Behind the scenes at Go North West

20/03/2023

A few updates from the last few weeks:
- Four Citaro driver trainers are now complete, 9101 NK08 MXY (ex 6212), 9102 NK08 MXZ (ex 6213), 9103 NK08 MYC (ex 6216) and 9105 NK08 MYF (ex 6218). 6217/6219/6220 are currently away for conversion to become 9104/6/7. 6221/6222 will be the final two of nine extra trainers and will be 9108/9.
- B7RLE 6169 BN64 CNV has returned from refurbishment and is being prepared for service.
- Citaro NK58 DWE is away for repaint into yellow and will become 9151. It will be a route learning bus without a full driver training conversion.
- Seven Volvo B7TLs have arrived from East Yorkshire for extra contract work starting 16th April. These are 3352/3 YX55 DHJ/O, 3354/5/6/7/8 YX06 CXJ/K/M/N/O. One more to follow is YX05 EOO.
- Also for extra contract work are newly arrived Citaros 6224 BJ10 VUN and 6228 BJ10 VUS. Four more will follow for the same contract. Also arrived are 6231 BJ10 VUV and 6232 BJ10 VUW. These two will join the Queens Rd fleet to release 10 reg B7RLEs to new contract work.
- Former Queens Road B9 3215 MX07 BUU is on loan from Go North East

17/02/2023

Fleet update - 17/02/2023

- newly arrived 6171 YX10 EYS and 6173 YX10 EYU have entered the active fleet to replace Citaros 6216 and 6217 which have gone away for conversion to driver training vehicles. These ex Go North East B7s are temporary replacements for the Citaros whilst the Bluestar B7s are being refurbished.
- 6175 YX10 EYW has entered the reserve fleet as a pool bus
- a new arrival today from Go North East is Citaro NK58 DWE. This will initially be used as a route learning bus to replace 6166 HJ63 JPF. 6166 should be going away for refurbishment next week, along with 6165 HJ63 JOV. This will leave 6167 BN64 CNO as the final Bluestar bus to go for refurbishment.
- 6170 HF64 BSU has returned from refurbishment and centre door conversion.

Reserve fleet consists of 3209, 3212, 6175 which are all active at Queens Road.

02/12/2022

Our is at Manchester Fort Retail Park until 2pm today!

😊 Meet our friendly team
🚌 Try the hot seat in our training bus
⏩ Fast track your application
🎅 Meet Father Christmas!

Can’t make it? See gonorthwest.co.uk/academy

28/11/2022

Some new arrivals over the weekend are six Volvo B7RLEs from Go South Coast. Over the next few months these will be converted to single door and repainted. They will then replace six of the 08 reg Citaros.

Buses are:
- 2287 - HJ63 JOV - will become 6165
- 2288 - HJ63 JPF - will become 6166
- 2289 - BN64 CNO - will become 6167
- 2290 - BN64 CNU - wil become 6168
- 2291 - BN64 CNV - will become 6169
- 2292 - HF64 BSU - will become 6170

19/08/2022

Fleet update 19/08/2022

The following 12x B9s have now all been transferred to Go North East:
3201-8, 3213-16

3209 is withdrawn after suffering an engine fault.

3212 remains in service.

Citaros 6206 and 6215 have both had engine repairs and returned to service after periods off the road.

02/08/2022

Fleet updates: 3201/3202/3203, 3213/3215/3216 have now all been withdrawn from use.

3207, 3214 and 3216 have transferred to Go North East, with another 7 to follow.

3212 remains in use as a reserve bus, along with 6206 and 6223. These are the final three non-Euro VI buses in the main frontline service fleet.

15/07/2022

3063 has entered service this week, leaving 3065 as the final EvoSeti yet to enter use.

3206 and 3214 are now withdrawn, joining 3207, 3208 and 3210.

The reserve fleet currently comprises of 3202/3203, 3213/3215/3216. These and 3201 & 3209 are all due to be withdrawn around the start of the school summer holidays.

28/06/2022

The final EvoSeti 3063 has now arrived from Thorntons and will be prepared for use over the next couple of weeks. 3065 is the other example still to enter use and should follow in July following repairs to a mechanical issue. The other 18 vehicles are now in use.

Further EvoSetis entering service has allowed the withdrawal of 3207 and 3208 and the movement of further B9s into the reserve fleet.

The reserve fleet now comprises of:
- 3203/06, 3213/14/15/16

3201, 3202, 3209 & 3212 remain in the main active fleet for now but will be withdrawn by the summer holidays.

14/04/2022

Some more updates from this week:
- 6102 has been retrimmed and 6103 is the next bus to be completed
- 5 EvoSetis are now with us and being prepared for service: 3053 BG66 MJF, 3054 BG66 MJJ, 3055 BG66 MJO, 3056 BG66 MJU and 3065 BV66 VHC
- The final grey Citaro in the reserve fleet is 6206. 6202/4/7/8 departed this week to a new owner in South Wales

Current live reserve fleet is: 3201/3202/3203, 3212/3213/3215, 6206/23

In disposal are: 3210, 69176/69199

09/04/2022

Planned times for 69199 on Saturday 9th April:
- 07:26 98 from Bury
- 08:40 97 from Shudehill
- 09:46 98 from Bury
- 11:10 98 from Shudehill
- 12:30 97 from Bury
- 13:40 97 from Shudehill
- 14:46 98 from Bury
- 16:10 98 from Shudehill

08/04/2022

The time has come for our last 06 reg B7 to leave the Queens Road fleet. These buses have put in some great years of service in Manchester and we know some of you might like to get a final photo or ride.

69199 has the claim to fame as the final bus in service at Queens Road. It will be withdrawn after service on Monday.

This afternoon it will be on service 93 and should do the following trips:
- 12:17 from Prestwich
- 13:07 from Shudehill
- 13:40 from Carr Clough
- 14:23 from Shudehill
- 15:17 from Prestwich
- 16:06 from Shudehill
- 16:41 from Carr Clough
- 17:23 from Shudehill

We will be posting updates on where it will operate on Saturday and Monday.

01/04/2022

A few updates from March:
- two Solo SRs 5051/5052 have arrived from Go North East and are being prepared for new service 90 from 25th April.
- more EvoSeti arrivals are 3052 BG66 MJE, 3061 BG66 MKC and 3062 BG66 MKD. Seven buses are now in active service - 3051/52, 3060/62/68/69 and 3070.
- Citaro 6206 has been reinstated to the reserve fleet from 'disposal'
- Citaros 6202, 6205 and 6208 are now withdrawn, replaced by EvoSetis
- Citaros 6201, 6209 and 6210 have been sold to Drew Wilson Coach Sales
- B7 6102 is currently being retrimmed into the GNW moquette

04/03/2022

A few updates from the last few weeks 🚌

Five B5LH EvoSetis are now on site and undergoing final preparations for service. 3051 has entered the active fleet this week. The others now with us are 3060 BG66 MKA, 3068 BV66 VKW, 3069 BV66 VKX and 3070 BV66 VKZ.

A number of grey Citaros are now withdrawn for disposal following some reduction in vehicle requirements before Christmas - these are 6201/06/09/10/11.

Eleven of our CrossCity Citaros are currently undergoing Euro VI upgrades. 6223 will not be upgraded but will remain on fleet to support the pink fleet for the time being. That will then mean that entire GNW fleet aside from B9s 3201-10/12-16, the 06 reg B7s and the grey Citaros will be Euro VI compliant.

6101 is the first B7 to receive a full retrim. 3234 is another recent retrim.

69176/69199 are the final white B7s on fleet. As they have long MOTs they are being retained for now to support current fleet changes.

B9 3210 has been withdrawn due to an engine failure.

Two Solos will be joining the fleet for service 90 starting on 25th April. These are from Go North East and are NK12 HCD (5051) and NK12 HCE (5052).

26/11/2021

We've now fitted all of our Enviro 200s to Euro VI standard for Manchester Clean Air Zone. Today the first of 18 B7RLEs has been fitted, with the rest due to be completed between now and Christmas!

Our extra training bus 9004 has now returned and entered use. This was previously 69197.

69185 has been sold to Wigleys following an engine failure.

10/11/2021

Euro VI exhaust retrofits continue to happen at pace as we prepare for Manchester Clean Air Zone.

After fitting all 52x 58reg Volvo B9s to Euro VI standard, we're now fitting Enviro 200s. 12 have been completed so far. We will then move onto fitting 6101-4 and 6151-64 Volvo B7RLEs, Citaros and Solos. The remaining 06 reg B7s will remain on fleet whilst this work continues.

Volvo B7RLEs 69177 and 69179 left us today to Howards Travel Group.

69185 is also now withdrawn, leaving four 06 reg B7s in active use. These are 69176, 69199, 69203 and 69204.

29/10/2021

It's almost your last chance to catch 'celebrity' B7RLE 69197 in Go North West livery today. It goes to Thornton's on Monday for conversion to a driver trainer and will become our 9004.

It was the only 'original' ex-First Volvo B7RLE to receive GNW fleet livery (not counting the 09-plate examples).

It's currently out and about on route 97 - track all of our fleet in realtime with our live fleet list: https://www.gonorthwest.co.uk/fleet-list

Thanks to Ben Gleeson for the cracking pic.

26/10/2021

01/09/2021

Repaints update 01/09/2021

69199 returned from Reads today in base white livery for the Clean Air Zone 'retrofit float'. It will be fitted with vinyls later this week.

69185 went to Reads in return and was the last active bus in the First based livery.

69205 has been disposed to Howards Travel Group, with 69195 also expected to depart later this week.

This leaves 8x Euro III B7s in the 'retrofit float' fleet:
- 69176/7/9, 69185, 69199, 69203 in white
- 69197 in grey front MCR livery
- 69204 in a white/grey/blue mixed livery

Two new school buses for TfGM contracts are 7001/YJ12 MYH and 7002/YJ12 MYM. YJ14 BPO remains with us for a new contract and is now 7003.

25/01/2021

Bright 😍

22/01/2021

💗💙 Friday fleet news time! 💙💗

Our first refurbished Citaro has arrived at Queens Road, in the shape of 6212 (NK08 MXY). It wears our new pink and blue identity for the 41 - Cross City - and will receive its vinyls on Monday.

B7RLE withdrawals continue, with 66923 and 66928 now sold, and 66913 withdrawn as of today. 66891, 910, 911 and 933 are now also all on borrowed time.

Stay safe.

30/12/2020

Enviro400 3103 has returned from Thorntons, and is the very last double decker to return. It marks the end of our marathon repaint and refurb programme.

Deliveries of freshly refurbed Mercedes-Benz Citaros from our sister company Go North East will begin early in the New Year, ousting the remaining B7RLEs and marking the end of First-liveried buses in our fleet.

24/12/2020

🎅 Merry Christmas! 🎄 We have an early present for you...

The trial of our Mercedes-Benz Citaro from fellow operator Go North East was a success! The first 8 of 23 Citaros destined for Manchester have now left Go North East, and are at Thorntons awaiting refurb before they join us in the New Year.

The first 12 buses will receive this bright new colour scheme and brand for the 41 - look out for more details soon. The remainder of the fleet will receive a modified version of our base livery.

These buses represent a significant upgrade for our customers in Manchester, featuring free WiFi, leather seats, USB power and a designer interior - and they'll be upgraded to Euro VI emissions standards, too.

The news means that our remaining ex-First B7RLEs are now on borrowed time - withdrawals will begin in earnest in the New Year, so catch them while you can!

21/12/2020

COMING SOON.

14/12/2020

And here she is! 3103, the very last double decker still in First livery, about to depart on the back of a Thorntons truck.