New Artics for ACTION

Started by Barry Drive, February 18, 2010, 10:45:24 AM

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Kramden

Quote from: ajw373 on December 03, 2011, 08:08:26 AM
As I said above he said they were "Caterpillar articulated buses", so I am 99% certain he was referring to brand. As for slang names I used to call them banana buses.

OK then, let's all take comfort in the knowledge that the reporter will not be receiving a Walkley Award for Journalism with regard to their bus story.

I think flexi-buses (as mentioned by Smitho) has a nice ring to it here in Canberra – the spiritual home of flex time.

smitho

It will be interesting to see when Australia catches up with Europe and imports some bi-artics.

They'd be good in Perth and on the Adelaide O-Bahn, not to mention a 333 - type intertown express service in Canberra.

CNG

i was thinking how are action going to defferenciate between the old and new artics when they arrive in regards to scheduling. As the new artis will surley not be used on school runs and more so just on intertowns and high capacity runs. Maybe the new artics will be stamped as something like caterpillar bus- i dunno.

Bus 400

What about "low floor artic" & "high floor artic"?

Bus 400

Quote from: smitho on December 09, 2011, 11:49:51 PM
It will be interesting to see when Australia catches up with Europe and imports some bi-artics.

They'd be good in Perth and on the Adelaide O-Bahn, not to mention a 333 - type intertown express service in Canberra.

By the looks of things, Custom Coaches are developing their own bi-artic, all information can be found at http://customcoaches.com.au/showroom/custom-mass-transit/

Sir Pompously

It also would not surprise me if Bustech also look at a Bi-Artic. I am sure they had a concept image up on their page as well.

Barry Drive

Quote from: CNG on January 02, 2012, 07:38:28 AM
i was thinking how are action going to defferenciate between the old and new artics when they arrive in regards to scheduling. As the new artis will surley not be used on school runs and more so just on intertowns and high capacity runs.
Next network planned to commence in May 2012. First low-floor artic will be delivered in June/July 2012. Old artics will be withdrawn as new artics arrive (first 5 believed to be allocated to B depot). Join the dots.

ajw373

Are there any runs at present that comprise of just school runs or do they do some normal routes with a school run thrown in when needed? If I were a betting man I would say the latter in which case the new buses will, like all buses at present be seen on school runs as well as normal route runs.

Buzz Killington

Quote from: CNG on January 02, 2012, 07:38:28 AM
i was thinking how are action going to defferenciate between the old and new artics when they arrive in regards to scheduling. As the new artis will surley not be used on school runs and more so just on intertowns and high capacity runs. Maybe the new artics will be stamped as something like caterpillar bus- i dunno.

Brand new MANs have been used on school services so no doubt the new artics will be too. Probably won't see the new artics doing anything wildly different to what the current ones are doing - the stags will obviously get priority on intertowns given they're fairly useless or unnecessary on a lot of other routes.

Bus 400

Quote from: ACTbusspotter on January 03, 2012, 11:27:20 AM
..... (first 5 believed to be allocated to B depot).

If the 6 MkI artics at Belconnen are transferred for others at Tuggeranong to be withdrawn. Then Tuggeranong would have all 25 MkI artics with ACTION.
I am aware things will occur over time & not all 5 will enter the service at once & all 6 would be sent over to Tuggeranong.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Buzz Killington

Quote from: Bus 400 on January 03, 2012, 06:27:09 PM
If the 6 MkI artics at Belconnen are transferred for others at Tuggeranong to be withdrawn.

Probably not much point in doing that. Won't matter too much if 704-709 are withdrawn before 700-702.

Barry Drive

Assuming each depot will get 10 new artics each, the first 5 to B may result in 4 Mk2s being transferred and 1 Mk1 withdrawn from B & 4 from T, then 10 to T and another 5 to B.

Another option might be to give B 11 and send all Mk2s to T.

CNG

I just thought this was an interesting read for everyone, good chance to have a visual reference of the body aswell.
http://customcoaches.com.au/custom-to-supply-20-artics-to-action/#more-3793

Buzz Killington

Posted back on 29 November, but thanks anyway.

Quote from: Buzz Killington on November 29, 2011, 07:40:23 PM
Custom Coaches are saying that the new artics will replace twenty of the PR180.2's, with the other 13 to remain in service (by reading between the lines where they say the remaining 13 will be replaced at a later date)

http://customcoaches.com.au/custom-to-supply-20-artics-to-action/

Merv319

#114
Just heard from a Tuggeranong driver today; Belco will get 5 of the artics and the rest 15 will be Tuggy's.

(My speculation) I guess it is actually 6 going to Belco and 14 for TG, since if only 5 will go to Belco then they can't get rid of all 6 Belco Mk1 artic.

Barry Drive

Who said they want to get rid of Mk1 artics from B? If what you say is correct (and it does make some sort of sense), the 5 going to B may result in all of B's Mk2s going to T. Then they can decide which are the best 6 remaining Mk1s, all of which will be sent to B (unless some end up at a re-opened Woden ).

End result:
                       B         T
180.2 Mk1    6        0
180.2 Mk2    0        7
K360UA        5       15

smitho

Re existing artic fleet at Tuggeranong, as far as I can tell, they've all been fitted with new two way radio systems and generally seem to be in pretty good mechanical condition - certainly seem better than when I first started driving them in 2007.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a good proportion of the fleet remaining in service at both depots (perhaps even Woden) for some time to come.

Barry Drive

Quote from: smitho on February 12, 2012, 12:01:14 PM
I wouldn't be surprised to see a good proportion of the fleet remaining in service at both depots (perhaps even Woden) for some time to come.
It has already been established that the 20 new artics are all replacements. So only 13 Renualt PR180.2s will remain in April/May 2013 - at which point a varied contract may be in place to replace those by the end of 2013.

volvo

We've had plenty of MAN's that were meant to replace old PR 100.2's but didn't replace them straight away, so when we get the new artics we won't necessarily only have 13 Renault artics directly after that. We'll probably see 20 Renaults disappear by the end of the year though.

Bus 400

By the end of 2012, 15 Scania artics are due to arrive. With another 3 over the summer school holidays. I would expect only 13/14 to enter service by 2013. The other 5/6 may enter in the new school year, but that is only speculation.

CNG

good so the most of them wil be their in time just for when i start my driving career at action.

Bus 400

ACTION is reporting via Twitter:

Quote from: @ACTIONBuses
Our first new artic (big bendy bus) in 19 years is on its way and due to arrive in Canberra on 13 July 2012.

Barry Drive

Although the contract states that "Acceptance of bus" is due on 1 June 2012. Is 13 July the expected on-road date / media launch date?

Bus 400

ACTION tweeted the below photo of one of the new artics "getting her dress on"




You've got to love the white front half.

ajw373

Obviously will need a much better picture (or to see in the flesh) to really make my mind up, but based on the first picture I really don't like the livery, especially the trailer section which is far too green. Not sure how this style of livery could be modified to look better though.

AOQ951

Quote from: ajw373 on June 02, 2012, 09:42:24 AM
Obviously will need a much better picture (or to see in the flesh) to really make my mind up, but based on the first picture I really don't like the livery, especially the trailer section which is far too green. Not sure how this style of livery could be modified to look better though.

LOL I thought the opposite. I think the Green and Orange swept stripes are too far back on the front section. I would of thought these would of been painted up to try and match the rigid vehicles in the fleet where those stripes are alot further forward. I think by the time the ACTION Logo goes on (leaving the stripes in the form as in the photo), its going to look unfinished or plain. Unless ofcourse the logo is alot bigger. The other option to fill in the gap could be ads :(

We'll wait and see ofcourse :)

Cheers
AOQ951  8)

Bus 400

Quote from: AOQ951 on June 03, 2012, 09:50:38 PMI think by the time the ACTION Logo goes on (leaving the stripes in the form as in the photo), its going to look unfinished or plain. Unless ofcourse the logo is alot bigger.

If you compare the ACTION Logo's on say Bus 484 to Bus 464, to me the logo on B us 484 looks bigger, so this may be what happens.

Barry Drive

Based on figures in the Budget Papers, looks like they will be varying the contract with Scania to deliver an additional 13 artics by 30 June 2013. (The 13 buses for 2012-13 are listed as costing $9,723,000 - $748,000 each).

Bus 400

#128

Will these 33 buses will replace all the arctics? Or wether one of the original 34 will be kept? That is if someone remembers ACTION use to have Bus 703.

ajw373

Quote from: ACTbusspotter on June 06, 2012, 01:45:04 PM
Based on figures in the Budget Papers, looks like they will be varying the contract with Scania to deliver an additional 13 artics by 30 June 2013. (The 13 buses for 2012-13 are listed as costing $9,723,000 - $748,000 each).

Where do you get there idea that there will be 13 additional buses in 2012/13? From my reading of the budget there will be 13 delivered in 2012/13, which are the ones that are already on order and in-build, not 13 additional.

Snorzac

There was 20 funded in last years budget, this 90 buses does not include these.

The Love Guru

Quote from: ACTbusspotter on June 06, 2012, 01:45:04 PM
Based on figures in the Budget Papers, looks like they will be varying the contract with Scania to deliver an additional 13 artics by 30 June 2013. (The 13 buses for 2012-13 are listed as costing $9,723,000 - $748,000 each).

I'd agree, as there hasn't been a tender let for anything, the only way to get any buses delivered in that time frame would be to extend the artic order.

It is piss poor that they have cut back the fleet replacement from the 25 units a year they had been aiming for. Based on the figures listed, and without increasing the fleet size, there will PR100.2s running around past their 30th birthday.

Buzz Killington

The Chief Minister has tweeted the following:

@ACTbusspotter ACTION will get 13 new artics in 2012-13 and 77 rigids over 4 years from 2013-14: 19, 19, 19, 20
View conversation

@ACTbusspotter the 90 new buses are in addition to the 20 scania artics under order

Barry Drive

It has been verified via twitter that (A) 90 buses does not include the 20 artics already on order and (B ) there will be 13 additional artics.

Snorzac

Quote from: The Love Guru on June 06, 2012, 07:15:36 PM
It is piss poor that they have cut back the fleet replacement from the 25 units a year they had been aiming for. Based on the figures listed, and without increasing the fleet size, there will PR100.2s running around past their 30th birthday.

If they withdraw 1 for 1, there will be 50 PR100.2s remaining in service at the conclusion of the 77 rigid bus order.

The Love Guru

50 left and at least another year for a new tender then 2-3 years to get rid of those 50 even without fleet size increase. It will be 2020 or 2021 before the last of them are retired. Be prepared for some ongoing reliability issues.

ajw373

So where is the funding for the 20 artics hidden away? Again even after reading the tweets above it says to me there will be 13 artics next FY total, not 13 additional.

Barry Drive

Refer here http://actbus.net/?p=1014 for details of the current artic contract.

Perhaps the Budget Media Release could have been worded better, but the messages from the CM confirm that there will be 33 new artics delivered by June next year.

The Love Guru

Quote from: ajw373 on June 06, 2012, 08:42:14 PM
So where is the funding for the 20 artics hidden away? Again even after reading the tweets above it says to me there will be 13 artics next FY total, not 13 additional.
Forget the 20 already ordered, they had budget in the 2011-12 year. There is additional funding for another 13, hence we should have no PR180.2s in the fleet this time next year or there abouts.

ajw373

Quote from: The Love Guru on June 06, 2012, 09:00:53 PM
Forget the 20 already ordered, they had budget in the 2011-12 year. There is additional funding for another 13, hence we should have no PR180.2s in the fleet this time next year or there abouts.

Right, think I have found where my confusion on the issue is coming from, though would help if you guys quoted actual budget papers rather than tweets and reading between the lines of press release headlines. Just spent the last hour reading through to find all the figures.

Now just to clarify for the record it seems as if the $9.723m that has been allocated is clearly for additional buses, as covered on page 175 of the budget paper (link below).

http://www.treasury.act.gov.au/budget/budget_2012/files/budgetpaper3/07_4capitalinitiatives.pdf

However the 20 artics that have already been ordered have not been fully paid for, so clearly the money allocated to pay the balance for these is in a different paper. Specifically page 143 under capital works in progress for buses part paid for and capital works on page 145 for buses where part payment hasn't been made. Shown in the document below. Clearly there are other items in the capital works too, including the additional 13 buses.

http://www.treasury.act.gov.au/budget/budget_2012/files/budgetpaper4/01_8action.pdf

So all as clear as mud I guess.

Barry Drive

Quote from: ajw373 on June 06, 2012, 09:59:46 PM
though would help if you guys quoted actual budget papers rather than tweets and reading between the lines of press release headlines.

I did -

Quote from: ACTbusspotter on June 06, 2012, 01:45:04 PM
Based on figures in the Budget Papers, looks like they will be varying the contract with Scania to deliver an additional 13 artics by 30 June 2013. (The 13 buses for 2012-13 are listed as costing $9,723,000 - $748,000 each).

The media release, however, was the only place where the number of buses was shown and the tweets were confirmation of what I had already deduced.


ajw373

Quote from: ACTbusspotter on June 07, 2012, 12:53:07 PM
I did -

The media release, however, was the only place where the number of buses was shown and the tweets were confirmation of what I had already deduced.

So you did. Though quoted with no context what so ever and included an assumption (which yes was a right assumption). So my point still remains.

Barry Drive

You say "assumption", I say "deduction".

Although, admittedly the part about the Scania contract being varied has not been confirmed, but I can't imagine there'd be any other way to secure 13 additional artics in such a short time frame.

I will be keeping an eye on the procurement.act website to check for a contract variation. Interested to see how they will be adjusting the delivery schedule. My guess is that they'll keep it as 2 per month until January then 3 or 4 per month until June.

ajw373

It cannot have been varied yet for the simple fact that with government procurement you cannot commit money until you have it, and as far as I know no vote has been made on the budget bills yet. So until thats done it is not possible to make the variation.

Bus 400

Quote from: ajw373 on June 07, 2012, 03:31:17 PM
It cannot have been varied yet for the simple fact that with government procurement you cannot commit money until you have it, and as far as I know no vote has been made on the budget bills yet. So until thats done it is not possible to make the variation.

But aren't there 20 artics budgeted for in next year's financial year? But the tender was opened last financial year.

ajw373

Quote from: Bus 400 on June 09, 2012, 10:15:59 PM
But aren't there 20 artics budgeted for in next year's financial year? But the tender was opened last financial year.

When you sign a contract you make a commitment to purchase. To sign you need the money to be available. So last fy a contract was signed to buy 20 with payment being spread over two fy's. So as I said above the budget for the coming fy needed the balance of payments carrried over it is there but hidden away.

However the new 13 will be a Variation but before any variation can be signed the money needs to be allocated but because it's a NEW capital expense this cannot be done until the budget has been passed.

Buzz Killington

Another new pic from ACTION


Barry Drive

The tweet from ACTION now says that it is due to arrive end of July.

Snorzac

The first one is at Woden, whether or not it's 506 is yet to be determined.

ajw373

Quote from: ajw373 on June 02, 2012, 09:42:24 AM
Obviously will need a much better picture (or to see in the flesh) to really make my mind up, but based on the first picture I really don't like the livery, especially the trailer section which is far too green. Not sure how this style of livery could be modified to look better though.

Happy to say, based on the new picture my fears from months ago were unfounded. Doesn't look to bad. Think however we could probably loose the "easy access" and "climate... for comfort" writting. For one by now everyone knows a green bus is both these, and two don't think it looks right on the CB80 which curves where it is written compared to the CB60. Also interesting how far back the aircon pod in the front unit is.