West Country Independents

[Citistar]

A few changes coming up in the Wiltshire area during April (perhaps BSIP funded):

Starting with Faresaver:

• A Sunday & Bank Holiday service is introduced on X34 (Chippenham - Trowbridge section) from 15th April.
• 270 (Devizes) is renumbered 3A and 3C.
• There are several timing changes to the Trowbridge area services 63-69, notably with two 69 journeys via Bradford becoming 68 via Staverton (this is perhaps a response to the increased provision from First on D1/D1X between the two towns meaning that this section of the 69 becomes less crucial to the overall frequency on the corridor).
• There are new timetables for the 76/77 service, with FromeBus taking over a couple of additional journeys on the 77.
• Trowbridge services 60 and 65 are understood to be passing to another operator from 15th April.

I believe the extension of Beeline's 24 to become Salisbury - Warminster - Frome has been covered elsewhere. This effectively replaces the all day diagram on FromeBus 53, but FromeBus will retain several peak hour journeys. The current timetable on BODS/BusTimes is incomplete at the time of writing as the FromeBus journeys are not yet shown.

Beeline's 55 service from Warminster to Devizes on Thursdays becomes official once again and is extended to start from Kingston Deverill. Beeline will also be operating a resurrected service 80 from Mere to Frome via Maiden Bradley on Wednesdays. I also understand that the similarly resurrected 82 Friday service from Mere to Warminster via Maiden Bradley will be operated by FromeBus.

Finally, i believe that FromeBus will be taking over the Warminster 54 (Chitterne) and 57 (Mere) services from Beeline with effect from 2nd April.

 

[Lynford1976]

A few changes coming up in the Wiltshire area during April (perhaps BSIP funded):

Starting with Faresaver:

• A Sunday & Bank Holiday service is introduced on X34 (Chippenham - Trowbridge section) from 15th April.
• 270 (Devizes) is renumbered 3A and 3C.
• There are several timing changes to the Trowbridge area services 63-69, notably with two 69 journeys via Bradford becoming 68 via Staverton (this is perhaps a response to the increased provision from First on D1/D1X between the two towns meaning that this section of the 69 becomes less crucial to the overall frequency on the corridor).
• There are new timetables for the 76/77 service, with FromeBus taking over a couple of additional journeys on the 77.
• Trowbridge services 60 and 65 are understood to be passing to another operator from 15th April.

I believe the extension of Beeline's 24 to become Salisbury - Warminster - Frome has been covered elsewhere. This effectively replaces the all day diagram on FromeBus 53, but FromeBus will retain several peak hour journeys. The current timetable on BODS/BusTimes is incomplete at the time of writing as the FromeBus journeys are not yet shown.

Beeline's 55 service from Warminster to Devizes on Thursdays becomes official once again and is extended to start from Kingston Deverill. Beeline will also be operating a resurrected service 80 from Mere to Frome via Maiden Bradley on Wednesdays. I also understand that the similarly resurrected 82 Friday service from Mere to Warminster via Maiden Bradley will be operated by FromeBus.

Finally, i believe that FromeBus will be taking over the Warminster 54 (Chitterne) and 57 (Mere) services from Beeline with effect from 2nd April.

Are there any changes to the 56 (the Tuesday / Friday / Saturday bus between Warminster and Salisbury), @Citistar?

 

[Citistar]

Are there any changes to the 56 (the Tuesday / Friday / Saturday bus between Warminster and Salisbury), @Citistar?

I don't have the exact details to hand, but i believe that the 56 continues as it is at present, and has been bundled with the 80 (Wed) and 55 (Thu) to give a five day contract running Tue-Sat (perhaps also having a school service on Mondays).

 

[Lynford1976]

I don't have the exact details to hand, but i believe that the 56 continues as it is at present, and has been bundled with the 80 (Wed) and 55 (Thu) to give a five day contract running Tue-Sat (perhaps also having a school service on Mondays).

Brilliant, thank you @Citistar

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

A few changes coming up in the Wiltshire area during April (perhaps BSIP funded):

Starting with Faresaver:

• A Sunday & Bank Holiday service is introduced on X34 (Chippenham - Trowbridge section) from 15th April.
• 270 (Devizes) is renumbered 3A and 3C.
• There are several timing changes to the Trowbridge area services 63-69, notably with two 69 journeys via Bradford becoming 68 via Staverton (this is perhaps a response to the increased provision from First on D1/D1X between the two towns meaning that this section of the 69 becomes less crucial to the overall frequency on the corridor).
• There are new timetables for the 76/77 service, with FromeBus taking over a couple of additional journeys on the 77.
• Trowbridge services 60 and 65 are understood to be passing to another operator from 15th April.

I believe the extension of Beeline's 24 to become Salisbury - Warminster - Frome has been covered elsewhere. This effectively replaces the all day diagram on FromeBus 53, but FromeBus will retain several peak hour journeys. The current timetable on BODS/BusTimes is incomplete at the time of writing as the FromeBus journeys are not yet shown.

Beeline's 55 service from Warminster to Devizes on Thursdays becomes official once again and is extended to start from Kingston Deverill. Beeline will also be operating a resurrected service 80 from Mere to Frome via Maiden Bradley on Wednesdays. I also understand that the similarly resurrected 82 Friday service from Mere to Warminster via Maiden Bradley will be operated by FromeBus.

Finally, i believe that FromeBus will be taking over the Warminster 54 (Chitterne) and 57 (Mere) services from Beeline with effect from 2nd April.

A few interesting nuggets in there

So FromeBus lose the 53 (aside from a few peak hour runs) but gain the 54/57 in compensation (of a fashion). Interesting as the 24 is generally larger vehicles (e200mmc and Evora) so that's replacing Solos out to Frome.

The Sunday X34 is one that I suspect Wiltshire have harboured ambitions on for many years. Of course, it had an evening service interworked with Trowbridge town services until First pulled off the 234 in 2015 (?)

 

[wiltshirebloke]

So FromeBus lose the 53 (aside from a few peak hour runs) but gain the 54/57 in compensation (of a fashion). Interesting as the 24 is generally larger vehicles (e200mmc and Evora) so that's replacing Solos out to Frome.

.. and FromeBus appear to have picked up the 60/65 Trowbridge Town Service instead. Will be interesting to see what vehicles they intend using as the Enviro's used at the moment generally are well used, especially by people with pushchairs,walkers and shopping trollies. If its a midibus type, they may have sticks at dawn!!

 

[-Colly405-]

Seems like Transpora have given up on the YCL shuttle early...

It's advertised as finishing today, yet I've tried to use it yesterday (the 0826 from Yate) and today (the 1308 and 1337 from Cuckoo Lane), and all three journeys were no shows.

Not happy!!!

 

[wiltshirebloke]

Is there an expectation of an operator to offer a certain level of comms/service updates/web presence to travellers before tenders are awarded by local authorities?

Most mid to large sized operators now offer frequently updated websites, social media accounts that advise of service disruption, service changes, and of course timetables, also over recent years most now also offer bus tracking.

I notice Faresaver have upped their game over the last year with frequent updates on X/Facebook, and the addition of MyTrip allowing buses to be tracked, however with migration of some services now to smaller operators, some are lagging behind. For example, you have to burrow through Beeline's website to find their bus services with them prioritising their coach services on their website, and FromeBus seems to have been neglected, if not abandoned? Their website displaying last updated 24/10/22, although some of their timetables do show effective Sept'23, although most are 2020.

I know from experience some of the updates offered by Faresaver have been useful for people I know on the Service 60 Trowbridge Town Route when the bus has failed, with services only running once an hour, it saves a very long wait at the bus stop. Would this type of customer communication be classed as a basic essential for a customer facing company, or a luxury ?

I guess it could be a modern day scenerio of expecting bus companies to provide their own paper timetables and posting them on bus stop stands!

{Apologies Admins if this is going off topic, please move if so}

 

[father_jack]

Seems like Transpora have given up on the YCL shuttle early...

It's advertised as finishing today, yet I've tried to use it yesterday (the 0826 from Yate) and today (the 1308 and 1337 from Cuckoo Lane), and all three journeys were no shows.

Not happy!!!

Put it on twitter, you'll come under attack imminently !!!

 

[Citistar]

Is there an expectation of an operator to offer a certain level of comms/service updates/web presence to travellers before tenders are awarded by local authorities?

This variation in information provision has always been the case. Over in our area to the west, for every Abus, Somerbus or Citistar who were proud to produce their own leaflets and get them in front of passengers, there have always been other operators happy to just do the bare minimum on local authority contracts. Modern technology has just changed where the disparity lies.

I note that Beeline don't actually provide any information regarding their bus services - they just link to BusTimes, which is a hazardous practice when BODS data on certain services seems to differ from what is contracted to operate.

 

[lukem]

Seems like Transpora have given up on the YCL shuttle early...

I have had very little luck with the YCL and several other transpora services, once had a driver on the YCL turn up 35 minutes late claiming to have misread the timetable, another time I gave up waiting and just walked it's route, never saw the bus.
When the 25 ran to Horfield I boarded a very late bus with a very apologetic driver as apparently the driver who was supposed to be driving had fallen asleep in a layby.
Emailed Transpora about the delays and it only took a month or so for a response..

 

[-Colly405-]

Put it on twitter, you'll come under attack imminently !!!

I sent them a 'public' tweet yesterday but got no reply.

Today I phoned them (could only find a London number), went to voicemail that was full so couldn't take messages, which just said to email them. Didn't bother...

 

[Callum15632]

I have had very little luck with the YCL and several other transpora services, once had a driver on the YCL turn up 35 minutes late claiming to have misread the timetable, another time I gave up waiting and just walked it's route, never saw the bus.
When the 25 ran to Horfield I boarded a very late bus with a very apologetic driver as apparently the driver who was supposed to be driving had fallen asleep in a layby.
Emailed Transpora about the delays and it only took a month or so for a response..

Talking about Transpora, today I was waiting outside Filton College bus stop this afternoon for the 16:13 X10 to Southmead Hospital and I put my hand out and the driver was wearing sunglasses. He was in the right hand lane and didn't even pull in to let me on and drove past me. Appalling service I definitely won't be trying to get on again. He also drove past 5 people waiting on the Northville Road bus stop as well. Someone I know got on the X10 today and tried getting on with a Bristol Rider from Cribbs Causeway to Southmead Hospital (they are accepted on there as it's still in Bristol) but the driver said that the Bristol Riders weren't accepted on the Transpora buses apparently but I don't believe him so they had to pay for a single to get on the bus. Another appalling service moment for transpora X10. Stagecoach ran the service better.