Metro Fleet News 2011

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24/12/11 - Former Ulsterbus Scania 731 is now in Metro fleet livery.

20/12/11 - Good news is the return to service of Tigers 1477/9, at GVS on 14th December.

08/12/11 - B10M/Q-type 1534 is now repainted in fleet livery.

04/12/11 - ALX 2964 has returned to service at Short Strand, repairs having been completed after it's accident outside Central Station, whilst Ultra 2706 is again in Reserve. On the move are 722, 2762 (GVS - Falls), 2718, 2951 (Falls - GVS), 731, 800 (Short Strand - Falls), 2714 (Falls - Short Strand ) and 2717 (Falls - GVS Active Reserve).

01/12/11 - ALX 2945 has been fitted with 2 additional flashing orange lights at the front and rear, in the same manner as the Gemini's in the fleet.

22/11/11 - Former Citybus Optare Solos 1835 (OCZ 8835) and 1837 (OCZ 8837) have passed to  Northumberland operator Glen Valley, Wooler from Nash, Ockley (dealer).

18/11/11 - B10M/Q-type 1533 is now repainted in fleet livery.

17/11/11 - B10BLE 2762 has moved from GVS - Falls with B7TL 2951 going in the opposite direction. Disposals see Solo 1836 going to McGonagle, Buncrana and Ultras 2702/19/38/40 to Hamill for scrap. The seats from the four Ultra's were stripped to allow Mercedes artics 3100-3 to be upseated after which they are to be transfered to Ulsterbus.

11/11/11 - Geminis 2335/6/43/4 have received an unusual offside advertisement for Firmus Gas, where the lettering in the ad is illuminated by LEDs.

08/11/11 - Former Citybus RELL 2533 (AXI 2533) passed to Graham, Kesh in September 2011 for preservation, ex Nash, Ockley.

06/11/11 - Aidan McFall reports an unusual trip for Gemini 2203 which was used on 26th October on rail substitition duties on the 06.55 Enterprise departure for Dublin. Sadly 2203's ROI adventure ended at Lusk services with a punctured rear tyre, and it was eventually replaced by a Kavanaghs of Urlingford coach.

01/11/11 - Good news is that Tigers 1474/6 have been reinstated at Short Strand from 1st November. Fire damaged B10BLE 2804 has been sold to Hamill for scrap.

30/10/11 - B10M/Plaxtons 1646/54 are now repainted in the private hire livery. Sister 1652 made an very unusual foray in to public service last Friday when it operated the Northside Park and Ride service.

09/10/11 - Scania L94 731 arrived from Ulsterbus on 26th September and is allocated to Short Strand. Recently arrived B10M 1653 has been painted in the private hire livery.

15/09/11 - Volvo B7 2944 has now lost it's overall advert for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and is back in fleet livery.

06/09/11 - All but one of the remaining Tigers have been put to Reserve at the end of August (1474/5/6/7/9) with only 1478 remaining. Their replacements are 5 Volvo B10M's transferred from Ulsterbus, Plaxton bodied 1641/53/4 and Q-types 1533/4, all now allocated to Short Strand. Also now permanently withdrawn is fire damaged B10BLE 2804, whilst the 4 articulated Mercedes 0.405s 3100-3 are now in Reserve along with Ultra 2719. Volvos 2979-84/6/7 are now all with Ulsterbus at Newtownards (2979), Coleraine (2980-4/6) and Omagh (2987). On the move are 745/6 (Falls - Newtownabbey) 791/22/6/7/9/2216/7/9 (GVS - Newtownabbey), 2214 (Short Strand - Newtownabbey), 2706 (Short Strand - GVS Active Reserve), 2739 (Short Strand - Short Strand Active Reserve), 2806/9 (Short Strand - GVS), 2966 (Falls - GVS), 2967 (Newtownabbey - GVS) 2974/5/6 (Short Strand - GVS).

23/08/11 - Service changes on 1st September see a major reorganisation of City Centre departure points and routings, with the most noticable alteration being the movement of the Shore and Antrim Road corridor departures to Upper Queen Street which has been made two way for this purpose. These will then run via Queen Street and Castle Street to regain the existing route at Royal Avenue. Other changes see the following:

10X - new peak hour express route City Centre - Blacks Road - Poleglass - Lagmore (replacing routes 214 and Ulsterbus 233 and 236).
26 - timetable enhanced with extra journeys to Titanic Quarter for the Belfast Metropolitan College (cross town with 8 corridor). Evening journeys are provided by route 600B.
29 - most journeys withdrawn beyond Braniel and offpeak journeys withdrawn.
64 - withdrawn between Abbeycentre and Fairview Road.
80 - withdrawn between Oldpark and Abbeycentre.
96 - most off-peak journeys withdrawn.

22/08/11 - Volvos 2216/7/9 returned to service at GVS on 18th July to cover for B7s being repainted in Ulsterbus colours. 2881/3 are currently being done. Scanias 790/1 are both now in Metro livery.

16/08/11 - Volvo B7 2982 is another painted in Ulsterbus colours.

14/08/11 - Volvo B7 2964 has been involved in a serious incident in East Bridge Street having mounted a kerb and overturned. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-14521653.

10/08/11 - Scania 792 is now in fleet colours and should be joined shortly by 790/1. Airbus liveried Solo 1881 was an unusual visitor on route 64 earlier today.

09/08/11 - Volvo B7 2987 has been repainted Ulsterbus blue, and presumably is the first of a number to transfer to Ulsterbus for the new school term.

22/07/11 - Solos 1835/7 have been sold to Nash, Ockley (dealer).

06/07/11 - Tenders have been invited for the supply of up to 15 double deck and 30 single deck vehicles for 2012/3 with an option for similar numbers in 2014/5. The following vehicles have been detaxed for the duration of the school holidays:

Short Strand: 1829/30/1/2/2706/8/11/2/22/39/43/5/9/50
Falls: 2714/5/7/8/9/20/1/4/5/7/9/34
Gt. Vict St.: 2100/1/2/3/2705/31/2
Newtownabbey: 2216/7/9/20/2100/1/2/3

On the move are 745/6 (Newtownabbey - Falls), 2214/2806/9 (GVS - Siort Strand) and 2967 (Falls - Newtownabbey). Finally, Ultra 2723 has been sold to Hamill for scrap.

02/06/11 - Ultra 2738 has gone from Short Strand to Reserve at the end of May.

19/05/11 - Metro 2722 was transfered from GVS - Short Strand on 10/5 and 2705 was returned to service at GVS on 12/5 ex Reserve. B7TL 2979 has lost it's overall advert and has reverted to fleet livery.

04/05/11 - Volvo 2882 has received an overall advert in the usual style for the NI Fire and Rescue Service. Unusually a step entrance bus was in service for most of the day today with the use of Tiger 1477 on the Northside Park and Ride in place of the normal Solo.

03/05/11 - B10M/Plaxton 1646 is the 6th example of these coaches here, having transferred to Short Strand from Ulsterbus GVS. It is for contract use. Also in from Ulsterbus is Scania 792 which is at Short Strand replacing B10BLE 2804 which has suffered an engine fire. Ultra 2740 is also now in Reserve.

11/04/11 - Destination screens for the 10 group of services (Falls Road) have been amended to include the Irish language.

24/03/11 - Solo 1898 is the last of the trio to be painted into the new Airbus blue livery.

14/03/11 - Ultra 2704 has been scrapped and sister 2707 has gone to Derry as a source of spares.

08/03/11 - Solo 1881 is the second to be repainted in the dark blue Airbus colours and is lettered for the George Best Belfast City airport. Unusually it was on route 61 to Carrs Glen this morning. Volvo 2979 has received a purple overall advert for the forthcoming census.

24/02/11 - Another bus to wear it's last livery for a short time is 2801 which has now reverted to Metro colours for the second time in it's career.

18/02/11 - After only 5 months in it's previous livery, Solo 1897 has been repainted in the new dark blue Airbus colours and is lettered for the George Best Belfast City airport.

06/02/11 - Scania 703 and B10BLE 2801 have swapped depots, with the former now at Newtownabbey and the latter at Falls.

21/01/11 - Solo 1913 is the final one of the Blacks Road Park and Ride trio to gain the green livery.

01/01/11 - Seasons Greetings and a Merry New Year from Irish Transport Heritage.

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