Sheffield Omnibus Enthusiasts Society (SOES)
News Archive 2014
A selection of the top news stories reported on this website and in M&T News during 2014 are shown below.
Please note that photographs are not archived, and therefore are not included in the reports below.
30th October - Stagecoach goes Gold!
Stagecoach Yorkshire are currently in the process of receiving 7 'Gold' specification Scania/Enviro 400 vehicles to work service X17 (Sheffield - Chesterfield - Matlock) from Monday 10th November. The vehicles, which feature leather seating and free WiFi are numbered 15190 to 15195 and registered YN64 AOA/B/C/D/E/F.
Also recently delivered to Chesterfield depot are 6 Alexender Dennis Enviro 200s for service 51. These vehicles, which are to B37F layout and in standard livery, are numbers 37181 to 37186, registered YY64 GSO/GSU/GSV/GSZ/GTZ/GUA.
6th October - Coming Soon.... Tiger Blue!
Arriva-owned Yorkshire Tiger have announced the re-branding of the K-Line of Honley fleet as Tiger Blue (or, to give it's full title, Tiger Blue by K-Line) from the end of this month. The new identity will feature a revised (blue) livery, vehicle refurbishments and new driver uniforms. To cover for vehicles undergoing repaint/refurbishment, 5x Dennis Dart MPDs are on loan at Honley from Arriva Yorkshire (where they were recently replaced by new Enviro 200s) in the form of 208/212/218/220 and 221 (Vxxx PCX).
13th September - SuperTram returns to normal!
From the start of service today, Saturday 13th September, all running on the SuperTram network returned to normal. This follows the summer-long closure of the lines between Cathedral and Middlewood/Malin Bridge for planned engineering works, and the more recent emergency closure of the route between Sheffield Station and Ponds Forge/Fitzalan Square owing to the large hole that appeared adjacent to the tracks beleived to have been caused by the collapse of old mine workings.
Thus the Tram Replacement Bus services B4 (Angel Street - Malin Bridge), Y4 (Angel Street - Middlewood) and R1 (Angel Street - Granville Road) ceased after operation on Friday 12th September.
1st September - First E400s enter service
First South Yorkshire have placed their 15 new Alexander Dennis Enviro400 vehicles in to service today, with the majority of the type allocated to service 51 (Lodge Moor - City -Charnock) and any available spares placed on service 95 (City - Walkley). For the timebeing, 'Heritage' livered B9TLs 37229 (3910 WE) and 37528 (YN58 ETX) which generally operated on fixed duties on service 51 are now operating on service 120.
26th August - Dart for Watersons
Watersons of Hemsworth have added Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer II W854 NFF to their fleet to operate recently introduced service 37 (Barnsley - Grimethorpe). The vehicle, to B40F layout, was latterly used by the recently closed Padarn Bus, Llanberis, and was new as M777 KMP to KMP, Llanberis.
7th August - Enviro 400s for First South Yorkshire
Following initial use on Commonwealth Games services in Glasgow, delivery has commenced of a batch of 15 Alexander Dennis Enviro 400s for Olive Grove depot, for use on service 51 (Charnock - City - Lodge Moor). Allocated fleet numbers 33858 to 33872 and to H45/29F layout the vehicles are registered SL14 DFD/E/F/G/K, LMF/J/K/M/O/U/VY, LNA/C.
29th July - Enviro 200 for Stagecoach Yorkshire
A new Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 has been delivered to Stagecoach Yorkshire's Barnsley depot, fleet number 37145 is registered YX14 RZR and is to B37F layout.
16th June - Isle Coaches changes
A 2nd Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown has been acquired from Transdev in the form of X564 YUG. Still retaining it's former owner's "Spot On" livery for the time being, it is available for service as the spare bus. Optare Delta S160 JUA has been sold to Shoreline Suncruisers, Scarborough.
6th June 2014 - Waterson's Return to Bus Services
Following the collapse of RedLine Buses, Hemsworth based Waterson's Coaches commenced running a replacement of former RedLine service 38 at the start of this week. Waterson's, who operated some local bus services in the area until the 1990s, have stepped in to provide a service (also numbered 38) between Lundwood and Hemsworth High School, with additional daytime journies operating between Barnsley and Grimethorpe only.
Initially the service was operated with Alexander Dennis Enviro200 KX07 KOE, on short term loan from Dawson Rentals, though by the end of the week Waterson's had acquired Scania L94UB/Wright Y 46 HHE to operate service 38, the Enviro returning to Dawson's at this time.
12th May - RedLine Cease Operations
With little prior warning, RedLine Buses of Carlton, Barnsley ceased trading after service on Friday 9th May. The members of the fleet rented from Dawson Rentals (Dart SLF KU52 RXV, Solos KX04 HRJ/K/L and Plaxton Prima KX07 KOA) have returned to Dawsons.
26th April - Final FreeBee
The 'FreeBee' free bus service in Sheffield was withdrawn after operation on Saturday 26th April owing to funding for the service being withdrawn. The 3 vehicles provided by First for the service, Alexander Dennis Enviro 200s 44925/6/7 (YX11 HNW/Y/Z) have been repainted out of 'FreeBee' livery in to standard First livery for redeployment on other work at Olive Grove depot.
7th April - First SY Streetlites Enter Service
From today the first members of the latest batch of 27x Wrightbus Streetlite 'Max' vehicles have started entering service at Olive Grove depot, with 63128 the highest numbered seen in use so far. Registrations for the full batch of 27 (fleetnumbers 63119 to 63145) are: SN14 DVM/O/P/R/T/U/V/W/X/Y/Z, SN14 DWC/D/E/F/G/J/K/L/M/O/P/U/V/W/X/Y. All are to B41F layout.
25th March - First Vehicle Orders
Details of vehicles on order for the local First Group operations have been published. Whilst subject to change, these are currently expected to be:
- 15x Alexander Dennis Enviro 400s for First South Yorkshire's Olive Grove depot, allocated fleet numbers 33858 - 33872 *
- 18x Alexander Dennis Enviro 400s for First West Yorkshire's Bramley depot, allocated fleet numbers 33873 - 33890 *
- 11x Wright StreetLite 'MicroHybrid' for First South Yorkshire's Doncaster depot, allocated fleet numbers 47482 - 47492
- 8x Wright StreetLite 'MicroHybrid' for First West Yorkshire's Huddersfield depot, allocated fleet numbers 47493 - 47500
- 12x Optare Versa V1100EV for First York, allocated fleet numbers 49901 - 49912 (of which the first 6 have already been delivered)
- 27x Wright StreetLite 'Max' for First South Yorkshire's Olive Grove depot, allocated fleet numbers 63119 - 63145 (currently in the course of delivery)
* the Alexander Dennis E400s will initially be used in Glasgow on work associated with the Commonwealth Games before delivery to Yorkshire
22nd February - More StreetLites for First South Yorkshire
Delivery is shortly to commence of a further batch of 27 Wright StreetLite Max for Olive Grove depot. The vehicles are to be fleet numbers 63119 to 63145 inclusive.
11th February - New Versas for TM Travel
Following their public launch the previous day, TM Travel placed 3 new Optare Versas in to service on route 30 (Sheffield - Crystal Peaks) on Tuesday 11th February. The vehicles, which are V1110 models to B36F, layout wear a distinctive orange livery, and are registered YD63 VDT/V/X (fleet numbers 833-5).
30th January - SYPTE to axe 'Free Bee' services and changes to concessionary travel
South Yorkshire PTE today announced that a meeting of local councillors next week is likely to agree to proposed cutbacks in PTE expenditure due to budget constraints. The cost-saving measures include:
withdrawal of the 'Free Bee' free bus services in Rotherham and Sheffield from April 2014
- withdrawal of the peak-time Park & Ride 'express' 638 service in Doncaster, also from April 2014
- free travel for OAPs and disabled people cut back on weekdays to operate between 0930 and 2300
- fares for community transport services to increase by up to 50p.