Wednesday August 28th 2013 ~ Dennis from Scarborough

One of my sources tells me that the first of the new Enviro 400s branded for the X1 should now appear around 20th September. Five are initially expected to arrive fresh from construction at Alexander Dennis in Scarborough with 63 registrations. Extra accommodation will be found at King's Lynn to house the existing fleet as the new buses are phased into service.

Today, maintenance schedules dictated that 37158 had to be used, despite its lack of any branding or indeed any trace of ownership. Few on the west of the route would have recognised the new corporate colours either. 37158 worked XL05-K18 which ends up at Great Yarmouth. The incognito bus is seen above passing my window this afternoon (I must get a window cleaner !) and below snapped by Bruce a little later.

Timekeeping was hit and miss today. Y9-XL15 left Wisbech with 37569 9 late on the 10.19 to Peterborough, but by the time it returned eastbound to work the 11.54 to Lowestoft, it was 22 late. L10-XL16 fared better with 37579 being 6 x 9 late and L11 with 37566 came back into Wisbech just 2 minutes down. Next was L12 with 37570 which went to Peterborough 16 late and returned 19 late. Things then returned to normality until K17 15.08 Peterborough - Yarmouth came through 19 late with 37159 having replaced 37575 at Lynn earlier. 37158 itself on K18 went back eastbound 16 late.
Yesterday's casulaty, 37573 returned to traffic after attention to a brake caliper this afternoon. It worked K16-XL03 forward to Lowestoft at 16.00 replacing 37156.