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Stagecoach West/South West/South Wales - Fleet News & Discussion
- Thread starter Temple Meads
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RailUK Forums
New 68 Reg Enviros out to Play Today in Exeter. Had 37478 on route A to ride, much better than other older models in Exeter. Also still around where a range of 60/11 Reg Enviros, as well as 37130-37136. 37440-37444 where roaming, as well as, surprisingly a dart on route S.
Most of the new 68 plate Enviro 200s I saw today were on the I/J/K group though I did see one on the A. I got the impression they were being put into service one at a time during the morning. I travelled on one on service J and agree with SJ21 that they are an improvement over the older E200s - especially the much quieter engine noise. The interior cove panels all carry dark blue Stagecoach information panels including a city route map which is a great improvement over public health warnings about the state of your poo. The new style faux leather slimline seats seemed hard at first but turned out to be surprisingly comfortable. However, having the engine stop and start every time the doors are opened and closed does become a little tedious on a route with frequent stops. It may save fuel but diesel engines are not noted for starting quietly and smoothly. Still, we should be pleased that Stagecoach are continuing to invest in Exeter.
CMRail
Member
It’s quite true that we have had a good amount of new buses. My point is that the YX63 buses went off to Bristol, we had darts not fit for duty. Cascading units which are decent are fine but it creates the cycle. Stroud are horribly unlucky.
Route 1 for new vehicles? That’s the “have your assault screens up” route (no offence towards particular passengers)
Away from my disappointment and the managements like to Cheltenham, I reckon that the MMCs for 10 will be Scanias next year, as there is nothing to suggest otherwise..
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
It's really more about the routes that a) make the most money and or b) have the greatest growth potential. The 94 and 10 are strong routes. The 41 has grown massively with Kickstart funding IIRC. Would imagine the 1 is still a good money maker though not what it was.
As for the 63 plates, I'd imagine that they would want some decent machines if only because of the distance from Gloucester depot? SGBC have reasonable facilities but it's some distance to be covering regular breakdowns.
Must Admit, being on one was much more welcoming than a standard E200. I found them more comfortable, and it surprised a number of passengers who are used to a Normal E200. Anyway, nice to see some investment into Exeter.
The I/J/K have had the newish E200MMC's from Plymouth for a while so I doubt the new ones will be too big of a shock. As a passenger on the I/J/K I'm certainly happy we are getting the investment. Passenger numbers certainly seem to have picked up since they started looping to Digby, they just need to sort the timetable as it gets way too long from Digby to Whipton Shops and impossible timings from Whipton Shops to town so usually runs late.
Supposed to be 36 enviro 200s.
Yeah they do seem to be a lot busier!
Other issue is they wait too long at Digby where there’s not enough room for 4 buses.
Wolvercoter
Member
Another issue with the I/J service is lack of bus stops between Rydon Park and Peppercombe Avenue. It's a big gap for a local service.
Thanks Walrus, only 7 vehicles required on these 2 routes in East Devon plus 2 for the 20 T/ton - Seaton route.
Mike R
They seem to spend the 5+ minutes looping round as they can't wait. Also loading can be dodgy as well as it's often in the road around a parked bus.
There should be a stop by the Met Office footpath but I guess it's too dangerous to stop there annoyingly (as that is closer to my house!)
Where would you put additional bus stops?
That is correct.
I know as I was driving the I last week!
The bus stops do seem a long way from the bulk of the new housing. For some, the nearest stop must be the terminus of the A in Bramley Avenue. Perhaps the I/J should be routed through the houses via Peppercombe Avenue, Myrtlebury Way and Heritage Road. I suspect, as the estate develops, there will be a way through it
to the east. In the longer term, Devon CC have ambitions to build a Devon Metro station on the Exmouth line where it passes under Hill Barton Road.
Given David Wilson are paying for the bus extension, the fact it doesn't go into the estate is surprising, except that with the poor parking on the estate roads they often become hard to pass even with a car. The station certainly won't happen before the funding for the extension ends and likely, based on Marsh Barton, will never happen as it needs other infrastructure and rolling stock to be served.
I wondered if the bus may eventually be diverted through Hill Barton Vale to Honiton Road but that won't happen as several drivers that have gotten lost have already gotten stuck in Hill Barton Vale due to Myrtlebury Way being far too narrow and blocked by parked cars. Also, usage to Tesco is actually higher than certainly I expected so you'd be losing all that business.
People use the I/J over the A as it is much more reliable and quicker. Whenever the A is late they turn them on one of the roundabouts before Thornpark Rise, often meaning large gaps in service. Also, Bramley Avenue is on the loop so boarding there means you go 1 stop then wait up to 9 minutes at the terminus and buses don't wait for time there so service gaps can be significant. That being said having both is handy as from town in the evenings the J and A combine to give a handy 15 minute service. It's a shame that the other way the go at the almost the same time every 30 mins!
Heritage Road (entrance to Hill Barton Vale) is wide enough for buses and will be improved further when adopted with appropriate yellow lines. As the Monkerton development expands, Heritage Road will eventually be extended opposite its current junction with Myrtlebury Way through to the roundabout on Cumberland Way / Tithebarn Lane (Taylor Wimpey development at the Cumberland Way end is about to commence) or Oberon Road. The Monkerton Masterplan always envisaged buses serving this route through the new housing and the logical route to serve it would be the K to Exeter Science Park (also serves huge housing developments east of M5). The current K route along Pinhoe Road to Cumberland Way is adequately served by the 1 and F2.
The I/J should be rerouted from Hill Barton Road to Sidmouth Road and use the buses only section of Digby Drive. This would serve more local stops including Middlemoor Police HQ (currently undergoing a massive expansion) and Digby Station. The stops on Rydon Lane are not well used and are also served by the H.
Wolvercoter
Member
Ideally there would be at least two stops in that section - one at Middlemoor and another near Bramley Avenue. However, I suspect there isn't a safe space for them as there doesn't appear to be much room for laybys and the roads are quite fast. I've asked the council but they haven't replied and I'm not holding my breath. So, I don't use the I/J service - which is a shame as it passes directly by my house on Topsham Road and my workplace at Middlemoor.
I've wondered whether the I/J service could go via Lower Hill Barton Road, Honiton Road and Barton Grange Roundabout to ensure stops in the area are served.
I did wonder whether this would be an option too... many years ago, the B service used to run from Honiton Road P&R through Sowton to Digby Drive and Digby Retail Park. Might need to tidy up the road surface a bit.
You very rarely get any passengers on Digby Drive either so that would be a waste of time. Although a stop near the police station would be ideal. I think the problem would be time constraints if you added any more to the I/J routes.
Does it not observe the H stops just past Middlemoor as I've certainly stopped there on one?
The H stop is quite a distance (for those who prefer not to walk) from Middlemoor HQ. There would be significant extra business by using the Sidmouth Road stops adjacent to one of the largest employers in the city.
Serving Digby and Sowton station would increase usage, but the most important benefit would be serving stops adjacent to Middlemoor HQ. Journey time should not be an issue, I believe an earlier post said there is too much time in the schedule over that part of the route.
Some interesting comments and ideas on here. I agree that the I/J provide a useful link between Whipton Barton, Tesco and IKEA. I live not far from where the D sneaks into Pynes Hill by the back door so the J provides useful extra service back from the city centre. Whenever I use it, I am not the only person on the bus. When I suggested the buses divert through the new Hill Barton Vale housing I still intended that they would continue to Tesco etc.
It is a pity that when the new roundabout was installed in Hill Barton Road to serve the new housing, bus stops were not built at the same time. However, whilst Hill Barton Road may appear to be "fast" it is an ordinary urban road with a 30MPH speed limit. At one time, buses used to turn right from Hill Barton Road into Lower Hill Barton Road and, if the road sign is to be believed, they are still not prohibited from doing so. I accept that the police HQ would a source of passengers but anyone travelling there from the city would surely use the 9 or Green P+R. I cannot see that serving Digby & Sowton Station would increase usage.
I see from N&P that Stagecoach have registered a change of timetable and route for the D. I hope they are not going to muck it up.
It is a pity that when the new roundabout was installed in Hill Barton Road to serve the new housing, bus stops were not built at the same time. However, whilst Hill Barton Road may appear to be "fast" it is an ordinary urban road with a 30MPH speed limit. At one time, buses used to turn right from Hill Barton Road into Lower Hill Barton Road and, if the road sign is to be believed, they are still not prohibited from doing so. I accept that the police HQ would a source of passengers but anyone travelling there from the city would surely use the 9 or Green P+R. I cannot see that serving Digby & Sowton Station would increase usage.
I see from N&P that Stagecoach have registered a change of timetable and route for the D. I hope they are not going to muck it up.
The point is that I/J routes could open swathes of the city to a single trip journey to employment hubs at Middlemoor and Digby & Sowton. Residents of Topsham Road, Whipton, Pinhoe Road, Mount Pleasant won’t commute into town to then get a Green P&R to Middlemoor, but they would commute by a single bus with a shorter journey time and a 20-min frequency. Interchanges at points like Digby & Sowton are critical to increasing ridership in this new era of Google Maps trip planning and contactless payment (I’m not talking Oyster, just convenience over cash).
The I and J stop at the bus stop by South West Water so yes.
You probably wouldn’t get more passengers though.
There’s too much time on this section but not enough on the other parts of the route so overall you wouldn’t have enough time to add much more to the route.
Temple Meads
Established Member
I would like those stops to be kept as they are the closest to where I work, I'm often not the only person getting off there as well.
I wasn't too sure about the new buses to start with as the first one I went on seemed to vibrate like an old Solo while idling, plus the stop/start takes some getting used to, but since then I've had a few trips and I've come to appreciate the supportive seats and fairly smooth ride.
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