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Wiltshire Bus Services

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TheGrandWazoo

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49 is going to be every two hours on Sunday but surely not during the week?

Correct the 5 is going but is replaced with the 80 running every two hours to Marlborough.

No, the 49 stays hourly M-S; is it tendered on weekdays. Marlborough does get a service but as I said, the central part loses its service after very many years.
 
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TheWalrus

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No, the 49 stays hourly M-S; is it tendered on weekdays. Marlborough does get a service but as I said, the central part loses its service after very many years.

The 5 is very poorly used on a Sunday.

Parts of the 49 is subsidised but not sure exactly what trips. There are going to be some changes to it in April but not sure yet what trips are being changed.
 

TheGrandWazoo

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The 5 is very poorly used on a Sunday.

Parts of the 49 is subsidised but not sure exactly what trips. There are going to be some changes to it in April but not sure yet what trips are being changed.

To be fair, the level of service historically north of Amesbury (i.e. before the additional funding of Rural Bus Challenge) was pretty low.

IIRC, in the early 1990s, it was only one placement journey from Pewsey in the morning and returning late at night, and a single journey about 4pm ex Salisbury to Swindon and return - I suspect that one journey (spending all of ten mins in Swindon) was for service personnel heading into Swindon on the train and then heading to the various camps.

In the mid 1990s, it gained a morning journey as well but it was only when RBC came along that it got the current service pattern.
 

heart-of-wessex

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Well I filled it out, I think a change of name is a good thing. I must admit donkeys years ago when someone mentioned Thamesdown, I was surprised it was an operator in Swindon, I thought it was some operator based somewhere near the river Thames
 
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The impact of WCC funding withdrawal will come into effect on First Bus services from 30th April ...

(At time of writing) First still haven't publicised the details on their website, but they are available on TravelWest and Traveline.

Details from TravelWest :

265 : Bath - Trowbridge - Warminster - Salisbury

Frequency reduced between Warminster and Salisbury from hourly to two-hourly on Mondays to Saturdays. Re-routed in Westbury and Trowbridge. Sunday service withdrawn between Trowbridge and Warminster.

271,272 : Bath - Melksham - Devizes - Urchfont

Withdrawn on Sundays between Melksham (Bowerhill) and Urchfont.
 

NorthernSpirit

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The impact of WCC funding withdrawal will come into effect on First Bus services from 30th April ...

(At time of writing) First still haven't publicised the details on their website, but they are available on TravelWest and Traveline.

Details from TravelWest :

265 : Bath - Trowbridge - Warminster - Salisbury

Frequency reduced between Warminster and Salisbury from hourly to two-hourly on Mondays to Saturdays. Re-routed in Westbury and Trowbridge. Sunday service withdrawn between Trowbridge and Warminster.

271,272 : Bath - Melksham - Devizes - Urchfont

Withdrawn on Sundays between Melksham (Bowerhill) and Urchfont.

Shame to see the four journeys between Trow and Warmi be withdrawn, I'm giving it eighteen months before the Sunday service between Trow and Bath is cut to one every two hours.

I've messaged the "Spotted" town pages along the affected route about the change to that the local townfolk know as well.
 
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TheGrandWazoo

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Shame to see the four journeys between Trow and Warmi be withdrawn, I'm giving it eighteen months before the Sunday service between Trow and Bath is cut to one every two hours.

Sunday service from Bath to Trowbridge does ok, hence why First upped it to hourly a couple of years ago. The bit from there to Warminster is very lightly used.
 
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Sunday service from Bath to Trowbridge does ok, hence why First upped it to hourly a couple of years ago. The bit from there to Warminster is very lightly used.

Yep, the 'present' timetable, the Bath - Trowbridge leg is commercially operated, with the bit to Warminster subsided by WCC - hence it's cutback.


Will be interesting to see the re-routes in Trowbridge. If Traveline is anything to go by the Bath bound service will stop at Fore Street rather than the Town Hall, I guess this may speed up services by not going round County Way/Roundstone Street, unless it's a typo.

In Westbury, It's a shame they can't sort out the weight restriction on the railway bridge by the station which causes the route to loop round the trading estate and Slag Lane, that must add a fair few minutes - and apart from the outstation swap-over I've not seen that many people board from that part of the route.
 
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TheGrandWazoo

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Yep, the 'present' timetable, the Bath - Trowbridge leg is commercially operated, with the bit to Warminster subsided by WCC - hence it's cutback.


Will be interesting to see the re-routes in Trowbridge. If Traveline is anything to go by the Bath bound service will stop at Fore Street rather than the Town Hall, I guess this may speed up services by not going round County Way/Roundstone Street, unless it's a typo.

In Westbury, It's a shame they can't sort out the weight restriction on the railway bridge by the station which causes the route to loop round the trading estate and Slag Lane, that must add a fair few minutes - and apart from the outstation swap-over I've not seen that many people board from that part of the route.

There's a suspicion in local circles about that weight restriction....
 

LiftFan

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I do wish Faresaver would extend the 17:30 X34 from Chippenham all the way to Frome instead of finishing in Trowbridge, it makes commuting quite a lot more annoying than it needs be.
 

NorthernSpirit

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Will be interesting to see the re-routes in Trowbridge. If Traveline is anything to go by the Bath bound service will stop at Fore Street rather than the Town Hall, I guess this may speed up services by not going round County Way/Roundstone Street, unless it's a typo.

In Westbury, It's a shame they can't sort out the weight restriction on the railway bridge by the station which causes the route to loop round the trading estate and Slag Lane, that must add a fair few minutes - and apart from the outstation swap-over I've not seen that many people board from that part of the route.

If its going to serve Fore Street, then I'd imagine that the route would have to travel along Bythsea Road twice if heading towards Westy, Warmi and Salisbury, but not at all if heading to BOA and Bath?

As with the rerouting in Westbury, I can't imagine the 265 heading down the A350 as it'd miss half the town unless it was sent up via Rosefield Way down Station road to the town centre.
 
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If its going to serve Fore Street, then I'd imagine that the route would have to travel along Bythsea Road twice if heading towards Westy, Warmi and Salisbury, but not at all if heading to BOA and Bath?

As with the rerouting in Westbury, I can't imagine the 265 heading down the A350 as it'd miss half the town unless it was sent up via Rosefield Way down Station road to the town centre.

Southbound journey still appears to call at the Town Hall, so if it's true, it's gonna be fun watching people get their head around two different stops depending on direction! .
I'm guessing Westbury will still have the WWTE loop so the outstation is still served. Time will tell ...
 

Martin2012

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Interesting to see that under the new 265 timetable, they're retaining the 0720 journey from Bath to Salisbury.

I did that journey a few months ago and was the only passenger who stayed on all the way to Salisbury. Everyone else got off in either Trowbridge or Westbury.

The number of passengers definitely seemed to increase once we reached Warminster and the nearer we got to Salisbury and most were concessionary passholders. As such I am rather surprised that the section between Warminster and Salisbury is being cut back to two hourly.

There was also noticeable increase in passenger numbers once it got past 0930(or is it 0900) and concessionary passes could be used.

On my previous trip on the 265 back in December 2014 most passengers who boarded in Bath got off in Trowbridge, only one other passenger continued to Salisbury and from about Warminster onwards the bus filled up with passengers traveling to Salisbury. Most of these passengers were OAPS.

As such I'm rather surprised the section between Warminster and Salisbury which appears to be the most busiest is being cut back. Is the reduction down to costs or down to withdrawal of council subsidy?
 

heart-of-wessex

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If its going to serve Fore Street, then I'd imagine that the route would have to travel along Bythsea Road twice if heading towards Westy, Warmi and Salisbury, but not at all if heading to BOA and Bath?

As with the rerouting in Westbury, I can't imagine the 265 heading down the A350 as it'd miss half the town unless it was sent up via Rosefield Way down Station road to the town centre.

Or Fore Street then up past Trinity Church, through Newtown then back on route.

EDIT** - Scrap that, yes you would need Bythesea to serve Mortimer St

As for Westbury, I'd be surprised at the A350 route as you say you'd miss out most of Westbury and miss out the outstation entirely, crew changes would have to be repositioned.
 
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DaveHarries

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I do wish Faresaver would extend the 17:30 X34 from Chippenham all the way to Frome instead of finishing in Trowbridge, it makes commuting quite a lot more annoying than it needs be.
I remember once being at Chippenham station for a train to Bristol and the 1753 train to Westbury via. Melksham arriving. Quite a few people got on it so that probably takes the commuter traffic from Cjhippenham to Frome, albeit with a change of 20mins at Westbury.

Dave
 
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LiftFan

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It would make it a lot cheaper for the day my lessons end later - the bus is £3.70 return but on this day I have to pay £2.70 single on the bus and a £9.50 single on the train
 

NorthernSpirit

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It may appear to have been saved, but for how long?

I do think that it would have been better if the service was extended as far as Codford St Mary and then cut to three journeys with the second departure running as far as Westbury so to allow either a crew change or a drivers break.

Put it this way, at least there will still be a Sunday service on the 265 but I'll be watching carefully to see what changes may happen in the coming months ahead.
 

Martin2012

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Thats good news about the sunday service on the 265.

With regards to the changes to the 271 does anyone know the reason as to why its being cut back to Melksham? Is it down to funding reductions or lack of usage between Melksham and Urchfont?
 

TheGrandWazoo

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Thats good news about the sunday service on the 265.

With regards to the changes to the 271 does anyone know the reason as to why its being cut back to Melksham? Is it down to funding reductions or lack of usage between Melksham and Urchfont?

Both! Wiltshire Council are reducing their spend and cutting low usage routes. Can only assume that few people use that section as it is intensely rural (esp from Devizes through the Lavingtons)?

Don't know if the Bath to Melksham will be supported? More interesting is that the evening service is being kept.
 
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TheGrandWazoo

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It may appear to have been saved, but for how long?

I do think that it would have been better if the service was extended as far as Codford St Mary and then cut to three journeys with the second departure running as far as Westbury so to allow either a crew change or a drivers break.

Put it this way, at least there will still be a Sunday service on the 265 but I'll be watching carefully to see what changes may happen in the coming months ahead.

I don't know how long it will survive but I can't follow your logic for extending it to Codford. Can't imagine there's much trade there on a Sunday.
 

matt_splat

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I don't know how long it will survive but I can't follow your logic for extending it to Codford. Can't imagine there's much trade there on a Sunday.

if a sunday bus was to extend to Codford they would be better putting it all the way through to Salisbury and dropping the frequency back to maybe every 3 hours instead of 2 to still allow a one bus working.
 

heart-of-wessex

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Saw AD Rains had a Wright bodied Dennis Dart out on the X76 Marlborough - Bath, was very surprised, I've never heard of that before, I thought it was one of those Volvo Crusaders at first
 

TheGrandWazoo

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if a sunday bus was to extend to Codford they would be better putting it all the way through to Salisbury and dropping the frequency back to maybe every 3 hours instead of 2 to still allow a one bus working.

Being brutally honest, you've got a route (Warminster to Trowbridge) that has a 30 min daytime frequency and can only just support a two hourly Sunday service (with subsidy).

East of Warminster can't support an hourly service through the week and has never had a Sunday service (except a summer feeder service for seaside routes in the 1990s). Can't see the justification :(
 

matt_splat

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Being brutally honest, you've got a route (Warminster to Trowbridge) that has a 30 min daytime frequency and can only just support a two hourly Sunday service (with subsidy).

East of Warminster can't support an hourly service through the week and has never had a Sunday service (except a summer feeder service for seaside routes in the 1990s). Can't see the justification :(

indeed true, it was more of a point to the codford point.

i was surprised to see anything south of trowbridge on a Sunday.
 
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