First West of England (Bristol, Bath & The West)

[BBC]

Few things. Firstly 33925 is on the 1! It being branded for the 48/48A/49.

Secondly a free trip on the 4, as ticket machine isn't working.

And yesterday a 1 branded bus was on the 48! the day before it was a 2 branded bus on the 48s! allocation is shocking at the moment.

 

[Colly405]

Thank you. According to this site, it is the 18A which is going, not the 18.

Numerically, yes the 18A is going. But the 18 is being re-routed to Avonmouth as per the current 18A, and going half-hourly, so both journeys each hour will be 18s to Avonmouth.
Flabbergasted that the Southmead - Lyde Gn section is going down to hourly, but perhaps people have stopped using it as it is *so* unreliable - in the morning peak, journeys have regularly been runnign 20-30 minutes late.

So, each hour Parkway is going to lose the
the 16 (off-peak) to Kingswood,
the 18A to Lyde Gn,
the 18 to Henbury and
the X5 to WSM.
Doesn't look good for the "north fringe" at all. Or is this a cynical ploy to show how Metrobus will increase services?

At one time in the not too distant past, Parkway to Southmead Hospital was 7 an hour (501, 502, 502, 625, 77, 18, 18), plus the hourly 82 long-way-round. Now it will be 2 an hour (18, 77) plus the hourly-ish 82.

All very negative...

 

[Private Baxter]

Numerically, yes the 18A is going. But the 18 is being re-routed to Avonmouth as per the current 18A, and going half-hourly, so both journeys each hour will be 18s to Avonmouth.
Flabbergasted that the Southmead - Lyde Gn section is going down to hourly, but perhaps people have stopped using it as it is *so* unreliable - in the morning peak, journeys have regularly been runnign 20-30 minutes late.

So, each hour Parkway is going to lose the
the 16 (off-peak) to Kingswood,
the 18A to Lyde Gn,
the 18 to Henbury and
the X5 to WSM.
Doesn't look good for the "north fringe" at all. Or is this a cynical ploy to show how Metrobus will increase services?

At one time in the not too distant past, Parkway to Southmead Hospital was 7 an hour (501, 502, 502, 625, 77, 18, 18), plus the hourly 82 long-way-round. Now it will be 2 an hour (18, 77) plus the hourly-ish 82.

All very negative...

Thank you for that. That is the impression I got yesterday, it's just the South Gloucs website is slightly less clear.

Indeed Parkway will be losing a few services. That X5 is very useful for me as a direct link to Cribbs, but alas I am one of the few people for whom it appears to be of use, and its eastward extension a couple of years ago never quite worked. Oh well, I still have the 19 and 82!

 

[vicbury]

Numerically, yes the 18A is going. But the 18 is being re-routed to Avonmouth as per the current 18A, and going half-hourly, so both journeys each hour will be 18s to Avonmouth.
Flabbergasted that the Southmead - Lyde Gn section is going down to hourly, but perhaps people have stopped using it as it is *so* unreliable - in the morning peak, journeys have regularly been runnign 20-30 minutes late.

So, each hour Parkway is going to lose the
the 16 (off-peak) to Kingswood,
the 18A to Lyde Gn,
the 18 to Henbury and
the X5 to WSM.
Doesn't look good for the "north fringe" at all. Or is this a cynical ploy to show how Metrobus will increase services?

At one time in the not too distant past, Parkway to Southmead Hospital was 7 an hour (501, 502, 502, 625, 77, 18, 18), plus the hourly 82 long-way-round. Now it will be 2 an hour (18, 77) plus the hourly-ish 82.

All very negative...

It might have been seven per hour, but with a variety of operators. What is the relative decrease in First services on that corridor? Most people buy single-operator tickets so their experience of service levels may be relatively unchanged.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

The 265 is every half hour and currently interworks with 267 and 272 on an alternating basis. After arriving in Bath as 265 it either goes off to Frome and back as 267, or Melksham and back as 272, before returning as 265. Don't know how well it works, but can't see the 171 working in this way. I wonder how they will operate 171/179.

There are a few short workings on the 265 which is where I thought that give it long enough and those journeys would be interworked with the 171.

I knew that the 265 was interworked with other services, of which at one point I did think that it worked the Bath city services.

 

[Bristol_Buses]

X14 from UWE to Bristol City Centre is being withdrawn from the 19 May 2017

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

X14 from UWE to Bristol City Centre is being withdrawn from the 19 May 2017

More appropriate to the Wessex thread?

In any case, think it's reported just for the summer break

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

It might have been seven per hour, but with a variety of operators. What is the relative decrease in First services on that corridor? Most people buy single-operator tickets so their experience of service levels may be relatively unchanged.

The number of Southmead to Parkway services was probably overkill and I never saw many on the X5 to justify its extension past Cribbs.

However, it's three years or so since the reassertion of First in north Bristol and it's patchy to say the least. The 18/X18 had great fanfare but seems to have withered on the vine. The 81/82 have been sliced and diced. Only the 17 seems to have had any form of real success and even that's been messed around with.

Oh the excitement of 2014 when we had new services albeit with clapped out Darts. Wonder what sort of PVR adjustment and fleet changes that we might get?

 

[Colly405]

It might have been seven per hour, but with a variety of operators. What is the relative decrease in First services on that corridor? Most people buy single-operator tickets so their experience of service levels may be relatively unchanged.

It was as follows:
Wessex - every 20 min (nothing now)
Severnside - hourly (nothing now)
First - half hourly (now hourly), hourly (unchanged) and the 82 hourly long-way-round (now no longer clock face and slightly less than hourly)

So basically 4/hour First is now 3/hour-ish. But with the more regular frequency of Wessex also withdrawn overall the experience for passengers is massively inferior.

As someone living in Filton regularly travelling to BPW, this is close to home! Sometimes even now it is quicker to walk >15 minutes to Filton Ave and get the 73 if you are fit.

 

[Bristol_Buses]

More appropriate to the Wessex thread?

Since when has that ever mattered? Wessex and Cityfox are mentioned a lot here.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Since when has that ever mattered? Wessex and Cityfox are mentioned a lot here.

Two wrongs don't make a right

 

[CD]

I agree that dropping a journey on an hourly service is not ideal, but please tell us exactly what First should do in cases of short-notice driver sickness or breakdown.

As a round trip on 54/77/29 takes 5 hours then finding someone to do overtime after their shift would take them over their driving hours.
So if a turn is uncovered and there is no spare driver three hourly services end up not running. This is not the first time this has happened, and they failed to post the cancellations on their social media accounts.
The 5 hour round trip is not popular with the drivers and hopefully the routes will cease interworking soon with Yeovil sharing the duties.

It is made worse by the loss of the 55, which provided a back up to the 54 and connected into a 77 towards Yeovil in Somerton. Hourly service on 29 is pointless, 90% of passengers are through journeys from Wells/Glastonbury/Street to Taunton. Makes no difference to them if they go via Othery or Langport. Hatch Green route to North Curry could easily serve Creech as well and 29 could revert to every 3 hours.

 

[THarris123]

As a round trip on 54/77/29 takes 5 hours then finding someone to do overtime after their shift would take them over their driving hours.
So if a turn is uncovered and there is no spare driver three hourly services end up not running. This is not the first time this has happened, and they failed to post the cancellations on their social media accounts.
The 5 hour round trip is not popular with the drivers and hopefully the routes will cease interworking soon with Yeovil sharing the duties.

It is made worse by the loss of the 55, which provided a back up to the 54 and connected into a 77 towards Yeovil in Somerton. Hourly service on 29 is pointless, 90% of passengers are through journeys from Wells/Glastonbury/Street to Taunton. Makes no difference to them if they go via Othery or Langport. Hatch Green route to North Curry could easily serve Creech as well and 29 could revert to every 3 hours.

29 would be better missing out Creech, then it would be more viable for the demand from Wells to Taunton. I am concerned though that when 77 is worked by Yeovil and 54 and 29 worked alone, 29 might reduce to 2 hourly. I expect they'll start reusing the Tridents on 54 (which would be nice), with E200s on 29. Then some B7s end up moving to Yeovil for 54/77/57/58/59

 

[THarris123]

From what I recall the vehicle (B7) on 171 will be interworked with 267, but really can't remember what was said regarding the drivers. I know there will be bigger vehicles on 179 and not interworked with other services.

At a guess, I'd say 265 and 272 will be interworked together. Then I think 179 and 171 will be worked by 1 driver for half the day on each service.

I believe as well that 265 Warminster-Salisbury will be 2 hourly, hence why they get 171/179.

 

[ooo]

You can get two free long trip singles at the moment on the M tickets app with the code METRO3 in both the Bristol and BATH inner zones

 

[DaveHarries]

I believe as well that 265 Warminster-Salisbury will be 2 hourly [...]

I hope not! I end up working out at South Newton fairly often and use the 265 due to its frequency so if they halve the frequency then that will be a right P.I.T.A.

Dave

 

[Private Baxter]

As a round trip on 54/77/29 takes 5 hours then finding someone to do overtime after their shift would take them over their driving hours.
So if a turn is uncovered and there is no spare driver three hourly services end up not running. This is not the first time this has happened, and they failed to post the cancellations on their social media accounts.
The 5 hour round trip is not popular with the drivers and hopefully the routes will cease interworking soon with Yeovil sharing the duties.

It is made worse by the loss of the 55, which provided a back up to the 54 and connected into a 77 towards Yeovil in Somerton. Hourly service on 29 is pointless, 90% of passengers are through journeys from Wells/Glastonbury/Street to Taunton. Makes no difference to them if they go via Othery or Langport. Hatch Green route to North Curry could easily serve Creech as well and 29 could revert to every 3 hours.

I agree that the 55 was probably better logistically, but it was obviously decided to focus on their long standing 29 service, re-strengthening that one, though I appreciate it probably isn't all that popular with drivers.

29 would be better missing out Creech, then it would be more viable for the demand from Wells to Taunton. I am concerned though that when 77 is worked by Yeovil and 54 and 29 worked alone, 29 might reduce to 2 hourly. I expect they'll start reusing the Tridents on 54 (which would be nice), with E200s on 29. Then some B7s end up moving to Yeovil for 54/77/57/58/59

Is the 77 definitely going to Yeovil depot? If the current circuit does split, then I think you might be right about 29, but if that is the case then I could also see 75 alternating with 29 on an hourly basis and going back to Wells.

From what I recall the vehicle (B7) on 171 will be interworked with 267, but really can't remember what was said regarding the drivers. I know there will be bigger vehicles on 179 and not interworked with other services.

At a guess, I'd say 265 and 272 will be interworked together. Then I think 179 and 171 will be worked by 1 driver for half the day on each service.

I believe as well that 265 Warminster-Salisbury will be 2 hourly, hence why they get 171/179.

What is commonly used on 171?
One possibility I suppose is dead running from Westbury to Frome, wok a 267, then 171/179 and back, then on to Frome again, whilst 265 interworks soley with 272. Who's to say.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I agree that the 55 was probably better logistically, but it was obviously decided to focus on their long standing 29 service, re-strengthening that one, though I appreciate it probably isn't all that popular with drivers.

Is the 77 definitely going to Yeovil depot? If the current circuit does split, then I think you might be right about 29, but if that is the case then I could also see 75 alternating with 29 on an hourly basis and going back to Wells.

What is commonly used on 171?
One possibility I suppose is dead running from Westbury to Frome, wok a 267, then 171/179 and back, then on to Frome again, whilst 265 interworks soley with 272. Who's to say.

Having travelled on the 29 and 55 a few times, I was never exactly blown away by the number of passengers from heading from Wells/Glastonbury to Taunton. After all, both the 29 and 54 traditionally didn't have hourly services, only gaining them when the RBC funding came in. Hence why I'm surprised that the 29 is hourly now though I appreciate that FSW will know the loadings better than me

I don't know what FSW have up their sleeve but it would make some sense for the 77 to go to Yeovil, removing the potential unreliability of interworking and helping the issue of driver retention elsewhere. Similarly, would there be a practical ability to run the 75 to Wells and cut back the 29 to two hourly (hourly to Creech) and coordinate those? Might be too messy?


As for the 171, it is usually standard Darts from Bath depot. I'd be intrigued if they interworked the 267 and 171 as neither service hits Westbury. In fact, I'm a bit surprised that the 171 hasn't bitten the dust in this round of changes! I might make the same comment about the 267.

A potential reduction of the 265 to two hourly to Salisbury would again return that service back to its historic frequency.

 

[Private Baxter]

As for the 171, it is usually standard Darts from Bath depot. I'd be intrigued if they interworked the 267 and 171 as neither service hits Westbury. In fact, I'm a bit surprised that the 171 hasn't bitten the dust in this round of changes! I might make the same comment about the 267.

A potential reduction of the 265 to two hourly to Salisbury would again return that service back to its historic frequency.

I understand that 267 in peak can be pretty full, but outside of peak time I've no idea. I virtually never used it when I lived in Bath.
I suppose 171 might eventually go, or be morphed into 172 or something.

 

[CD]

29 would be better missing out Creech, then it would be more viable for the demand from Wells to Taunton. I am concerned though that when 77 is worked by Yeovil and 54 and 29 worked alone, 29 might reduce to 2 hourly. I expect they'll start reusing the Tridents on 54 (which would be nice), with E200s on 29. Then some B7s end up moving to Yeovil for 54/77/57/58/59

Tom

Creech St. Michael is the only place between Taunton and Street that regularly has passengers, all either to of from Taunton.

I would imagine reverting the 29 to every 3 hours and terminating at West Mendip Hospital again would be sufficient, if provision for Creech St. Michael could be found.
Far more scope for intermediate custom going via Somerton (Curry Rivel, Langport and Somerton).

As for vehicles, B7RLEs are quite sufficient for the 54 (except the morning college service). Same with 77 but there has been a tendency to send a small E200 on 0802 54 from Taunton, which then means the 0930 77 from Yeovil is full and standing from Yeovil. Some students having to stand all the way to Street. FHD plan for 58 was to use B7RLEs but in reality a Dart provides enough capacity, even on the 1705 college service. Since the timetable changes the last 2 workings 1745 59 and 1830 58 are usually Solos with the Dart going to the depot early. As for the 57 with good judgement a Dart can just about navigate the Lenthey Estate in Sherborne, but a B7rle would be just too long.

 

[83G/84D]

Former Bath Solo's 53807,8 & 10 seen operating in Doncaster this week along with former Weymouth based B7RLE's 69213 - 7.

 

[Private Baxter]

Four buses left in Muĺler Road.

 

[freetoview33]

Four buses left in Muĺler Road.

5! Four at the front and 1 learking around the back

 

[Whiteway215]

5! Four at the front and 1 learking around the back

Anyone know which ones they are?

 

[83G/84D]

5! Four at the front and 1 learking around the back

Even lurking!

 

[Private Baxter]

5! Four at the front and 1 learking around the back

Oh is it?! One must have been hiding then.
Don't really know the identities, but they don't seem to be from our region.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Even lurking!

Could be leaking

Guess that three are the Excels that must be on the cusp of gaining listed building status!

 

[THarris123]

Anybody know what's on the new 5 in Weston?

I heard they would be doing a launch event for it of some sort too.

 

[D2007wsm]

At least 1 of the buses on it was an E200 which had balloons on the inside

 

[THarris123]

At least 1 of the buses on it was an E200 which had balloons on the inside

I've been told on Facebook that it was 44907/8 and a Streetlite.

The only thing i can think of is that 66723/4 have moved over to Weston (I haven't seen them in the last few days to allow those vehicles onto 5.