40 new Scanias in 2018

[Barry Drive]

A contract for 40 new Scania K-series buses has just been posted in the ACT Gov website.

Unlike recent orders, this one's got a few different body types so try to keep up --

642 - 651: Scania K320UB, Bustech VST. All 10 to be delivered from mid-June to mid-July

652 - 671: Scania K320UB, Volgren Optimus. 1st bus March then May to July

672 - 681: Scania K360UA, Volgren Optimus. Delivery Aug to Oct

Full delivery schedule will be loaded to the fleetwiki Expected Bus Deliveries page.

[Busfanatic101]

I just came across this PTCBR article from October which mentions 80 new buses on order. Do you know what that figure might come from and the time frame?
https://ptcbrorg.wordpress.com/2017/10/19/all-the-rapid-bus-routes-promised-at-the-2016-election-to-be-delivered-in-2018-along-with-light-rail/


Yay more Volgrens! (Says the person who hasn't been inside one as far as he can recall, but they are beautiful on the outside)

[Barry Drive]

The "80 new buses" has been regularly mentioned, including at the announcement of the 2018 Rapid Routes.

In the budget, there was $44m capital over two years marked as "future bus network". Without any additional information, this would be enough to buy 80 buses.

My guess is that they will make a decision regarding another 40 buses for 2019 once the "alternative energy bus" trial has been completed.

[triumph]

New they may be, but after retiring the Renaults, how many will actually be extra? If the reality is hardly any, then the implicatiion for existing routes after the new routes are serviced is not a happy one. Witness the complaints from Narrabundah when routes were changed to implement the new route 6.

[Barry Drive]

how many will actually be extra?

Don't quote me, but my understanding is all 40 will be "extra". They have made some space at Tuggeranong Depot to fit some more buses in and Belconnen Depot will have to squeeze in some more as well. Exactly which buses will go where is unknown though.

The next 40 are also believed to be additional to the fleet, but Woden Depot should be ready by 2019 to accommodate them.

No Renault withdrawals should be expected until 2020.

[Buzz Killington]

Don't quote me

Oops

[Robot]

That would be good. So when the next weekday timetable comes out we should expect to see many extra services. Maybe even before that. Otherwise buses just sit in the Depot doing nothing.

On the other hand what are they going to do with all the buses that will no longer go down Northbourne Ave after the light rail opens? They can keep old buses running until that happens but I doubt if that would be enough.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Probably increase services and reliability to the rest of the network, cause a few networks ago, one was introduced so that there would be 12 or something services a day that would not be able to run cause of the lack buses in the fleet.

[Barry Drive]

Can we please keep to the topic. This thread is about the new bus contract. The off-track speculation about Light Rail has been removed.

[Barry Drive]

Several sightings today of 653 (being delivered).

[triumph]

A ride today on 655 raised in my mind the issue of manufacture quality control and contract acceptance standards implemented by Transport Canberra. 655 rattled the whole trip, which shouldn't be the case for a brand new (1,007km on the clock) vehicle. Disappointing.

The next stop request tone is high pitched, quite sustained and very loud - to me unpleasant and intrusive.

Otherwise, it looked very smart with very nice looking upholstery.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

These buses have been out a little while now, and I haven't ridden nor even seen a single one. Are they being used in the Tuggeranong and Woden Valleys at all yet?

Rattly huh. L94UB Scania bad or Dennis Dart bad?

[Busnerd]

They're being used across the whole network, they're not limited to a specific town centre. I saw one in Deakin yesterday afternoon.

[Bus 503]

What was the reason for TC buying both Volgren rigids and Bustech rigids? Wouldn't it have been better (in terms of fleet simplification) just to have one type?

[Busfanatic101]

What was the reason for TC buying both Volgren rigids and Bustech rigids? Wouldn't it have been better (in terms of fleet simplification) just to have one type?

Well Volgrens are obviously better, but they had Bustechs anyway so why not get a few more?
Also, if the limiting factor in bus manufacturing rates is the body rather than the chassis, then it would be faster to have 2 different companies making buses simultaniously than relying on Volgren for all the buses.

[triumph]

Well Volgrens are obviously better,

Can you justify that? Or do you just like the looks of Volgren.

[Busfanatic101]

Can you justify that? Or do you just like the looks of Volgren.

The ugly bustechs don't stand a chance against the beauty of a Volgren 

[Toyota Camry]

I have travelled on the Bustech vehicles in the Gungahlin area; in my opinion they are a very solidly built quality product.

[Bus 503]

The ugly bustechs don't stand a chance against the beauty of a Volgren 

Really? I reckon the Volgrens look like repainted PR3s if you look from a distance .

[Busnerd]

Speak to most drivers who will tell you that Volgren's are a much nicer layout/design from a drivers point of view to the Bustech. The Bustech also being the cheapest of the three main bodies (Bustech, Volgren, Customs) Also they got the Volgren bendy as a trial a while back and obviously like the product and decided to get more, but as said above it also helps them to get buses delivered faster by getting some of both.

[triumph]

My wife rode a new Optimus today and said she had no trouble realising it was one of the new ones because tone tone for the next stop request was so intrusively strident.

Appearances, style, etc are of little value if the product itself is not the best. Incidentally, I understand the Bustech business was originally started by an operator fed up with the buses then available on the market.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Well I finally got to see one in service (sorta) yesterday, but unfortunately I couldn't ride it so I'm still missing out . Seems everyone but me has ridden them almost... Even my mum saw one the other day and she's only been out about 6 or 7 times this year.

[Stan butler]

Rode in bus 656 today.  Very rattly.

Makes me wonder what these buses will be like in 5-10-20 years down the track.

[Snorzac]

I dont know what buses you are riding but I was on 656 on Tuesday and the only rattle I heard was the drivers cash tray....

[Stan butler]

I dont know what buses you are riding but I was on 656 on Tuesday and the only rattle I heard was the drivers cash tray....

Well maybe something happened to it during the period between Tuesday and Thursday.  It (bus 656) was rattling a lot when I was in it. I asked the lady driver and she said she was surprised about the rattling too.  This rattling is a combination of the drivers door, the panelling near the driver and some of the internal support bars.

[Stan butler]

I dont know what buses you are riding but I was on 656 on Tuesday and the only rattle I heard was the drivers cash tray....

One thought - maybe you were on a smoothe road.  I was in the suburban roads in Flynn and Fraser.  These are not very smoothe in some place - hence more possible rattles.

Just a thought - but it was definitely rattling during my trip.

[Toyota Camry]

I have been on this type of Volgren bus in Sydney before; from my experience there, they are a well built bus.

[Barry Drive]

Progress report -

Deliveries are about 3 weeks behind the published contract, but there is no urgency for new buses right now.

5 buses in service: 652 - 656 went into service last week (all at Belconnen); no new buses in service this week.

12 further buses are now delivered: (Bustech: ) 643 644 & 647 (Volgren: ) 657 658 659 660 661
662 663 664 & 665

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

Well, finally got to experience 652 unexpectedly as the 60N that I quickly planned to get on my way out from the quick visit in the Drakeford Vet Clinic.

So my thoughts on the new buses. I can definitely say I like them, they're comfortably built, not too loud engine wise, the seats finally have something different than the Rainforest Falls that have been infecting the Renault's and I don't feel they're too rattly. Up the back it does get a little bumpy, but sitting near the rear door is a comfortable journey. I'm not much of a fan of aboriginal art, but it's nice to finally have something more calming to look at when on an empty bus.


652 (60N)
945 (80E)
549 (6W)
380 (64S)

[ajw373]

Progress report -

Deliveries are about 3 weeks behind the published contract, but there is no urgency for new buses right now.

5 buses in service: 652 - 656 went into service last week (all at Belconnen); no new buses in service this week.

12 further buses are now delivered: (Bustech: ) 643 644 & 647 (Volgren: ) 657 658 659 660 661
662 663 664 & 665

Gather the Volgrens (rigids) are all going to Belconnen and the new Bustechs to Tuggers?

And seeing the Volgrens quite a bit the last week, hard to imagine only 5 are in service, seems more like 60 how often I am seeing them and where. From Gold Creek to the City.

[Barry Drive]

From 539 onwards, all buses have been evenly shared between depots. So it's possible that each will get 5 Bustechs and 10 Volgrens. Can't see Belconnen getting more artics than Tuggeranong.

[Bus 503]

658 was in service yesterday.

[Barry Drive]

657 on Tuesday. 659 today and 660 possibly tomorrow. (All Belconnen so far. )

There are two registered Bustechs presumably at Tuggeranong which may also enter service soon (if they haven't already).

[Bus 503]

643 is in service (screenshot from just now).

[Toyota Camry]

It seems that some of the new vehicles have been fitted with tracking equipment from old Renaults; it is displaying on nxtbus that there will be a 300 departing Westfield Bus Station to Kippax at 23:19 which will not have wheelchair access. At this time of night; it would not be a Renault.

[Barry Drive]

I wouldn't be so sure. 3 of the last 5 300 trips North are shown on the website as NOT wheelchair accessible (including  that trip).

I haven't noticed any errors with the NXTBUS definitions for new buses.

[Busfanatic101]

Like tonight, that particular service was a Belco PR3 (105). There is no time ever where there are not Renaults 

[ajw373]

It seems that some of the new vehicles have been fitted with tracking equipment from old Renaults; it is displaying on nxtbus that there will be a 300 departing Westfield Bus Station to Kippax at 23:19 which will not have wheelchair access. At this time of night; it would not be a Renault.

Most likely they are using old transponders on new buses. But they would without a doubt update the back end systems to know what buses those transponders are in.

[Sylvan Loves Buses]

I was on 652 again the other day on my way to Ainslie. Just as I was getting off I noticed a compartment for a gas-like tank under the seat opposite the rear door. I didn't get a good look at what it was, but does anyone else know what it is and its purpose?

[Barry Drive]

Not exactly a gas tank, but it is a pressurised tank.

The red colour should have been a give away as to its purpose: it's part of the fire suppression system, filled with a water & foam mixture and pressurised with N². For whatever reason, Volgren mounts this tank inside the bus rather than in the engine bay. A second tank filled with N² which is inside the engine bay will trigger the system if the temperature goes too high.

[ajw373]

Saw 662 in service yesterday.

[Busfanatic101]

So from the current allocation pattern of new buses, can we assume all Volgren rigids will end up at Belco? And the additional bustechs at Tuggeranong? 

[Bus 503]

647 was in service this evening.

[Barry Drive]

So from the current allocation pattern of new buses, can we assume all Volgren rigids will end up at Belco? And the additional bustechs at Tuggeranong? 

We can assume that, at least until proven otherwise.

My concern with this arrangement is the allocation of artics. If all Volgren-bodied rigids go to Belconnen does this also mean that all the artics will need to go there as well? Although until recently, Belconnen had 621 without any other Volgrens. Anyone care to speculate on how the artics will be shared? And whether they might transfer some STAGs to Tuggeranong to make room at Belconnen.

BTW, 672 - the first artic - was delivered yesterday with 673 expected possibly by the end of the week.

[King of Buses]

Anyone care to speculate on how the artics will be shared? And whether they might transfer some STAGs to Tuggeranong to make room at Belconnen.

My guess is 513-516 plus 481, 482 and 485-487 come to Tuggeranong (9 out for 10 new). Purely a guess though. Wouldn't surprise me if fewer artics are transferred but more STAGs than I suggested head south.

The R4 in the new network seems like an ideal place for STAG allocation, so more STAGs at Tuggeranong seems logical...

[Bus 503]

I am presuming that the new Volgren articulated buses (672 onwards) will enter service during this current network, but where will they run? Will they run on current PR2/PR3 shifts (if more are withdrawn) or be randomly allocated out until the new network begins? Or will some current shifts be permanently allocated ARTICs in place of their normal allocations?

[Barry Drive]

Yes, I think we might see 672 by the end of September.

I would presume (hope) that it's the last option: new artics will be put onto shifts where full runs currently exist, regardless of what bus type is currently on that shift - with the possible exception of STAG shifts. But it may depend on how many are being sent to each depot.

[Barry Drive]

By Monday, all 20 of the Volgren rigids should be in service. And all at Belconnen Depot.

The first 2 artics are at Belconnen Depot for fitout work. Not sure if they'll be in service by the end of this month, but might not be too long afterwards. Anyone's guess which depot they'll be going to.

[Bus 503]

Could we see 672 in service this week? The fleetwiki says it's been registered.

[Barry Drive]

Could we see 672 in service this week?

Two weeks later, still not in service. Can't be much longer though, surely.