Electric, Hydrogen & Hybrid Electric Buses in Ireland

punisher5112

p_haugh wrote: »

First pics I've seen of the Wright's Hydrogen buses that will be on trial with bus eireann. Interesting to note how they are the old style front, not the newer front found on the more recent Bus Eireann VWDs.

https://flic.kr/p/2kozTTd

These are the db spec ones, as in the front of an SG, wonder did they just use up what they had.

d51984

They appear to have the older spec Bus Eireann seats. A good choice in my opinion.

Any one else notice the chrome wrights logo is missing on the third one, hopefully this is replaced before entry to service.

One more thing, hard to tell but it appears that theres a buggy bay as well as a wheelchair one.

GT89

Peregrine wrote: »

That design has really aged. I was disappointed they didn't go for the facelifted design for the newer Dublin Bus SGs like the VWDs.

DB wanted the older design in order for commonality of parts. Apparently the NTA wanted the same spec as the SGs for the later Bus Eireann VWDs but BE wanted the newer design again for commonality of parts with their fleet to which the NTA agreed.

Not sure why BE didn't get the older front originally as they already have VWDs from 2014 and 2015 with the same front as the SGs but maybe DB dug in their heels more about commonality of parts.

punisher5112

d51984 wrote: »

They appear to have the older spec Bus Eireann seats. A good choice in my opinion.

Any one else notice the chrome wrights logo is missing on the third one, hopefully this is replaced before entry to service.

One more thing, hard to tell but it appears that theres a buggy bay as well as a wheelchair one.

Could be the case they will go into db or gai fleet after maybe or is it likely it was planned to be used in db and things changed.

GT89

I wonder will there be a trial of electric double deckers from a few manufacturers before they place an order similar to the hybrid trials? Currently the only ones on the market are the Optare Metrodeckers and the ADL/BYD ones but that might change as it wouldn't surprise me if Wrights partnered with someone for one and Volvo start doing aswell once they become more popular.

Peregrine

punisher5112 wrote: »

Could be the case they will go into db or gai fleet after maybe or is it likely it was planned to be used in db and things changed.

They were planned to be operated by BÉ before the order was placed.

AlekSmart

d51984 wrote: »

They appear to have the older spec Bus Eireann seats. A good choice in my opinion.

Any one else notice the chrome wrights logo is missing on the third one, hopefully this is replaced before entry to service.

One more thing, hard to tell but it appears that theres a buggy bay as well as a wheelchair one.

3 buses,2 different types of N/S mirror arm and 2 different mirrors,one of which appears to be heated.

d51984

Seems like they were just slapped together with whatever parts was left at wrights!

punisher5112

d51984 wrote: »

Seems like they were just slapped together with whatever parts was left at wrights!

Very true... BE would have heated mirrors....

It's something I found strand with db as the mirror are near useless in rain or foggy condition or when cold weather like now ....

1st one looks like UK spec...
Middle heated and last db spec

d51984

I woudnt be surprised if the interior in all 3 were different spec. Something tells me that these three buses were not orginally ment for Bus Eireann.

The diffetent mirror and older front design is strange.

GT89

d51984 wrote: »

Seems like they were just slapped together with whatever parts was left at wrights!

Yeah it kinda does it has the DB front but the bonded glazing which BE have on their VWDs aswell. Also looks like it has the DB style of drivers cab. The mirrors are strange is there a reason that BE have heated mirrors but not DB? Is it something that is generally only on coaches but not city buses but BE want it on their whole fleet. Heated mirrors would obivously be preferable for drivers I'd imagine so I'm surprised the union design commitees aren't looking at it. Surprised the NTA aren't looking at camera mirrors yet either.

punisher5112

GT89 wrote: »

Yeah it kinda does it has the DB front but the bonded glazing which BE have on their VWDs aswell. Also looks like it has the DB style of drivers cab. The mirrors are strange is there a reason that BE have heated mirrors but not DB? Is it something that is generally only on coaches but not city buses but BE want it on their whole fleet. Heated mirrors would obivously be preferable for drivers I'd imagine so I'm surprised the union design commitees aren't looking at it. Surprised the NTA aren't looking at camera mirrors yet either.

City driving equal more risk of losing a mirror....

The routes be do would be outer Dublin and urban so fog up would be a bigger issue then inside Dublin.....

it's all down to costs and ease of change.....

punisher5112

Noticed the extra safety bar up frobt on offside but also the windows that open are one full window and not split, also they don't open at the front.

GT89

punisher5112 wrote: »

Noticed the extra safety bar up frobt on offside but also the windows that open are one full window and not split, also they don't open at the front.

Yeah I don't like that design one of the things I like on the wright bodied buses is that nearly all the windows on the bus open whereas on the EVs and VTs the front windows don't open which can make it quite stuffy on a warm day if you sit at the front.

.anon.

p_haugh wrote: »

First pics I've seen of the Wright's Hydrogen buses that will be on trial with bus eireann. Interesting to note how they are the old style front, not the newer front found on the more recent Bus Eireann VWDs.

https://flic.kr/p/2kozTTd

That livery looks great. Hopefully it'll eventually be rolled out across the entire fleet, not just the hybrids, etc. I wasn't sure about the all-yellow front at first, but it looks very tidy.

AlekSmart

GT89 wrote: »

Yeah it kinda does it has the DB front but the bonded glazing which BE have on their VWDs aswell. Also looks like it has the DB style of drivers cab. The mirrors are strange is there a reason that BE have heated mirrors but not DB? Is it something that is generally only on coaches but not city buses but BE want it on their whole fleet. Heated mirrors would obivously be preferable for drivers I'd imagine so I'm surprised the union design commitees aren't looking at it. Surprised the NTA aren't looking at camera mirrors yet either.

As Transport for London's Bus Safety Standard (BSS) increasingly becomes the Research driven general standard for all City Bus types,particularly double - deck,the mirror arm issue will be resolved by the use of Camera Monitor Systems (CMS).

CMS fitment is now compulsory for all new TfL bus orders.

As both Wrightbus and ADL are partners with TfL on the research,it can be seen that their preferences will decide the issue rather than Management / Union design committee's.

There is,of course,an alternative,if in a post BREXIT scenario the economics of buying from the UK prove too onerous to ignore,and the NTA look to mainland Europe for future Bus specifications.....that could provide a most interesting situation for 2025 and beyond

GT89

AlekSmart wrote: »

As Transport for London's Bus Safety Standard (BSS) increasingly becomes the Research driven general standard for all City Bus types,particularly double - deck,the mirror arm issue will be resolved by the use of Camera Monitor Systems (CMS).

CMS fitment is now compulsory for all new TfL bus orders.

As both Wrightbus and ADL are partners with TfL on the research,it can be seen that their preferences will decide the issue rather than Management / Union design committee's.

There is,of course,an alternative,if in a post BREXIT scenario the economics of buying from the UK prove too onerous to ignore,and the NTA look to mainland Europe for future Bus specifications.....that could provide a most interesting situation for 2025 and beyond

Yeah I remember you were saying I didn't know how advanced the sytems were until I did some further googling. It's not only UK manufacturers doing this but also continental manufacturers such as VDL I see.
https://www.vdlbuscoach.com/en/news/archive/cameras-replace-side-mirrors-innovation-helps-vdl-bus-coach-achieve-ambitions

I have also heard reports that ADL could be looking at moving manufacturing to Turkey with the first ADL buses to be made there being the Enviro 500 tri axles that were ordered for Berlin. Which I have to say on a sidenote that these are something which the NTA should really be looking at to replace the VT class. Unlike the VTs these have three doors and two staircases
https://unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2020/august/alexander-dennis-must-come-clean-over-opportunistic-job-cuts-and-turkey-outsourcing-plans/

punisher5112

AlekSmart wrote: »

As Transport for London's Bus Safety Standard (BSS) increasingly becomes the Research driven general standard for all City Bus types,particularly double - deck,the mirror arm issue will be resolved by the use of Camera Monitor Systems (CMS).

CMS fitment is now compulsory for all new TfL bus orders.

As both Wrightbus and ADL are partners with TfL on the research,it can be seen that their preferences will decide the issue rather than Management / Union design committee's.

There is,of course,an alternative,if in a post BREXIT scenario the economics of buying from the UK prove too onerous to ignore,and the NTA look to mainland Europe for future Bus specifications.....that could provide a most interesting situation for 2025 and beyond

Haven't had anyone bounce off the mirror in a while have to say....

.anon.

I've had a couple of incidents with existing camera technology that make me feel a bit iffy about using cameras instead of mirrors. The first involved shouting "last stop" over the PA several times until I realised that the man sitting upstairs on the CCTV screen had actually disembarked some time ago. The second was potentially more serious - the reverse camera screen froze and I came within a couple of inches of damaging two buses.

At the risk of being a Luddite, I don't see any major advantage in using cameras instead of mirrors.

GT89

.anon. wrote: »

I've had a couple of incidents with existing camera technology that make me feel a bit iffy about using cameras instead of mirrors. The first involved shouting "last stop" over the PA several times until I realised that the man sitting upstairs on the CCTV screen had actually disembarked some time ago. The second was potentially more serious - the reverse camera screen froze and I came within a couple of inches of damaging two buses.

At the risk of being a Luddite, I don't see any major advantage in using cameras instead of mirrors.

Removes the chances of losing a mirror, removes the chances of hitting a pedestrian or someone at a bus stop with the mirror, makes the job that bit easier for the driver as they don't have to take into account the extra length of the mirror and it would improve the drivers vision on a wet day and less drag meaning better fuel consumption.

bk

GT89 wrote: »

Which I have to say on a sidenote that these are something which the NTA should really be looking at to replace the VT class. Unlike the VTs these have three doors and two staircases
https://unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2020/august/alexander-dennis-must-come-clean-over-opportunistic-job-cuts-and-turkey-outsourcing-plans/

Looks like a lovely bus and I love the way they operate it in mainland Europe, three doors and dual stairs, now that is how to operate a high capacity bus service. I'd love if we were to get these.

Unfortunately they don't seem to come as a hybrid or EV model yet, Euro 6 Diesel only.

I'm sure that will change soon, the way the market is going.

d51984

Any idea of when entry in to service is folks?

.anon.

GT89 wrote: »

Removes the chances of losing a mirror, removes the chances of hitting a pedestrian or someone at a bus stop with the mirror, makes the job that bit easier for the driver as they don't have to take into account the extra length of the mirror and it would improve the drivers vision on a wet day and less drag meaning better fuel consumption.

I've never lost a mirror or (despite their best efforts at times) hit a pedestrian with one. If a bus company keeps losing mirrors, then they need to train their drivers better.

I'm imagining drivers and passengers sitting on the side of the road, waiting for a replacement bus because there's a blue screen of death where the mirror should be.

AlekSmart

.anon. wrote: »

I've never lost a mirror or (despite their best efforts at times) hit a pedestrian with one. If a bus company keeps losing mirrors, then they need to train their drivers better.

I'm imagining drivers and passengers sitting on the side of the road, waiting for a replacement bus because there's a blue screen of death where the mirror should be.

Imagination is a huge part of the Human function,and absolutely needed where we currently stand.

it is exactly this imagination which allowed us to dispense with the Red-Flag Man in 1896.

By this time next year,far more operational data will be available and we can decide for ourselves...or at least those deciding for us will have a better perception..?

punisher5112

Buses that have come to db or Gai such as GT or SG and anything before always came with the crappiest seats one could imagine especially when the bus cost say €300-350k...

I wonder what these new ones will be like as they are the same manufacturers from the previous ones which are terribly bad.

Last up to 40k km and they're knackered.


Seeing a lot of GAI drivers now bringing their own cushions to sit on.....

How this is even allowed continue is beyond me, inadequate cushioning and worn out seating is a major health and safety concern.

These seats up until SG 568 are absolutely shocking.

GT89

punisher5112 wrote: »

Buses that have come to db or Gai such as GT or SG and anything before always came with the crappiest seats one could imagine especially when the bus cost say €300-350k...

I wonder what these new ones will be like as they are the same manufacturers from the previous ones which are terribly bad.

Last up to 40k km and they're knackered.


Seeing a lot of GAI drivers now bringing their own cushions to sit on.....

How this is even allowed continue is beyond me, inadequate cushioning and worn out seating is a major health and safety concern.

These seats up until SG 568 are absolutely shocking.

Yeah I've seen drivers with their own cushions alright which isn't great the seats mustn't be great so. Thought it was the same type of seat used since the older AVs. I noticed the seats in the likes of the 00 AVs and the RVs were like an office seat with no headrest wonder were these better.

punisher5112

GT89 wrote: »

Yeah I've seen drivers with their own cushions alright which isn't great the seats mustn't be great so. Thought it was the same type of seat used since the older AVs. I noticed the seats in the likes of the 00 AVs and the RVs were like an office seat with no headrest wonder were these better.

For back support no, but as the seat cushion was uniform on both sides it was actually more comfortable but not great, the seat type fitted to the 2003 AV onwards were a huge improvement as back support and head rest were fitted....

The air seat cushion was and is shockingly bad.
They wear out the fastest of any type so far in my near 15 years.

GT89

Saw a picture of these buses in Ardee trim so they should be on their way for delivery to DB and BE soon enough.

d51984

Knowing Bus Eireann, it will be sometime next year before they put theirs in to service!

GT89

d51984 wrote: »

Knowing Bus Eireann, it will be sometime next year before they put theirs in to service!

Yeah some of the VBs they've gotten have still to enter service