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Competition heats up between Transdev and Connexions

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DJames

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@TheGrandWazoo, is that £1.7m from Transdev what they would have spent if they'd bought bog standard buses?



Sounds like the Volvo B5LH hybrids, late of this parish. The diesel motor switches off when stationary then the electric motor kicks in to get the bus moving again. It reverts to the diesel motor when a certain speed is reached. There are tons of them in London.

The other type was the E400H, where the diesel engine ran an electric motor and also charged a battery. It's still weird to hear the engine revs rise as the bus brakes...

I don't think that's just hybrids, NXWM's E400 MMCs have a stop start system that does something similar to what johntea describes. However, the drivers have seemingly worked out how to override it, so you get the engine turn off then straight back on as soon as it stops.
 
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SCH117X

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Transdev are introducing a new service 8 replacing the Little Explorer 22/23 between Harrogate and Knaresborough but it is then described as also to Wetherby which presumably replaces the 780 workings by NYCC, together with a few tweaks to other services. On another forum it has been hinted they will be acquiring the Follifoot route from Connexions but no mention of that in the following statement:-

" Changes to buses in Harrogate
15-03-2019
We're making some changes to our buses in and around Harrogate from Sunday 28 April. There are some exciting improvements to tell you about on Harrogate Electrics buses to Bilton, with NEW evening buses on the 2A around The Knox, and there's improvements to help with our timekeeping on the 36, too.
We'll also be introducing a new route, the 8, running between Harrogate, Hookstone Chase, Knaresborough and Wetherby.

Here's a summary of the changes.

2A/2B Harrogate – Bilton
New evening buses every hour on the 2B for The Knox & New Park
There'll be some small changes in the afternoon to make things more reliable, as well as new Mon-Sat evening buses every hour on the 2B. Evening buses on the 2A will also now run every hour. The last bus on the 2A will be at 10:40pm and on 2B at 11:10pm, meaning you can stay out later and still catch the bus home. Sunday buses are unchanged.

6 Harrogate – Pannal Ash
Better timekeeping
We are making some changes to the 6 during the afternoons to make it more reliable for you at busy times.

X6 Harrogate – Beckwith Knowle
Better timekeeping
We are making some changes to the X6 the afternoons to make it more reliable.

7 Harrogate - Wetherby
Better timekeeping
We are making some small changes during the evenings on the 7 to improve our reliability for you.

8 Harrogate – Knaresborough – Wetherby
New route
NEW! We're pleased to introduce the 8, which will take you from Harrogate, Hookstone Chase and Knaresborough to Wetherby. The 8 will replace Little Explorers 22 & 23 between Knaresborough and Harrogate.

24 Harrogate – Pateley Bridge
New journeys via the Army Foundation College
By popular demand, the 24 will now be stopping at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate during the weekday morning and afternoons! The bus leaving Harrogate at 0830 and the bus leaving Pateley Bridge at 1600 will stop additionally at the Army Foundation College.
These journeys will take a slightly different route, and won't be running through Killinghall.

36 Ripon – Harrogate – Leeds
Better timekeeping
We've listened to your feedback, and we're making some more changes to help with reliability on the 36, with MORE buses between Harrogate and Leeds during the busy morning and afternoon rush hours. Two journeys will serve a revised route in Leeds city centre."

http://www.harrogatebus.co.uk/news.jsp?newsID=2638
 

Stan Drews

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Connexions twitter account has been closed
"Sorry, that page doesn’t exist!"
https://twitter.com/connexionsbuses

Yeah, noticed last night that the owner had locked the account after some of his usual twitter responses to anyone that complains. I don’t think I’ve ever known any business (bus industry or elsewhere) to openly crticise its customers/staff etc as much as Connexions did on twitter. For sheer comedy value it will be missed!
 

SCH117X

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Been predicted for some time and from Apr 29 Reliance take over the 31X York-Easingwold-Helmsley service from Transdevs York depot. Connexions meanwhile will further cut their Harrogate local services with the axing of 1645 X6a meaning on schooldays the last working is 1445 (1545 on schooldays) while the 1625 X12 is also scrapped although a new working will occur at 1520
 
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Stan Drews

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Been predicted for some time and from Apr 29 Reliance take over the 31X York-Easingwold-Helmsley service from Transdevs York depot.

I assume Transdev didn’t retain the NYCC tendered journeys to/from Ryedale School.
 

Andyh82

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Burnley 3 & 4 are being revised to operate half as frequently as currently.

The news item puts a positive spin on it though

http://lancashirebus.co.uk/news.jsp?newsID=2644
We're making some small changes to our buses in Burnley from Sunday 28 April, to better reflect your changing travelling patterns.

From 28 April, the 3 & 4 will combine to create a bus every 30 mins between Burnley, Brunshaw and Pike Hill, with one bus every hour continuing to Worsthorne.

As part of these changes, the 4 will now run along Lyndhurst Road, Brunshaw Avenue and Rimington Avenue, instead of along Brunshaw Road.
 
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SCH117X

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Looks like route change announcements are being made from the same basic text without much thought as I struggle to work out what service improvements York itself has from this

"We are making some changes to our buses in York from Sunday 28 April to better reflect your changing travelling patterns.
From 28 April, our friends over at The Harrogate Bus Company will be launching NEW route 8, between Harrogate, Hookstone Chase, Knaresborough and Wetherby.
The 8 will replace Little Explorers 22 & 23 between Knaresborough and Harrogate - look out for your new timetables, available to download here soon.
It's the first in a series of improvements coming to York & Country and Coastliner buses this Spring - lookout for your new, improved range of add-on tickets launching shortly!
Finally, we'll no longer be running the 42 and 31X from 28 April - other operators will be running these routes from this date."
http://www.yorkbus.co.uk/news.jsp?newsID=2645
 

johntea

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Transdev seem a bit ambitious with a new Oyster card style idea!

http://www.harrogatebus.co.uk/news.jsp?newsID=2651

The idea is simple - tap your card on the reader when you get on your bus, tap when you get off, and we'll work out the cheapest fare for you.

Wonder what would happen if you forgot to tap when you got off, it can also be tricky to access the reader at a stop as people at the stop are often trying to barge on before alighting passengers have had the chance to get off!
 

Deerfold

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Transdev seem a bit ambitious with a new Oyster card style idea!

http://www.harrogatebus.co.uk/news.jsp?newsID=2651

Not that ambitious - these trials were supposed to start in January.

As per post #961 they've received £50k of funding for this.

Wonder what would happen if you forgot to tap when you got off, it can also be tricky to access the reader at a stop as people at the stop are often trying to barge on before alighting passengers have had the chance to get off!

Trentbarton assume you travelled to the end of the route if you forget to tap out on Mango.
 

SCH117X

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Connexions are rerouting their X1 to follow exactly the same route as Transdevs 1A from 29 April i.e. direct to St James returning via the Aspin estate. Currently Connexions X1s use St James as a terminus point.
 

Swimbar

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Looks like route change announcements are being made from the same basic text without much thought as I struggle to work out what service improvements York itself has from this

"We are making some changes to our buses in York from Sunday 28 April to better reflect your changing travelling patterns.
From 28 April, our friends over at The Harrogate Bus Company will be launching NEW route 8, between Harrogate, Hookstone Chase, Knaresborough and Wetherby.
The 8 will replace Little Explorers 22 & 23 between Knaresborough and Harrogate - look out for your new timetables, available to download here soon.
It's the first in a series of improvements coming to York & Country and Coastliner buses this Spring - lookout for your new, improved range of add-on tickets launching shortly!
Finally, we'll no longer be running the 42 and 31X from 28 April - other operators will be running these routes from this date."
http://www.yorkbus.co.uk/news.jsp?newsID=2645

According to the Timetables that Metro have put up, at Bus Stops in Wetherby, the Transdev Service 8 and the NYCC Service 780 are both continuing from 28th April !!
 

SCH117X

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According to the Timetables that Metro have put up, at Bus Stops in Wetherby, the Transdev Service 8 and the NYCC Service 780 are both continuing from 28th April !!
Metro are wrong as NYCC themselves state on their service change list

780 Wetherby - Knaresborough NYCC Fleet 01609 780780 www.northyorks.gov.uk/businfo 28 April 2019 Service 780 is replaced with service 8 operated by the Harrogate Bus Company
761H Long Marston - King James School Connexionsbuses 01423 339600 www.harrogatecoachtravel.com 28 April 2019 Service will no longer carry fare paying passengers

https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/sites... transport/Service changes/servicechanges.pdf
 

Swimbar

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Metro are wrong as NYCC themselves state on their service change list

780 Wetherby - Knaresborough NYCC Fleet 01609 780780 www.northyorks.gov.uk/businfo 28 April 2019 Service 780 is replaced with service 8 operated by the Harrogate Bus Company
761H Long Marston - King James School Connexionsbuses 01423 339600 www.harrogatecoachtravel.com 28 April 2019 Service will no longer carry fare paying passengers

https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/sites/default/files/fileroot/Transport and streets/Public transport/Service changes/servicechanges.pdf

Metro also have no Journeys on the 8 on a Saturday.
Clearly don't know what they are doing!
 

theblackwatch

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It would seem (unless I've missed noticing any recently) that Connexions buses are no longer branded 'The Harrogate Bus Company' - wonder if some deal has taken place after the 'war' with this name?
 

SCH117X

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More a case of vehicles being disposed of, hence the increasing use of plain white deckers on the X1 (so much for "go green or white"), rather than the tacky blue branding having been removed - Omnicity 5209UA (ex YN02GGZ), at least, is still about so branded.
 

Swimbar

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More a case of vehicles being disposed of, hence the increasing use of plain white deckers on the X1 (so much for "go green or white"), rather than the tacky blue branding having been removed - Omnicity 5209UA (ex YN02GGZ), at least, is still about so branded.

Isn't that the 'Harrogate Independent Travel' branded bus that brings back memories of a time past when they did exist?
Any truth in the rumours that there has been a clear out of middle management at Starbeck in recent weeks?
 

theblackwatch

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More a case of vehicles being disposed of, hence the increasing use of plain white deckers on the X1 (so much for "go green or white"), rather than the tacky blue branding having been removed - Omnicity 5209UA (ex YN02GGZ), at least, is still about so branded.

Thatks, I've obviously missed seeing that one recently. The more recent departures from the X1 route have been Optare Tempos - they can't have managed much more than 6 months with Connexions!
 

SCH117X

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The Tempos have gone to Brylaine of Boston - YH57EXH was acquired by Connexions c 12/17 , YJ06YSP c 4/18 and YJ56ATU c 9/18. The first two did get repainted, with an excessive amount of vinyls, something which seems to be increasingly rare with their multi-colour fleet.
 

Swimbar

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The Tempos have gone to Brylaine of Boston - YH57EXH was acquired by Connexions c 12/17 , YJ06YSP c 4/18 and YJ56ATU c 9/18. The first two did get repainted, with an excessive amount of vinyls, something which seems to be increasingly rare with their multi-colour fleet.

I don't think that anybody can compete with the amount of vinyl used by Transdev Harrogate or the multi colored fleet that they have provided for school transport in the Harrogate area.
It is noticeable that the School Bus Fleet used by Connexions is still a lot younger than that provided by Transdev.
Currently using the 7 or X70 I cannot see how anybody can be expected to deliver an on time service using Wetherby Road in Harrogate.
 

SCH117X

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Wetherby Road is a case of the operators timetabling sensibly given the traffic conditions, or not. Transdev do often put a new vehicle on so that the outbound 7 leaves on time while Connexions interwork the direct inbound X70 with the X12 and X6A during the daytime period those services operate so giving a combined 25 minutes dwell time rather than 5 at the bus station, subject to running on time, before it forms a X70 via Follifoot.
Age of a vehicle is not necessarily an issue - its overall condition is and vehicles generally last a lot longer if they are well maintained. Transdev have withdrawn all the Olympians so their are now no yellow vehicles active at Starbeck and the dedicated school bus fleet is just 3 57 seat B10BLEs (one in Urban Cool livery and the other two in MyBus livery) now assisted by Presidents (fleet, Vamooz or Pride of North liveries) and fleet liveried B7RLEs and Geminis - 3613 or 3614 are quite common on one school service I often see each morning and another this week has been a Route 1 branded B7RLE
 

SCH117X

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Five Streetdecks have been ordered by Transdev for the York-Leeds Cityzap
Source: Tweet by Alex Hornby
 

158756

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Five Streetdecks have been ordered by Transdev for the York-Leeds Cityzap
Source: Tweet by Alex Hornby

Seeing as we don't have a general Transdev thread, I'll put here that according to the same tweet they're also getting 13 Enviro 200 MMCs for the 1 Blackburn-Darwen-Bolton route.

At 15 years old there isn't anywhere obvious for the Cityzap fleet to go aside from school work unless they're in better nick than Transdev's other deckers, but I hope they keep the mid life buses displaced from Blackburn to sort out some other routes rather than getting rid as they did last year at Harrogate.
 
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