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

[Martin2013]

I was on that first journey too, along with my elderly brother-in-law, who can just be seen on the video posted by the Stoke Gifford Journal ...

https://twitter.com/TheSGJournal/status/1617083595096563712

Reckon there were 25-30 on it...

I was also on the last 19 off Cribbs on Saturday - about 15 on it, but I gather many got off by UWE...

I was the person who came and said hello and asked if you'd enjoyed the journey when we reached the City Centre. I'm glad you both did.

I enjoy riding first journeys on new routes and last journeys on routes being withdrawn. At least the last journey from Cribbs on Saturday ran. Last year First outright cancelled the last journeys on the T2, Y3 and Y5 routes before they withdrawn.

 

[-Colly405-]

I was the person who came and said hello and asked if you'd enjoyed the journey when we reached the City Centre. I'm glad you both did.

I enjoy riding first journeys on new routes and last journeys on routes being withdrawn. At least the last journey from Cribbs on Saturday ran. Last year First outright cancelled the last journeys on the T2, Y3 and Y5 routes before they withdrawn.

Good to meet you.yes, first and last journeys are interesting.

I also did last day journeys on the 73 BStk to Cribbs, and on the Y6 along Hayes Way on Saturday! Unfortunately not last journeys, just last day!

 

[bathbuses]

It seems the next stop announcements on the Bath Unibus 400MMCs aren't being used any more
Wonder why?

 

[-Colly405-]

36809 has just left Parkway on a 19, and I noticed it doesn't look to have a new lick of paint, yet has no external fleetnumbers. Would that imply its about to go in the paint shop?

Talking about liveries, I spied an m3 on an m4 yesterday. Also, this last week it seems as though most Y6 workings have been corporate liveried Geminis rather than SG Lynx has buses.

With numerous other recent examples of Fist WoE rout branding going haywire is it time for a(nother) rethink?

 

[AllanMacF]

36809 has just left Parkway on a 19, and I noticed it doesn't look to have a new lick of paint, yet has no external fleetnumbers. Would that imply its about to go in the paint shop?

Talking about liveries, I spied an m3 on an m4 yesterday. Also, this last week it seems as though most Y6 workings have been corporate liveried Geminis rather than SG Lynx has buses.

With numerous other recent examples of Fist WoE rout branding going haywire is it time for a(nother) rethink?

Yes, I saw that it was m3-branded 39485 that was on the m4 on Saturday and I thought, "oh, here we go!"

Talking of next-stop announcements, BathBuses, I rode on 33958 on the 1 back in December (one of few whose NSA is still in use), but the words had become distorted - instead of "Next Stop, Triangle West", or wherever, what came over was, as far as I could ascertain, "Noridian Strangulate, Triangle West"!! The first letter is correct, anyway. Noridian is a medicare business, so not apt to strangulater, one hopes!

 

[Buses in Bath]

36809 has just left Parkway on a 19, and I noticed it doesn't look to have a new lick of paint, yet has no external fleetnumbers. Would that imply its about to go in the paint shop?

Talking about liveries, I spied an m3 on an m4 yesterday. Also, this last week it seems as though most Y6 workings have been corporate liveried Geminis rather than SG Lynx has buses.

With numerous other recent examples of Fist WoE rout branding going haywire is it time for a(nother) rethink?

There are now 12 south glos lynx buses. 4 for T1, 4 for Y1 and 3 for Y6 + 1 spare. However the 349 now interworks with the Y1 so there are usually 3 south glos lynx buses on the 349 and none on the Y6 instead. Its a bit silly to be honest as the 349 that should have those olympia buses has lynxes and the Y6 has olympia

 

[-Colly405-]

Definitely time to rethink the purpose of route branding then! Unless having Lynx buses in Keynsham is a form of advertising...

I've been at Parkway station on a few occasions now when the vehicle on the 19 has been on layover, and each time it has been parked in the bay on the left as you head down from the station to the western exit. It has then gone down to the Ratcliffe Drive roundabout to turn and return to start route at Parkway Stop D.

I had expected it would wait time at the double-length stop D that it departs from, so this surprised me.

Anyone know the thinking behind this move?

Also, as it passes it, I'm surprised that it doesn't call at the southbound Hatchet Rd metrobus stop (stop B?) as it passes it, and the stop is in a layby. Or, for that matter, northbound stop C although that has no pullin.

And, while I'm here, has anyone noticed the unusual stop lettering at Hatchet Rd?
The stops formerly known as Ratcliffe Drive, i.e. North of the roundabout, are Hatchet Rd A (nbd) and D (sbd). The former Parkway Tavern stops, south of the roundabout, are B (sbd) and C (nbd). I get that it means metrobus uses A and B, but it is still odd!
Northbound it is C (not m4) then A (all).
Southbound it is D (not m4) them B (all).
Odd!

 

[bathbuses]

Talking of next-stop announcements, BathBuses, I rode on 33958 on the 1 back in December (one of few whose NSA is still in use), but the words had become distorted - instead of "Next Stop, Triangle West", or wherever, what came over was, as far as I could ascertain, "Noridian Strangulate, Triangle West"!! The first letter is correct, anyway. Noridian is a medicare business, so not apt to strangulater, one hopes!

Since posting that I've been on a few where the NSAs are working as normal.
I've always wondered whether drivers can simply choose not to have them on, or can turn the volume right down (as I've also noticed some are very loud and others barely audible)

 

[Callum15632]

Does anybody know why there are only 9 Citylines East gas buses out today, no 73 gas buses and no South Glos Lynx out? The 6/7, 17, 73, T1, Y1 and Y6 are using Geminis. The 6 and 7 are mostly using orange front Geminis except for 37332. The 73 is using 48/48a/49 branded E400 MMCs and 1 branded E400 MMC 33954.

 

[matt_splat]

Definitely time to rethink the purpose of route branding then! Unless having Lynx buses in Keynsham is a form of advertising...

I've been at Parkway station on a few occasions now when the vehicle on the 19 has been on layover, and each time it has been parked in the bay on the left as you head down from the station to the western exit. It has then gone down to the Ratcliffe Drive roundabout to turn and return to start route at Parkway Stop D.

I had expected it would wait time at the double-length stop D that it departs from, so this surprised me.

Anyone know the thinking behind this move?

Also, as it passes it, I'm surprised that it doesn't call at the southbound Hatchet Rd metrobus stop (stop B?) as it passes it, and the stop is in a layby. Or, for that matter, northbound stop C although that has no pullin.

And, while I'm here, has anyone noticed the unusual stop lettering at Hatchet Rd?
The stops formerly known as Ratcliffe Drive, i.e. North of the roundabout, are Hatchet Rd A (nbd) and D (sbd). The former Parkway Tavern stops, south of the roundabout, are B (sbd) and C (nbd). I get that it means metrobus uses A and B, but it is still odd!
Northbound it is C (not m4) then A (all).
Southbound it is D (not m4) them B (all).
Odd!

Better still they could have been creative with it and had it run up and terminate at Patchway Station to create a link between the station and parkway

Does anybody know why there are only 9 Citylines East Gas Buses out today and No 73 Gas Buses and No South Glos Lynx out? The 6/7, 17, 73, T1,Y1 and Y6 are using Geminis. The 6 and 7 are mostly using Orange Front Geminis except for 37332. The 73 is using 48/48a/49 branded E400 MMCs.

I expect trains need replacing some where

 

[-Colly405-]

Better still they could have been creative with it and had it run up and terminate at Patchway Station to create a link between the station and parkway

Not sure they could at the mo as the Station Rd / Gipsy Patch junction is still closed so the only access is via Clay Lane, which only ever seems to see Streetlites on rail replacement.

Incidentally, the new stop on Gipsy Patch to the west of the railway bridge is advertised on the metrobus map as Titan Road for Patchway Station...

 

[Tom Clayton]

Does anybody know why there are only 9 Citylines East gas buses out today, no 73 gas buses and no South Glos Lynx out? The 6/7, 17, 73, T1, Y1 and Y6 are using Geminis. The 6 and 7 are mostly using orange front Geminis except for 37332. The 73 is using 48/48a/49 branded E400 MMCs and 1 branded E400 MMC 33954.

I know there was a problem with the gas system at the depot. We had to watch the gas levels as many were not refilled.

 

[Private Baxter]

After 11 years, Barbie has officially gone from our region. The last to carry it was 69253, but I passed it yesterday on the Stoke Gifford bypass, now resplendent in the yellow/orange for training buses. Admittedly I'm not sure when this bus was last in passenger service.

 

[Bristol LH]

After 11 years, Barbie has officially gone from our region. The last to carry it was 69253, but I passed it yesterday on the Stoke Gifford bypass, now resplendent in the yellow/orange for training buses. Admittedly I'm not sure when this bus was last in passenger service.

First Cymru still has former FWoE 66723 in service at Swansea Ravenhill depot.

 

[JD2168]

First Cymru still has former FWoE 66723 in service at Swansea Ravenhill depot.

There are 2 B7TL Gemini’s in Barbie livery in service at Worcester.

 

[Private Baxter]

First Cymru still has former FWoE 66723 in service at Swansea Ravenhill depot.

Wow didn't know that was still going. That one was a state when that left WoE!
Still a bit of barbie knocking around then

 

[sk688]

The Bath Unibus MMCs have had " student fares " for tap on-tap off , according to the posters on the buses implemented , with the point that it is only on routes U1/U2.

In cases where non Unibus vehicles are used but people still use tap on tap off rather than an m-ticket, would the student £1.50 fare still be charged or would it be the adult fare that's charged

 

[MacT]

After 11 years, Barbie has officially gone from our region. The last to carry it was 69253, but I passed it yesterday on the Stoke Gifford bypass, now resplendent in the yellow/orange for training buses. Admittedly I'm not sure when this bus was last in passenger service.

The paintshop must be working overtime! I saw it on Monday near Temple Meads in barbie. Maybe you confused it with one of 69249-52 which carry that scheme and recently transferred from Leicester.

 

[Private Baxter]

The paintshop must be working overtime! I saw it on Monday near Temple Meads in barbie. Maybe you confused it with one of 69249-52 which carry that scheme and recently transferred from Leicester.

Ahh you may well be right! I did try and catch a glimpse of fleet number, but is so small now I couldn't make it out. I hadn't realised four more had transferred.

 

[bathbuses]

The Bath Unibus MMCs have had " student fares " for tap on-tap off , according to the posters on the buses implemented , with the point that it is only on routes U1/U2.

In cases where non Unibus vehicles are used but people still use tap on tap off rather than an m-ticket, would the student £1.50 fare still be charged or would it be the adult fare that's charged

I should think so, been as on a weekday only about half of the university services are actually done by the Unibus vehicles

 

[Citistar]

I understand there will be a press release regarding First's service changes from 2nd April published tomorrow.

 

[sk688]

is Bath depot going through a single decker shortage atm ? Have seen plenty of E200 workings on the 5 and Solos on the 1 recently , and while Solos on the 1 isn't too bad , E200s on the 5 are severely overcrowded. A recent trip was full and standing before it had even left Twerton and rejoined the Lower Bristol Road , resulting in all the Lower Bristol Road stops being skipped.

 

[volvob12]

I understand there will be a press release regarding First's service changes from 2nd April published tomorrow.

It’s gone live this morning. There’s a few interesting points of note;
- D2x introduced to Frome via the A36
- 172 extended to Bristol and replaces 379. 376 and 172 now routed via Victoria Street in Bristol.
- 522 introduced between Bath, Somer Valley, Keynsham and Bristol.
- 23 & 91 withdrawn in Bristol, but previously reduced services increased again.
- 35 and 47 withdrawn and replaced by new operators.
- On Sundays 349s become a 17 at Keynsham Church and continue to Southmead
- P&R services to be operated by a new operator
- Frequency increases on the X1 and X4 and new X8 introduced.

Service changes 2nd April 2023

FIRST WEST OF ENGLAND TO EXPAND BUS SERVICES AND IMPROVE PUNCTUALITY OF NEW TIMETABLES Bus operator First West of England has today announced a significant increase in the number of buses operating in the region from Sunday 2nd April.

www.firstbus.co.uk

FIRST WEST OF ENGLAND TO EXPAND BUS SERVICES AND

IMPROVE PUNCTUALITY OF NEW TIMETABLES​

Bus operator First West of England has today announced a significant increase in the number of buses operating in the region from Sunday 2nd April.

Ahh you may well be right! I did try and catch a glimpse of fleet number, but is so small now I couldn't make it out. I hadn't realised four more had transferred.

Just to confirm 62953 is still in Barbie, it was out this morning on driver training.

 

[RELL6L]

It’s gone live this morning. There’s a few interesting points of note;
- D2x introduced to Frome via the A36
- 172 extended to Bristol and replaces 379. 376 and 172 now routed via Victoria Street in Bristol.
- 522 introduced between Bath, Somer Valley, Keynsham and Bristol.
- 23 & 91 withdrawn in Bristol, but previously reduced services increased again.
- 35 and 47 withdrawn and replaced by new operators.
- On Sundays 349s become a 17 at Keynsham Church and continue to Southmead
- P&R services to be operated by a new operator
- Frequency increases on the X1 and X4 and new X8 introduced.

Service changes 2nd April 2023

FIRST WEST OF ENGLAND TO EXPAND BUS SERVICES AND IMPROVE PUNCTUALITY OF NEW TIMETABLES Bus operator First West of England has today announced a significant increase in the number of buses operating in the region from Sunday 2nd April.

www.firstbus.co.uk

Just to confirm 62953 is still in Barbie, it was out this morning on driver training.

This seems very stop-go!
Not long ago we had one bus per hour from Midsomer Norton to Bristol - the 178 via Keynsham.
Then we were bemoaning the loss if this - being replaced by the 379 hourly via a different route.
Now the 379 becomes the 172 and runs half-hourly- while the 178 is reintroduced under the guise of a 522.
Won't passengers on using the 178 have found another route now? Has the 379 been so successful that 2 bph are justified?
First tell us that there will be a bus every 12 minutes between Bath and Midsomer Norton and every 30 minutes between Midsomer Norton and Bristol. Not sure how that works - alternate buses will have to sit for 6 minutes in Midsomer Norton...

Looks like the D2x on Mon-Fri will only run in peaks - but still good. Four bph from Bristol to Keynsham instead of two!
The X5 will revert to running in Weston via Locking Castle - like the 'old' X5 did until last autumn. I took this last September and this section generated a few passengers.
Others will be able to comments better than me on the city services.

Some real positives here. But no reintroduction of the late lamented 126!!

 

[WelshBluebird]

Seems a really weird set of changes to me. Increasing services for areas that are already very well served (Gloucester Road, Stapleton Road, Church Road, Bristol to Bath etc) and basically leaving some other areas without a useful service at all! Maybe that is the market talking but doesn't seem like the right way to run public transport to me!

- 91 withdrawn in Bristol

A huge loss for the Windmill Hill / Victoria Park / St Johns Lane area. The 90 covers the West part of that area, but the area closer to the park itself will essentially just be left with the much less useful 512 (due to the hugely limited frequency that service has - 5 buses a day). I guess the East of the area is close enough to Wells Road, but it still leaves a bit of a gap where there wasn't one before!

- 47 withdrawn and replaced by new operators.

Only along part of the route. Looks like St Pauls, St Werburghs and the Eastgate shopping area (Ikea, Tesco etc) won't be served by any bus services going forward. I guess depending on where exactly you are then you can walk to Gloucester Road or Stapleton Road but again it is creating a gap that didn't exist before.

 

[bathbuses]

is Bath depot going through a single decker shortage atm ? Have seen plenty of E200 workings on the 5 and Solos on the 1 recently , and while Solos on the 1 isn't too bad , E200s on the 5 are severely overcrowded. A recent trip was full and standing before it had even left Twerton and rejoined the Lower Bristol Road , resulting in all the Lower Bristol Road stops being skipped.

There's an Eclipse that hasn't been out for a week and an E200 for a fortnight. Otherwise everything else is in service. Of course, 2 streetlites departed relatively recently and there's the double decker shortage since the 8xE400s left

Something I've noticed happening a lot lately is Bath Spa Unibus Streetdecks on the number 3

 

[Simon75]

How come when searching the operator license, it's says Marlborough Street bus station licenced 300. Seems very high?

 

[-Colly405-]

A huge loss for the Windmill Hill / Victoria Park / St Johns Lane area. The 90 covers the West part of that area, but the area closer to the park itself will essentially just be left with the much less useful 512 (due to the hugely limited frequency that service has - 5 buses a day). I guess the East of the area is close enough to Wells Road, but it still leaves a bit of a gap where there wasn't one before!


Only along part of the route. Looks like St Pauls, St Werburghs and the Eastgate shopping area (Ikea, Tesco etc) won't be served by any bus services going forward. I guess depending on where exactly you are then you can walk to Gloucester Road or Stapleton Road but again it is creating a gap that didn't exist before.

Of course, what we don't yet know is what other "new" routes there will be, with other operators. The fact that First have mentioned the new 522 and 525 implies to me that the numbers 517, 518, 519, 520, 521, 523 and 524 will also be re-used.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Of course, what we don't yet know is what other "new" routes there will be, with other operators. The fact that First have mentioned the new 522 and 525 implies to me that the numbers 517, 518, 519, 520, 521, 523 and 524 will also be re-used.

To be fair that's a good point. I had taken the mentions of specific new services to mean those are the only relevant ones, but that is an assumption from me! I guess there's a fair bit that probably hasn't been confirmed yet, so First could only make mention of the ones that have been confirmed.

 

[Citistar]

This seems very stop-go!
Not long ago we had one bus per hour from Midsomer Norton to Bristol - the 178 via Keynsham.
Then we were bemoaning the loss if this - being replaced by the 379 hourly via a different route.
Now the 379 becomes the 172 and runs half-hourly- while the 178 is reintroduced under the guise of a 522.
Won't passengers on using the 178 have found another route now? Has the 379 been so successful that 2 bph are justified?
First tell us that there will be a bus every 12 minutes between Bath and Midsomer Norton and every 30 minutes between Midsomer Norton and Bristol. Not sure how that works - alternate buses will have to sit for 6 minutes in Midsomer Norton...

I think this reinforces how much WECA want to promote the 172/379 corridor from Norton to Bristol, enough to spend substantial slabs of BSIP money at it.

Seems a really weird set of changes to me. Increasing services for areas that are already very well served (Gloucester Road, Stapleton Road, Church Road, Bristol to Bath etc) and basically leaving some other areas without a useful service at all! Maybe that is the market talking but doesn't seem like the right way to run public transport to me!

A huge loss for the Windmill Hill / Victoria Park / St Johns Lane area. The 90 covers the West part of that area, but the area closer to the park itself will essentially just be left with the much less useful 512 (due to the hugely limited frequency that service has - 5 buses a day). I guess the East of the area is close enough to Wells Road, but it still leaves a bit of a gap where there wasn't one before!

Only along part of the route. Looks like St Pauls, St Werburghs and the Eastgate shopping area (Ikea, Tesco etc) won't be served by any bus services going forward. I guess depending on where exactly you are then you can walk to Gloucester Road or Stapleton Road but again it is creating a gap that didn't exist before.

This is the West of England Combined Authority's transport strategy (which can be found on their website). The implementation of this strategy is to promote strong, frequent corridors. Sadly this is being done at the expense of the tertiary routes in the belief that the public will gravitate towards their nearest corridor (which there is some evidence to support). There are also many parts of the strategy which are being convenienty ignored if they don't fit this week's buzzword bingo card.

Of course, what we don't yet know is what other "new" routes there will be, with other operators. The fact that First have mentioned the new 522 and 525 implies to me that the numbers 517, 518, 519, 520, 521, 523 and 524 will also be re-used.

These numbers were all attached to potential BSIP funded new services, many of which were very poorly conceived. There seems to have been a strategic decision within the CA to spend more on strengthening existing commercial corridors rather than setting up new services with limited prospects of success. The cynic in my may also suggest that this also means that the CA move closer to their ultimate goal of only dealing with one or two large PLC bus operators.