RAIL - Back On Track Forum

Quote from: verbatim9 on May 22, 2023, 17:02:10 PMManaged to get a quick pic of one of the two new electric buses running on route 30 today.

Judging by AnyTrip, only one of them was an Electric. Interesting that they're using up numbers between the old MAN busses and the b7r's.

Took a quick trip on one at lunch yesterday.

The build quality on these didn't seem too crash hot - already rattletraps.  Volgren seems to be quite variable, I didn't notice any similar issues when I last went for a trip on the BYDs being used on Route 777.  The lower aisle is good but still not as stepless as it could be.

Unsurprisingly, the obnoxious BCC logo on the rear windowline is not contravision so you can't see through it even in perfect daylight like we had yesterday.  It should just be a small logo above the front door and driver window the same way it is for everybody else.

I managed to get a few more pics yesterday of these new electric buses on route 30. Front and side view this time.

Old Translink logo?

If BCC or any service provider don't want to confirm to the branding then their routes should be put up for public tender.

There are far too many logos and advisory clutter inside and outside buses.

^ The new Hornibrook electrics have the old logo too, for no apparent reason. 

The current one is on every other electric bus on the network I'm aware of - those at Transdev, Logan Coaches, Kinetic Gold Coast, Kinetic Sunshine Coast, Clark's etc.

It's all a bit bizarre.

@SurfRail, do you know if Clarks EVs run on any specific routes? I'm yet to encounter one in the wild, and wouldn't mind riding one.

^ I believe there was a roster posted somewhere on the Clark's Facebook page not long ago.  I understand they are not out on weekends and not used on services that involve the busway, so will be local weekday routes.

(Foamer warning.)

You can search them on Anytrip (https://anytrip.com.au/region/qld) by their individual fleet numbers, which are 901 to 905.  At time of posting this, 904 has just finished a Route 562 trip at the Hyperdome, but none of the others are reporting. 

(Advanced foamer warning.)

You may get false positives as fleet numbers are not necessarily unique and have different derivations - some operators have fleet numbers while others use part of the rego.  Searching 901 at time of posting gives me a bus commencing an outbound Route 261 - this is a Mt Gravatt bus registered 901 XOK.

Sometimes you can get multiple results from the same search if the fleet numbers overlap (eg at time of posting, "112" shows as both a Route 577 to Springwood and a Route 503 to Bundamba, as both Clark's and Bus QLD have a bus with that fleet number).

The data you get is highly variable depending on the bus operator.  BCC will give you type of vehicle, fleet number and the home depot (although the depot details can become outdated if the bus transfers and this is not updated).  Hornibrook will give type of vehicle for most but not all.  Most operators only give you a fleet number.  Mt Gravatt is interesting as most of their vehicles have a name rather than a number - this particular one is "Des" - but they report a number based on the rego through the real-time feed as above. 

Ferries report the vessel name, and trains will report the run number rather than the train's fleet number (eg a Gold Coast train will show up as "New Generation Rollingstock (NGR) (run DG54)", or a Ferny Grove train will show up as "6 car EMU or SMU train (run 1760)".  G:link trams report the fleet number.

It varies interstate too.

In NSW in the Opal region you generally only get the "type" of bus rather than a specific fleet number, and it can also produce false positives if they have taken a machine out of a retired bus and reused it without updating the settings.  However, the mobile version of Anytrip (at least on Android) seems to give registrations for buses operating services in the Tweed and some other regions which have a real time feed not powered by Opal.  Trains will report their signalling location and in some apps the run number, but not the set number.  Metro shows "Alstom Metropolis (fleet number)".  L1 trams currently show "Citadis X05 or CAF Urbos 3" while L2 or L3 trams show "Citadis X05 (X##-X##)" (ie fleet number of the 2 specific trams in the consist).  Ferries show by name.

In Melbourne, there doesn't appear to be any fleet data available for buses, while trams report the model and fleet number, and trains report what I understand to be a run number and the leading end or ends of the set(s) forming the train, eg "6 car Comeng (663M-667M, TD 6370)" or "7 car HCMT (9949M, TD 4212)".  There is no V/Line real-time feed, and some Metro lines seem not to have any real-time availability (Sandringham and Belgrave/Lilydale at present).

Darwin seems to report bus registrations.  Adelaide gives you fleet numbers for everything, and type of vehicle for buses and trams.  Canberra appears to give you type and fleet number for both buses and trams.

(End foaming.)

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1666213723114188800

Quote from: ozbob on June 07, 2023, 08:42:47 AMhttps://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1666213723114188800

Couriermail --> Qld zero-emission bus fleet target overly ambitious, says report $

QuoteThe Queensland government's bold zero-emission bus target is unlikely to be delivered on time, according to leaked industry findings that flagged the commitment as "overly ambitious".

The government pledged for all new urban buses in South East Queensland to be zero-emission from 2025, and for regional Queensland to begin its transition to zero-emission fleets between 2025 and 2030.

But Industry Engagement Findings on the transport promise, seen by The Courier-Mail, flag a national skills and labour shortage and questions the claim for the fleet to be constructed locally.

The findings said the program timeline was seen as overly ambitious, and may not support the objective of establishing sustainable local manufacturing. ...

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1666449842053283841

https://twitter.com/humantransit/status/1666524338735153152

What's it like to drive and charge a fully electric bus from Melbourne to Sydney?

>https://thedriven.io/2023/06/28/whats-it-like-to-drive-and-charge-a-fully-electric-bus-from-melbourne-to-sydney/

Rode this new electric bus on route 600 last Sunday --- On the Buses

Government Statement

https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/99747

Local manufacturing to deliver clean energy buses for Queensland

20th February 30234

. More than 400 zero emission buses will be locally built to spark the clean energy transition, boost bus manufacturing and create new jobs

. Emissions to be cut by 80 per cent on Translink's South East Queensland urban network

. New zero emission depots to be built and existing depots to be transitioned.

Premier Steven Miles has today launched the Miles Labor Government's new plan to deliver hundreds of zero emission buses through direct Government procurement.

The new zero-emission buses will replace aging diesel buses in operation on the Translink network.

It's expected more than 400 buses will be locally manufactured, with the final number to be decided through a competitive procurement process.

The commitment builds on the Government's recent decision to support construction of 200 new buses in Queensland, which will be Euro 6 diesel buses – the cleanest buses available to be made in Queensland in mass production at this point in time.

Through this Zero Emission Bus Program investment, the Miles Government will deliver on its commitment that all new buses procured from 2025 - to run on Translink's South East Queensland urban network - will be a zero-emission vehicle.

It's expected the move will cut CO2 emissions by up to 80 per cent.

Translink already has 75 zero emission buses being trialled at eight depots across Queensland to help inform the design of zero-emission buses and depots from 2025.

Local bus manufacturing will be boosted through local content requirements, which will see the creation of direct and indirect jobs and local opportunities for small and medium business to be part of the broader supply chain.

Bus depots will also go clean, with new zero emission depots to be built and existing depots to be transitioned.

TMR will also work with the Queensland Government-owned investment corporation QIC to secure and manage further benefits from this project through a potential public private partnership, such as has occurred with Cross River Rail.

The plan will boost Queensland's public transport capability prior to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and will also lock in greater provisions for operational flexibility.

The new buses will also prioritise driver safety, with appropriate safety barriers to be installed prior to operation and in consultation with drivers.

All new buses will also be fully-accessible for people who require mobility assistance and those who are travelling with luggage or prams.

More > https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/99747