Stagecoach West - Fleet News & Discussion

[Citistar]

Curious to see all these changes to WECA contracted services, particularly the frequency reductions. I don't recall seeing any of them being retendered.

 

[-Colly405-]

First day of the "service improvements" and there doesn't seem to have been much driver training of the changes.

First off, on a 71 earlier and the driver didn't know whether they could go through the "no through road" sign at the back entrance to Parkway. Not quite sure where else they thought they could go!

Then was on an 11 that took the "old" route at MOD roundabout (headed off towards UWE rather than Filton). Had to go to the UWE roundabout and do a u turn there. Driver said nothing had been said about the change of route.

No issues here with the drivers, not their fault if they've not been given the route knowledge...

 

[lukem]

Driver on the 11 had no idea where he was going or where the bus stops were. He skipped the new road bus bypass; this was apparently the way he was told to go.
Also complaining how he was supposed to turn around at Bristol Parkway to turn into the 71 and especially how you are meant to arrive on stand A and leave on stand B. He had no knowledge of how he was supposed to do the 71 route or how it had changed, had to phone the depot for knowledge.

 

[-Colly405-]

Driver on the 11 had no idea where he was going or where the bus stops were. He skipped the new road bus bypass; this was apparently the way he was told to go.
Also complaining how he was supposed to turn around at Bristol Parkway to turn into the 71 and especially how you are meant to arrive on stand A and leave on stand B. He had no knowledge of how he was supposed to do the 71 route or how it had changed, had to phone the depot for knowledge.

Oh dear... Not just me then lol

 

[Callum15632]

For anyone wondering 15768 is actually on 10/11/12/71 and it isn't on the 13 as it's double tracking. 37245 is tracking as 15768 on the 13.

 

[ValleyLines142]

I don't know whether Stagecoach have had a huge employment intake at the moment but services seem be cancelled far less than usual and I feel as if I'm forever seeing buses more often than before. I don't use them often, because I'm walking distance of Gloucester city centre but I have definitely noticed on my way to work more buses out.

 

[Callum15632]

I don't know whether Stagecoach have had a huge employment intake at the moment but services seem be cancelled far less than usual and I feel as if I'm forever seeing buses more often than before. I don't use them often, because I'm walking distance of Gloucester city centre but I have definitely noticed on my way to work more buses out.

There hasn't been a cancellation for a while in Bristol either to be fair. 2-3 years ago they used to cancel the 13 Bristol City Centre to Shirehampton quite a lot even though that route is every hour. It is a whole lot better now.

 

[LordCreed]

Does anyone happen to know the fate of the following ex Stagecoach West vehicles?

22844 - VX09 BCV
22845 - VX09 BCY
22846 - VX09 BCZ
22847 - VX09 BDE
22849 - VX09 BDO
36126 - VX10 COA
36377 - YX09 HYY - Ex Wessex, don't think it ever saw service. Was it scrapped?
37010 - YX63 ZTH - Involved in a fire. Presume scrapped?

I'd guess all have been scrapped as opposed to moving to other operators.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Does anyone happen to know the fate of the following ex Stagecoach West vehicles?

22844 - VX09 BCV - stripped for parts and scrapped
22845 - VX09 BCY
22846 - VX09 BCZ - sent for disposal
22847 - VX09 BDE - stripped for parts and scrapped
22849 - VX09 BDO
36126 - VX10 COA
36377 - YX09 HYY - Ex Wessex, don't think it ever saw service. Was it scrapped? - don't think it ever went to Stagecoach except on paper
37010 - YX63 ZTH - Involved in a fire. Presume scrapped?

I'd guess all have been scrapped as opposed to moving to other operators.

There's a few shots of the e300 on Flickr in various states of disrepair, mostly at the rear of Stroud depot. There is a photo of the Wessex vehicle with Stagecoach vehicles; don't recognise the location and it isn't Swindon where the others were sent for repair before repaint.

 

[banjo125]

36126 - VX10 COA involved in an RTA then scapped
37010 - YX63 ZTH caught fire & scrapped as a result

 

[Mwanesh]

I don't know whether Stagecoach have had a huge employment intake at the moment but services seem be cancelled far less than usual and I feel as if I'm forever seeing buses more often than before. I don't use them often, because I'm walking distance of Gloucester city centre but I have definitely noticed on my way to work more buses out.

They have a large pool of drivers nationwide who are willing to go on loan anywhere at short notice.

 

[Callum15632]

36927 has transferred from Oxford to Bristol yesterday (11th December 2024).

 

[Marcus Fryer]

Came through our letterbox today:

 

[ValleyLines142]

Noticed just before Christmas, 37628 and 37629 moved from Cheltenham to Bristol.

For Cheltenham Festival this year, observed the following buses made an appearance on loan for Race shuttles:

11207 - Morecambe
12345 - Plumstead (heritage)
11761 - Witney
11617/11772 - Newcastle
11727/11728 - Cambridge
11548 - Hastings

There were plenty more but I didn't work it this year, only briefly popped over to check on my fellow colleagues!

 

[JD2168]

11626/11647/11648/11714 went from Holbrook depot in Sheffield.

 

[markglos]

Any news on 48174 returning to Stroud

When are the new buses due?

 

[-Colly405-]

Just driven past Patchway depot. May be a bit of an issue getting buses in and out for a while - a single decker entering the depot has ended up with its rear nearside wheel down a sodding great hole part of the roadworks, and it's blocking the depot entry

 

[Callum15632]

Just driven past Patchway depot. May be a bit of an issue getting buses in and out for a while - a single decker entering the depot has ended up with its rear nearside wheel down a sodding great hole part of the roadworks, and it's blocking the depot entry

Do you know what bus it was?

 

[-Colly405-]

Unfortunately not - I was rather surprised by it but tried to stay focussed on the road in front

 

[Callum15632]

Unfortunately not - I was rather surprised by it but tried to stay focussed on the road in front

Okay, I'm planning on working for Stagecoach in the next year or so.

 

[DaveHarries]

Stagecoach West say on their Swindon website that there will be revisions to their Swindon network. The changes, effective 29-Jun-2025, will see the abolition of Service 10 (Orbital Park - Freshbrook) which will be replaced by reinstatement of Service 4 (which was previously withdrawn when Service 10 was extended from Kingsdown to Orbital Shopping Centre), a revised route and timetable for Service 7 (Highworth - Swindon Bus Station) and new circular Services 8 and 8A. There will also be an improved timetable, to include 5 Sunday journeys, and revised route for Service 53 (Cricklade - Swindon).

Stagecoach West is introducing a refreshed Swindon Town bus network from Sunday 29th June 2025, following a comprehensive review and valuable customer feedback. These changes are designed to improve connectivity, reliability, and access across the town and surrounding areas. Highlights include an enhanced Service 53 with more daytime journeys plus a brand-new Sunday service, and an extension to the Orbital Shopping Centre supported by Wiltshire Council. Passengers will also benefit from faster links from Abbey Farm and Tadpole Garden Village to key destinations such as Swindon Designer Outlet, Swindon Town Centre and the Orbital Shopping Centre. Service 10 will be replaced by a combination of new and extended services to better serve local communities.

The off-peak extension of Service 53 to Orbital Shopping Centre is interesting: having read the timetable it looks to me as if the bus goes to Cricklade on its present line of route and then gets to Orbital Shopping Centre by using the A419 and, I guess, Thamesdown Drive. The extension of Service 10 to run Kingsdown - Orbital Park appears to have been a bit controversial when it was introduced (September 2024?) for the Swindon Advertiser, in its article about the changes for 29th June, says:

Neighbours in Queensfield criticised the public transport provider's decision to re-route the Number 10 through their area last year. This was supposed to improve links between Kingsdown and the Orbital Shopping Park, as well as to make up for the loss of the old number 4 to Tadpole Garden Village. Residents felt that having double-deckers rumbling past their houses created privacy issues, and the narrow roads with sharp corners and parked cars made it hard for buses to navigate the neighbourhood.

Taken from https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/25218490.new-changes-stagecoach-bus-network-swindon-area/

More info, as well as route maps and timetables, can be found at https://www.stagecoachbus.com/servi...rticle?SituationId=ID-05/06/2025-13:18:47:445

HTIOI,
Dave

 

[Simon75]

Stagecoach West say on their Swindon website that there will be revisions to their Swindon network. The changes, effective 29-Jun-2025, will see the abolition of Service 10 (Orbital Park - Freshbrook) which will be replaced by reinstatement of Service 4 (which was previously withdrawn when Service 10 was extended from Kingsdown to Orbital Shopping Centre), a revised route and timetable for Service 7 (Highworth - Swindon Bus Station) and new circular Services 8 and 8A. There will also be an improved timetable, to include 5 Sunday journeys, and revised route for Service 53 (Cricklade - Swindon).



The off-peak extension of Service 53 to Orbital Shopping Centre is interesting: having read the timetable it looks to me as if the bus goes to Cricklade on its present line of route and then gets to Orbital Shopping Centre by using the A419 and, I guess, Thamesdown Drive. The extension of Service 10 to run Kingsdown - Orbital Park appears to have been a bit controversial when it was introduced (September 2024?) for the Swindon Advertiser, in its article about the changes for 29th June, says:


Taken from https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/25218490.new-changes-stagecoach-bus-network-swindon-area/

More info, as well as route maps and timetables, can be found at https://www.stagecoachbus.com/servi...rticle?SituationId=ID-05/06/2025-13:18:47:445

HTIOI,
Dave

Privacy? Double deckers have been around for almost 100 years with no complaints about privacy !
Surely having buses close your house should be a positive thing

 

[markymark2000]

Privacy? Double deckers have been around for almost 100 years with no complaints about privacy !
Surely having buses close your house should be a positive thing

Some areas now are so full of nimbyism and complaints that they don't want buses. Yet the same people who kick off that they don't want the buses down their road, then post on Facebook 'silly council pushing anti car measures. Maybe we would all use the bus if we had one'. The mind absolutely boggles with some people.

The same thing just happened in Manchester. On 30th March, TFGM rerouted bus 125 away from Knights Crescent in Langley because of complaints from residents. Ok.... not great but it happened. It then got changed again on the 25th May to reroute back via Knights Crescent due to complaints that the bus route had changed. I wonder how long before the original set of complaints come back that they don't want the buses down their street again....

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Privacy? Double deckers have been around for almost 100 years with no complaints about privacy !
Surely having buses close your house should be a positive thing

Perhaps some people just aren't into buses?