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Staffordshire Bus News

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Baxenden Bank

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More cuts by First in The Potteries at the end of September.

Details on the 'forthcoming changes' section of the Staffordshire County Council site, no full details as yet but I understand a certain inter-urban route is going from a 20 to a 30 minute frequency with deckers. Same capacity but less attractive to the turn-up-and-go customer.
 
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Robertj21a

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First Potteries is part of First Midland (includes Worcester and Leicester) and its head office is in Leicester


Legal address

First Potteries Ltd
Westway
Chelmsford
Essex
CM1 3AR

Just picking this up again, the legal address is now Leicester, for Potteries, Worcester and, of course, Leicester itself.
 

James101

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More cuts by First in The Potteries at the end of September.

Details on the 'forthcoming changes' section of the Staffordshire County Council site, no full details as yet but I understand a certain inter-urban route is going from a 20 to a 30 minute frequency with deckers. Same capacity but less attractive to the turn-up-and-go customer.


  • Service 32 (Uttoxeter - Hanley) will be renamed as Kingfisher, with a revised route and timetable


Kingfisher’ in Uttoxeter to compliment ‘Swift’? Sounds a bit Trent to me.
 

Robertj21a

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  • Service 32 (Uttoxeter - Hanley) will be renamed as Kingfisher, with a revised route and timetable

Kingfisher’ in Uttoxeter to compliment ‘Swift’? Sounds a bit Trent to me.

Sounds more like Twitcher to me.......
 

Martin2012

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According to Staffordshire Council's website it states there are changes to a number of Sunday timetables but does not state service reductions.

Amongst others the 3, 4, 4A and 25 are mentioned.

One possibility, as the 3 and 25 seem to interwork on a Sunday is it maybe the case the timings of the 3 have been altered to reflect new timings on the 25?
 

Baxenden Bank

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According to Staffordshire Council's website it states there are changes to a number of Sunday timetables but does not state service reductions.

Amongst others the 3, 4, 4A and 25 are mentioned.

One possibility, as the 3 and 25 seem to interwork on a Sunday is it maybe the case the timings of the 3 have been altered to reflect new timings on the 25?
I automatically assume any First in The Potteries changes are, from the customer point of view, negative. That is all we have had for 5 years that I can recall. I will be more than happy to be proved wrong by there being an increase in frequencies, earlier and later buses, and the re-introduction of routes cut previously!

  • Service 32 (Uttoxeter - Hanley) will be renamed as Kingfisher, with a revised route and timetable

Kingfisher’ in Uttoxeter to compliment ‘Swift’? Sounds a bit Trent to me.

That's all well and good. Who are they missing out this time and where will the ever lengthening gaps in the timetable be now? If the buses are route-branded I expect none of them to be on the correct route by the end of the launch day, even assuming that they are diagrammed to remain on a single route. They couldn't manage it with Overground, or the coloured lines more recently. Again I look forward to being proved incorrect.
 

Baxenden Bank

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Just picking this up again, the legal address is now Leicester, for Potteries, Worcester and, of course, Leicester itself.
On a sample of one, 100% of the bus fleet has new Leicester legal lettering. Has any reason been given for this?
 

Robertj21a

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On a sample of one, 100% of the bus fleet has new Leicester legal lettering. Has any reason been given for this?

You should find that all of the Potteries fleet now has the Leicester address. As far as I'm aware, it's simply making the address more appropriate (than Chelmsford), though there is some question in my mind as to how relevant any of it really is !
 

Sprinter150

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  • Service 32 (Uttoxeter - Hanley) will be renamed as Kingfisher, with a revised route and timetable

Kingfisher’ in Uttoxeter to compliment ‘Swift’? Sounds a bit Trent to me.

The 32 is already every half hour (to Cheadle - only every hour on to Uttoxeter) - I would have thought the 101 is more likely. Eclipse Geminis often find their way onto this route anyway. I wonder if they will be route branded (in which case, the 25 ones will be on the 101 and vice-versa (of course))? A shame, as it always seems profitable when ever I see it.
 

Baxenden Bank

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According to Staffordshire Council's website it states there are changes to a number of Sunday timetables but does not state service reductions.

Amongst others the 3, 4, 4A and 25 are mentioned.

One possibility, as the 3 and 25 seem to interwork on a Sunday is it maybe the case the timings of the 3 have been altered to reflect new timings on the 25?
32 hourly throughout.
101 every 30 minutes, with single deckers.
 

43055

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Details of the September changes for First is now on the website: https://www.firstgroup.com/potterie...d-changes/timetable-changes-29-september-2019

No mention of the 32 being rebranded but the new timetable section shows it is 'kingfisher' and not 32. Good idea of extending the service to Uttoxeter Station as well and combining with the times of the East Midlands Trains Railway services for connections.

Service 3A Hanley – Tunstall – Kidsgrove – Talke Pits
On Mondays to Fridays the 0455 trips from Butt Lane to Hanley will run 10 minutes earlier. On Saturdays the 1655 & 1815 trips from Hanley to Talke Pits will terminate in Kidsgrove.

Services 4 Hanley – Newcastle – Chesterton – Audley
On Mondays to Fridays the 0505 trip from Hanley to Audley will no longer operate. The 1800 trip from Hanley to Audley Council Offices is retimed from Newcastle onwards.

On Sundays the 1936 trip from Newcastle to Hanley will no longer operate.

In Festival Park, all buses towards Newcastle will now be timed at Bet365 instead of Waterworld, and all buses towards Hanley will be timed at Vodafone

Service 5 Hanley – Abbey Hulton
A new timetable is introduced on Mondays to Saturdays. On Sundays the 1855 Hanley to Abbey Hulton trip and the 1915 return trip will no longer operate. Outbound buses will once again serve Old Hall Street in Hanley.

Service 6A Hanley – Longton – Meir Park – Blythe Bridge
The following trips will no longer operate:

Mondays to Fridays – 0446 Meir Park to Hanley; 0530 Hanley to Blythe Bridge.

Saturdays – 0635 Hanley to Blythe Bridge.

Services 7/7A Hanley – Smallthorne – Chell – Kidsgrove/Biddulph
The following trips will no longer operate:

Mondays to Fridays – 0540 & 0605 Hanley to Biddulph (7A); 0620 Hanley to Kidsgrove (7)

New Sunday timetable, still every hour to Kidsgrove and Biddulph but now every 30 minutes between Chell and Hanley

Service 8 Hanley – Smallthorne - Norton – Ball Green
On Mondays to Fridays the 0605 Hanley to Ball Green and the 1910 Ball Green to Hanley trips will no longer operate. Also on Mondays to Fridays the 0540 Ball Green to Hanley trip will run 10 minutes earlier.

Services 11/11B Hanley – Bentilee (– Longton – Stoke – Newcastle)
A new timetable is introduced. Buses will once again start from outside Hanley bus station and also serve Old Hall Street

Service 18 Hanley – Baddeley Green – Endon – Leek
The following trips will no longer operate on Mondays to Fridays:

0620 & 1925 Hanley to Leek; 1934 Leek to Hanley

Service 21 Hanley – Stoke – Trentham
On Mondays to Fridays the 1904 from Trentham to Hanley will no longer operate, and the 1927 from Hanley to Trentham will run 2 minutes earlier. There will be minor changes to some bus times.

Service 23 Hanley – Stoke – Blurton – Newstead
On Mondays to Fridays:

The 0503 Blurton to Hanley and the 0537 Hanley to Newstead trips will no longer operate, and the 1942 Hanley to Newstead will run 12 minutes earlier.

The 2117 Hanley to Newstead trip is withdrawn and replaced with a trip at 2035 from Hanley to Newstead.

The 2013 and 2043 trips from Newstead to Hanley are withdrawn and replaced with a trip from Newstead at 2001.

There will be minor changes to some bus times.

Service 25 Hanley – Stoke – Hospital – Newcastle – Keele
During the Keele University term, there will be changes to the early Saturday morning timetable. On Mondays to Fridays in the university vacation the 0735 & 0755 trips from Hanley to Keele will no longer operate. On Sundays the 0937 Newcastle to Keele trip will run 5 minutes later.

Service 32 Hanley – Werrington – Kingsley – Cheadle – Tean – Uttoxeter
A new timetable is introduced on Mondays to Saturdays, operating every hour between Hanley and Uttoxeter, serving Uttoxeter rail station. Trips are designed to connect at Uttoxeter station with East Midland Trains to Derby and Stoke.

In Cheadle, buses towards Uttoxeter will once again serve the bus stop in High Street, adjacent to Nat West Bank.

Services 72 Newcastle – Westbury Park
The following trips will no longer operate:

Saturdays - 0730 Newcastle to Westbury Park; 0706 & 0741 Westbury Park to Newcastle.

Sundays – 1910 Newcastle to Westbury Park; 1921 Westbury Park to Newcastle

Service 98 Newcastle – Porthill – Burslem – Norton – Ball Green
On Mondays to Fridays the 0625 Ball Green to Newcastle trip will no longer operate. The 0720 and 1545 trips from Newcastle will operate 5 minutes later.

Service 101 Hanley – Newcastle – Trentham – Stone – Stafford
A new timetable is introduced on Mondays to Saturdays, operating every 30 minutes in the daytime between Hanley and Stafford. An new trip to Stafford will start at Riverside Road, Trent Vale at 1547hrs which will benefit St Joseph’s College students but anyone can catch it.
 

vlad

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Good idea of extending the service to Uttoxeter Station as well and combining with the times of the East Midlands Trains Railway services for connections.

The long-gone 32A always used to run to Uttoxeter station - I thought they'd given up the idea of going that far!
 

Baxenden Bank

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Well, I don't see any improvements here.

The Uxbridge Dictionary should have a new entry:

First Bus = This service will no longer operate.

According to Staffordshire Council's website it states there are changes to a number of Sunday timetables but does not state service reductions.

Amongst others the 3, 4, 4A and 25 are mentioned.

One possibility, as the 3 and 25 seem to interwork on a Sunday is it maybe the case the timings of the 3 have been altered to reflect new timings on the 25?



Details of the September changes for First is now on the website: https://www.firstgroup.com/potterie...d-changes/timetable-changes-29-september-2019

No mention of the 32 being rebranded but the new timetable section shows it is 'kingfisher' and not 32. Good idea of extending the service to Uttoxeter Station as well and combining with the times of the East Midlands Trains Railway services for connections.
 

davehsug

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Just looks like further cuts to evening & early morning services. It's only 1 or 2 buses for now, but soon. anyone working before 8am or after 5pm can forget it.
 

mikestone1952

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D&G have registered a 32 (32X) at short notice but vosa doesn't show end points - possibly replacing the Cheadle shorts and presumably the Alton Towers journeys?
 

43055

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D&G have registered a 32 (32X) at short notice but vosa doesn't show end points - possibly replacing the Cheadle shorts and presumably the Alton Towers journeys?
I have found an application on the gov website which has the start and end points as Tean and Hanley via Cheadle with a effective date from the 30th September
 

Baxenden Bank

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Details of the September changes for First is now on the website: https://www.firstgroup.com/potterie...d-changes/timetable-changes-29-september-2019

Just looks like further cuts to evening & early morning services. It's only 1 or 2 buses for now, but soon. anyone working before 8am or after 5pm can forget it.

Check the individual timetables carefully. I have noticed changes which are NOT shown on the list issued by First in the Potteries. Mostly peak-hour re-timings and only by +/- a few minutes but also odd journeys removed here and there.

I really can't be bothered spending, and shouldn't have to, a whole day comparing the issued list of changes with the stokebus.info site, traveline WM, First pdf's and First online versions trying to work out which is the correct one by paying £3 to the Traffic Commissioner for the actual registration! Then there will be the printed versions in due course which, if they were a professional operator, concerned about the survival of their business, they would always run to - even if it meant finding an extra bus to cover an odd turn.
 

Baxenden Bank

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D&G have registered a 32 (32X) at short notice but vosa doesn't show end points - possibly replacing the Cheadle shorts and presumably the Alton Towers journeys?

I have found an application on the gov website which has the start and end points as Tean and Hanley via Cheadle with a effective date from the 30th September

Ah, a conversation from a few weeks ago makes sense now. I thought someone was suggesting that it would be a good idea for D & G to run a 32 service, perhaps they were stating it as fact. Must pay more attention in class!
 
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mikestone1952

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Yes - now listed on Staffordshire website as Hanley to Cheadle and Upper Tean.
I did wonder if they might operate throughout to Uttoxeter to feed Midland Classic services - I wouldn't have thought there was an enormous danger of Potteries retaliating by registering over their commercial routes.
;
I suppose it could still happen if vosa have only accepted the short notice journeys because they replace existing services.
 

Baxenden Bank

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Yes - now listed on Staffordshire website as Hanley to Cheadle and Upper Tean.
I did wonder if they might operate throughout to Uttoxeter to feed Midland Classic services - I wouldn't have thought there was an enormous danger of Potteries retaliating by registering over their commercial routes.
;
I suppose it could still happen if vosa have only accepted the short notice journeys because they replace existing services.
Not much traffic (existing or potential) between Tean and Uttoxeter. JCB workers don't catch buses, ever. Some school children to Cheadle and Uttoxeter. To be frank I am surprised that First continue with it - the service has been hourly for decades and way back, when it was the X42/X43, it had an annoying two-hour gap mid afternoon.
 

Baxenden Bank

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D&G have registered a 32 (32X) at short notice but vosa doesn't show end points - possibly replacing the Cheadle shorts and presumably the Alton Towers journeys?

I have found an application on the gov website which has the start and end points as Tean and Hanley via Cheadle with a effective date from the 30th September

Timetable now shown on the D & G website.

Hourly off-peak service, some peak journeys via Kingsley, most journeys direct between Cheadle and Cellarhead. Vehicles depart Hanley approx 30 minutes after First, have waiting time in Tean, then depart back to Hanley just ahead of First.

It does mean a large gap out of Cheadle to Kingsley between 1449 and 1649 as First divert their buses out of Kingsley, just at the time passengers might want to use them (due to congestion at Kingsley school).
 

43055

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Timetable now shown on the D & G website.

Hourly off-peak service, some peak journeys via Kingsley, most journeys direct between Cheadle and Cellarhead. Vehicles depart Hanley approx 30 minutes after First, have waiting time in Tean, then depart back to Hanley just ahead of First.

It does mean a large gap out of Cheadle to Kingsley between 1449 and 1649 as First divert their buses out of Kingsley, just at the time passengers might want to use them (due to congestion at Kingsley school).
6 min apart at Tean but by the time they get to Hanley it is 20 min apart as First have a 5 min wait at Cheadle as well.

Midland Classic are revising timetables on October 28th for most routes. The most intriguing change is that route 9 will be extended to East Midlands Airport from Ashby.
 
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I didn't know that they have tried this before. It must of been quite a while ago.

Yes it was it was at the time that the airport did a big expansion on public transport with Skylink improvements, start of the 155 to Coalville etc. I remember seeing the timetable in the Derbyshire book as it was an extension of the 9, which passes through Swadlincote.
 

bussnapperwm

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I see NX are still ploughing through their planned changes for South Staffordshire
 

Smethwickian

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What changes would these be think I may have missed them
In the absence of a response I can only presume bussnapperwm is referring to changes in the Wombourne, Swindon and Himley areas of South Staffordshire district which NXWM included in its West Dudley Consultation earlier in the summer and which caused local press headlines and obligatory photos of grumpy people at bus stops.
 
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