This is to quote KD191, a fascinating development. They must like the LDs if they are thinking about more double deck coaches. I always thought the LDs were wasted on commuter runs, they really were made for services like the X20 and X51, that is what they would be good at. And tri-axle single deck coaches is a new development as well. Interstingly only the twin axle single deck coaches would be available with the full automatic gearbox, so BÉ are more impressed by the electronic gearboxes than we are giving them credit for. Tri-axle SPs could be had with a full auto in the Euro 3 days but currently Scania only sell tri-axle SPs with Opticruise.

They have divided it into lots, and interested parties may bid for one or more than one lot, precise numbers not given but they are looking at as many as 85 coaches.

Lot 1 is for single deck twin-axle coaches, up to 50 of these are being sought.
Lot 2 is for double deck coaches, up to 15 of these are being sought.
Lot 3 is for single deck tri-axle coaches, up to 20 of these are being sought.

The one thing that does worry me about them seeking so many different types is that they could well be going for VDL/Berkhoffs, they might go for more LCs and LDs because of parts commonality etc, Volvo and Scania would be able to offer the same thing on single deck coaches in both dual axle and tri-axle types both they don't do double deck coaches in RHD AFAIK, well Scania does but I think it's only on the Ayats Bravo body which is junk, I presume the LCs are available in a tri-axle version as well, so that doesn't fill me with hope, I could see more VDL/Berkhoff rubbish being ordered, I am hoping and praying that Scanias or better still Volvos are ordered.

If they decide on ordering more than just single deck coaches and want the same make for all of them then you can be guaranteed that Scanias won't be ordered, because Scania's Opticruise has a clutch pedal, unlike AS-Tronic and i-Shift. Volvo will hopefully win the order if that is the case. Anything other than VDL rubbish! If they decided on VDLs then hopefully they will find sense and only order them for the double decks, Volvo can supply tri axle coaches with no clutch pedal and either Volvos or Scanias can be ordered for the twin axle single deck coaches, it's not like they have to go with VDL for 2 of the 3 lots, but certainly I would say for lot 2, LDs would have to be the favourite because they can't choose the Scania chassis. They could try Neoplans but I would put a bet on it that they won't be ordered.

My preference would be for Volvos for lots 1 and 3, though I like the Scanias a lot as well so I don't mind them ordering Scanias for lot 1. Lot 2 will have to be VDLs unfortunately unless MAN offers something better than the Ayats Bravo body.

Edited 1 time by VWL119 17/09/2010 19:02:08.