First Midlands

[anthony263]

Or invite Firrst to move back into Redditch : )

 

[winston270twm]

Or invite Firrst to move back into Redditch : )

Funny you should suggest that, a few people on Diamond's FB page have said 'bring back First' things must be bad....

 

[anthony263]

Even a few drivers at the Worcester depot who live in the Redditch area have actually said the same about the locals wanting First back.

 

[robertclark125]

Of course, if Stagecoach were to come into Redditch, and that's IF, well, would that not incite a bus war with Rotala in Preston and the surrounding area?

 

[winston270twm]

Of course, if Stagecoach were to come into Redditch, and that's IF, well, would that not incite a bus war with Rotala in Preston and the surrounding area?

Potentially....

However, I could only see one winner and that would be Stagecoach, as Rotala don't have financial clout to take on/fight off Stagecoach in both Redditch & Preston. A bus war in both areas could potentially weaken Rotala Plc in addition First are now starting to fight back against Rotala owned Wessex recently.

 

[robertclark125]

I have to say, from what I've read, not only fight back against Wessex, but seemingly starting to weaken them.

Anyway, back on topic, what are the total fleets at each depot of First Midlands, and the average age?

 

[anthony263]

I will have to find out the total fleet size at Worcester however most vehicles are around 10-15 years old.

This should change with newer vehicles due to arrive

 

[winston270twm]

I have to say, from what I've read, not only fight back against Wessex, but seemingly starting to weaken them.

Anyway, back on topic, what are the total fleets at each depot of First Midlands, and the average age?

I make it as follows:

HD: 17
WR: 81 vehicles + 2 trainers

Hereford's newest buses are 3 x 53 plate Optare Solo's

The vast majority of Worcester full size single deckers are 03/54 & 05 Plate E300's plus 9 x 07 B7RLE/Plaxton Centro's (ex Veolia Cymru), the double decker fleet comprises of 5 x 54 Tridents & 1 x 51 plate Trident & 2 x T-reg Tridents. There is also a batch of 03 & 53 plate Optare Solo's. The newest bus allocated to WR is a single 10 plate E200 purchased second-hand.


It will be interesting to see the extent of the WCC cuts and how the likes of First & Diamond fair. I believe these will now be announced in June following public consultation and implemented from September

I also wonder if WCC will retain in-house operation of certain tendered routes around Worcester, Droitwich, Redditch & Kidderminster operated as 'Woosh'

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I make it as follows:

HD: 17
WR: 81 vehicles + 2 trainers

Hereford's newest buses are 3 x 53 plate Optare Solo's

The vast majority of Worcester full size single deckers are 03/54 & 05 Plate E300's plus 9 x 07 B7RLE/Plaxton Centro's (ex Veolia Cymru), the double decker fleet comprises of 5 x 54 Tridents & 1 x 51 plate Trident & 2 x T-reg Tridents. There is also a batch of 03 & 53 plate Optare Solo's. The newest bus allocated to WR is a single 10 plate E200 purchased second-hand.


It will be interesting to see the extent of the WCC cuts and how the likes of First & Diamond fair. I believe these will now be announced in June following public consultation and implemented from September

I also wonder if WCC will retain in-house operation of certain tendered routes around Worcester, Droitwich, Redditch & Kidderminster operated as 'Woosh'

To be honest, the Wyvern fleet isn't that bad. Not brilliant and almost universally middle aged but virtually all DDA. However, with a fleet strength of 98, popping 6-12 new vehicles will help manage the average age.

Given the new MD for the Midlands (who has a good reputation within the industry) and a need to build the businesses back up, it'll be interesting to see what happens next.

As regards Diamond Bus selling to Stagecoach, one wonders what covenants were put in the deal by First? Do they have first refusal? Is there a ruling of say 12 months before they can do anything against Diamond?

 

[anthony263]

I have had the new MD cme out for a trip on my bus a few weeks ago. Very nice man who is always willing to talk to members of staff and the public.

I think things will be getting intersting over the next few months. First are most likely watching how things develop with Diamond at Redditch however some of us drivers have said if we went back into Redditch against Diamond they would collapse

 

[winston270twm]

To be honest, the Wyvern fleet isn't that bad. Not brilliant and almost universally middle aged but virtually all DDA. However, with a fleet strength of 98, popping 6-12 new vehicles will help manage the average age.

Given the new MD for the Midlands (who has a good reputation within the industry) and a need to build the businesses back up, it'll be interesting to see what happens next.

As regards Diamond Bus selling to Stagecoach, one wonders what covenants were put in the deal by First? Do they have first refusal? Is there a ruling of say 12 months before they can do anything against Diamond?

TheGrandWazoo,

The fleet isn't too bad, there is just a high concentration of the fleet that are all 9/10 years i.e. E300's which are worked quite hard on longer distance routes. First should never have split Wyvern in the first place, they should have retained the whole lot or sold the whole lot & got a greater contribution than the £1.5 Million they got off Rotala towards their £100 Million bus disposal target.

I really can't see Rotala selling Diamond to Stagecoach, Arriva are also thought to be interested in Rotala West Midlands based Diamond bus business, but again I can't see Rotala selling off bits of the group, especially as Diamond is its biggest subsiduary. The only way I see anyone getting their hands on Diamond anywhere would be to take over the whole Rotala Group. Stagecoach would be forced to divest Preston Bus, whilst Arriva shouldn't have any problems. I couldn't see First buying them, not until they sort there own bus division out.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I have had the new MD cme out for a trip on my bus a few weeks ago. Very nice man who is always willing to talk to members of staff and the public.

I think things will be getting intersting over the next few months. First are most likely watching how things develop with Diamond at Redditch however some of us drivers have said if we went back into Redditch against Diamond they would collapse

To be fair, Diamond held on in Redditch the last time First were there and First had the larger operation, now Diamond have both operations combined & should therefore be more efficient & should be making money. Why would First do any better this time round.

First would do better to expand/strengthen the business at existing garages i.e. WR & HD before the prospect of having to set-up a new depot from scratch & start another bus war in Redditch.

 

[overthewater]

Would First be allowed back into Redditch? ie the agreement of the sale between the two companies?

 

[dvboy]

The only problem that I'd see with that is that I doubt it would actually be faster these days, the Hagley Road gets just as snarled up as the Bristol Road. It's not like the good old days where you could zoom in!

The best option would be better bus priority down the Bristol Road, but I think Birmingham City Council has lost its appetite for things like that.

I think a re-route would help avoid peak hour congestion.

• Bristol Road as far as Selly Oak
• Turn left and take the first part of the Bypass
• Vincent Drive (QE Hospital)
• Farquhar Road
• Somerset Road
• Edgebaston Park Road
• Arthur Road
• Wheeleys Road
• Middleway - U turn at Five Ways
• Bath Row
• Smallbrook Queensway

The U turn at Five Ways could be avoided if a contraflow bus lane was added to Wheeleys Lane to enable buses to travel straight onto Bath Row.

The above is roughly the old TWM 44 route which always used to make good consistent time into the City Centre (and a route which I adopted when I started driving to avoid Bristol Road/Hagley Road traffic)

The above would have the added benefit of adding the QE hospital to the route.

Whatever happens, Holloway Circus needs quite a lot of work done on it to solve it's congestion issues, it descends into gridlock far too easily. It should be turned into a high volume signalised junction, like Belgrave Interchange to the south - there is space for it.

This is roughly the route the 98 and 99 take. An alternative could be Belgrave Middleway - Sherlock Street - Pershore Street - Ladywell Walk - Hurst Street - Hill Street - Hinkley Street - Pershore Street and return the same way, but this route also suffered which partly ended up in the crazy double-loop re-routing of the 45 & 47 round Moor Street.

Holloway circus is a nightmare and the 61 and 63 suffer heavily because of this - most of the traffic is taxis heading for Smallbrook Queensway and New Street station, and often you find them queueing up and down SBQ before they make it to their dedicated car park waiting area in Hill Street which clearly isn't big enough. Birmingham needs a better arrangement for taxis and perhaps a restriction on the traffic that can use the area around SBQ

 

[overthewater]

Not to shake the cage, but are people not getting a tad over themselves about First returning to Redditch. Would First be allowed to return to Redditch?

 

[anthony263]

Sorting out the taxi's in Birmingham is something I happily agree with. I have had a few close calls and not only that the parking at our terminus in smallbrook queensway.

I do think there is going to be a serious accident at our terminsu sooner or later something one Travel west midlands driver agreed with.

As for expanding Worcester and Hereford there are some new services due to start soon such as the sunday service to Monmouth with many other services changes coming about in September.

 

[winston270twm]

As for expanding Worcester and Hereford there are some new services due to start soon such as the sunday service to Monmouth with many other services changes coming about in September.

September should coincide with the implementation of the Worcestershire County Council tendered service changes

 

[sonic2009]

I know WCC are on about cutting the funding to the P&R sites at Perdiswell & Sixways.

 

[winston270twm]

I know WCC are on about cutting the funding to the P&R sites at Perdiswell & Sixways.

I wonder if 'Woosh' will remain after September or if WCC will close the operation down & sub all the work out / or operators may take on some of the work commercially

 

[anthony263]

The drivers at Woosh have been given their 90 days notice this week a services have been put out to tender.

A few services operated under contract currently by First are being taken on commercially with new extensions including partially replacing contracted routes.

Services 42/43 etc are to be scrapped but partially replaced by commercial services operated by First along with a new tendered service linking Fruitlands and Malvern Link retail Park (Basically todays 43F).

stupidly this service is supposed to be numbered 42 which is likely to cause some confusion on monday morning when the service on the previous saturday was numbered 43/43f

 

[winston270twm]

The drivers at Woosh have been given their 90 days notice this week a services have been put out to tender.

A few services operated under contract currently by First are being taken on commercially with new extensions including partially replacing contracted routes.

Services 42/43 etc are to be scrapped but partially replaced by commercial services operated by First along with a new tendered service linking Fruitlands and Malvern Link retail Park (Basically todays 43F).

stupidly this service is supposed to be numbered 42 which is likely to cause some confusion on monday morning when the service on the previous saturday was numbered 43/43f

Thanks for the update, I hear there a depot rumours that First may be considering running a route in to the Black Country, I assume from Worcester ?

 

[anthony263]

Thanks for the update, I hear there a depot rumours that First may be considering running a route in to the Black Country, I assume from Worcester ?

I cannot comment to much at the moment as there is still a lot going onnly reason I posted about the upton services is that they have been posted on the midland red bus forum which you can find on google although its really only open to past and current staff.

Worcester is the depot closest to the black country so it will most likely being the depot used if rumours going around did turn out too be true.

I will try and find out more when I can sadly I am very busy this week including doing my first late shift on a saturday which involves doing the following services:

service 144

1530 Worcester - Birmingham (arr 1715)
1720 Birmingham - Worcester (arr 1850)

Services 35

2010 Worcester - Blackpole - Worcester (arr 2040)

Service 44

2045 Worcester - Great Malvern - Belmont (arr 2127)

2128 Belmont - Great Malvern - Worcester (arr 2208)

Service 35

2210 Worcester - Blackpole - Worcester (arr 2240)
2242 Worcester - Blackpole - Worcerster (arr 2312)

service 44

2315 Worcester - Great Malvern (arr 2348)
2350 Great Malvern - Worcester (arr 0022)


Do come along and say hello if anyone is travelling I am not that hard to miss with my welsh acent

 

[winston270twm]

I cannot comment to much at the moment as there is still a lot going onnly reason I posted about the upton services is that they have been posted on the midland red bus forum which you can find on google although its really only open to past and current staff.

Worcester is the depot closest to the black country so it will most likely being the depot used if rumours going around did turn out too be true.

I'm already a member of Midlandred.net

 

[dvboy]

I would assume any First service into the Black Country would be to Stourbridge? Perhaps from Bromsgrove.

 

[winston270twm]

I would assume any First service into the Black Country would be to Stourbridge? Perhaps from Bromsgrove.

I'd have thought Merry Hill Shopping Centre might be more likely

 

[sonic2009]

Midlandred.net 363 will run over the existing route as far as Paynes Garage on the Hanley Road, Upton. It will then turn left, over the Severn Bridge, and continue to Tewkesbury via Twyning Green. It will no longer serve Upton town centre or continue to Malvern. At this time it is only planned to run every 2-hours in each direction, but the Council have said they would like it to run every hour so this may yet change, and if it does it could also include villages such as Ripple and Uckinghall.

A service to Tewkesbury is this a commercial service? I can't imagine its a money maker. There hasn't been a direct service Worcester to Tewkesbury since the days of the 372.

What are the fares going to be like?

 

[Jeni]

I would assume any First service into the Black Country would be to Stourbridge? Perhaps from Bromsgrove.

Is the 007 or 318 up for tender? Could First have won one of those?

 

[winston270twm]

Is the 007 or 318 up for tender? Could First have won one of those?

I think the 007 is included in the WCC changes as is parts of the 318, but I understand only certain journey's on the 318 are subsided with the rest run commercially by Hansons.

 

[sonic2009]

And with all these new services possibly, could some of the WOOSH buses transfer to First? They do have quite a few buses that would be going spare.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I think personally that the 007 should go to First or Diamond, Central who currently run the service, must have a lot of dead mileage to run between their depot & Halesowen.

 

[Class172]

Do come along and say hello if anyone is travelling I am not that hard to miss with my welsh acent

It's very likely that you passed me as I was walking down Foregate Street in Worcester.

 

[anthony263]

Now it seems I will spend most of tommorow driving services to/from Great Malvern.

A lot of drivers on the country rota will tell you that Worcester council have reallys crewed up the current services to/from Upton/Worcester and Great Malvern. The new commercial operations will allow First to respond to feedback given by passengers.

Certainly passengers numbers have taken a hit since the 363's were cut back to Upton and there is certainly going to be a lot of demand especially given by how often we get people asking in Crowngate bus station how they can get to Tewkesbury.

As for other service changes there is certainly a lot going on however I and many others are not saying anything until we have been given the ok to do so.

As for Woosh a lot of their buses are leased in particular those Mercedes-Benz citaro's which we are certainly not fans off.