Arriva North West DLPs & VLWs

[Metroline1511]

RE: Arriva North West DLPs & VLWs

(29/10/2017 13:02)Robas Wrote:  I also think emissions standards are having a lot to do with the London Bus cascade policy. The vehicles currently being withdrawn in London by Arriva are predominantly Euro 3 compliant - and are generally 11 to 14 years old.

With the general aim of improving air quality, especially in the larger towns and cities (such as Liverpool), spending money on refurbishment and conversion to single door of these older, less fuel efficient vehicles, just to replace existing slightly older Euro 3 vehicles, may not be an attractive proposition. Hence the cascades have stopped for now.

New London contracts generally specify new Hybrid, Euro 6 or even electric only vehicles (or cascades of other clean emission vehicles made surplus from the loss of a tender). This policy is quite quickly removing older Euro 3 vehicles from the capital. Additionally, some modern Euro 5 vehicles are now being converted to Euro 6, as by Sep 2020 only buses that meet the Euro 6 spec will be allowed to operate in the Low Emission Zone.

Therefore, only once Euro 3s are eliminated, does it seem the possible for cascades/refurbishments re-starting. An early candidate, for example could be the first 08 plate Enviro 400/Tridents, which I believe are Euro 4.

I was interested in your comments regarding cities like Liverpool striving to improve air quality, rendering cascades of midlife buses likely to be rare.

What you say about London is pretty accurate too. Admittedly some tenders are being renewed with older buses, most notably in outer London. A case in point is Arriva commencing new tender terms on routes 66, 103 & 175 in Romford with 2009-vintage Geminis. It is commonplace for operators including Arriva to allocate newer buses to central & inner London routes and cascade older buses to outer areas.