Cheshire Bus News (was East Cheshire Bus News)

[Amberley54]

What kind of buses are they running on the new services?

I thought all the machines were programmed the same whichever route they usually operate on. For instance, the ones which are route branded for East Cheshire services still display out-of-service messages in both English and Welsh.

Around six 54-plated Solos in Cheshire Connect livery have transferred from D & G to GHA.

 

[ag51ruk]

What kind of buses are they running on the new services?

I thought all the machines were programmed the same whichever route they usually operate on. For instance, the ones which are route branded for East Cheshire services still display out-of-service messages in both English and Welsh.

As noted, some of them are ex-D&G Solos, but also some of their own Cheshire Connect branded Solos (with 'GHA' stitched into the seat covers inside). D&G appear to only have one Cheshire Connect branded bus still in their fleet

 

[Amberley54]

Spent yesterday morning photographing and riding GHA's new Enviros on the strengthened 88 service.

Buses are Nicely fitted out and the livery is growing on me. Drivers helpful and surprising number of new passengers trying out the service.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Around six 54-plated Solos in Cheshire Connect livery have transferred from D & G to GHA.

Patricia and I decided to use the new half-hourly GHA Gold 88 service from Wilmslow to Knutsford on Friday, where we had been shopping at Hoopers, and found the new buses quite good. The table as such, as you walk down the bus, is on the right hand side but it is very narrow and only useful for small items to be placed upon it.

 

[pemma]

Spent yesterday morning photographing and riding GHA's new Enviros on the strengthened 88 service.

Buses are Nicely fitted out and the livery is growing on me. Drivers helpful and surprising number of new passengers trying out the service.

I've noticed the new 08:45 from Knutsford seems to be picking up quite a few passengers, considering that's not an attractive time for most passengers (too late for getting to work and too early for pass holders to get free travel.)
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As noted, some of them are ex-D&G Solos, but also some of their own Cheshire Connect branded Solos (with 'GHA' stitched into the seat covers inside). D&G appear to only have one Cheshire Connect branded bus still in their fleet

So presumably they would have programmed to accept Cheshire Travelcard but maybe not at the right discount level.

Apparently GHA also have ex-Tomlinson Travel Solo YM52 TPV. If so I imagine it's been repainted from 'The Link' livery it was in (white with green lettering): https://www.flickr.com/photos/buses7675/6083015140/ and the LED destination display is back in use again (Tomlinson Travel never used it): https://www.flickr.com/photos/buses7675/5977883469/

 

[Amberley54]

Patricia and I decided to use the new half-hourly GHA Gold 88 service from Wilmslow to Knutsford on Friday, where we had been shopping at Hoopers, and found the new buses quite good. The table as such, as you walk down the bus, is on the right hand side but it is very narrow and only useful for small items to be placed upon it.

Good point. One wonders how long they will last.

 

[ag51ruk]

So presumably they would have programmed to accept Cheshire Travelcard but maybe not at the right discount level.

The ticket machines are now working - a driver said that they didn't come with the buses, they were transferred from a GHA depot that wasn't in Cheshire.

The tickets have a 'Taith' logo at the top, and 'Vale Travel' at the bottom. My driver yesterday was wearing a 'YourBus' branded coat! They seem to have a bit of an identity crisis

 

[pemma]

All Cheshire East contracts start on Sunday, so GHA should have been expecting that.

Now you say that I recall GHA got in to a bit of a mess with the 130 Sunday and Bank Holiday service. They lost the contract to D&G Bus but instead decided to register a reduced service commercially. However, the D&G Bus service would have started on 19th January 2014: http://www.tan.gov.uk/tanen/vosa_se...65&txtLicenceId=229680&txtLicenceNo=PC1090231

But their reduced service had an effective date of Saturday 25th January: http://www.tan.gov.uk/tanen/vosa_se...14&txtLicenceId=238397&txtLicenceNo=PC1098981

Meaning the first Sunday after the contract ended GHA had to operate the full timetable commercially.
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The ticket machines are now working - a driver said that they didn't come with the buses, they were transferred from a GHA depot that wasn't in Cheshire.

The tickets have a 'Taith' logo at the top, and 'Vale Travel' at the bottom. My driver yesterday was wearing a 'YourBus' branded coat! They seem to have a bit of an identity crisis

I would have thought the ticket machines would transfer with the buses, given they're also used to display the destination on the bus and record the driver hours, opposed to being little portable machines that just issue tickets.

GHA regularly use GHA branded buses on routes registered under their Vale Travel licences but I would have thought the machines can be programmed to say the correct operator for the route it's operating on. I don't think most people in Cheshire would know what Taith means.

I wonder if GHA are using drivers contracted to other operators with recently starting a number of new routes and still advertising driving vacancies based at Macclesfield and Winsford.

 

[323235]

Our P1 bus tickets are taith branded and always have been and say Vale Travel when the service is officially registered as a GHA service. I think Macclesfield depot at least must be officially a Vale Travel depot, although it operates a mixture of GHA/Vale services.

 

[Amberley54]

Our P1 bus tickets are taith branded and always have been and say Vale Travel when the service is officially registered as a GHA service. I think Macclesfield depot at least must be officially a Vale Travel depot, although it operates a mixture of GHA/Vale services.

I'm pretty sure all vehicles working out of Macclesfield are licenced to Vale Travel or are GHA vehicles 'on hire'. Possibly Something to do with the number of available 'O' discs ' and also Macclesfield and Ruabon are in different traffic areas.

I suspect for reasons of economy all ticket rolls used by GHA group companies have 'taith' pre-printed.

In all events not a major issues, nor one that many members of the travelling public will be concerned about.

 

[pemma]

Our P1 bus tickets are taith branded and always have been and say Vale Travel when the service is officially registered as a GHA service. I think Macclesfield depot at least must be officially a Vale Travel depot, although it operates a mixture of GHA/Vale services.

The RR3 up until recently was an interesting on. It used to be operated by the same bus that ran the morning extra on the 88 route. Originally the 88 route was Vale Travel and the RR3 was GHA, then the RR3 changed to Vale Travel and in April the 88 changed to GHA.

I wonder if the Macclesfield based drivers are employed by Vale Travel, so if they sign in on the machines, then it automatically prints Vale Travel on tickets?

 

[theshillito]

Routemaster Buses introduced six tendered rural bus services throughout Cheshire, Staffordshire and North Wales yesterday, connecting rural communities with the hustle and bustle of nearby towns and cities. They include;

- Service 56 from Tiverton, Hoxley Lane to Nantwich Bus Station.

- Service 68 from Leighton Hospital to Nantwich Bus Station.

- Service 75 from Wrenbury Church to Market Drayton.

- Service 79 from Audlem Church to Hanley Bus Station.

- Service 83 from Nantwich Bus Station to Chester, Foregate Street.

- Service 89 from Nantwich Bus Station to Wrexham Bus Station.

There's more info on these at The North West Bus Blog: Rural Services by Routemaster Buses.

- 56 Tiverton - Nantwich on Thursdays and Saturdays - existing service
- 68 Leighton Hospital - Church Minshull - Nantwich Monday to Saturday – new service
- 75 Nantwich - Market Drayton on Wednesdays only - existing service
- 79 Audlem – Nantwich - Hanley on Fridays only - new service
- 83 Nantwich - Bunbury - Chester on Tuesdays - revised timetable
- 89 Nantwich – Wrexham on Mondays only - new service

I will never understand once-weekly (weekday) bus services. Who wants to go from Nantwich to Wrexham specifically on a Monday and, if you want to return same day, you've only got around 3 hours there. What's the point? If it was, say, a Saturday service that left in the morning and came back in the evening, I could understand that. There'd probably be loads of people who'd try it.

 

[pemma]

I will never understand once-weekly (weekday) bus services. Who wants to go from Nantwich to Wrexham specifically on a Monday and, if you want to return same day, you've only got around 3 hours there. What's the point? If it was, say, a Saturday service that left in the morning and came back in the evening, I could understand that. There'd probably be loads of people who'd try it.

Cheshire East council seem to have two bizarre ideas:
1. That services between two large towns are in fact only for the benefit of the villages between the two towns.
2. That those villages need a bus service to the larger towns (but only on one weekday) for shopping trips.

This kind of service makes sense: http://www.ghacoaches.co.uk/Timetables/X22SA12A.html (Although ideally there would be 2 return workings so people could choose whether to spend 3 hours or 6 hours in Liverpool.)

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

This kind of service makes sense: http://www.ghacoaches.co.uk/Timetables/X22SA12A.html (Although ideally there would be 2 return workings so people could choose whether to spend 3 hours or 6 hours in Liverpool.)

Am I right in thinking that in the 1960s/1970s that there was an influx of Liverpool people into the Winsford area?

 

[theshillito]

Cheshire East council seem to have two bizarre ideas:
1. That services between two large towns are in fact only for the benefit of the villages between the two towns.
2. That those villages need a bus service to the larger towns (but only on one weekday) for shopping trips.

This kind of service makes sense: http://www.ghacoaches.co.uk/Timetables/X22SA12A.html (Although ideally there would be 2 return workings so people could choose whether to spend 3 hours or 6 hours in Liverpool.)

That's the kind of service I feel would be ideal for a lot of these cases. 6 hours somewhere would be ideal, regardless of day of the week.

 

[pemma]

Am I right in thinking that in the 1960s/1970s that there was an influx of Liverpool people into the Winsford area?

Winsford, like Runcorn was a town people from Liverpool relocated to when residential areas of Liverpool were demolished as part of a regeneration program.

The X22 service was actually a service Cheshire West council withdrew the subsidy for, but Winsford Town Council saw the service as essential for the town and chose to continue to provide the subsidy themselves. There is, of course, a LM train service between Winsford and Liverpool but the station in Winsford is 1.5 miles from the town centre.
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That's the kind of service I feel would be ideal for a lot of these cases. 6 hours somewhere would be ideal, regardless of day of the week.

Personally I'd find 6 hours too long for something like a shopping trip but if you were going to Liverpool for something like Heritage Open Weekend then 6 hours would be a suitable amount of time.

 

[Deerfold]

I will never understand once-weekly (weekday) bus services. Who wants to go from Nantwich to Wrexham specifically on a Monday and, if you want to return same day, you've only got around 3 hours there. What's the point? If it was, say, a Saturday service that left in the morning and came back in the evening, I could understand that. There'd probably be loads of people who'd try it.

Often these services will operate on a market day - similarly, some services will have extra trips on market day.

Market days may be less important to those used to supermarkets but many towns still see more visitors on the days they are held.

So, in Hitchin with the main market day on a Tuesday extra services 23 (3 trips), 77 and W10/12 run.

In cases where the trips are not on market days, often the same bus is used on different routes on different days - and often the outward and return trips fit in between school services.

 

[pemma]

Often these services will operate on a market day - similarly, some services will have extra trips on market day.

Market days may be less important to those used to supermarkets but many towns still see more visitors on the days they are held.

These are the market days in Cheshire East: http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/leisure,_culture_and_tourism/town_centre_management/markets.aspx

Generally Saturday is a market day with a couple of exceptions. There can be differences in stalls between different days, for instance at Knutsford the fish stall is only there on Friday. However, as a general rule Saturday would be the best day for the most selection and in some towns you get the 'farmers market' as well as the usual market on selected Saturdays. 'Farmers market' generally means a number of local produce sellers selling various food items from dairy products to jam, opposed to having a sheep farmer selling lamb and a cow farmer selling beef and dairy products.

In cases where the trips are not on market days, often the same bus is used on different routes on different days - and often the outward and return trips fit in between school services.

Routemaster Buses who were mentioned due operate a number of school services and don't operate any regular bus services. As their name suggests they offer vintage buses for hire include Routemasters and vintage buses do occasionally find their way on to their services - someone pictured a green Leyland National operating one of their services last year.

 

[Amberley54]

Am I right in thinking that in the 1960s/1970s that there was an influx of Liverpool people into the Winsford area?

There were two phases of Winsford's post-war population growth. The first in the 1960s was mainly from Manchester and Salford families after the plan to expand Lymm was abandoned the estates built were the Crook Lane and Wharton Gardens estates to the eastern 'Gravel' part of Winsford next to the WCML.

The 1970's expansion was from the Liverpool area and at the western edge of the town - St Johns, Mount Pleasant (Over) and Glebe Green estates. Liverpool council actually paid Winsford UDC a 'dowery' to take each family, the amount of which was calculated on the basis of what they would cost in terms of schools, social services etc. A similar arrangement as was in place with regard to Runcorn new town.

I'll collect my anorak

 

[6Gman]

That's the kind of service I feel would be ideal for a lot of these cases. 6 hours somewhere would be ideal, regardless of day of the week.

Depends on the place! Six hours in Liverpool maybe, but six hours in Market Drayton? Or Whitchurch? Or Wrexham even ....

 

[martinsh]

Routemaster Buses Nantwich Rural Services: New Cheshire East Council contract awarded.
56 Tiverton - Nantwich on Thursdays and Saturdays - existing service
68 Leighton Hospital - Church Minshull - Nantwich Monday to Saturday – new service
75 Nantwich - Market Drayton on Wednesdays only - existing service
79 Audlem – Nantwich - Hanley on Fridays only - new service
83 Nantwich - Bunbury - Chester on Tuesdays - revised timetable
89 Nantwich – Wrexham on Mondays only - new service

As previously stated these are market day services and can be run with one vehicle.

Market Drayton market on Wednesdays was always very popular, and had a through bus from Nantwich.
Nantwich main market is Thursday - the Tiverton service is an existing one, as for the Church Minshull service , there used to be a Wettenhall - Nantwich service until a few years ago. [ Personally, I think a Nantwich - Winsford route would be a good idea ]
The Audlem - Hanley route, there used to be a Whitchurch - Hanley route twice a week until about 10 years ago.
The interesting one is the Wrexham route, as I don't think there has been a Natwich - Wrexham service since the late 1960s ! (3 jnys each way on Mondays only)

Interesting to see from the blog that they are using a full sized vehicle.
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- someone pictured a green Leyland National operating one of their services last year.

Unfortunately the National has now gone for preservation. I think they still have a Lynx though ...

 

[pemma]

CEC confirmed that another operator is currently looking at the possibility of registering the 39 Macclesfield - Congleton service, following High Peak's cancellation. No mention of who but I strongly suspect it is GHA Coaches given they have a lot of service contracts in the area and are bring in new buses and new drivers, so have the required resources.

Doesn't look like CEC have issued a new ITT that includes a replacement service.

When High Peak cancelled the 300 Knutsford circular service D&G Bus seemed to surprise everyone by registering a replacement service commercially.
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Patricia and I decided to use the new half-hourly GHA Gold 88 service from Wilmslow to Knutsford on Friday, where we had been shopping at Hoopers, and found the new buses quite good. The table as such, as you walk down the bus, is on the right hand side but it is very narrow and only useful for small items to be placed upon it.

This picture gives you an idea about the size of the table: http://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/wp-...ided-at-the-rear-of-the-GHA-Gold-vehicles.jpg

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

This picture gives you an idea about the size of the table: http://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/wp-...ided-at-the-rear-of-the-GHA-Gold-vehicles.jpg

Don't forget that there are facing seats on both sides of the table. Just imagine passengers on both sides of the said table wishing to avail themselves of this facility at the same time.

 

[Y961 XBU]

Don't forget that there are facing seats on both sides of the table. Just imagine passengers on both sides of the said table wishing to avail themselves of this facility at the same time.

I have sat on the seats just before the step, theres more room than you think!

 

[martinsh]

Routemaster Buses Nantwich Rural Services: New Cheshire East Council contract awarded.
56 Tiverton - Nantwich on Thursdays and Saturdays - existing service
68 Leighton Hospital - Church Minshull - Nantwich Monday to Saturday – new service
75 Nantwich - Market Drayton on Wednesdays only - existing service
79 Audlem – Nantwich - Hanley on Fridays only - new service
83 Nantwich - Bunbury - Chester on Tuesdays - revised timetable
89 Nantwich – Wrexham on Mondays only - new service

Caught up with the 56 from Nantwich to Tiverton today. It was the same vehicle as worked the Wrexham service, and 7 people boarded at bus station. Didn't stay around to see how the Church Minshull service loaded, but I plan to have a ride on that one someday.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Market Drayton market on Wednesdays was always very popular, and had a through bus from Nantwich. Nantwich main market day is Thursday.

Speaking personally, we have visited both Market Drayton and Nantwich many times and similar to our feelings about Ashbourne (which used to have a direct 108 bus service from Macclesfield), we could happily spend hours on end in all these three places.

 

[Stuwhu]

It looks like the 10A Macclesfield-Bollington Friday/Saturday night service is having a few problems, with Bakerbus not running it last weekend incorrectly claiming the contract had finished

http://http://www.bollington-tc.gov.uk/news/post/what-happened-to-the-10a-bus-last-friday-and-saturday-evenings

 

[pemma]

It looks like the 10A Macclesfield-Bollington Friday/Saturday night service is having a few problems, with Bakerbus not running it last weekend incorrectly claiming the contract had finished

http://http://www.bollington-tc.gov.uk/news/post/what-happened-to-the-10a-bus-last-friday-and-saturday-evenings

Bakerbus lost one contract to D&G and two to GHA at the end of October but the 10A wasn't affected.

Although they've removed the 10A timetable from their website: http://www.bakerbus.com/bus-timetables/ despite it still being registered: http://www.tan.gov.uk/tanen/vosa_se...enceNo=PD0001323&cboRegNoFilter=PD0001323/107

 

[6Gman]

Caught up with the 56 from Nantwich to Tiverton today. It was the same vehicle as worked the Wrexham service, and 7 people boarded at bus station. Didn't stay around to see how the Church Minshull service loaded, but I plan to have a ride on that one someday.

Saw the afternoon Church Minshull last Friday week.

Empty.

(Well, there was a driver, but otherwise .....)

 

[323235]

I am of the feeling bakerbus are in a bit of financial trouble as they no longer have enough contracts / commercial services of sufficient profitability within their bus devision. They have confirmed that the 99 is marginal and doesn't pay all that well.