Arriva Midlands

[Darcy685]

I saw the map earlier, but as I don't know Spondon well enough, it didn't make a lot of sense. Sandringham?, Arnhem Terrace and Asda Spondon were there, so clearly not a Flyer, more a connector


I actually wondered if it was a both ways loop, extended from Chaddesden to Spondon

It's ok Sandringham drive area is where the old spondon flyer used to operate and Arnhem terrace is the side of spondon where the i4 operates if that helps

 

[Zakaria Fadel]

Anymore arrived this Weekend?

4435 and 4438 arrived last week. 4427 has also been transferred to MK

 

[derbybusdepot]

It will be interesting to see how frequent the 20/21 operate. It is perhaps worth noting that they will pass the large Asda supermarket on Nottingham rd, and not far from the celanese site which is being developed into a huge area of employment, so there is good potential for usage.

I was half expecting the 20/21 to be circulars, Derby - Chaddesden - Spondon - pride park - Derby.

 

[Trainman40083]

It will be interesting to see how frequent the 20/21 operate. It is perhaps worth noting that they will pass the large Asda supermarket on Nottingham rd, and not far from the celanese site which is being developed into a huge area of employment, so there is good potential for usage.

I was half expecting the 20/21 to be circulars, Derby - Chaddesden - Spondon - pride park - Derby.

I guess they have not yet realised that need. Maybe some of those users will travel by train. Did they ever put a bridge in over the river connecting Smartparc and Derby Commercial Park? Could have a cycle route from Spondon.

I guess they have not yet realised that need. Maybe some of those users will travel by train. Did they ever put a bridge in over the river connecting Smartparc and Derby Commercial Park? Could have a cycle route from Spondon.

I meant Alvaston

 

[joieman]

4434 has been transferred to Milton Keynes according to Bustimes.

I do wonder what's going on with 4433. It's been out of service since November, and I wouldn't be less surprised if it doesn't see service in Leicestershire again rather than heading south.

 

[MKBE]

Yes, 4434 has been transferred to Milton Keynes
It is currently tracking as one of the SP_MKs, the other being 4438

4434 has been transferred to Milton Keynes according to Bustimes.

I do wonder what's going on with 4433. It's been out of service since November, and I wouldn't be less surprised if it doesn't see service in Leicestershire again rather than heading south.

 

[derbybusdepot]

Re Derby.

I assume the overall vehicle requirement will increase with the April changes?

20/21 extension to Spondon and increase of frequency on the 5 and 38. It could be resources are shuffled around from the 6 to the 5, but I would hazard a guess the 38 would be +1 and 20 +2 vehicles (5 buses 1.15 round trip on 20/21, if each every 30 min).

There are still 4 omnicities and an omnilink in use, I assume some are covering whilst vdls are repainted.

 

[SSmith2009]

Re Derby.

I assume the overall vehicle requirement will increase with the April changes?

20/21 extension to Spondon and increase of frequency on the 5 and 38. It could be resources are shuffled around from the 6 to the 5, but I would hazard a guess the 38 would be +1 and 20 +2 vehicles (5 buses 1.15 round trip on 20/21, if each every 30 min).

There are still 4 omnicities and an omnilink in use, I assume some are covering whilst vdls are repainted.

Changes are happening in Leicester too a week later so I wonder if 4401 and 4402 may make a return to Derby...

 

[derbybusdepot]

Looks like just shuffling current resources around. 20 and 21 are each hourly, running full route to Spondon including evenings and Sundays. This gives the current route 20 a 30 minute frequency, down from every 15!

26 is also reduced from every 15 minutes to just every 30!

Arriva Bus

www.arrivabus.co.uk

 

[bringiton]

https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/find-a-service/20-21-derby-to-chaddesden-and-spondon

Attached is the new route that the 21 will take. Also the timetables can be found on that page too.

Doesn't really seem like it would cover that much extra that isnt already covered by ilkeston flyer, i4 or Central connects 9. In my opinion its hardly worth BSIP money being spent on that small part in spondon, when they could of just had cc's 9 redirected slightly. Not to mention it means routes are also having frequency reduced to facilitate it.

 

[Trainman40083]

https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/find-a-service/20-21-derby-to-chaddesden-and-spondon

Attached is the new route that the 21 will take. Also the timetables can be found on that page too.

Doesn't really seem like it would cover that much extra that isnt already covered by ilkeston flyer, i4 or Central connects 9. In my opinion its hardly worth BSIP money being spent on that small part in spondon, when they could of just had cc's 9 redirected slightly. Not to mention it means routes are also having frequency reduced to facilitate it.

I was thinking that the route 9 which is two hourly in the same direction (with the 9A working the other way round the route) stuck to the main road through Spondon. People have said about diverting it, but a lot of the time it only just gets out and back in 1 hour. Now you could say that the Arriva 20/21 connects part of Chaddesden to Asda and Spondon. The Ilkeston Flyer sticks to the main route, and the nearest the i4 goes to Spondon centre is Arnhem Terrace. I hope for all the noise the people of Spondon have created , that they will use it. Maybe the next scream will be "but it isn't a Flyer".

 

[bringiton]

I was thinking that the route 9 which is two hourly in the same direction (with the 9A working the other way round the route) stuck to the main road through Spondon. People have said about diverting it, but a lot of the time it only just gets out and back in 1 hour.

The 9 doesnt really get many passengers as is so increasing the frequency to facilitate the small change wouldnt make sense, i agree there.

Now you could say that the Arriva 20/21 connects part of Chaddesden to Asda and Spondon.

While it may create new connections, all ive heard is passengers moan about frequency decreases. I'd assume passengers (i certainly would anyway) would rather a higher frequency route than a lower frequency which can connect them to more areas which they could already connect to via other routes.

The Ilkeston Flyer sticks to the main route, and the nearest the i4 goes to Spondon centre is Arnhem Terrace. I hope for all the noise the people of Spondon have created , that they will use it. Maybe the next scream will be "but it isn't a Flyer".

The small part in spondon which "competes" with ilkeston flyer, I can only really see being used by people with ENCT'S passes, otherwise they would probably walk to an ilkeston flyer stops to connect to a "flyer route" with a higher frequency and a more direct approach into derby city centre.

 

[joieman]

Changes are happening in Leicester too a week later so I wonder if 4401 and 4402 may make a return to Derby...

The service changes for Leicestershire have been announced. The most significant changes are as follows:

• 16/16A - Will be rerouted to reinstate service to Anson Road and serve the new housing estate along Buttercup Lane.
• 44/44A - Will now run directly along Aberdale Road in Knighton during peak times.
• 153 - Will now run both ways through Barlestone to investigate route timings compared with the existing route.

 

[derbybusdepot]

The 9 doesnt really get many passengers as is so increasing the frequency to facilitate the small change wouldnt make sense, i agree there.

While it may create new connections, all ive heard is passengers moan about frequency decreases. I'd assume passengers (i certainly would anyway) would rather a higher frequency route than a lower frequency which can connect them to more areas which they could already connect to via other routes.

The small part in spondon which "competes" with ilkeston flyer, I can only really see being used by people with ENCT'S passes, otherwise they would probably walk to an ilkeston flyer stops to connect to a "flyer route" with a higher frequency and a more direct approach into derby city centre.

I think the Arnhem Terrace part is a bit of a waste, there was very little uptake when the half hourly minibus service operated for free.
I think the other sections in Spondon will be fairly well used. There is only a 2 hourly 9a which connects Spondon to Asda for a start, and if it stops closer to where you live, and it is reliable you may well even use it to Derby.

I think there has been a missed opportunity to connect the smartparc near Spondon station. That could really help the route be viable in the longer term.

 

[Trainman40083]

I think the Arnhem Terrace part is a bit of a waste, there was very little uptake when the half hourly minibus service operated for free.
I think the other sections in Spondon will be fairly well used. There is only a 2 hourly 9a which connects Spondon to Asda for a start, and if it stops closer to where you live, and it is reliable you may well even use it to Derby.

I think there has been a missed opportunity to connect the smartparc near Spondon station. That could really help the route be viable in the longer term.

Reliable yes. Gives certainty of travel. . I thought the Spondon Councillors said that minibus service was well used .

 

[43055]

Looks like just shuffling current resources around. 20 and 21 are each hourly, running full route to Spondon including evenings and Sundays. This gives the current route 20 a 30 minute frequency, down from every 15!

26 is also reduced from every 15 minutes to just every 30!

Arriva Bus

www.arrivabus.co.uk

And about 10-15 years ago both the 20 & 26 were every 10 mins I think.

The 38 going up to every 10 mins will need more deckers or I would suspect more singles on the 1's maybe.

The 2 via the station is a interesting move. 2 mins to get from Ivy Square to the Station at peak times might be a bit questionable though.

 

[Trainman40083]

And about 10-15 years ago both the 20 & 26 were every 10 mins I think.

The 38 going up to every 10 mins will need more deckers or I would suspect more singles on the 1's maybe.

The 2 via the station is a interesting move. 2 mins to get from Ivy Square to the Station at peak times might be a bit questionable though.

I copped for Scania 3554 on the 1 service today (via Pride Park).. I cannot remember the last time I rode on one, possibly when I went to the cricket ground, some years ago.. I've managed to dodge the Streetlites up to now. As for Ivy Square to the railway station. I'd be pleased if I go through the traffic lights at the top of Midland Road in two minutes.

 

[zkyx02]

eing a fan of Arriva Derby, I must say these changes aren’t the greatest, it’s good that network extensions are being made after many years of just being safe… but

I personally think the 20/26 should’ve been left alone, a 21/21A (for example) looping between the city, pride park, spondon, Asda & Derby, that way quick links into Derby, opportunities for work at the new warehouse development on Pride Park, would’ve struggled on at home days but i

 

[derbybusdepot]

Reliable yes. Gives certainty of travel. . I thought the Spondon Councillors said that minibus service was well used .

The one that covered the north of Spondon was quite well used.

eing a fan of Arriva Derby, I must say these changes aren’t the greatest, it’s good that network extensions are being made after many years of just being safe… but

I personally think the 20/26 should’ve been left alone, a 21/21A (for example) looping between the city, pride park, spondon, Asda & Derby, that way quick links into Derby, opportunities for work at the new warehouse development on Pride Park, would’ve struggled on at home days but i

I think extending the 20 is fine, but they should have been made into circulars, with it continuing to Spondon, then Spondon station/celanese - pride park - Derby station (pride park side) and Derby. 21 could have done the reverse. You then connect more key places that people want to get to.

Would also have kept the routes the same serving willowcroft road in both directions.

I'm sure there will be demand for Asda from both directions.

Hopefully this will be a building block to build upon, rather than a failed one year trial. And hopefully people will use the services, after all we won't fully know how popular they are until they start.

 

[Trainman40083]

When you think of how much shopping is at out of town retail parks that have no public transport access, then add in employment locations with no public transport, you can see why there is so many cars. A friend has her mother coming to stay for five months (she is retired).. She sees his daughter's children off to school and collects them.. She asked her daughter how to get to Hobbycraft (Kingsway). The daughter asked me. I said, it is a long walk from the Mickleover or the 8... You'd think there would be some form of walkway through from whatever Slack Lane runs into, making walking feasible.

 

[zkyx02]

personally, I’d do these changes very differently, I would personally mix the 20/26 together, having the 20 do the normal route, then head into Oakwood & back via the 26 route, the same in reverse with the 26.

The 20/21 situation is good in the fact Spondon is getting a bus service again, I do believe some park & ride services in Derby should be introduced, I remember the D1 between Derby & Meteor centre running for years, as ‘trainman’ said having a service to kingsway would be handy.

But again, I’m glad to see Arriva extended the network, while timetables & stuff may not be perfect it’s a basis to work from.

 

[Trainman40083]

personally, I’d do these changes very differently, I would personally mix the 20/26 together, having the 20 do the normal route, then head into Oakwood & back via the 26 route, the same in reverse with the 26.

The 20/21 situation is good in the fact Spondon is getting a bus service again, I do believe some park & ride services in Derby should be introduced, I remember the D1 between Derby & Meteor centre running for years, as ‘trainman’ said having a service to kingsway would be handy.

But again, I’m glad to see Arriva extended the network, while timetables & stuff may not be perfect it’s a basis to work from.

I guess with seed money, you can try and see what works and what doesn't.. The only way you can ever get people out of cars, is to give people an alternative to cars. I have a car, I use the bus and the train, but these days I try to use the us instead of the car.

 

[zkyx02]

I guess with seed money, you can try and see what works and what doesn't.. The only way you can ever get people out of cars, is to give people an alternative to cars. I have a car, I use the bus and the train, but these days I try to use the us instead of the car.

Exactly that, Trent have highly neglected Spondon since the withdrawal of Flyer, running an Ilkeston flyer around once or maybe even twice an hour would’ve been a better use of BSIP money than making it every 10 mins, which it really didn’t need to be.

Will be interesting to see how it pans out.

 

[Trainman40083]

Exactly that, Trent have highly neglected Spondon since the withdrawal of Flyer, running an Ilkeston flyer around once or maybe even twice an hour would’ve been a better use of BSIP money than making it every 10 mins, which it really didn’t need to be.

Will be interesting to see how it pans out.

I think however you look at it, travel patterns have changed since COVID.. Certainly have for me. I rarely travel into Derby, and that is where buses tend to go. You mentioned in an earlier post about a lack of Park and Ride in Derby. Meteor Centre lost its dedicated bus service, and the Pride Park one makes do with one of the Alvaston route 1 services, the letter suffix of which I can never remember. (1P might have helped). But when I have caught it, no one got on or off there. Despite the closure of two or three big car parks, there is still plenty of places to park in the City Centre, suggesting a sharp drop in people working 5/6 days a week there, or shoppers. We have discussed lack of services to retail parks.

 

[43055]

I think however you look at it, travel patterns have changed since COVID.. Certainly have for me. I rarely travel into Derby, and that is where buses tend to go. You mentioned in an earlier post about a lack of Park and Ride in Derby. Meteor Centre lost its dedicated bus service, and the Pride Park one makes do with one of the Alvaston route 1 services, the letter suffix of which I can never remember. (1P might have helped). But when I have caught it, no one got on or off there. Despite the closure of two or three big car parks, there is still plenty of places to park in the City Centre, suggesting a sharp drop in people working 5/6 days a week there, or shoppers. We have discussed lack of services to retail parks.

1B is the one via Pride Park. There is also the Wyvern in the peaks which may have been better extending to Spondon?

personally, I’d do these changes very differently, I would personally mix the 20/26 together, having the 20 do the normal route, then head into Oakwood & back via the 26 route, the same in reverse with the 26.

The 20/21 situation is good in the fact Spondon is getting a bus service again, I do believe some park & ride services in Derby should be introduced, I remember the D1 between Derby & Meteor centre running for years, as ‘trainman’ said having a service to kingsway would be handy.

But again, I’m glad to see Arriva extended the network, while timetables & stuff may not be perfect it’s a basis to work from.

Problem with Kingsway is that the bus will get there but will spend the next 3 hours trying to get out again!

 

[Trainman40083]

1B is the one via Pride Park. There is also the Wyvern in the peaks which may have been better extending to Spondon?

Problem with Kingsway is that the bus will get there but will spend the next 3 hours trying to get out again!

I think the Link 2 might stop close by, but maybe the answer is access from Havenbaulk.

 

[station_road]

Trent ran buses to Kingsway Retail Park for a time in the 90s (as part of a service that went to the City Hospital then to Kingsway on the way back to town) and for a few years half of the Mickleover buses extended from Derby to the Wyvern Park (stopped next to Sainsbury's) - no-one used either of them.

Buses are generally not attractive for people going to retail parks (not just in Derby), either because they offer only limited direct or because they will have lots of shopping which is awkward on a bus.

 

[Trainman40083]

Trent ran buses to Kingsway Retail Park for a time in the 90s (as part of a service that went to the City Hospital then to Kingsway on the way back to town) and for a few years half of the Mickleover buses extended from Derby to the Wyvern Park (stopped next to Sainsbury's) - no-one used either of them.

Buses are generally not attractive for people going to retail parks (not just in Derby), either because they offer only limited direct or because they will have lots of shopping which is awkward on a bus.

When Trent extended the Mickleover service to Wyvern Park there was another reason... It avoided bus station departure charges. You could say that now the Wyvern is far more developed both in terms of shops and employment opportunities. Over the next few years, I feel a lot more people will be looking for alternatives to the car; especially with rising VED from 2025.

 

[Mugby]

One of Derby's very scruffy VDLs was causing havoc on Station Street in Burton this afternoon having broken down right at the traffic lights on Sainsbury's corner whilst working an X38 service. It must have happened before 3pm and wasn't moved until after 5pm. Fitters were in attendance with the service van, parked behind the bus but seemed to be unable to re-start it.

 

[Volvo142]

Very scruffy?
Hardly. It was repainted approx 19 months ago....
And unlike certain other operators, it was replaced with another bus...