I know it’s frustrating, times on my local service have been cut too so the evening service is minimal (last bus from Hanley is 20:00). However, I’m pretty sure that the bus companies have learnt a thing or two over the last (almost) 40 years and won’t cut services which pay their way. What’s missing the the political/social will to enact change. Millions of £ are being spent building new hospital car parks. What should have been done is investment in public transport and ensuring that at least on the current network staff (and visitors) can get to the hospital for earliest shift start and from after latest shift finish. It needs big and brave moves like that to enact change and shift the car-default position.
Monday to Friday times.
It wasn't billed as anything!
The Saturday service up to that point had buses as per the Monday to Friday service and there was no mention of the earlier finish.
Years ago last bus from Crewe was around 11.30pm
Not quite.
For years the last bus from Crewe was around 0020, heading back as far as Kidsgrove
A decade ago the service ran until 23.30 from Crewe 7 days a week.
In the light of other recent changes to their network, it's more likely to be a frequency reduction, e.g. between Crewe and Kidsgrove, and/or withdrawal of the Sunday service on this section. However, there is less than 6 weeks to find out exactly what First Potteries will be doing.
It could even be possible that they reintroduce the recently withdrawn journeys
It would also have provided a through link from Leighton Hospital to Crewe railway station, which the previous route 6/6E did and which I used in the last week of Arriva's operation of this service.
I know the D&G no. 12 serves Rail House, however, it would have been an easier way to try and gain passengers - offer a through town service, provide connectivity from the Health Science University Campus to Leighton Hospital too - I just don't know if First Potteries actually properly tried on the no. 6 Crewe route
D&G run a shuttle bus from Booth Hall to Leighton Hospital as well, if they tried, they could have got free travel for these people rather than having the shuttle bus.I know the D&G no. 12 serves Rail House, however, it would have been an easier way to try and gain passengers - offer a through town service, provide connectivity from the Health Science University Campus to Leighton Hospital too - I just don't know if First Potteries actually properly tried on the no. 6 Crewe route
First Potteries have published new timetables from 03/09/2023 - 16/09/2023 and from 17/09/2023 onwards
Not very. According to bustimes.org only 65032 and 65038 are left in service now. Looks like their replacement Streetlites have made the journey over from Leicester, so probably just awaiting inspections and repairs before they take over.
65029 has now reappeared on the bustimes.org list. I can confirm from visual siting that this was in service yesterday.
If there are still seven not yet in service are 44511 and 44514 likely to be replaced?
Possibly not - I think 7 is the difference between summer holiday PVR and full school/uni term time PVR, so could be that they're managing without them for the time being despite Omnicitys being withdrawn.
Revised timetables wef 17/9/23, with an enhanced 12 minute daytime weekday frequency on route 25, have now been put on the First Potteries website.
It goes back to every 12 min on weekdays from the 17th. The new timetables are under the forthcoming tab on the website but don't worry the evening service has got worse on Saturdays with 1 of the 3 diagrams removed and non existent on Sundays after 1930. It could be that the service is registered with separate term/holiday times to save having to update it for every holiday.
Thanks, must have missed that. So there’s still no obvious replacement for the Omnicities. The Streetlites are not a pleasant ride on express services and the ex Eclipse Enviros don’t have the capacity.