First Potteries Discussion

[capitalpotter]

The E400s would be ideal for the 101, surely.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

First Potteries have registered to vary routes 6 (6A, 6C), 18 and 101 from 5 November 2023. No further information is online at this stage

https://www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk/search/bus/search/?form-actions%5Bcontinue%5D=&text%5Bsearch%5D=First%20Potteries&filter%5BtrafficArea%5D=&filter%5BbusRegStatus%5D=Variation&search=First%20Potteries&searchBy=&security=eae5dcef09c654f6ed09a57b6ca1e682-4c67d4241e68bc41f34d4447c03faa72

Timetables can now be viewed on Traveline SW. Seems to be re-timings with yet more running time added. More chance to study the rust spots on every lamp post!

 

[markymark2000]

Seems to be re-timings with yet more running time added. More chance to study the rust spots on every lamp post!

What is it with First and adding endless amounts of running time? Has one of the D&G schedulers just transferred over? It's the only logical explanation.

 

[Simon75]

Still no news on service improvements , with the rest of BSIP being implemented

 

[Lewisham2221]

Timetables can now be viewed on Traveline SW. Seems to be re-timings with yet more running time added. More chance to study the rust spots on every lamp post!

What is it with First and adding endless amounts of running time? Has one of the D&G schedulers just transferred over? It's the only logical explanation.

Which services are you using which already have excessive running time? From my experience, buses from neither operator are sitting at stops for extended periods (bus stations excepted). And judging by the number of punctuality related complaints on twitter, I'd rather assume that more running time will be very much welcomed.

 

[Whiteway215]

I see there are no Omnicities shown as in service on Bustimes so are they all withdrawn now?

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Which services are you using which already have excessive running time? From my experience, buses from neither operator are sitting at stops for extended periods (bus stations excepted). And judging by the number of punctuality related complaints on twitter, I'd rather assume that more running time will be very much welcomed.

The problem is often sectional running times and not necessarily overall running times. The 6 / 6A dawdles its way from the termini to Meir, Longton and Fenton, often waiting time here and there, then gets held up in traffic on Victoria Road (Fenton) so arrives late into Hanley. If only we hadn't sat in Longton for five minutes..... In the other direction it has a wholly unrealistic timing between Hanley and Longton so does actually need more running time.

The section of D & G service 1/1A between Newcastle - Wood Lane and return to Newcastle is painfully slow because it has to fit into the short journeys which only go as far as Park Site. The other week, despite the driver dawdling along, he stopped at Megacre (between Bignall End and Wood Lane) and said we might as well walk from there because he had 15 minutes before it was time to return from Wood Lane (and couldn't wait at the terminus because a resident kept complaining!).

Punctuality is as much about departing from the terminus on time as running to time once underway. My bus to the station this week (I don't travel every day so the issue is mostly theoretical) - one within five minutes of time, one journey wholly cancelled, one ended short and ran private to the terminus to make up for late running. Last week three were within five minutes of time, one was so late I would have missed the train and the fifth ended short and ran private to the terminus. But that is a problem caused by a previous trip, on the 7A, always arriving late into Hanley. It leaves Hanley 15 minutes late so runs late throughout - most days. I see no improvement to that in the latest changes as the 7/7A is not being revised. But hey, the inter-working looks fantastic on paper and keeps the accountants smiling. Until they lose all their customers, then it's anyone but the bus companies fault that they have to reduce the service.

I see there are no Omnicities shown as in service on Bustimes so are they all withdrawn now?

From the recent changes section:

User	Date	Vehicle	Changed
5813	3 hours ago	65029 - YN06 TDU	added to list Not withdrawn, seen it out earlier today
800	1 day, 8 hours ago	65029 - YN06 TDU	removed from list All omnicities from Adderley Green are now withdrawn
800	1 day, 8 hours ago	65032 - YN06 TDZ	removed from list "
800	1 day, 8 hours ago	65038 - YN06 WML	removed from list All omnicities with Adderley Green now withdrawn

 

[markymark2000]

Until they lose all their customers, then it's anyone but the bus companies fault that they have to reduce the service.

No no no no, not the bus companies fault. They're fautless. It's the governments fault for reducing funding and the local authorities fault for not giving them lots more money and it's working from homes fault for not providing them the passengers. Then it's the fuel companies fault for increasing fuel prices. How dare you blame the operator for losing themselves customers. Never Firsts fault, always someone else to blame.

 

[G760XRE]

The problem is often sectional running times and not necessarily overall running times. The 6 / 6A dawdles its way from the termini to Meir, Longton and Fenton, often waiting time here and there, then gets held up in traffic on Victoria Road (Fenton) so arrives late into Hanley. If only we hadn't sat in Longton for five minutes..... In the other direction it has a wholly unrealistic timing between Hanley and Longton so does actually need more running time.

The section of D & G service 1/1A between Newcastle - Wood Lane and return to Newcastle is painfully slow because it has to fit into the short journeys which only go as far as Park Site. The other week, despite the driver dawdling along, he stopped at Megacre (between Bignall End and Wood Lane) and said we might as well walk from there because he had 15 minutes before it was time to return from Wood Lane (and couldn't wait at the terminus because a resident kept complaining!).

Punctuality is as much about departing from the terminus on time as running to time once underway. My bus to the station this week (I don't travel every day so the issue is mostly theoretical) - one within five minutes of time, one journey wholly cancelled, one ended short and ran private to the terminus to make up for late running. Last week three were within five minutes of time, one was so late I would have missed the train and the fifth ended short and ran private to the terminus. But that is a problem caused by a previous trip, on the 7A, always arriving late into Hanley. It leaves Hanley 15 minutes late so runs late throughout - most days. I see no improvement to that in the latest changes as the 7/7A is not being revised. But hey, the inter-working looks fantastic on paper and keeps the accountants smiling. Until they lose all their customers, then it's anyone but the bus companies fault that they have to reduce the service.



From the recent changes section:

User	Date	Vehicle	Changed
5813	3 hours ago	65029 - YN06 TDU	added to list Not withdrawn, seen it out earlier today
800	1 day, 8 hours ago	65029 - YN06 TDU	removed from list All omnicities from Adderley Green are now withdrawn
800	1 day, 8 hours ago	65032 - YN06 TDZ	removed from list "
800	1 day, 8 hours ago	65038 - YN06 WML	removed from list All omnicities with Adderley Green now withdrawn

The 6 and 6A no longer interwork with the 7/7A throughout the day, that stopped when the latter went to an hourly service. The only exception is the 18.40 and 19.00 departures from Hanley on service 6. Throughout the day some journeys interwork with service 18 but that's it.

 

[sonic2009]

It appears that 2 omnicities are out today on service 101.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

The 6 and 6A no longer interwork with the 7/7A throughout the day, that stopped when the latter went to an hourly service. The only exception is the 18.40 and 19.00 departures from Hanley on service 6. Throughout the day some journeys interwork with service 18 but that's it.

Not entirely correct. I did do my research before posting! The 0830 being the problem bus. Most people would think a bus at 0909 into a train at 0924 would be an adequate margin, but no, not in First Potteries land.

7A	0655	06:55	Biddulph	Map
7A	0740	07:40	Hanley	Map
6A	0830	08:30	Blythe Bridge	Map
6A	0918	09:18	Hanley	Map

 

[G760XRE]

Not entirely correct. I did do my research before posting! The 0830 being the problem bus. Most people would think a bus at 0909 into a train at 0924 would be an adequate margin, but no, not in First Potteries land.

7A	0655	06:55	Biddulph	Map
7A	0740	07:40	Hanley	Map
6A	0830	08:30	Blythe Bridge	Map
6A	0918	09:18	Hanley	Map

Apologies, I'd forgotten about that early morning board into a 6A - your research certainly better than mine was! It is better than previously when all journeys interworked, but if you have a connecting train to catch these massive delays are a nightmare. Not just First though - I have tried to use the D&G 1/1A to get from Weston Coyney to Stoke for trains to Birmingham a number of times in the past and they always seem to get into Stoke late in the mornings, resulting in missing the train I had (in theory, according to the timetable) a good amount of time to get. Although we can't place all the blame at local bus companies, there is next to nothing in this city to ensure bus travel has any priority over private vehicles. So there's no advantage of using the bus instead - you'll be stuck on the same queue as you would be in your car.

 

[Lewisham2221]

Not entirely correct. I did do my research before posting! The 0830 being the problem bus. Most people would think a bus at 0909 into a train at 0924 would be an adequate margin, but no, not in First Potteries land.

7A	0655	06:55	Biddulph	Map
7A	0740	07:40	Hanley	Map
6A	0830	08:30	Blythe Bridge	Map
6A	0918	09:18	Hanley	Map

Perhaps it has enough time to do the journey for the rest if the day, so they left the timetable as is for the sake of not upsetting somebody who didn't want the timetable to reflect the actual running times for the particular journey...

 

[mjc]

Although we can't place all the blame at local bus companies, there is next to nothing in this city to ensure bus travel has any priority over private vehicles.

At risk of going off topic and getting told off…I agree about blame not all being on First Potteries. EMR can’t be bothered to run a service which gets people from BB and Longton into Stoke before 8:30 (they managed pre-Covid!) so any rail commuters from Stoke either need the bus or add to the traffic.

 

[G760XRE]

44515 - MX10 DXU

ADL Enviro200

bustimes.org

Noticed bustimes showing today that 44515 was back from the dead. This isn't the case, i checked and its actually 44511 tracking as 44515 for some reason.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

New timetable, same rubbish service from First Potteries.

The bus to the station (0830 ex Hanley on the 6A) managed to run twice out of five this week. On those occasions they could be bothered it was actually on time!

 

[Simon75]

Went past Adderley Green garage yesterday (8/12/23) and noticed they now have 4 training buses (2 parked at the rear, and 2 in front of the main entrance to the building).

 

[Lewisham2221]

63100 has now returned to the Potteries.

63097 is now at Manchester. 63110 is at Leicester.

 

[SSmith2009]

63100 has now returned to the Potteries.

63097 is now at Manchester. 63110 is at Leicester.

63110 has been here a good few weeks still with the potteries branding (except a bit near the doors)
63109 is the Leicester christmas bus this year

 

[Baxenden Bank]

From the Bus Service Changes page by Staffordshire County Council:

From 21 January 2024​

First Potteries services​

• Service 7 (Kidsgrove - Hanley) will have a revised timetable.

• Service 7A (Biddulph - Hanley) will have a revised timetable.

• Service 25 (Keele - Hanley) will have a revised timetable.

• Service 37 (Longton - Lymedale) will have a revised timetable.

• Service 101 (Stafford - Hanley) will have a revised timetable.

 

[SeanM1997]

From the Bus Service Changes page by Staffordshire County Council:

From what I can see, most are minor changes but 101 has 2 early Newcastle-Stafford on Monday-Friday at 0520 and 0630, looking to avoid dead runs from Stafford heading north it seems

 

[Lewisham2221]

I suspect that the last 2 Omnicitys have now been withdrawn. Neither have tracked for a few weeks, I've not seen them out and they are parked at the opposite end of the depot to where they would usually be parked. I'll try and get confirmation from someone in the know, otherwise it's a case of waiting to see if they reappear when the full Keele timetable resumes in the new year.

 

[G760XRE]

I suspect that the last 2 Omnicitys have now been withdrawn. Neither have tracked for a few weeks, I've not seen them out and they are parked at the opposite end of the depot to where they would usually be parked. I'll try and get confirmation from someone in the know, otherwise it's a case of waiting to see if they reappear when the full Keele timetable resumes in the new year.

I had a look today and both 65029/32 have stickers in front of the drivers part of the windscreen, so I'd suggest the pair are now withdrawn. A trainer, possibly 66841, also had the same. Ex Leicester B7RLEs 69382/3, freshly painted into training school livery, are now both on site.

 

[Whiteway215]

I had a look today and both 65029/32 have stickers in front of the drivers part of the windscreen, so I'd suggest the pair are now withdrawn. A trainer, possibly 66841, also had the same. Ex Leicester B7RLEs 69382/3, freshly painted into training school livery, are now both on site.

Both 65029/32 are shown as ‘Statutory Off Road Notification’ (SORN) on the DVLA website.

 

[317 forever]

Maps and paper copies at Hanley bus station

I was in the area yesterday but the travel office there was closed. It only opens on Monday-Friday.

Some Enviro 200-MMCs were still in Olympia livery. The former Eclipse Busway example was nice with its purple leather seating.

The red seats and orange headrests in the Mainline spec refurb Streetlites reminded me of Go North East refurb Volvo B9TLs on route 56 (Newcastle to Sunderland).

The StreetDecks had a similar blue interior to refurbs in Bristol (route 24), Leicester and Sheffield.

Route 101 had a mix of StreetDeck, Enviro 200-MMC and Streetlite operation.

The only Enviro 400 I saw out was on a special service to a football match.

 

[James101]

I was in the area yesterday but the travel office there was closed. It only opens on Monday-Friday.

Some Enviro 200-MMCs were still in Olympia livery. The former Eclipse Busway example was nice with its purple leather seating.

The red seats and orange headrests in the Mainline spec refurb Streetlites reminded me of Go North East refurb Volvo B9TLs on route 56 (Newcastle to Sunderland).

The StreetDecks had a similar blue interior to refurbs in Bristol (route 24), Leicester and Sheffield.

Route 101 had a mix of StreetDeck, Enviro 200-MMC and Streetlite operation.

The only Enviro 400 I saw out was on a special service to a football match.

Potteries operating vehicles in 9 liveries across 14 regular routes does give an ambiguous look to the network to non-users.

 

[Simon75]

The red seats and orange headrests in the Mainline spec refurb Streetlites reminded me of Go North East refurb Volvo B9TLs on route 56 (Newcastle to Sunderland).

They are the same as the First South Yorkshire Geminis used on the X78

 

[Fin447]

Now that Adderley Green depot has a new paint shop, The enviros might get done

 

[TylerW2005]

67180 has been spotted wearing its repaint. It’s in the same scheme as 67151-59.

 

[Lewisham2221]

35932, another ex-York Streetdeck, is now in use at Adderley Green. Seen today on service 101.