Metro Fleet News 2013

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10/11/13 - Ulsterbus Reserve B10BLE 2768 arrived at Falls on 14/11, replacing 2771 which was detaxed at the end of the month.

28/11/13 - Optare Versa demonstrator YD63 UZN has been on loan for a couple of days for fuel comparison tests with 2039. It was not used in service.

18/11/13 - B9TL 2208 is back in service at Falls Park following engine repairs.

04/11/13 - B10BLE 2762 has returned to use at Short Strand, whilst sister 2834 has been received on loan from Ulsterbus Craigavon.

20/10/13 - Ultra 2718 (LAZ 2718) has gone to Hamill for scrap (although it was actually collected some time ago), leaving 2732 as the only Metro example remaining (together with Ulsterbus 2746/55 dumped at Dungiven).

06/10/13 - 2952 is the third wrap advert for Ulster Bank. Volvo B9 2208 has been detaxed for repairs, whilst Falls based B10BLE 2767 is now in Reserve.

30/08/13 - 2898 is the second wrap advert for Ulster Bank.

26/08/13 - Volvo B7 2926 has appeared with a rather austere wrap advert for Ulster Bank. 2 other buses are to have the same applied.

06/08/13 - Ex Ulsterbus Scanias 739/89 are now repainted in magenta colours.

06/08/13 - B10BLEs 2762/4 (GVS) were detaxed at the end of August. Transfers have seen the following happening:

2212 ( GVS - Falls ), 2343/4 ( Falls - GVS ), 2820 ( Falls - Ulsterbus ), 731 ( Short Strand - Ulsterbus ), 739 ( Ulsterbus - GVS ), 741/2 ( Short Strand - Falls ), 788/9 ( Ulsterbus - GVS ), 2772 ( Falls - Active Reserve [GVS] ), 2801 ( Short Strand - Active Reserve [Short Strand] ), 2802/5/8 ( Short Strand - Falls ), 2806/9 ( GVS - Falls ), 2894/5/6/2968 ( Falls - Short Strand ), 2969 ( GVS - Short Strand ).

21/08/13 - Community minibuses 24-7 (UCZ 8324)have been sold at Belfast City Auctions, Carryduff whilst Ultras 2734/50 have gone to Glenferry {Kearnery's}, Little Island. Former RELL/ECW 732 (HHW 920L) passed to the Bristol Vintage Bus Group 4/13, ex Peters, Bridlington for continued preservation.

14/08/13 - Volvos 2209-11 (Falls) and 2212 (GVS) were returned to service at the start of August, whilst community minibuses 24-27 have been withdrawn for disposal from the end of July. B7's 2910/47 have received overall adverts for Airtricity, to slightly different styles. Two more Ultras sold to Hamill for scrap are 2712/21.

29/07/13 - Ulsterbus Volvos 2326-8 were in use today on special route 4d, running to Dundonald Ice Bowl for the World Police and Firebrigade Games.

23/07/13 - B9s 2205/8 have lost their Vodaphone overall adverts and reverted to fleet livery; presumably 2336 will follow.

04/07/13 - Buses detaxed for the duration of the school holidays are:

Short Strand	731, 1869, 1913, 2790/1/2, 2928/36
GVS	2214/5, 2762/4/806/9/10/1
Falls	714/22/800/1/2/5, 2209/10/1/2/3
Newtownabbey	740/3/6, 2216/7/8/9/20

On the move are 2343/4 (GVS-Falls), 2967 (GVS - Short Strand) and 2968 (Newtownabbey - Falls). Some route alterations at the start of the summer sees routes 81/2 extended to Hightown Hill, whilst the 92 is re-reouted from Ladybrook to Musgrave Park Hospital, giving that location a regular service for the first time in many years.

22/06/13 - The Streetlite demonstrator has now arrived and is a 44 seat Max model, 2039 (DRZ 9713). It will probably be next week before it sees any public use. Scania 731 has been repainted blue and will transfer back to Ulsterbus imminently. Ultras 2731/43 have gone to Hamills for scrap.

17/06/13 - A Wrightbus Streetlite demonstrator is expected shortly, and will be allocated to Short Strand depot.

04/06/13 - Scania 781 has returned to GVS after it's stint with the Driving School.

09/05/13 - Scania 731 has moved from GVS to Short Strand. Ultras 2722/4/5 have gone to Hamill for scrap; Solo 1831 to Share Discovery Village, Lisnaskea and little, if ever, used B9M/Caetano 2511 to P. McDaid, Linsfort. Tenders have been invited for up to 45 double deckers and 25 single deckers, for delivery by March 2014.

18/04/13 - With high step entrance and narrow uncomfortable 3+2 school bus seating, an Eclipse seems an unsuitable vehicle for Metro's flagship CityExpress service. Nonetheless customers were 'treated' to B7R 400 on this route yesterday afternoon.

08/04/13 - Solo 1829 has been sold to Roy Brown’s Coaches, Builth Wells.

01/04/13 - B7TL 2887 has moved to Ulsterbus Newtownabbey, whilst B10BLE 2820 has been received at Falls on loan from Ulsterbus.

04/03/13 - Another transfer to Ulsterbus is B7/ALX 2886 which has gone to Omagh. B10BLE 2764 has moved from Short Strand to GVS, replacing sister 2763 which went to Reserve at the end of February.

25/02/13 - B9TL 2330 is the first of these to transfer to Ulsterbus, in this case to Newcastle.

21/02/13 - B9TL 2382 is the final one of the group to enter service, at Short Strand. B10BLE 2763 returned to use at GVS on 5th February, whilst B7TLs 2884/8 have moved to Ulsterbus. Solo 1830 has been sold to Roy Brown's Coaches, Builth Wells, Powys and Ultras 2739/49 to Hamill, Ahoghill for scrap.

05/02/13 - B9TLs 2380/1 entered use at Short Strand on Jan 8th, leaving on 2382 still outstanding. B10Ms 1524/5 have returned to use at Ulsterbus Lisburn and Downpatrick. B10BLE 2764 has moved from Falls to Short Strand (Active Reserve), with 2788/9 going from Short Strand - Falls and Scanias 740 from Falls - Newtownabbey. GVS based 2764 is now in Reserve.

19/01/13 - B7TL/ALX 2885 has been transferred to Ulsterbus Omagh, while 2788 has moved from Short Strand to Falls, and 2763 from Falls to GVS (Active Reserve). B10M 1650 has been sold to Kearney, Cork.

12/01/13 - B9TL/Wrightbus are 2380/1 are now in use from Short Strand. Against this B7/ALX 2918 was a malicious loss last night in the Rathfern area. B7s 2966/70 have now been fitted with wig-wag lights.

04/01/13 - More new B9TL/Wrightbus are 2375 (LFZ 9375, GVS) and 2376-8 (Falls) all entering service on the 2nd. The final 2 Q-types with Metro, Short Strand based B10Ms 1524/5 are now in Reserve, along with the 3 oldest Solos 1829/30/1 (Short Strand). On the move are 806-8 (Falls - GVS), 1913 (GVS - Short Strand - presumably these will lose their green livery), 2781-3 (Short Strand - Falls), 2891-3 (Falls - Short Strand), 2965/6 (GVS - Short Strand). Finally, B10BLEs 2765/8/84/2820 have returned to Ulsterbus.

01/01/13 - Seasons Greetings and a Merry New Year from Irish Transport Heritage.

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