New Artics for ACTION

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

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Barry Drive

A driver last night told me that he had heard that ACTION are going to buy some new artics. No info on what, when or how many.

Of course, this is unsubstantiated.

Buzz Killington

Would be great news if it proves to be accurate!

Irisbus Rider

That'd be great! But it really doesn't sound like something ACTION would do, only because it's the right thing to do......

Seriously though, this would be a step in the right direction, to allow for additional growth, hence ensuring a long term commitment to Canberras Public transport future, yada yada yada.........

smitho

While in Europe recently, I noticed bi-articulated buses are starting to make an appearance .... very impressive!

- and that in Switzerland, where I mainly travelled, artics were far more common than non-artics in larger towns and cities. They have either three or four entrances making them very quick to load and unload.

Bus 400

I wonder if ACTION could be waiting to see the results of TransPerth's artic trial before deciding. Which by the looks of it would be Scania or MAN as the Inveco was stuck in a workshop in Perth for ages before entering service.

With a sensor pad on the rear doors & a camera that the driver can view when the rear doors are open, my hope is for the MAN artic. But until we see confirmation, I'll treat the rumour as something the NSW Government has confirmed is true (i.e. it isn't happening until the media opening).

Snorzac

Hoping for a fleet of B12BLEAs if ACTION get artics..... oh hang on, that would mean getting adBlue, they will never buy them!

Barry Drive

#6
Quote from: Bus 400 on April 07, 2010, 06:37:12 PMI wonder if ACTION could be waiting to see the results of TransPerth's artic trial before deciding.

With a sensor pad on the rear doors & a camera that the driver can view when the rear doors are open, my hope is for the MAN artic.
You could have that on any artic chassis if you asked the body builder to do it.

Anyway, the Perth trial is for CNG artics. If (and I stress if) ACTION were to buy artics I would expect them to buy diesels. Which would likely mean MAN NG313 or Scania K320UA.

Busnerd

Personally I'd prefer they got N310UA's over the K310UA's.

Bus 400

I suppose we won't know until the 900 series artics are due for replacement.

Barry Drive

Once again word comes that artics are on the Government's shopping list. Budget is due in about a month - will know for certain then.

King of Buses

I have two plans.

1. Buy 2 Volvo B12BLEA's, 2 Scania K32OUB's and 2 MAN NG313's. Evaluate them and buy 30 of the best type whilst keeping the other two makes in service.

2. Buy 12 of thoses three types of buses with no evaluation but only delivery.

Bus 400

Well, Perth purchased, 1 Scania articulated bus, 1 MAN articulated bus & 1 Iveco articulated bus & Volvo won the contract for the new articulated buses.

Barry Drive

Quote from: Bus 400 on May 02, 2011, 05:21:59 PM
... Volvo won the contract for the new articulated buses.
Diesel B12s? Is Perth not buying new CNGs?

Bus 400

The new standard Volvo's are diesel, I am led to believe Perth may go back to CNG in the future.

Busnerd

Don't know about Bendy's but Perth have ordered some silly amount of B7RLE's to be delivered over something like 7+ years

Bus 400

#15
I know the total order was in order of 650 buses (standard & artic). I have read somewhere that all their high floors are to be decommissioned by 2014 though.


EDIT: The Perth contract is for a minimum of 65 buses a year for 5 years, with the PTA having discretion to extend the contract another 5 years. As a part of that order something like 50-100 articulated buses are on order.


I think ACTION will get some money for new articulated buses next budget, as the steer tag contract would of expired & it is an election year.

Barry Drive

#16
It may not have been in the Budget, but the ACT Government is calling for tenders for supply of 20 easy-access Articulated Buses. Tenders close 7 June.

http://www.procurement.act.gov.au/tenders_advertised/tender_download/open_tenders/15525.110

Bus 400

Below are a few points from the tender:

-The first bus will arrive at ACTION June 2012, with the last bus arriving March 2013.
-Every bus must be diesel & is to include many features standard in ACTION buses such as seating (driver & passenger), destination, floor, ramp,etc.
-Also must be no longer then 18m & no higher then 3.57m
-The engine must have a minimum of 220kw power & 1100Nm torque.
-They must seat 65 passengers & have a total capacity greater then 105 passengers.
-Each bus must be full low floor or half & half.
-The bus must have a minimum life of 20 years.
-Thoreb system is also to be installed.
-This is to replace the older articulated buses.

Barry Drive

#18
220 kw converts to 295 hp.

65 seating capacity rules out 3 doors.

Does the tender specify the type of passenger seats to be fitted? (McConnell Centra/Urban).

Wonder whether fleet numbers will be 491-510, 500-519 or 501-520.

Bus 400

McConnel Urban trimmed with Holdsworth BDI314. The doors are front entry & rear entry & exit.

King of Buses


How long has it taken to do the right thing?
Ages!

If 490 is gone by the time the first artic is built, they may start at 490 then go to 510.

Sir Pompously

I don't think 490 will be going anywhere anytime soon. Infact, I reckon we may have another 674 on our hands (Demonstrating, then staying in the fleet, whether it goes elsewhere or not).

Bus 400

I wonder what the ACTION livery will look like on an articulated bus?

Buzz Killington

Quote from: Bus 400 on May 09, 2011, 10:22:44 PM
I wonder what the ACTION livery will look like on an articulated bus?




Bus 400

Funny, I meant the new articulates.


Busnerd


Barry Drive

Quote from: King of Buses on May 09, 2011, 04:51:54 PM
If 490 is gone by the time the first artic is built, they may start at 490 then go to 510.
Quick maths quiz: if you have 20 buses in a class, and the first bus is numbered 490 and all other buses are numbered consecutively, what will be the fleet number of:

(a) the 2nd bus
(b) the 5th bus
(c) the 10th bus
(d) the 20th bus.


King of Buses

Damn Calculator!
I was bored in my science class theother day and added the numbers together!

Snorzac

The calculator is only as smart as the person using it.

ajw373

Quote from: King of Buses on May 12, 2011, 06:13:08 PM
Damn Calculator!
I was bored in my science class theother day and added the numbers together!

Many had the same issue when they celebrated the new millennium on 1st Jan 2000. A year early of course.

ajw373

Quote from: Sir Pompously on May 09, 2011, 09:57:21 PM
I don't think 490 will be going anywhere anytime soon. Infact, I reckon we may have another 674 on our hands (Demonstrating, then staying in the fleet, whether it goes elsewhere or not).

That's not quite what happened with 674. It was only given 674 when it was purchased outright by Action. When it was an evaluation unit it carried a different fleet number.

Sir Pompously

#33
I am aware of the history of 674, infact I wasn't even talking number wise about 674. I was saying that it will probably end up a permanent member of the fleet, that part is irrelevant to numbering. If 490 did stay in the fleet, I don't think it would be going anywhere or have a fleet number change. Pure speculation, but there is no reason for ACTION to change the number nor would they bother these days of doing so. Yeah, 674 didn't require a change, but they were different times......

King of Buses

674 had 3 numbers in it's life because of buses being added. 888, 672 and then what we all know it as. (674)

Sir Pompously

Sadly, I don't think the reason was because of buses being added to the fleet. 888 was its fleet number in 1985 only, 888 as we know it was introduced in 1990.

672 is a possibility, as a MAN Artic was introduced in 1986 the same time 674 was registered as 674. What you must remember is that ACTION in those days had allocations of numbers for demonstrator vehicles (And that seems to sort of be the case up until a few years ago where they would use a batch of numbers). These days they don't seem to worry about numbering evaluations (Let alone changing their numbers around). Buses are evaluated for a short time only, under the registration of the holder (Or visiting on trade plates or a temp permit). 490 is an odd one that seems as though it may stay in the fleet, I say may as I don't think it has been confirmed. My bet is the artics will start at 491 or they will even it up to 500. 

Buzz Killington

490 is remaining with ACTION indefinitely at this point, but it could be prudent to start the artics at 500 to keep a few spares for evaluation, but that way of thinking seems to be a thing of the past.

Snorzac

Speaking of 490, it got towed home on Friday

Busnerd

As much as we all like even fleet numbers they will just go with what is next. So it will most likely start at 491.

Don't forget that the Gas MANs started at 374...they don't care about rounding out numbers they just want to do them in order.

Bus 400

#39
The tender has no closed, the applicants can be found at http://www.procurement.act.gov.au/tenders_advertised/tender_download/closed_tenders/15525.110

Has anyone heard of the MAM Imports? EDIT: After doing a Google search, this must be a spelling error & is intact MAN, so I hope they win with the Volgren low floor body (as can be seen on Sydney buses).

After hearing of the issues with Perth's Iveco, I hope ACTION don't get any of them. It would be nice for new Mercedes Buses. It will be like the old days with MAN's & Mercedes Buses on Canberra roads.

The winner will be awarded in July, so watch this space.

Snorzac

Interesting to note that Volvo didn't tender for the contract. I believe if Mercedes win they would be the first Merc artics in Australia since the O305Gs!

Buzz Killington

Good to see a variety of tenders submitted.

volvo

Quote from: Metrobus on June 11, 2011, 11:25:45 AM
Interesting to note that Volvo didn't tender for the contract. I believe if Mercedes win they would be the first Merc artics in Australia since the O305Gs!
Volgren Australia make bodies so they may make Volvos.

The Love Guru

Quote from: volvo on July 07, 2011, 07:15:11 AM
Volgren Australia make bodies so they may make Volvos.

Volgren make bus bodies, Volvo make bus chassis. As Volvo didn't tender they cannot win the tender for the buses. Hence they wont be Volvos. There could be Volgren bodies on whichever chassis manufacturer wins the tender.

I want my money on MAN artics with CB80 (EvoII CB60 if they can get it)

ajw373

#44
Chris, what 'Volvo' is saying could also be the case. The contract is for the supply of a complete chassis/body combination, it is not a split contract for a chassis and a body where ACTION can could choose a chassis and body separately. If it were the latter then yes clearly only the products of the 4 chassis makers who responded could appear, but since two body builders have also submitted bids other chassis may form part of their bid. It is also possible for example that say MAN has submitted their own bid using a particular body builder, and one of the body builders have also submitted a separate bid using a MAN chassis.

What we don't know from the list of 6 companies who responded to the tender is who each of the 4 chassis makers have partnered with to build their bodies so it is possible the body could be made by a company other than Customs or Volgren. Likewise we don't know who the two body makers have partnered with to supply chassis for their bids.

So even though Volvo have not submitted a bid in their own right, it is still quite possible that Volgren or Customs for that matter, have submitted a bid based on a Volvo chassis. So Volvo is not actually out of the running, provided Volgren or Customs are using a Volvo chassis in their respective bids.

The Love Guru

I see your point. I am assuming that the chassis manufacturers would offer the bodies of both manufacturers, providing they can meet the minimum seating requirement.

Strange that Customs and Volgren are asked to tender for a fully assembled bus. Price are heavily reflected on size of order etc and it would take considerable effort for them to gain the information for every type of chassis out there.

Would have made a lot more sense to tender for a chassis provider first, then do a seperate tender for the bodying of the chosen chassis. This way body building companys would be able to do more specific tenders rather than trying to rush through every type of chassis they build on (assuming of course they don't have a preferred chassis supplier, in which case it would give that supplier an unfair advantage)

ajw373

A split contract means double the work to manage as well as double the risks. With a single contractor ACTION only has one company to deal with and kick up the bum if anything goes wrong.

Not many, if any major operators use split contracts anymore. Also it isn't a case of ACTION inviting companies to bid, it is up to companies to respond with a bid that they feel meets the requirements. Hence why you see both chassis and body makers bidding in partnership with other companies. If finance is involved you may also see banks etc either being part of a bid or even as the prime contractor.

Busnerd

I believe Customs usually uses Mercs. as their prototype buses, presumably because there is usually stock of merc chassis in the country whereas things like scanias usually run out and aren't around.

The CB80 was designed originally on the 0500 chassis and then the different variants were made based on other chassis' on computer modelling etc. Volgren's are typically Volvo's it seems, due to their partnership no doubt. But I am hoping for MAN bendies on CB80 body...the new adelaide CB80 artics do look quite ncie

ajw373

Volvo is no longer a partner in Volgren. It is now 100% owned by Grenada.

I also think we cannot assume that just because a body builder builds a lot of a certain type of chassis that is what they have put forward in their respective bids. The chassis could be anything that the bidder thinks meets ACTION's tender specification.

jasp3r

I agree with ajw373. Anyway when we get these artics, are they going to be solely destined for school runs or are they going to end up on Intertowns, Blue Rapids or whatever you call them? Similar to the 333 days.