The 34 doesn't interwork with other services - it only stays at the Bus Station for 2 minutes as it runs circular in the town centre. It has a 2 minute stand time at the Coachway on its way out of town and 3 minutes going back. So 7 minutes total, which I think is enough stand time during the day.
41 and106/107 interwork with some school day trips advertised as through workings.
Unless there is another timetable change in the pipeline the Hyde Heath diversion is for one journey each way on schooldays numbered 41S.
I couldn't find the update anywhere in the thread, so link here: https://www.carouselbuses.co.uk/service-changes-1st-september-2024
Plus timing tweaks to most other stuff not just taken over from Arriva. Frequency restoration via Bourne End is welcome, suppose it makes sense to ease it in a little. Every 20 mins on the 850 via Twyford seems bold but perhaps makes sense with the 28 now in competition. Perhaps answers some of the questions about low PVR further up?
As usual the council website hasn't listed these changes yet.
800 completely wiped… can’t help but feel for the residents on that section who have been ridded of a direct service to Marlow and Wycombe.
I'm guessing they wanted to increase the frequency but not have the awkward service pattern that Arriva had when they ran 2x 800 and 1x 850 service each hour. I think the consistency and simplification will help passengers.
I drive to work along past the 103 and X74 buses and notice that the X74 always has consistently better loadings. The 103 gets good loadings on certain peak journeys out of Slough but seems to also run quite a few empty looking buses. Now Carousel has a larger network, I would imagine more people will take the 103 so they can make connections in Wycombe. First will probably be able to run the X74 for a couple more years but I don't see the X74 sticking around much longer!
That was one of my first thoughts when they announced the removal of the 800. I assume Reading Buses might decide to divert some of their services to Dunsden Green due to this.
Reading buses will be receiving council funding to divert some services via Binfield Heath (and presumably Dunsden Green).
I think getting rid of the 800 completely is misguided and there is demand for at least one through service Cav/Binfield in particular to High Wycombe.
But can the 28 / 800 corridor justify 3 or 4 buses and hour? There was a rumour that Carousel were looking to make both the 800 and 850 half-hourly to provide a 15 minute joint frequency but presumably that was before Reading started their 28.
The ex-WM E400's aren't entirely suitable for longer routes given they're 225hp. Euro 5 and Euro 6 have 250hp engines.
It's not the length of the journey (they worked the Birmingham to Stourbridge route IIRC) that is the question but the hills around Wycombe that might be more of a consideration.
They were on a five year lease.
4? Probably not. 2 28s and an 800 through to Wycombe? That's quite likely.
Its not very good though. First & Last bus times are way too late and early.
Fair enough but after I moved from Amersham to Denmark. I moved to a town of simular size and got my first bus at 8am and last bus at 11pm on a Sunday.
Understandable. If you consider the fact that you can connect to buses & including trains to Uxbridge and High Wycombe in both ends you get a good 8 buses a day to pick from.
Perhaps Carousel should rather establish a “One agreement” and provide cross ticketing options. Because Carousel will definitely still have some passengers changing at Henley.
To be honest introducing a 1C does feel like a waste of resources. Would have been much better using that bus for a boost of services to Hemel Hempstead.
This is partly a solution, but I don't think the 20 min frequency on the whole 850 route will last, and Carousel may end up terminating one per hour short with a Henley suburban loop, as far as Henley Tescos, to pick up the majority of passengers who really need a through route to High Wycombe (e.g. schoolchildren heading to William Borlase grammar in Marlow).
Um . . . don't see the logic here. The 1C to Chartridge is simply using up spare layover time at Chesham Broadway (xx46 - xx10). There is no implication on bus costs, just a bit of mileage, and I guess paid for with BSIP monies. I doubt that it will carry many passengers, but it does fill a bit of a network hole, and it's the sort of thing that BSIP is intended for. Diverting the HH trips via Botley and Ley Hill vice Lye Green also sounds like a good call; I wonder if Route 71 will be diverted via Lye Green to compensate?
I heard that demand on the departures is quite good.
It will be nice for Chartridge and Ley Hill to get through services to Wycombe but I am sure that these changes are instigated by BucksCC primarily to further reduce the size of the local contract with Red Rose/Eagle. The council website still shows no future service changes and I am wondering what collateral damage there will be to the contracted routes
