[Paul Sidorczuk]

Originally Posted by 142094

142s are good enough for Blackpool any day!

I have always thought that these look like something that has escaped from a ride on the Blackpool Pleasure Beach....

[142094]

Probably cheaper to take a ride on a Pacer than go to the Pleasure Beach - even about 5 years ago it was an extortionate price. We just stayed in the amusements all day and had fish and chips for less than what it would have cost to go on the rollercoaster.

[jcollins]

Originally Posted by Paul Sidorczuk

I have always though that these look like something that has escaped from a ride on the Blackpool Pleasure Beach....

They just need a donkey painting on the side of them with a name of "The Nodding Donkey" underneath, then a PIS fitted that makes a donkey sound when the train is about to stop at a station.

[Blindtraveler]

are there any services round 13:00 or 14:00 ish to iether north or south guaranteed to produce a pacer? I love them and my mates never used one! Thats on a week day

[Paul Sidorczuk]

Originally Posted by Blindtraveler

Since the withdrawal of X61 what's the fastest service from Preston Bus Station to Blackpool?

Can I ask WHY Stagecoach North West withdrew the X61 service ?

[WestCoast]

Originally Posted by Blindtraveler

are there any services round 13:00 or 14:00 ish to iether north or south guaranteed to produce a pacer? I love them and my mates never used one! Thats on a week day

13:02 and 14:02 to South are the most likely to produce a Pacer, there's rarely any guarantees with Northern.
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Originally Posted by 142094

Judging by some of the streets I walked through to get to Blackpool South station, a 142 actually looks decent.

I grew up in Blackpool, so I know all about the pitfalls of the place, but I do find myself defending it quite a lot. I'd say South Shore is easily the most run down part of the town (not all of it mind), but sadly it's what visitors see the most of (and judge the place by). The station is nowhere near the actual Town Centre of Blackpool either, that's much closer to North station. North Shore and Marton (inland) are much better residential areas to live or stay in, not much in the way of 'attractions' though. Stanley Park area (where the Zoo and Model Village are) is a really nice area, again most visitors don't see this, but I've changed people's minds about the place by taking them there.
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Originally Posted by Paul Sidorczuk

Can I ask WHY Stagecoach North West withdrew the X61 service ?

The Blackpool - Preston portion of the route was gradually reduced to something like 4 or 5 times a day, when it was hourly just a few years ago. They kept changing the route too, it went through Kirkham and then it didn't and so on. Lack of demand was the official reason for its removal.

The Preston - Manchester portion of the route has been split up, hasn't it?

[142094]

Originally Posted by WestCoast

I grew up in Blackpool, so I know all about the pitfalls of the place, but I do find myself defending it quite a lot. I'd say South Shore is easily the most run down part of the town (not all of it mind), but sadly it's what visitors see the most of (and judge the place by). The station is nowhere near the actual Town Centre of Blackpool either, that's much closer to North station. North Shore and Marton (inland) are much better residential areas, not much in the way of 'attractions' though. Stanley Park area (where the Zoo and Model Village are) is a really nice area, again most visitors don't see this, but I've changed people's minds about the place by taking them there.

TBH the work that they've done recently on the promenade is fantastic. Problem is, getting from both North or South stations to the promenade you have to walk through some areas that aren't as good. It is still suprising that Blackpool attracts quite a lot of people even in modern times - no idea how all of the B+Bs are able to support themselves. Must have the largest number of B+Bs in the UK I would have thought.

[WestCoast]

Originally Posted by 142094

TBH the work that they've done recently on the promenade is fantastic. Problem is, getting from both North or South stations to the promenade you have to walk through some areas that aren't as good. It is still suprising that Blackpool attracts quite a lot of people even in modern times - no idea how all of the B+Bs are able to support themselves. Must have the largest number of B+Bs in the UK I would have thought.

You're right about that, the actual promenade is very good now and a nice place to walk along, right the way down from North Pier to Starr Gate. It's some of the streets turning off it that are shoddy. It's years of neglect and run down establishments that's led to that and the council has limited resources and power to do anything about it.

They've made some improvements to the Town Centre's shopping areas including the pedestrianisation of Church Street/Abingdon Street into St John's Square, but I am not entirely sure about what they've done to Birley Street with music in the day and lights at night.

As for the B&Bs, well people just have to get by. A lot of them are small, acting also as homes for people's families and owners may take on second jobs to support themselves. My Auntie was a landlady in the early '90s, but she was also a midwife and often left her (teenage) children to run the place! Sometimes the owners are pensioners.

[mbonwick]

Originally Posted by Paul Sidorczuk

Can I ask WHY Stagecoach North West withdrew the X61 service ?

Losing money at an outrageous rate, the X25 was a last ditch attempt to stop the losses by restricting service to the busiest rimes of day. It didn't work.

Being truthful though, who would use the bus when the train is so much quicker and cheaper?

[jcollins]

Originally Posted by WestCoast

The Blackpool - Preston portion of the route was gradually reduced to something like 4 or 5 times a day, when it was hourly just a few years ago. They kept changing the route too, it went through Kirkham and then it didn't and so on. Lack of demand was the official reason for its removal.

The Preston - Manchester portion of the route has been split up, hasn't it?

I thought it had become a Manchester-Preston service with summer extensions to Blackpool.

Originally Posted by mbonwick

Losing money at an outrageous rate, the X25 was a last ditch attempt to stop the losses by restricting service to the busiest rimes of day. It didn't work.

Being truthful though, who would use the bus when the train is so much quicker and cheaper?

Stagecoach offered £1 tickets for Manchester-Blackpool if booked in advance via Megabus.

So in response to your first post, why as low as £1 if they were losing so much money? I'm guessing an attempt to undercut the faster National Express service that didn't work as National Express did £1 fare promotions and came out on top.

And in response to your second point - the bus was much cheaper if booked in advance. TPE advance singles were around £5 at the time. Also as the X61 was an express bus service not a coach service, wouldn't that have meant the pensioners with a pass travelled for free on it?

[mbonwick]

X60/1 was always a Blackpool-Manchester service, different numbers to get round EU tacho rules.

Megabus services may well have run Manchester-Blackpool, there were/are nothing to do with the X60/1 or X25.

Yes, as the services were local registrations, pensioners could travel free.

[WestCoast]

Originally Posted by mbonwick

X60/1 was always a Blackpool-Manchester service, different numbers to get round EU tacho rules.

Megabus services may well have run Manchester-Blackpool, there were/are nothing to do with the X60/1 or X25.

Yes, as the services were local registrations, pensioners could travel free.

Megabus sold tickets for the X61 at one point.

[mbonwick]

...but have not done so for several years.

They stopped doing that before the operation transfered from Preston to Chorley (and from coaches to DDs)

[VTPreston_Tez]

Well I guess it's time for my views. I'd go for the train anyday over the bus, even though the bus is free for me and the 61 and 68 go through my estate because the ride quality is naff and you sometimes get this single-decker buses and even overcrowded midibuses operated by both Stagecoach and Preston Bus at night. Also from where you will be boarding the train will be quicker and provided you haven't got a concessionary pass then the train will be nearly identical value and at half the time and a better, more scenic ride what's to lose?

[Blindtraveler]

what a wonderfull debate. Thanx all for the help, let the debate continue!