First West of England (Bristol, Bath & The West)

[THarris123]

Its been mentioned on Facebook that 48270-3 are to be withdrawn in the next few weeks, meaning that all the B6s in BoS are due for withdrawal. I wonder what Bridgwater will get and wonder if the plan has changed and BoS are keeping the leased E200s and short wheel based Streetlites.

 

[CD]

Its been mentioned on Facebook that 48270-3 are to be withdrawn in the next few weeks, meaning that all the B6s in BoS are due for withdrawal. I wonder what Bridgwater will get and wonder if the plan has changed and BoS are keeping the leased E200s and short wheel based Streetlites.

Excellent news.

29 seater E200 SN65 OHH in allover dealer white with FSW legals was at Taunton depot yesterday. New to Britannia Parking and until recently with Prentice of Haddington East Lothian. Presume its another Minstral vehicle.

44076 and 44077 arrived almost 2 weeks ago, 44076 entered service this week. Up until yesterday 44078 and 44079 were not in Taunton.

69224 has finally entered service(last one) and is operating from Bridgwater with 69222 and 69230.

There has been some route learning by Yeovil drivers on 54 and 77.

Last week the Strode College 77 duplicate was worked by a Yeovil driver with the B7rle staying overnight and all weekend in Yeovil.

These are facts, plenty of rumours but I will not go into that.

 

[CD]

Anyone know if SPS has had an impact on the number of drivers in Taunton/Bridgwater? Do we know how short (if at all) they are in each depot?

As the 1502 54 from Taunton to Yeovil and 1630 77 Yeovil to Wells did not run today, what do you think?

 

[ryson357]

Excellent news.

29 seater E200 SN65 OHH in allover dealer white with FSW legals was at Taunton depot yesterday. New to Britannia Parking and until recently with Prentice of Haddington East Lothian. Presume its another Minstral vehicle.

44076 and 44077 arrived almost 2 weeks ago, 44076 entered service this week. Up until yesterday 44078 and 44079 were not in Taunton.

69224 has finally entered service(last one) and is operating from Bridgwater with 69222 and 69230.

There has been some route learning by Yeovil drivers on 54 and 77.

Last week the Strode College 77 duplicate was worked by a Yeovil driver with the B7rle staying overnight and all weekend in Yeovil.

These are facts, plenty of rumours but I will not go into that.

Do you know (if) when the next set of changes for BoS services is?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

As the 1502 54 from Taunton to Yeovil and 1630 77 Yeovil to Wells did not run today, what do you think?

Think what? The driver went sick? The driver broke down on his previous run? Who knows?

As for rumours...... if they were all true, BoS would have a Wells outstation and Weston depot would've passed to Crosville. :roll:

 

[henairs]

Its been mentioned on Facebook that 48270-3 are to be withdrawn in the next few weeks, meaning that all the B6s in BoS are due for withdrawal. I wonder what Bridgwater will get and wonder if the plan has changed and BoS are keeping the leased E200s and short wheel based Streetlites.

Only noted 40586/592 and the 02 contingent on a rare midweek foray today.
Even a Trident 32961 out on a 1 around the town.
Thanks for your involvement over the use of the BOS £10 Ticket on WOE services as of course it is exactly the same as a £10WOE Plus Ticket and so covers the same area. Drivers at Wells,Weston and Bristol now accepting these, still have to do a trip to Bath though. Mike R

 

[stait.john]

The short E200 noted at First Taunton was SPS 634 having its PDI. It's one of 4 that arrived at J24 last week (631-634)
23315, 23316, 23322 & 23324 are on long term loan to SPS but are still maintained by their Home Depot. 23317 returns to Camborne today from a loan at J24.
John

 

[THarris123]

Only noted 40586/592 and the 02 contingent on a rare midweek foray today.
Even a Trident 32961 out on a 1 around the town.
Thanks for your involvement over the use of the BOS £10 Ticket on WOE services as of course it is exactly the same as a £10WOE Plus Ticket and so covers the same area. Drivers at Wells,Weston and Bristol now accepting these, still have to do a trip to Bath though. Mike R

That's good news.

There's now conflicting information on Facebook - supposedly 48270-3 now staying.

 

[diffywood]

79 Bus got stuck near Charlton Hayes development this morning after trying to avoid A38 road works due to burst water main

 

[Rothy]

Surprisingly there are some quite big fare reductions in Weston coming in.

https://www.firstgroup.com/bristol-bath-and-west/more/fare-changes-weston-super-mare-2-april-2017

 

[baza585]

That's good news.

There's now conflicting information on Facebook - supposedly 48270-3 now staying. It does get rather annoying how I can't obtain correct information from FSW, who would be the best one to confirm it of course on here.

I'm sure Mr FSW posts what he can when he can. As enthusiasts, we are extremely fortunate that he is so forthcoming.

Comments like the above increase the risk of him deciding not to bother with this forum, and I can't say I would blame him.

What a surprise there is conflicting info on Farcebook; why would anyone believe anything they read on there!

 

[ooo]

Surprisingly there are some quite big fare reductions in Weston coming in.

https://www.firstgroup.com/bristol-bath-and-west/more/fare-changes-weston-super-mare-2-april-2017

The return of returns is interesting

 

[CD]

Think what? The driver went sick? The driver broke down on his previous run? Who knows?

As for rumours...... if they were all true, BoS would have a Wells outstation and Weston depot would've passed to Crosville. :roll:

After contacting Taunton all they said was to opologise for not announcing the cancellation on their social media accounts. Not happy after spending 70 minutes standing in the rain. Failure to run hourly services is unacceptable.

Your wonderful First Bus is not as perfect as you think.

 

[THarris123]

I'm sure Mr FSW posts what he can when he can. As enthusiasts, we are extremely fortunate that he is so forthcoming.

Comments like the above increase the risk of him deciding not to bother with this forum, and I can't say I would blame him.

What a surprise there is conflicting info on Farcebook; why would anyone believe anything they read on there!

I have now removed the comment in question. Sorry.

 

[the101]

After contacting Taunton all they said was to opologise for not announcing the cancellation on their social media accounts. Not happy after spending 70 minutes standing in the rain. Failure to run hourly services is unacceptable.

Your wonderful First Bus is not as perfect as you think.

I agree that dropping a journey on an hourly service is not ideal, but please tell us exactly what First should do in cases of short-notice driver sickness or breakdown.

 

[THarris123]

I agree that dropping a journey on an hourly service is not ideal, but please tell us exactly what First should do in cases of short-notice driver sickness or breakdown.

Inform their passengers of this. If you inform them and they complain, they can't really do too much.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

After contacting Taunton all they said was to opologise for not announcing the cancellation on their social media accounts. Not happy after spending 70 minutes standing in the rain. Failure to run hourly services is unacceptable.

Your wonderful First Bus is not as perfect as you think.

They're not my wonderful First Bus. As someone who has worked in transport for much of my life and grew up on the buses as the son of a driver, there's a lot that people neither see nor understand. Kicking First is very much en vogue but I've generally stuck up for "the industry" not just First.

I can understand your frustration; sadly, we've all been there. My issue was the clear insinuation was that it was missing because of a shortage of drivers. My point is that there are a myriad of reasons why something doesn't run. Given your comments in the past about BoS breakdowns, it could have been the driver was stuck on a failed bus elsewhere.

 

[THarris123]

The new timetables are up on Traveline for Bath services - 1, 8, 9, 171 and 179. It does say that there should be a new timetable for 6/7, but nothing shows.

9 is hourly running from Bath to Upper Weston (1 bus)
8 appears that it will be interworked with something (possibly 6/7?) and runs every 30 mins from Bath to Kingsway
171 is having a route change - it'll operate one way in Peasedown through the village, then to Orchard Way and back to Bath
179 is going back to one of its previous routes and will be every 1.5 hours (again). How many times can they change it I wonder.

Also interesting point - 171 and 179 are to be run by Westbury outstation.

 

[Private Baxter]

Also interesting point - 171 and 179 are to be run by Westbury outstation.

That is interesting, and a slightly curious move. They must still be really short. That will just leave Bath main depot with city services and Bristols (Inc 19).

 

[freetoview33]

few more changes

X5 is cut back to Cribbs Causeway (No longer serving Parkway)
18A is renumbered 18 every 30 mins Avonmouth - Southmead Hospital and every hour to Lyde Green. No evening or Sunday services.
18 is withdrawn (No more service to Henbury)
48A/70/71/U.W.E - reduced to every 20 mins for the summer
X48 - few peak and evening services withdrawn

Not sure if these are withdrawn/reduced to low usage or simply to avoid the roadworks!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

That is interesting, and a slightly curious move. They must still be really short. That will just leave Bath main depot with city services and Bristols (Inc 19).

They have, of course, increased their Uni services over the last few years. The pressure on driver resource is well known in Bristol and Bath so it makes sense and it's not much different mileage wise from Westbury to Writhlington than from Bath.

The change back of the 179 makes a load more sense. Had hoped that they might alter the 171 in order to serve Banwell Road hourly.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Also interesting point - 171 and 179 are to be run by Westbury outstation.

Give it long enough and I do reckon that the 265 will be interworked with the 171.

What irritates me is that the 8 and 9 pratically changes nearly every quarter, so when I'm down in Bristol I'm having to pick up a new timetable - still lets hope that FWoE won't be chaning it again for a fair while, otherwise I'll have enough to build a fort.

 

[Private Baxter]

Give it long enough and I do reckon that the 265 will be interworked with the 171.

What irritates me is that the 8 and 9 pratically changes nearly every quarter, so when I'm down in Bristol I'm having to pick up a new timetable - still lets hope that FWoE won't be chaning it again for a fair while, otherwise I'll have enough to build a fort.

The 265 is every half hour and currently interworks with 267 and 272 on an alternating basis. After arriving in Bath as 265 it either goes off to Frome and back as 267, or Melksham and back as 272, before returning as 265. Don't know how well it works, but can't see the 171 working in this way. I wonder how they will operate 171/179.

 

[BBC]

few more changes

X5 is cut back to Cribbs Causeway (No longer serving Parkway)
18A is renumbered 18 every 30 mins Avonmouth - Southmead Hospital and every hour to Lyde Green. No evening or Sunday services.
18 is withdrawn (No more service to Henbury)
48A/70/71/U.W.E - reduced to every 20 mins for the summer
X48 - few peak and evening services withdrawn

Not sure if these are withdrawn/reduced to low usage or simply to avoid the roadworks!

After driving the X48 for many months i can tell you its down to low usage, rush hour ones may be full but thats it. You can take 1/2 people out of town sometimes !

 

[freetoview33]

After driving the X48 for many months i can tell you its down to low usage, rush hour ones may be full but thats it. You can take 1/2 people out of town sometimes !

It doesn't surprise me, but then we get to metrobus!

 

[freetoview33]

Few things. Firstly 33925 is on the 1! It being branded for the 48/48A/49.

Secondly a free trip on the 4, as ticket machine isn't working.

 

[diffywood]

april changes now showing on south gloucestershire website

http://www.southglos.gov.uk/transpo...hool-transport/buses/changes-to-bus-services/

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The 265 is every half hour and currently interworks with 267 and 272 on an alternating basis. After arriving in Bath as 265 it either goes off to Frome and back as 267, or Melksham and back as 272, before returning as 265. Don't know how well it works, but can't see the 171 working in this way. I wonder how they will operate 171/179.

It will be interesting to see how the 171/179 will work. I can't really see the current interworking of the 265 with the 267/272 being unpicked though.

There are a number of solutions. Could be that you have all 3 vehicles (possibly the 09 e200s) allocated to Westbury and they run from WWTE to either Writhlington or to Peasedown direct. During the mid part of the day, a Bath driver does a round trip on the 179 or a three hour stint on the 171 and that creates the breaks. Or they could send a driver as a passenger from Westbury, starting him from WWTE as a passenger on the 265 to Bath and then relieving a driver and setting the breaks rolling until all 3 have had a break with the last one returning back as a passenger on the 265.

There are different options!

 

[Private Baxter]

april changes now showing on south gloucestershire website

http://www.southglos.gov.uk/transpo...hool-transport/buses/changes-to-bus-services/

Thank you. According to this site, it is the 18A which is going, not the 18.

It will be interesting to see how the 171/179 will work. I can't really see the current interworking of the 265 with the 267/272 being unpicked though.

There are a number of solutions. Could be that you have all 3 vehicles (possibly the 09 e200s) allocated to Westbury and they run from WWTE to either Writhlington or to Peasedown direct. During the mid part of the day, a Bath driver does a round trip on the 179 or a three hour stint on the 171 and that creates the breaks. Or they could send a driver as a passenger from Westbury, starting him from WWTE as a passenger on the 265 to Bath and then relieving a driver and setting the breaks rolling until all 3 have had a break with the last one returning back as a passenger on the 265.

There are different options!

Agree that I don't think they want to upset the current 265/267/272 system, but operating the 171/179 out of Westbury does seem a bit complicated. That said I'm sure they'll have some clever scheme up their sleeves!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Thank you. According to this site, it is the 18A which is going, not the 18.

Agree that I don't think they want to upset the current 265/267/272 system, but operating the 171/179 out of Westbury does seem a bit complicated. That said I'm sure they'll have some clever scheme up their sleeves!

It'll be some cunning plan but any more complex than the 172 being operated by Wells?