24 replies to this topic

[Cityflyer]

Don't know if this was mentioned but on Aug 12 at 100 King St W, there is a press conference to celebrate the launch of Coach Canada's double decker buses. There will be two of those VanHool dd buses there.
Here's the link.
http://wx.toronto.ca/inter/city/events.nsf...Date=2009-08-12

[ADB]

Just got back from the event. Thanks to global happy traveler and CityFlyer for the heads up. Coach Canada has bought 15 Van Hools for Megabus service, and it looked like around 10 were at the event. At 09.30 a convoy of TD925s paraded down King St. W, followed by Megabus cheerleaders chanting: Let's cheer, let's holler! Go to Montreal for a dollar! For you, for us! We'll take the Megabus! Two TD925s stopped at 100 King St. W. - DD42460 and DD42462. Coach Canada exectutives and representatives along with Van Hool representatives got off with and walked the blue carpet to the media event past the cheerleaders.

I will have pictures up on Flickr later today.

[A. Wong]

Cool, thanks for the update!

[global_happy_traveller]

A. Wong, on Aug 12 2009, 10:54 AM, said:

Cool, thanks for the update!

just bought 4 x $1 tickets from Toronto-Montreal for September!

2 persons round trip

[ADB]

A. Wong, on Aug 12 2009, 10:54 AM, said:

Cool, thanks for the update!

No problem!

Here are some photos from the event:

Megabus Canada Launch

[global_happy_traveller]

A. Badaraco, on Aug 12 2009, 02:00 PM, said:

No problem!

Here are some photos from the event:

Megabus Canada Launch

and u did not stick around and take photos of the interior of the bus???

[ADB]

global_happy_traveller, on Aug 12 2009, 06:40 PM, said:

and u did not stick around and take photos of the interior of the bus???

Just been added to the set linked above. Thanks for viewing!

[D. DeLarge]

This begs the question...will there be cheerleaders on the regular runs?

[Kit Kat]

D. DeLarge, on Aug 12 2009, 08:08 PM, said:

This begs the question...will there be cheerleaders on the regular runs?

i am guessing since my place is between Montreal and Toronto, i can get one or 2 of the girls to come to my place for the price on their T-shirt.


Joking aside: I think its great that both local and highway transits are buying/testing double deckers.

i really am impressed with the bus design and hopefully i can ride one soon.

[TC60102N]

D. DeLarge, on Aug 12 2009, 08:08 PM, said:

This begs the question...will there be cheerleaders on the regular runs?

No!, I Took them home to be part of my "Bus Collection"

[Shaun]

GM-Unit, on Aug 12 2009, 09:22 PM, said:

i am guessing since my place is between Montreal and Toronto, i can get one or 2 of the girls to come to my place for the price on their T-shirt.


Joking aside: I think its great that both local and highway transits are buying/testing double deckers.

i really am impressed with the bus design and hopefully i can ride one soon.

I wonder why GO Transit chose Alexander Dennis over Vanhool. I wonder why coach canada chose Vanhool over Alexander Dennis.

[TheAverageJoe]

Shaun, on Aug 13 2009, 07:19 PM, said:

I wonder why GO Transit chose Alexander Dennis over Vanhool. I wonder why coach canada chose Vanhool over Alexander Dennis.

Stagecoach wants to keep its Megabus fleet simple so they can easly be transfered between divisons like what was done with the Western divison before it closed and its Midwest (some transfered to Northeast divison)

[Uwe]

TheAverageJoe, on Aug 13 2009, 12:52 PM, said:

Stagecoach wants to keep its Megabus fleet simple so they can easly be transfered between divisons like what was done with the Western divison before it closed and its Midwest (some transfered to Northeast divison)

There are no luggage compartments on the AlexanderDennis DDs, adding some would reduce seating capacity below the VanHool. Also, the VanHool is an inter-city coach, where the AD is better taylored to commuter/transit operations.

Uwe

[TheAverageJoe]

Uwe, on Aug 13 2009, 08:11 PM, said:

There are no luggage compartments on the AlexanderDennis DDs, adding some would reduce seating capacity below the VanHool. Also, the VanHool is an inter-city coach, where the AD is better taylored to commuter/transit operations.

Uwe

Do you know if Stagecoach has any VanHools in its UK megabus fleet?

[Seashore_518203]

Shaun, on Aug 13 2009, 03:19 PM, said:

I wonder why GO Transit chose Alexander Dennis over Vanhool. I wonder why coach canada chose Vanhool over Alexander Dennis.

The initial reason for Megabus to choose Vanhool was due to overall vehicle height. Megabus needed the buses to be able to have enough clearance for the Lincoln Tunnel between NY and NJ. At 13'2", the buses just barely make it. The Alexander Dennis Enviros are 14'0" (I believe) which would not have had sufficient clearance for the Lincoln tunnel.

Kevin

[Uwe]

TheAverageJoe, on Aug 14 2009, 11:15 AM, said:

Do you know if Stagecoach has any VanHools in its UK megabus fleet?

I don't think they make righthand drive units of the Astromega.(?)
Last I checked, they had purchased 50-foot Plaxton single-deck coaches for the Megabus service.
In general they seem to have a wide variery of coaches in the UK, from standard, to artics to DDs.

Uwe

[TheAverageJoe]

Uwe, on Aug 14 2009, 07:29 PM, said:

I don't think they make righthand drive units of the Astromega.(?)
Last I checked, they had purchased 50-foot Plaxton single-deck coaches for the Megabus service.
In general they seem to have a wide variery of coaches in the UK, from standard, to artics to DDs.

Uwe

I seem some pics of Megabus there and the do have a wide range of models in their fleet

[PrevostH3-45]

Shaun, on Aug 13 2009, 03:19 PM, said:

I wonder why GO Transit chose Alexander Dennis over Vanhool. I wonder why coach canada chose Vanhool over Alexander Dennis.

There were a few reasons why GO Transit chose the Alexander Dennis Enviro500. The Alexander Dennis is considerably more wheelchair friendly both for the Customer and for the Driver. On the VanHool, the Driver has to get out of the seat and set up a folding ramp at the rear door. The seats require stowing which is more time consuming than the "flip-up" design of the Enviro500.

The stairs are more like a ladder than they are stairs. GO Transit felt it was safer for customers to use the conventional style stairs that are standard on our double decker coaches. Lastly, the reduced headroom was a concern.

There may be other reasons however those were the ones that stood out from my chat with one of the people involved in the purchase of these units.

[ADB]

Kevin_N, on Aug 14 2009, 02:23 PM, said:

The initial reason for Megabus to choose Vanhool was due to overall vehicle height. Megabus needed the buses to be able to have enough clearance for the Lincoln Tunnel between NY and NJ. At 13'2", the buses just barely make it. The Alexander Dennis Enviros are 14'0" (I believe) which would not have had sufficient clearance for the Lincoln tunnel.

Kevin

That's right, the Enviro500 for North America is just under 14' at 4.267m, while the TD925 is 4m.

Uwe, on Aug 14 2009, 02:29 PM, said:

I don't think they make righthand drive units of the Astromega.(?)
Last I checked, they had purchased 50-foot Plaxton single-deck coaches for the Megabus service.
In general they seem to have a wide variery of coaches in the UK, from standard, to artics to DDs.

Uwe

It is offered in RHD. Stagecoach has recently purchased some TD925s for their Oxford Tube service.

[global_happy_traveller]

Transit properties (GOT, BCT etc....) wants something more transit-related (Alexander Dennis)....whereas Coach Canada wans something thats more coach related (Vanhool).....

Also Dennis will require provincial exemption and follow through strict routing procedures whereas the Vanhool can operate on roads that could accomodate a tractor trailer/regular motorcoach.

I am not a big fan of the Vanhool front stairs....too big of a liability......

And you can add luggage racks on the Alexander Dennis