First Greater Glasgow

[route101]

Just an observation on Glasgow’s disappearing passengers. I’ve used the 255 that gets into the bus station at 8.50 a few times recently. Best load at Broomhouse has been 8 people, on Friday it was 3. It picks up more through Tollcross, but these kind of loads are dire – something’s gone horribly wrong with this route in the last year. Not saying the 255 is going to be pulled (it does OK through the day), but First must be worried. Doesn’t help that the bus regularly runs late, but where have all the students gone – the train is much quicker but doesn’t get them near Cally, Strathclyde Uni or City College?

Maybe its the frequency ? Quite often get the bus from M N s up to the bus station , mostly concessions that do . Bus times are all over the place .

 

[christopherrfc]

route branding being applied to the 41 looks the same as the 75 route branding

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1193996984849518595

 

[Jordan Adam]

route branding being applied to the 41 looks the same as the 75 route branding

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1193996984849518595

Indeed it is the same. As the 41 and 75 don't really cross paths it shouldn't be an issue. Sadly due to the size of the Glasgow network it is to be expected that the colours may clash at times.

The new network map now has the colours for the likes of the 18, 34/34A, 38 and 75 etc corrected along with the 41 in Yellow. If further routes are to be branded then this should be a useful guide for working out what route will have what colour.
https://www.firstgroup.com/uploads/maps/WebMap_First Glasgow Map_0.pdf

 

[PaulMc7]

How often do you get caught up in traffic on the expresswayy ?

Depends on the time really. Can occur between 6:30am and 10am and again between 3pm and 7pm towards the city centre because of the Anderston corner onto the M8. The cut off for going onto Crow Road is usually extremely busy from around 4pm til 6:30pm too and Scotstoun can be extremely busy from 3:30pm til 6pm normally.

The 1s only having 11/12 mins each way between Scotstoun and Glasgow Central is nowhere near enough to keep them on time tbh. There's been times the bus has been quiet and the roads been dead yet the bus still ended up 5/10mins late

 

[PaulMc7]

Indeed it is the same. As the 41 and 75 don't really cross paths it shouldn't be an issue. Sadly due to the size of the Glasgow network it is to be expected that the colours may clash at times.

The new network map now has the colours for the likes of the 18, 34/34A, 38 and 75 etc corrected along with the 41 in Yellow. If further routes are to be branded then this should be a useful guide for working out what route will have what colour.
https://www.firstgroup.com/uploads/maps/WebMap_First Glasgow Map_0.pdf

If the colours on the map end up correct when services get branded it's good to see that other than the City Centre there's no real colour clash within specific areas too. Branding has been smartly executed to be fair

 

[JumpinTrainz]

route branding being applied to the 41 looks the same as the 75 route branding

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1193996984849518595

I really never thought the 41 or 60/60A would be branded as they share buses? I also wasn’t expecting the route to be the same colour as the 75 but as has been stated it’s impossible for colours not to repeat given the size of the network. The 41 is a pretty short route but it’s a busy one as it takes Edinburgh Road and can be the quick way out of town.

So will the 41 and 60/60A be all E400MMC operated now and are anymore deckers coming from Livingston?

 

[Jordan Adam]

I really never thought the 41 or 60/60A would be branded as they share buses? I also wasn’t expecting the route to be the same colour as the 75 but as has been stated it’s impossible for colours not to repeat given the size of the network. The 41 is a pretty short route but it’s a busy one as it takes Edinburgh Road and can be the quick way out of town.

So will the 41 and 60/60A be all E400MMC operated now and are anymore deckers coming from Livingston?

They don't share buses anymore, as of the last set of changes there is no longer any interworking at Easterhouse.

 

[PaulMc7]

They don't share buses anymore, as of the last set of changes there is no longer any interworking at Easterhouse.

Did think that had happened tbh. Helps the 41 a lot towards the City Centre as the 60/60A are usually late so no rush at Easterhouse to make up loads of time

 

[JumpinTrainz]

They don't share buses anymore, as of the last set of changes there is no longer any interworking at Easterhouse.

Oh well that’s good news. Here’s hoping the 60/60A gets branded. I’ve seen a lot more of the ex-Livingston E400MMCs on the route but still see the odd B7TL/B9TL not to mention B7RLEs. Until they decide which buses they are going to go with I can’t see route branding happening.

 

[SarahDFIG]

I really never thought the 41 or 60/60A would be branded as they share buses? I also wasn’t expecting the route to be the same colour as the 75 but as has been stated it’s impossible for colours not to repeat given the size of the network. The 41 is a pretty short route but it’s a busy one as it takes Edinburgh Road and can be the quick way out of town.

So will the 41 and 60/60A be all E400MMC operated now and are anymore deckers coming from Livingston?

At the minute nothing more from Livingston but that may change

 

[Jordan Adam]

At the minute nothing more from Livingston but that may change

10 E400MMCs should be enough to cover the 41 (PVR of 9?...). I'm sure if it's not then moving 1 or 2 native examples on to the 41 wouldn't be a huge issue.

 

[lastbus]

Oh well that’s good news. Here’s hoping the 60/60A gets branded. I’ve seen a lot more of the ex-Livingston E400MMCs on the route but still see the odd B7TL/B9TL not to mention B7RLEs. Until they decide which buses they are going to go with I can’t see route branding happening.

Nothing imminent in terms of fleet moves from other opcos. Although Leeds have started to receive more of their streetdecks now that the issues with wright have been resolved so we may see the rumoured deckers from there soon.

 

[JumpinTrainz]

10 E400MMCs should be enough to cover the 41 (PVR of 9?...). I'm sure if it's not then moving 1 or 2 native examples on to the 41 wouldn't be a huge issue.

It would be nice to see the native 65 plate examples moved over to cover the 60/60A and for the X85/X87 to receive new buses with the next order.

 

[PaulMc7]

It would be nice to see the native 65 plate examples moved over to cover the 60/60A and for the X85/X87 to receive new buses with the next order.

Could even add the ones from the X3 over too if more were needed although I constantly see mentions of people saying the X3 needs to be more frequent due to loads more houses being built in Moodiesburn.

Wouldn't need too many new buses for the X3/X85/X87 as they are tbh given that they're every 30 mins

 

[SarahDFIG]

Could even add the ones from the X3 over too if more were needed although I constantly see mentions of people saying the X3 needs to be more frequent due to loads more houses being built in Moodiesburn.

Wouldn't need too many new buses for the X3/X85/X87 as they are tbh given that they're every 30 mins

The express routes are not getting new vehicles.

 

[LT02 NVV]

LT02 NWC Was on the 60 on Thursday 7th so there is more than just Ev400 MMCS And Gemini.

 

[Bus Lightyear]

It would appear that in Eastern days it was the 213 and it did indeed extend to Bathgate - https://flic.kr/p/btEmdZ

Thanks for that. I remember it going through the likes of Longriggend and Torphichen but it wasn't as regular as I thought it was.

 

[CM]

Could even add the ones from the X3 over too if more were needed although I constantly see mentions of people saying the X3 needs to be more frequent due to loads more houses being built in Moodiesburn.

Wouldn't need too many new buses for the X3/X85/X87 as they are tbh given that they're every 30 mins

Why would you put brand new buses onto services which already have buses that are only 4 years old on them?

 

[PaulMc7]

Why would you put brand new buses onto services which already have buses that are only 4 years old on them?

So you can move the other buses onto other services besides if you look at the express services outside of the 1s those are the best ones and would keep the X3 competing with Stagecoach for a start. The Kirkintilloch expresses have done really well too so it wouldn't be the worst decision to give them new buses and move the current ones around

 

[CM]

So you can move the other buses onto other services besides if you look at the express services outside of the 1s those are the best ones and would keep the X3 competing with Stagecoach for a start. The Kirkintilloch expresses have done really well too so it wouldn't be the worst decision to give them new buses and move the current ones around

You'd be very hard-pressed to find an operator that would replace 4-year-old buses with brand new ones. The only operators that really do things like this are companies like Park's of Hamilton.

 

[PaulMc7]

You'd be very hard-pressed to find an operator that would replace 4-year-old buses with brand new ones. The only operators that really do things like this are companies like Park's of Hamilton.

If it moves older buses out the door it would smart to add to services that aren't the most frequent. Would need to spend less on new buses if buses from other operations can be brought into to cover most of the most frequent services

 

[CM]

If it moves older buses out the door it would smart to add to services that aren't the most frequent. Would need to spend less on new buses if buses from other operations can be brought into to cover most of the most frequent services

Again, the current Enviros on the X3/X85/X87 are only 4 years old. They hardly need to be put "out the door". You do actually realise that buses aren't cheap, don't you? Companies like First are not going to replace 4-year-old buses with brand new ones.

 

[PaulMc7]

Again, the current Enviros on the X3/X85/X87 are only 4 years old. They hardly need to be put "out the door". You do actually realise that buses aren't cheap, don't you? Companies like First are not going to replace 4-year-old buses with brand new ones.

I'm not meaning putting them out the door. I'm meaning the oldest in the fleet. Obviously I know they're expensive as I've mentioned it enough times

 

[JumpinTrainz]

Again, the current Enviros on the X3/X85/X87 are only 4 years old. They hardly need to be put "out the door". You do actually realise that buses aren't cheap, don't you? Companies like First are not going to replace 4-year-old buses with brand new ones.

I think you’ve misunderstood. By the current 65 plate E400MMCs being moved from their current Express services on to services like the 60/60A it would keep the batch of a similar age/type altogether on similar routes. Of course if you took away new stock from a route which is used to new stock you have to replace it with something similar. I think that’s what’s being said.

Also that is untrue. First have in the past renewed buses on the old 40, 61 and 62 routes after about 4 years. The Scania L113s and L94s from about 1997-1998 were replaced in 2001 (by that point they were only about 3/4 years old). They were succeeded by B10BLEs and B7RLEs which were then replaced themselves by about 2005/2006 (about 4/5 years). It is possible and not completely unheard of.

 

[Volvodart]

Depends on what happens, but with the reduced funding of conversions, I would not have thought any new buses were coming soon for services like these that do not need low emissions zone compliant buses.

 

[PaulMc7]

Depends on what happens, but with the reduced funding of conversions, I would not have thought any new buses were coming soon for services like these that do not need low emissions zone compliant buses.

If Buchanan Bus Station and Cathedral St are part of the LEZ then the X3, X85 and X87 will need buses that are compliant.

I'd imagine conversion even with funding reduced is far far cheaper than buying in new stock so that's why I believe that getting in enough from other operations where possible to cover services with higher PVRs and using new buses on the less frequent services that need them

 

[Volvodart]

No the route they take to the bus station is outside the zone. This has been covered before on here.

 

[PaulMc7]

No the route they take to the bus station is outside the zone. This has been covered before on here.

I've only been on here in recent months tbh so may not have seen previous comments related to it. Still find that strange that it's not part of the LEZ

 

[lastbus]

No the route they take to the bus station is outside the zone. This has been covered before on here.

Not true they operate via cathedral street which is part of the LEZ.

 

[PaulMc7]

I've just found this on Google regarding it and all of the other maps that come up regarding it all have Cathedral St and BBS as part of the LEZ