garage between March and June 1948 and again between early 1950 and the end of 1962. It was during this latter period that it was lengthened from 27 foot 6 inches to 29 foot 3 inches allowing an extra four seats to be added. The lengthening increased the rear overhang and not the wheelbase. We have been unable to see from the quality of the image whether the vehicle had by the time of the photograph been lengthened.

​Second up is D5B double deck 3778 (NHA778) parked up inside the garage at Nuneaton. This was numerically the second of the D5B vehicles, which were fitted with platform doors and was new in October 1950 coming to Nuneaton in December 1965. It was withdrawn in July 1967. S16 5524 partially seen was new in April 1964 and apart from a short spell at Rugby garage between May 1965 and October 1966 operated from Nuneaton until withdrawal in May 1976.

​For today’s archive selection we take a trip to Oxford South in mid 1977 and first up is Oxford South Midlands Series 2 Bristol VRT/ECW 901 (OFC901H). It was originally ordered by Southern Vectis. It was later converted to open top in 1984 but then in 1991 had a roof re-fitted and was used as a driver training vehicle. Upon withdrawal it was bought by the Oxford Bus Museum as a source of spares for the restoration of OFC902H.

​Midland Red S25, later F1, Ford R192 with Plaxton Derwent 45 bodywork 6330 (YHA330J) is parked up at the depot alongside Oxford South Midland Bristol RELH6G/ECW dual purpose coach 22 (LJB422E). The Midland Red Ford was new to Banbury but spent a few weeks in September/October 1976 on loan to Oxford. The X59 was a long distance route from Coventry to Oxford operated jointly by Midland Red and Oxford and we believe at the time of the photograph the bus was allocated to Banbury depot and had probably failed whilst in Oxford.

​We were pleased to find these two AEC Renown/Park Royal double decks parked up in what was a rather dark area of the depot. On the left is 367 (DFC367D) parked next to 353 (CFC353C).

​During the late 1970s Oxford South Midland experienced a vehicle shortage and took a number of withdrawn vehicles from fellow National Bus subsidiary Midland Red. The latter’s DD11 Alexander-bodied Daimler Fleetline 5254 (5254HA) went on loan to Oxford in November 1976 and was transferred to the Oxford fleet the following month where it was allocated fleet number 918.

​Next we have Oxford South Midland 384(MJO384H) a Northern Counties Daimler Fleetline pictured alongside 910 (5284HA), a former Midland Red DD11 Alexander-bodied Daimler Fleetline. 5284HA went on loan to the Oxford fleet in April 1973 and was sold to Oxford in February 1975 where it operated until withdrawal in October 1979.

​Another vehicle joining the Oxford fleet from Midland Red was 905 (NAC416F) Leyland Atlantean PDR1/1 with Northern Counties bodywork. It was new to Midland Red subsidiary Stratford Blue as its fleet number 10 in December 1967. It was absorbed into the main Midland Red fleet in January 1971 and given fleet number 2010. It was withdrawn five months later and was transferred to Oxford in July 1971 where it remained in service until June 1979. It subsequently passed to the Oxford Bus Museum for preservation.

​To bring our Oxford archive selection to an end we leave the depot and head out to Charlton on Otmoor where we find Leyland Leopard PSU3/4R/Plaxton Panorama 26 (CRN833D) which carries white NATIONAL livery with Oxford South Midlands fleet name but which was delivered new to Ribble.

Stagecoach East
With thanks to Oxford & Chiltern Bus Page and Gary Seamarks we can confirm that the Volvo B11R/Plaxton elite coaches at Bedford have all been taken out of use. These X5-branded coaches do not have driver screens which has prompted their temporary removal from service.
They have been replaced at Bedford by Enviro 400s 19574/81/84/87/89/91/96 from Cambridge. Six of them were ‘swapped’ over at Cambridge Parkside on 17th April with Volvo B11Rs 54304/07/10/11/12/18 being taken to Cowley Road depot in Cambridge. At this stage it is not known whether the six coaches will be taken to Bedford to be parked up or will remain stored at either Cambridge or even Ely depots.

East Yorkshire
Look out for Volvo B5TL/MCV 804 going on loan to MP Travel, joining 808 already on loan there.

Stagecoach East Midlands
Enviro 400MMC 10896 has been transferred from Lincoln to Scunthorpe whilst transferred on loan from Long Sutton to Lincoln are Scania/Enviro 400s 15618/52/54.