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

Buses in Bath

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16 Feb 2020
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246
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Weston, Bath
The issue with both the U2 & the U6 is how they run operationally. The U2, whilst not serving the central area, has its vehicles park at the bus station to undergo driver changes, as doing this at the uni or the depot is less practical. The U5 & U6 meanwhile interwork with one another as one PVR, again for the purpose of doing changeovers at the bus station.

Wasn't there also some rumour that the U6 was going to be extended to the bus station to give the 5 some relief along Lower Bristol Road? Or am I making that up?
A driver told me that the U6 was going to be extended to the Bus Station in April. That would be cool and as you said would make sense operationally because drivers change over at the bus station.
 
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freetoview33

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The issue with both the U2 & the U6 is how they run operationally. The U2, whilst not serving the central area, has its vehicles park at the bus station to undergo driver changes, as doing this at the uni or the depot is less practical. The U5 & U6 meanwhile interwork with one another as one PVR, again for the purpose of doing changeovers at the bus station.

Wasn't there also some rumour that the U6 was going to be extended to the bus station to give the 5 some relief along Lower Bristol Road? Or am I making that up?
Yes the U6 was going to be extended.
 

freetoview33

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I think on the new timetable that was due on Sundays something like a U5 and a U6 everyhour (half hourly combined). But that was the only new bit showing before all this kicked off so who knows what actually will happen?
 

Dhassell

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Are there any independent operators based on the Weston end of the route which would be willing to take up the route as there is no alternatives modes of transport linking 3 major North Somerset towns together.

Citistar have made a comment of their interest.
On the local bus front, Stagecoach West announced their withdrawl from the services they took over from First in September 2018 (Severn Express, Bristol – Chepstow – Newport and X5 Weston – Clevedon – Portishead – Cribbs Causeway) and, having declared an interest, we are currently awaiting a promised tender to be issued.
 

Tommy Walters

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Ottery St Mary
I think on the new timetable that was due on Sundays something like a U5 and a U6 everyhour (half hourly combined). But that was the only new bit showing before all this kicked off so who knows what actually will happen?

This makes sense. Usually the Sunday schedule is very similar to the evening, night & Saturday timetables, so I'd imagine this pattern would also apply then!

The reason for my views on the U6 being more popular are based on the fact that the majority of off-campus student halls are located up the top end of Lower Bristol Road, whereas it's mainly private lets along Newbridge Road. Given 1st year students, who are more likely to go clubbing etc. in the evenings in the city centre would be living in the halls, the U6 is a far more useful option to them than walking from Windsor Bridge Road. This is also the reason why currently the Bath 5 runs late into the evening, with the last run back to the depot being run in service for their benefit.
 

Whiteway215

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15 Sep 2015
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Bath
I’ve believe 14 ex Bolton E400s are due to Bath over the next few weeks, with a possibility they’ll end up on the U2/5/6 to replace the B7s before the clean air zone begins.

Certainly interesting times ahead for Bath and the wider WoE region in terms of vehicle movements.

I also noticed 39430, YN69EHG, on the 17 in unbranded Red this afternoon. I’ve not seen this one before and a quick check on Bustimes shows it’s only been tracking since the end of April, compared to February for the others in the batch.
Out of interest I looked at the fleet list for Diamond NW on the UK Buses website. That lists 37 Bolton ex First E400s numbered between 33657 and 33753. Of these 22 are shown as withdrawn. Five of these E400s have appeared on First Hampshire & Dorset premises over the last few days.
 

swifty

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Out of interest I looked at the fleet list for Diamond NW on the UK Buses website. That lists 37 Bolton ex First E400s numbered between 33657 and 33753. Of these 22 are shown as withdrawn. Five of these E400s have appeared on First Hampshire & Dorset premises over the last few days.

12 for H&D (5 Hoeford, 7 Weymouth) and 15 for Bath.
 

mic

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22 Mar 2015
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416
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Mossley
Out of interest I looked at the fleet list for Diamond NW on the UK Buses website. That lists 37 Bolton ex First E400s numbered between 33657 and 33753. Of these 22 are shown as withdrawn. Five of these E400s have appeared on First Hampshire & Dorset premises over the last few days.

all Diamond E400s officially withdrawn now
 

BBC

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26 Mar 2016
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By tomorrow most buses in Bristol will have seats tapped off for social distancing ok told the new capacity is 22 (at least for the gas buses)
 

TheGrandWazoo

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12 for H&D (5 Hoeford, 7 Weymouth) and 15 for Bath.

Interesting. The 5 for Hoeford allowing the B7TLs to head to Kernow, and the 7 for Weymouth to replace the Omnidekkas that are showing their age - mind you, they have been hammered on the A35 for 15 years!!

Intrigued to see what the Bath ones will do. Common sense would have them replacing the B9s on the 3/3A/4. Putting them on the U5/U6 would be a bit of a waste given that they are laid up at various times. Be interesting to see.
 

mic

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22 Mar 2015
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Mossley
Mic thanks for confirming. When Diamond NW release these back to First do they go through Oldham Depot before they are cascaded to other fleets?
i belive 33734 did has it was showing Greater Manchester fleetnames again but others picked up from Diamond Bolton
 

swifty

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Interesting. The 5 for Hoeford allowing the B7TLs to head to Kernow, and the 7 for Weymouth to replace the Omnidekkas that are showing their age - mind you, they have been hammered on the A35 for 15 years!!

Yes, a few are parked up at Weymouth in various states of repair. By all accounts to 08 plate B9s will take over from the Scanias on the school boards.
 

WelshBluebird

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By tomorrow most buses in Bristol will have seats tapped off for social distancing ok told the new capacity is 22 (at least for the gas buses)

From what my friend just put on Facebook, some buses in Bath have that done too now (I think this is new unless I have missed anything in this thread!). Not that people are paying attention to it though :(
 

TheGrandWazoo

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Yes, a few are parked up at Weymouth in various states of repair. By all accounts to 08 plate B9s will take over from the Scanias on the school boards.

I guess that the Scanias were SORN anyway?

They've done some mileage on those routes. Had a run from Dorchester to Bridport, and then from Bridport to Chickerell last year on a couple of them. They still went well but you could see that the years were catching up with them. I was a little disappointed not to get one of the ex Green Line deckers but sort of glad to have had one last trip on them.
 

jcrwey

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27 Jun 2016
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I guess that the Scanias were SORN anyway?

They've done some mileage on those routes. Had a run from Dorchester to Bridport, and then from Bridport to Chickerell last year on a couple of them. They still went well but you could see that the years were catching up with them. I was a little disappointed not to get one of the ex Green Line deckers but sort of glad to have had one last trip on them.

They certainly have done a lot of miles, would love to know how many! Back when they started the X53 also extended from Bournemouth on selected journeys all the way through to Exeter. First journey out was around 5am, last one returning 1130pm ish. Obviously things are scaled back a bit now, but they certainly have clocked up the miles in their time.

They've also seen 3 different liveries, some of them 4 -> Original Jurassic Coast CoastlinX53 branding (2004-2008), 31 Blue & Green livery, Jurassic Coaster X31/X51 and then a couple went into corporate livery in the past 18 months.

Corrosion issues were what caused their sudden withdrawal, however 36005 and 36006 remained in service until the coronavirus service reductions.
 

Whiteway215

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15 Sep 2015
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Bath
I see reported in the local press that sometime in the future Bath & North East Somerset Council wish to close Milsom Street, Bath to traffic. Milsom Street is currently the city terminus of the 31 Lansdown Park and Ride. It appears that under this proposal nearby Broad Street would become two way. Broad Street is at present one way south to north.
BANES and FWE carried out a test to see if two Streetdecks could pass each other in Broad Street. Apparently they could pass-but only just! The street is not very well named-it is really quite narrow and certainly not broad!
 

martyjon

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19 Feb 2020
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108
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Bristol Area
I can't see why the Lansdown P & R can't revert to the former terminus in the square with that column thingy in the centre garden and follow the same route as before.
 

TheGrandWazoo

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I can't see why the Lansdown P & R can't revert to the former terminus in the square with that column thingy in the centre garden and follow the same route as before.
Are you talking about Bog Island?

It could go left at the bottom of Lansdown, right into Walcot Street and then the loop as you say.

However, a more sensible approach might be to make Milsom Street only for P&R buses only (not open top tours etc) during the day 0700-1900. Access for delivery vehicles 1900-0700. Remove the car parking. Create a single 30 metre layby where the bus stop currently is - use it for delivery vehicles at night.

Can create a much larger paved area for pedestrians and cyclists.
 

carlberry

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I can't see why the Lansdown P & R can't revert to the former terminus in the square with that column thingy in the centre garden and follow the same route as before.
Do you mean where it goes at Christmas? I assume they wan tit to be more central. The logical thing would be to make it buses only, the stop could be relocated further down the road as well. The tour buses use that road as well so, I assume, they'll end up on Broad Street as well.
 

Whiteway215

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Bath
The press article about Milsom Street didn’t really give any clues about a revised route or terminus for the P&R service. There was one quote ‘We also tried out the junction for Saracen Street (which is halfway up Broad St) and that worked with our buses too.’ Not sure what that meant.
 

carlberry

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The press article about Milsom Street didn’t really give any clues about a revised route or terminus for the P&R service. There was one quote ‘We also tried out the junction for Saracen Street (which is halfway up Broad St) and that worked with our buses too.’ Not sure what that meant.
Does that suggest they're going to try to turn the P&R via Broad Street/Saracen Street, possibly dropping by Waitrose?
 

Tommy Walters

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9 Nov 2017
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Ottery St Mary
Are you talking about Bog Island?

It could go left at the bottom of Lansdown, right into Walcot Street and then the loop as you say.

However, a more sensible approach might be to make Milsom Street only for P&R buses only (not open top tours etc) during the day 0700-1900. Access for delivery vehicles 1900-0700. Remove the car parking. Create a single 30 metre layby where the bus stop currently is - use it for delivery vehicles at night.

Can create a much larger paved area for pedestrians and cyclists.

Would you also keep the inbound 6/7 & 20 going via Milsom Street at these times or send them elsewhere?
 

TheGrandWazoo

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The press article about Milsom Street didn’t really give any clues about a revised route or terminus for the P&R service. There was one quote ‘We also tried out the junction for Saracen Street (which is halfway up Broad St) and that worked with our buses too.’ Not sure what that meant.
I assume that it refers to a one way loop so that you descend down Broad Street, left at the Pig and Whistle into Saracen Street, then right past the Hilton. However, it won't make the tight right hand turn at the Saracen and then back up so will have to loop around and load at the Abbey?
 

Whiteway215

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Trivia! Just to help your day along the two Streetdecks that tried not to get scraped were 35112/3.
 

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