First South West (Kernow & Buses of Somerset)

[Lizard1324]

Whats happening to the L1 route in April is it being changed, being dropped or being taken over by go- ahead?

also and news on who has the College bus contracts?

 

[richw]

Whats happening to the L1 route in April is it being changed, being dropped or being taken over by go- ahead?

also and news on who has the College bus contracts?

college buses are unchanged.
The L1, First are launching a new lizard-helston- truro service. The old L1 is moving over to GA

 

[Goldfish62]

FK's changes are starting to filter through now. As expected there are variations on routes where certain journeys are supported.

Appears that the A3 and A4 are starting on 29 March!

 

[Goldfish62]

Timetables for 29 March now appearing on Traveline. Some interesting frequency increases for both PCB and FK routes.

 

[MB162435]

All the 3 table MMCs 33467, 33301 and 33316 on U1/U2s this evening

Maybe soon to become more common this time of the day soon, when all 3 get kicked off their usual routes from the evening onwards?

 

[Goldfish62]

I've already decided to cancel my hospital appointment next Thursday at Treliske, even though it's with a surgeon. I can't drive at present and, with two separate groin hernias now confirmed (I'm hopeful of getting one fixed next month), a medical condition I've lived with for years which happened to come up on a scan I can probably continue to live with til the end of my days. My MS plus the hernias are my current priority, and I'll ignore anything else that's not life-threatening. If the bus I'd likely catch took me to the Trelawny Wing, or if I could afford taxis at both ends of my trip then I'd probably go. I can't hang round at that draughty stop at Truro Station waiting for one of the hospital buses. One of the EMPTY PR1 buses that pass that way at 10.30 a.m. ish should stop. I'm seriously thinking of getting under the skin of Cornwall Council on this if they don't change their attitude. A clock face quarter-hourly service might be sufficient to appease me, though I'd be working for all those who need to use the services, including staff at the hospital. I've got form!

Looks like everything's going into the hospital from 29 March.

 

[Busaholic]

Looks like everything's going into the hospital from 29 March.

Great - now all I need is a train actually running from Penzance to Truro

 

[Goldfish62]

Great - now all I need is a train actually running from Penzance to Truro

Asking a bit much aren't we?

 

[Busaholic]

Asking a bit much aren't we?

I have a tendency to!

 

[MB162435]

Kernow is bringing back the 86 Newquay- Truro from the 29th March, follows the same route as last summer with an hourly service

 

[richw]

Kernow is bringing back the 86 Newquay- Truro from the 29th March, follows the same route as last summer with an hourly service

A route I enjoyed driving last summer. Decent passenger numbers and timetable worked well

 

[MB162435]

A route I enjoyed driving last summer. Decent passenger numbers and timetable worked well

I enjoyed it as well, very scenic and linked quite a few important and touristy areas, even when I caught it in October the week before it ended, it still had a fairly decent load for a Saturday afternoon

wasn't it scrapped due to CC saying everywhere on the 85 route needed to be served, which now doesn't matter to either party

 

[richw]

wasn't it scrapped due to CC saying everywhere on the 85 route needed to be served, which now doesn't matter to either party

yes Cornwall council requesting all journeys serve St newlyn east I believe the reason given as 85/86 alternated hours from memory. Newlyn East was a waste of time perranporth was popular as it was a fast run into Truro from perranporth

 

[MB162435]

yes Cornwall council requesting all journeys serve St newlyn east I believe the reason given as 85/86 alternated hours from memory. Newlyn East was a waste of time perranporth was popular as it was a fast run into Truro from perranporth

That was it yeah, also hugely beneficial in peak tourist season providing a half hourly service between Perranporth and Newquay, even less with the A4

 

[MB162435]

Mousehole Solo 53826 broken down at Truro bus station, was due to work the 14:35 47 service to Troon Square, but was still there an hour later at 15:30, with a fitter still trying to get the thing going

Maybe Kernow need GCB to take over a few M6s to give their fleet a rest

 

[richw]

Maybe Kernow need GCB to take over a few M6s to give their fleet a rest

it is a plan to upgrade the moushole fleet in time from what I heard. Optares time frame for new builds is around 12 months. A strata bodied minibus would be sufficient for most journeys. With only a few requiring the capacity of a larger Solo.

 

[MB162435]

it is a plan to upgrade the moushole fleet in time from what I heard. Optares time frame for new builds is around 12 months. A strata bodied minibus would be sufficient for most journeys. With only a few requiring the capacity of a larger Solo.

Glad they have plans for the M6 Solo fleet, before it didn't necessarily matter as there was no other major competition, but with GCB now arrive Kernow can't let any commercial services deteriorate, otherwise everyone will catch the rivals bus

 

[Goldfish62]

it is a plan to upgrade the moushole fleet in time from what I heard. Optares time frame for new builds is around 12 months. A strata bodied minibus would be sufficient for most journeys. With only a few requiring the capacity of a larger Solo.

As there's no peak extras the PVR needs to consist of the largest buses required otherwise you're going to have buses sitting around doing nothing much of the day.

As a regular user of the route, I wouldn't agree that it's only a few journeys that require Solos. Even on journeys that are quiet between Mousehole and Newlyn Bridge they can fill up quickly from there onwards.

With the 5 under PCB being rerouted to avoid The Ropewalk, Lidden Hill and the busy eastbound stop at Newlyn Bridge there's going to be more pressure on the M6.

 

[Busaholic]

As there's no peak extras the PVR needs to consist of the largest buses required otherwise you're going to have buses sitting around doing nothing much of the day.

As a regular user of the route, I wouldn't agree that it's only a few journeys that require Solos. Even on journeys that are quiet between Mousehole and Newlyn Bridge they can fill up quickly from there onwards.

With the 5 under PCB being rerouted to avoid The Ropewalk, Lidden Hill and the busy eastbound stop at Newlyn Bridge there's going to be more pressure on the M6.

I've seen plenty of journeys that need more than a Solo, even in winter. I'd suggest it actually requires a frequency increase if the 5 is no longer going to be picking up at Newlyn Bridge, to every 12/ 15 minutes in the summer and 20 in the winter. A letter in this month's 'Buses' mag from a former driver on the route tells of a 10 minute frequency at one time (admittedly, before his employment). Newlyn is a pig of a place to turn buses, but a circular service might just work to provide 'extras' and a couple more connection opportunities.

 

[Goldfish62]

I've seen plenty of journeys that need more than a Solo, even in winter. I'd suggest it actually requires a frequency increase if the 5 is no longer going to be picking up at Newlyn Bridge, to every 12/ 15 minutes in the summer and 20 in the winter. A letter in this month's 'Buses' mag from a former driver on the route tells of a 10 minute frequency at one time (admittedly, before his employment). Newlyn is a pig of a place to turn buses, but a circular service might just work to provide 'extras' and a couple more connection opportunities.

Yes, it was four buses an hour from Western National and one an hour from Harvey's at one time (1960s). In reality the WN ones ran largely empty (becoming busier when every other journey was diverted via Alverton) and the hourly Harvey's service was jam packed most of the time. However, this service level hasn't been around for many decades and from the mid 1980s onwards it has been a basic 2bph with 3bph during some summers.

It certainly needs a minimum of 2bph using nothing smaller than Solos. There is probably a case for enhancing to 3bph at certain times in the Winter. I do have concerns about how it's going to cope without the 5 mirroring it between Newlyn Bridge and Penzance.

The decision to reroute the 5 along Newlyn Coombe is presumably to provide a service to Lansdowne Estate. It's a laudable aim, although the estate is so stuffed full of parked cars I wonder how many people will actually use the service.

 

[Lizard1324]

Anyone know where the go ahead heslton depot will be located?
Also anyone know how many new adl enviro 400 cities they have bought and what routes they will be used on?

 

[richw]

Anyone know where the go ahead heslton depot will be located?
Also anyone know how many new adl enviro 400 cities they have bought and what routes they will be used on?

Apparently 30 x 400 cities. They’re geared for city running so will be interesting how they run round rural routes.
Anticipate them being on the old L1/2, 21 and 85. Probably the 88 too.

 

[MB162435]

Apparently 30 x 400 cities. They’re geared for city running so will be interesting how they run round rural routes.
Anticipate them being on the old L1/2, 21 and 85. Probably the 88 too.

T1, T2, U4 as well or will they be single deckers due to their early morning and late evening, with fairly light loadings?

 

[richw]

T1, T2, U4 as well or will they be single deckers due to their early morning and late evening, with fairly light loadings?

The T1/2 for the 7-8 evening journeys each way looks to need a PVR of 7 or 8 at least! Doesn’t sound economical in the least needing so many vehicles for so few journeys

 

[carlberry]

The T1/2 for the 7-8 evening journeys each way looks to need a PVR of 7 or 8 at least! Doesn’t sound economical in the least needing so many vehicles for so few journeys

There should be plenty of vehicles available from daytime services, the bigger problem might be drivers if the shifts are heavily loaded with evening and Sunday work.
Of course the logical thing would have been to sub contract to the daytime provider who would have liveried vehicles and drivers in the correct places!

 

[richw]

the bigger problem might be drivers if the shifts are heavily loaded with evening and Sunday work

And early mornings. Most of their weekday stuff looks to be pre 0730 and post 1830.

 

[carlberry]

And early mornings. Most of their weekday stuff looks to be pre 0730 and post 1830.

That's quite some split shift!

 

[Goldfish62]

That's quite some split shift!

Not the best way of recruiting and retaining staff.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The T1/2 for the 7-8 evening journeys each way looks to need a PVR of 7 or 8 at least! Doesn’t sound economical in the least needing so many vehicles for so few journeys

As Carl says, they'll be able to redeploy some of the vehicles for these evening journeys from their daytime only boards. However, it may well be smaller, less comfortable vehicles and it will mean that a lot of vehicles will be out all day.

Also, you're way out on your PVR. There's two main vehicles that I can see running

Bus 1
1806 ex PZ to 1904 ex Cam to 1947 ex Stives to 2135 ex Truro to 2230 ex Cam to 2335 ex Truro
Bus 2
1933 ex Cam to 2040 ex PZ to 2235 ex Truro

Then there's a third vehicle doing a 2133 to PZ and 2240 return.

 

[carlberry]

Not the best way of recruiting and retaining staff.

As Amazon/Deliveroo/Uber etc always say, they're offering employment that fits in with what people want. There may be a large number of potential bus drivers who are only intrested in very early mornings, late evenings and Sundays. Possibly (as the journeys may carry few people) they might consider rickshaws or tandem bikes to expand the potential workforce. It could all be very trendy and modern!