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Bee Network Service Improvements (Existing services)

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Lucy Michela

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I need to know this mostly for my YouTube series where I ride every route in Greater Manchester, except for schools routes...

The 437, previously the R11; does anyone know this is actually a public route, or is it a schools route? Only, it has just one journey each way, and therefore is confusing the heck out of me. Thanks in advance.
 
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noddingdonkey

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Had my first ride on the new 184 today, several passengers quite miffed to find themselves on Manchester Road rather than Cowlersley.

Metro's Your Next Bus service is still programmed with the old route, just to add to the confusion. (I have brought this to their attention).

Good quality vehicle, better downstairs seat pitch then the regular First fare on this route. Just a shame the timetable coordination with First is non existent.
 
L

Leedsbusman

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Lucy Michela said:
I need to know this mostly for my YouTube series where I ride every route in Greater Manchester, except for schools routes...

The 437, previously the R11; does anyone know this is actually a public route, or is it a schools route? Only, it has just one journey each way, and therefore is confusing the heck out of me. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Yes it’s a regular bus route.
 
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mic

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noddingdonkey said:
Had my first ride on the new 184 today, several passengers quite miffed to find themselves on Manchester Road rather than Cowlersley.

Metro's Your Next Bus service is still programmed with the old route, just to add to the confusion. (I have brought this to their attention).

Good quality vehicle, better downstairs seat pitch then the regular First fare on this route. Just a shame the timetable coordination with First is non existent.
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i noted on Bus times it is going straight up the A62 out of Marsden
 
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mic

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noddingdonkey said:
I think that's due to the hail and ride section, bus times assumes it's staying on Manchester Road rather going to Mount Road
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i am going on it tommorrow to Huddersfield so will confirm then

noddingdonkey said:
I think that's due to the hail and ride section, bus times assumes it's staying on Manchester Road rather going to Mount Road
Click to expand...
(yes I have see 1going straight on not turn fall lane sad day's ahead) [just had it confirmed by a Marsden resdient she saw it go straight up the A62 and not turn on to fall lane
 
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Steve440

Steve440

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mic said:
i am going on it tommorrow to Huddersfield so will confirm then


(yes I have see 1going straight on not turn fall lane sad day's ahead) [just had it confirmed by a Marsden resdient she saw it go straight up the A62 and not turn on to fall lane
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It should be going on Mount Road to Hard End not via Manchester Road.
According to the map on bustimes then it does go via Mount Road.
Also on bustimes, the 1505 ex Oldham and 1633 ex Huddersfield didn't run today, that's not good.
 
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mic

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mangad

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Lucy Michela said:
Are you 100% certain? It does say on bustimes that it runs only on school days. I worry that I'll plan to use it, and then the driver will tell me it's just for school kids
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If it was a schools route, the number would be in the 700s or 800s.

Found it running yesterday morning. The vehicle does a school bus journey, then pootles off up the road to a bus terminus and stretch of road served by no other bus. Then it mostly follows the 467 route to Rochdale. Perhaps just a positioning service TfGM inherited - that would explain why it only runs school days. But why it serves a stretch of road and a terminus served by no other bus, is interesting. As is the fact there seems to be no TfGM timetable.

69531 - BD11 CFE

Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse 2
bustimes.org

Curiously couldn't find the afternoon equivalent in bustimes.org

I had a look at the top end of the route on Google Streetview - rural road, then a housing estate. Wonder if this bus will last in the Bee Network?!
 
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edwin_m

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The 184 timetable linked upthread shows a schoolday-only journey that runs into Oldham. I think it continues to Oldham Hulme for pupils only.
 
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mangad

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edwin_m said:
The 184 timetable linked upthread shows a schoolday-only journey that runs into Oldham. I think it continues to Oldham Hulme for pupils only.
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bustimes.org shows the school day 84 service stopping at Oldham only. But as it runs a few minutes before another service, looks like an attempt to provide extra capacity on schooldays.
 
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Lucy Michela

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mangad said:
If it was a schools route, the number would be in the 700s or 800s.

Found it running yesterday morning. The vehicle does a school bus journey, then pootles off up the road to a bus terminus and stretch of road served by no other bus. Then it mostly follows the 467 route to Rochdale. Perhaps just a positioning service TfGM inherited - that would explain why it only runs school days. But why it serves a stretch of road and a terminus served by no other bus, is interesting. As is the fact there seems to be no TfGM timetable.

69531 - BD11 CFE

Volvo B7RLE Wright Eclipse 2
bustimes.org

Curiously couldn't find the afternoon equivalent in bustimes.org

I had a look at the top end of the route on Google Streetview - rural road, then a housing estate. Wonder if this bus will last in the Bee Network?!
Click to expand...
Oh, so if it doesn't get renumbered to 7xx or 8xx under Bee Network, I know it's public. Good to know. Gonna be hard to fit that into a day plan for my series on every route in the region, but I'll find a way to do it haha
 
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Statto

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Maybe not the right thread for this post but anyway, had a ride on the 362 Wigan - Chorley a few weeks ago & from quick observation the service feels a ton more reliable now it's operated from Wigan depot than it ever was when Arriva operated the service, as Arriva operated the 362 from Bolton depot but to save dead milage they interworked the 362 with the 575 Bolton - Wigan & reliability often took a hit, it was quite common to see buses running in pairs this being a 20 minute service, & quite often both buses being late, the worst was when they had the roadworks on the Blackrod By Pass.
 
Deerfold

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Most buses on the 184 have incorrectly been missing out Hard End, Marsden. Bee Network on Twitter have been telling people they'll investigate since Sunday and will then provide an update.
 
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mic

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Deerfold said:
Most buses on the 184 have incorrectly been missing out Hard End, Marsden. Bee Network on Twitter have been telling people they'll investigate since Sunday and will then provide an update.
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I did note from bustimes.org that 2 go via Hard End. 11522 was one of them. They need to get them running to time as well.
 
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158756

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Deerfold said:
Most buses on the 184 have incorrectly been missing out Hard End, Marsden. Bee Network on Twitter have been telling people they'll investigate since Sunday and will then provide an update.
Click to expand...

That's bizarre. Have the new drivers just been shown the wrong route or something?
 
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noddingdonkey

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Lots of complaints locally about the 184 not following the correct route, and inconsistent information. I saw an old-looking Stagecoach single decker in Huddersfield this morning full of folk in hi-vis which I assume was a route learning run. A lot more trips seem to have taken the correct route today, according to bustimes.org
 
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mic

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noddingdonkey said:
Lots of complaints locally about the 184 not following the correct route, and inconsistent information. I saw an old-looking Stagecoach single decker in Huddersfield this morning full of folk in hi-vis which I assume was a route learning run. A lot more trips seem to have taken the correct route today, according to bustimes.org
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looking on bustimes tonight yet again one had missed Mount road out in both directions i am begining to think the service should have stayed with First West Yorkshire
 
GusB

GusB

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We're getting away from the thread topic, which is Bee Network Services Changes. If you wish to discuss any other matter, please use an appropriate existing thread or start a new one.

Thanks :)
 
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mayneway

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Been told there should be a major rewrite sometime in April for T2 depots.
Can’t comment on the other two depots but the one I’m at is chaos mainly down to the scheduling.
 
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158756

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Timetable changes coming for the Vantage (do they still use that name anywhere?) routes from April 7th.

There will be two extra V4 journeys in the morning, and timetables throughout the day will change to improve reliability by increasing running times. Off peak journey times towards Manchester seem to be increased by 6 minutes, some shoulder peak journeys have increases up to 15 minutes.

It should improve reliability, but in the longer term if TfGM want to increase passenger numbers they need to be reducing the impact of traffic on journey times.
 
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mayneway

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158756 said:
Timetable changes coming for the Vantage (do they still use that name anywhere?) routes from April 7th.

There will be two extra V4 journeys in the morning, and timetables throughout the day will change to improve reliability by increasing running times. Off peak journey times towards Manchester seem to be increased by 6 minutes, some shoulder peak journeys have increases up to 15 minutes.

It should improve reliability, but in the longer term if TfGM want to increase passenger numbers they need to be reducing the impact of traffic on journey times.
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TFGM carried out capacity counts and passenger surveys a couple of months back on Tranche 1 services; these changes are as a result of those surveys.
Problem is as I see it, there’s still 3 or 4 vantage buses leaving Manchester together at the same time In afternoon peak. Great if the first bus is full, but shows a clear lack of adjustment by controllers.
As you say unless they solve the traffic issues throwing more buses on the diagram will just increase bunching.
 
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Andyh82

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Bee Network have tweeted today that there are driver shortages meaning some journeys will be cancelled


A number of bus services are not running due to driver availability.

We are working closely with the operators to resolve these issues and to ensure that as many services on key routes are running as possible, including last services of the day.

Some services on the following routes may be cancelled: 17, 18, 59, 83, 84, 182, 348, 350, 409 and 425.

Stay up to date by visiting our travel updates. Please talk to Bee Network colleagues at the bus stations and interchanges for information on the exact services affected who will be able to direct you to alternative options for travel. We sincerely apologise to any customers affected and would urge anyone with questions or concerns to get in touch with us.
 
Xenophon PCDGS

Xenophon PCDGS

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Andyh82 said:
Bee Network have tweeted today that there are driver shortages meaning some journeys will be cancelled


A number of bus services are not running due to driver availability.

We are working closely with the operators to resolve these issues and to ensure that as many services on key routes are running as possible, including last services of the day.

Some services on the following routes may be cancelled: 17, 18, 59, 83, 84, 182, 348, 350, 409 and 425.

Stay up to date by visiting our travel updates. Please talk to Bee Network colleagues at the bus stations and interchanges for information on the exact services affected who will be able to direct you to alternative options for travel. We sincerely apologise to any customers affected and would urge anyone with questions or concerns to get in touch with us.
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Would this situation have been any different if the Bee Network had not come into being and buses were operated by the bus companies who ran these services?
 
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Cesarcollie

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Xenophon PCDGS said:
Would this situation have been any different if the Bee Network had not come into being and buses were operated by the bus companies who ran these services?
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Maybe. Or maybe not. But unfortunately the Mayor has been claiming for several years that these robbing private companies are useless and deregulation is c**p, and that everything will be better under public control. So he’s rather made a rod for his own back…….
 
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johncrossley

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Xenophon PCDGS said:
Would this situation have been any different if the Bee Network had not come into being and buses were operated by the bus companies who ran these services?
Click to expand...

Tranche 2 has only been running for a few days. If I recall there were also teething problems with Tranche 1 back in September. Punctuality has since improved and according to the published statistics, punctuality statistics are better than before the Bee Network.
 
Xenophon PCDGS

Xenophon PCDGS

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johncrossley said:
Tranche 2 has only been running for a few days. If I recall there were also teething problems with Tranche 1 back in September. Punctuality has since improved and according to the published statistics, punctuality statistics are better than before the Bee Network.
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Is it not the case that there have been slightly more driver availability problems at the start of Tranche 2 than was the case at the start of Tranche 1?
 
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