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

[Private Baxter]

Haven't first thought about about building a bigger depot? Have they always had the same site?

The main depot has been there for as long as I can remember (and by all accounts, a lot longer). The building that is now wetherspoons was once the bus station, although slightly before my time.
I don't know what the deal was with using the cold store site, and the sort of fees that were involved, but it does seem a bit odd to have kept that arrangement going for so long. At least 20 years, and no doubt longer.

There was a 15/215 in Bath that ran from City Centre (Terrace Walk)-Bear Flat-Whiteway (Haycombe Cemetery)
But that was withdrawn in October 1980 under the Market Analysis Project changes of the time.
The 15 route number may have been used since but I can’t remember if it has.

There will be a new service to replace the existing 22 (Post 31347) and that will operate in the Whiteway/Southdown area to University of Bath so I wonder if that service will be the 15.

The 15 was used for a couple.of years in the mid 2010s, as a Bath Spa University service. Now runs as the U5.

 

[Whiteway215]

The main depot has been there for as long as I can remember (and by all accounts, a lot longer). The building that is now wetherspoons was once the bus station, although slightly before my time.
I don't know what the deal was with using the cold store site, and the sort of fees that were involved, but it does seem a bit odd to have kept that arrangement going for so long. At least 20 years, and no doubt longer.


The 15 was used for a couple.of years in the mid 2010s, as a Bath Spa University service. Now runs as the U5.

Thanks for clarifying about the later use of the number 15 for the Bath Spa Uni route, now U5.

 

[Citistar]

77: Henleaze Lake Road via the 2/2a route to City then via the 75/76 route to Muller Road Top.

That's about three stops away from being a circular with neither end going to that perennial passenger favourite of Southmead Hospital.

Shame that the new 41 is just a good old fashioned bit of tit for tat competition against Stagecoach now they're running the Park & Ride service along the Portway. I'd hoped for something a bit more innovative.

 

[-Colly405-]

Thanks for clarifying about the later use of the number 15 for the Bath Spa Uni route, now U5.

As opposed to Wessex's U5 that became the 15...

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Haven't first thought about about building a bigger depot? Have they always had the same site?

The main depot has been there for as long as I can remember (and by all accounts, a lot longer). The building that is now wetherspoons was once the bus station, although slightly before my time.
I don't know what the deal was with using the cold store site, and the sort of fees that were involved, but it does seem a bit odd to have kept that arrangement going for so long. At least 20 years, and no doubt longer.

Wells depot was previously located down the road near one of the former rail stations. It was relocated to the former bus station site in the 1970s. It gained the current maintenance unit, with it being modified to accommodate double deck vehicles in 2015, and a planning application for electric chargers submitted recently.

I suspect that the cold store site is due for redevelopment otherwise they would still be there.

In the 1990s, the allocation was smaller both in vehicles and their dimensions. An allocation of 35 vehicles (ish) is more than I can ever recall.

Yes the new 15, 47, 77 are all Bristol services. The 36 is extended to Clifton Christchurch and renumbered 5. 48a becomes 46.

15 is a peak hour only service servicing Avonmouth Smoke Lane and it’s estate up to Cribbs.

Interesting as the 36 is a very long established service and route number!

No I forgot that one. 41 is the Kingswood shorts on the 43 renumbered and extended to Avonmouth via Portway.

The 41 to Avonmouth reappears after a gap of how long.... 15 years?

 

[Citistar]

The 41 to Avonmouth reappears after a gap of how long.... 15 years?

Wessex had a go at an X41 for a few weeks about a decade ago before getting bored with it and not bothering.

 

[THarris123]

Yes, this seems to have been going on for some months now. For years the depot has not had enough space, so about a third of the fleet would typically park at a site behind the cold store over night, but development there in recent years has seen this arrangement stopped. (I don't k ow the details, and is more of an assumption). These days the deckers tend to be in the depot, whilst the streetlites and other single decks use the coach station.

The cold store was removed over covid to save on costs - the lease on it was ancient and apparently a very costly/poor lease, so they reduced the pvr, parked the buses differently in the depot and saved on a lease along with 4 hours for 2 drivers to shunt each day.

I believe they've been in talks with someone about renting land for storage. No idea if that will only be for storage or not

 

[Private Baxter]

Wells depot was previously located down the road near one of the former rail stations. It was relocated to the former bus station site in the 1970s. It gained the current maintenance unit, with it being modified to accommodate double deck vehicles in 2015, and a planning application for electric chargers submitted recently.

I suspect that the cold store site is due for redevelopment otherwise they would still be there.

In the 1990s, the allocation was smaller both in vehicles and their dimensions. An allocation of 35 vehicles (ish) is more than I can ever recall.


Interesting as the 36 is a very long established service and route number!

The 41 to Avonmouth reappears after a gap of how long.... 15 years?

Only as recently as the 1970s?! Thanks for the info anyway. I had just assumed it had always been there!
The maintenence facility was once able to accomodate two buses, but half the space was given up in around 2002 for staff facilities.
A lot of development has taken place at the cold store the last few years, so I had assumed that had something to do with it.

As for Bristol 41 to Avonmouth, I don't think quite 15 years... I would say more like 10.

The cold store was removed over covid to save on costs - the lease on it was ancient and apparently a very costly/poor lease, so they reduced the pvr, parked the buses differently in the depot and saved on a lease along with 4 hours for 2 drivers to shunt each day.

I believe they've been in talks with someone about renting land for storage. No idea if that will only be for storage or not

Good to see you back, haven't heard from you in ages. Thanks for info - makes sense I guess, and that was quite an expense. I did sometimes see a driver shuttling back in the evenings.
Be curious about any longer term solutions.

 

[DaveHarries]

Interesting as the 36 is a very long established service and route number!

Indeed. The "Timetable World" website has it Withywood - Patchway in a timetable from March 1967.

No I forgot that one. 41 is the Kingswood shorts on the 43 renumbered and extended to Avonmouth via Portway.

Pointless then tbh: the Stagecoach 9 already does a good job of covering the Portway.

77: Henleaze Lake Road via the 2/2a route to City then via the 75/76 route to Muller Road Top.

Given that Henleaze Road is not short of buses this sounds pointless. I wonder if the 24 is being curtailed to Lockleaze but I wouldn't have thought so.

I asked my 376 driver about this and he told me that there is insufficient space in Wells Depot for all the buses to be parked there.

Somewhat odd then that First put in, not that long ago, an application to install electric vehicle charging points.

Yes the new 15, 47, 77 are all Bristol services. The 36 is extended to Clifton Christchurch and renumbered 5. 48a becomes 46. 15 is a peak hour only service servicing Avonmouth Smoke Lane and it’s estate up to Cribbs.

Interesting about the 36 extending to Clifton and that might explain the changes to the 8. Would there be any demand for extra services to Clifton Village though given that there are already 5 buses per hour Monday to Saturday daytimes between there and the City Centre? I wouldn't have thought so. Perhaps demand for the 8 has dropped off since the closure of the Zoo so the 8 to run Blackboy Hill Top to City Centre via. Pembroke Road and the 36, soon to be the 5, so replace the lost section between the City Centre and Clifton? Or perhaps the demand between Clifton and Broadmead is more than a Streets***e can take?

As for the 15 some of my colleagues might find that useful given that the train station at St. Andrew's Road is 45 minutes walk (just shy of 2 miles) from the work address: better a bus ride than breathing in exhaust passing the HGVs while walking up the A403 but whether my colleagues and I will use it will depend on how close to Chittening Industrial Estate the 15 will stop.

Dave

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

As for Bristol 41 to Avonmouth, I don't think quite 15 years... I would say more like 10.

It was 11 - I checked

ps there are pictures on flickr that show the old depot in the mid 1970s, as well as the old bus station

 

[-Colly405-]

With all these changes, many of them mentioned to relieve overcrowding, I'm surprised that there's no mention of improvements to peak hour buses in the Metrobus between town and UWE.
As an example, two mornings last week. 6 buses in a row to town didn't pick up at Begbroik as they were full...

 

[Private Baxter]

It was 11 - I checked

Not far off then!
I think it followed the renumbering of the 54 to the 2, which may have been a year or so before.

 

[LeylandLynx]

Is this new 77 a circular route? Both ends sound rather close together, they could easily make a circular route.

 

[Martin2012]

Yes, this seems to have been going on for some months now. For years the depot has not had enough space, so about a third of the fleet would typically park at a site behind the cold store over night, but development there in recent years has seen this arrangement stopped. (I don't k ow the details, and is more of an assumption). These days the deckers tend to be in the depot, whilst the streetlites and other single decks use the coach station.

Thanks for explaining

 

[thameslink2000]

From Somerset County Council's Bus Advisory Board meeting on Tuesday 6th February

Of particular note...
Service 29 and 75 renumbered 374 and 375 and extended to Bristol Bus Station.
Service 376 reduced to hourly, maintaining a 30 minute frequency between Bristol and Street alongside 374 and 375.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Is this new 77 a circular route? Both ends sound rather close together, they could easily make a circular route.

As @Citistar said:

That's about three stops away from being a circular with neither end going to that perennial passenger favourite of Southmead Hospital.

From Somerset County Council's Bus Advisory Board meeting on Tuesday 6th February

Of particular note...
Service 29 and 75 renumbered 374 and 375 and extended to Bristol Bus Station.
Service 376 reduced to hourly, maintaining a 30 minute frequency between Bristol and Street alongside 374 and 375.

Eh?

So rather than using Streetlites and e200s, you and four other passengers can enjoy a decker through to Taunton via Othery I know it makes vehicle changeovers easier and removes a small amount of duplication but really...

 

[LeylandLynx]

That's about three stops away from being a circular with neither end going to that perennial passenger favourite of Southmead Hospital.

I strongly suspect the 77 is circular, and completes the loop via Southmead Hospital.

From what I heard, it sounds like the 36 is merging with the 8 to create effectively a "new" 5 service.

This is just speculation, but I think the 8 might be rerouted through Redland via the old 9 route.

 

[-Colly405-]

I strongly suspect the 77 is circular, and completes the loop via Southmead Hospital.

From what I heard, it sounds like the 36 is merging with the 8 to create effectively a "new" 5 service.

This is just speculation, but I think the 8 might be rerouted through Redland via the old 9 route.

The original post explaining the 77 did say something along the lines of Lake Rd, then via the 2/2a to town, then the 75/76 to Muller Rd Top. That implies not a circular. But that post has been amended so we will have to wait and see. If a circular I would expect two route numbers, or an A variant, or...

Earlier discussions said that many of the changes were bolstering busy corridors, so I can't imagine the new 5 replacing the 8, more an extra for the busy part between Old Market and Clifton Village.

 

[LeylandLynx]

Earlier discussions said that many of the changes were bolstering busy corridors, so I can't imagine the new 5 replacing the 8, more an extra for the busy part between Old Market and Clifton Village.

The details are rather sketchy at this point, though I do assume the 5 will be decker operated and not poopy Streetlites like the current 8.

 

[DaveHarries]

Is this new 77 a circular route? Both ends sound rather close together, they could easily make a circular route.

Nearly but not quite. The only roads between the two ends - Muller Road Top and Henleaze (Lake Roundabout) would be Wellington Hill and Wellington Hill West. Sounds like a thoroughly pointless route to me.

Meanwhile someone has told me on a Facebook group that there will be

A lot of changes happening accross the WoE due to increased funding I've heard.

so things might get interesting in the N&P over the next few weeks. Nothing today (12th February) though.

Dave

 

[LeylandLynx]

Nearly but not quite. The only roads between the two ends - Muller Road Top and Henleaze (Lake Roundabout) would be Wellington Hill and Wellington Hill West. Sounds like a thoroughly pointless route to me.

Muller Road Top just sounds like an odd place to terminate, especially when Southmead Hospital isn't far away. Oh well, we'll just have to wait for more details. If it's not circular then that would be pretty lame.

 

[-Colly405-]

Nearly but not quite. The only roads between the two ends - Muller Road Top and Henleaze (Lake Roundabout) would be Wellington Hill and Wellington Hill West. Sounds like a thoroughly pointless route to me.

Meanwhile someone has told me on a Facebook group that there will be

so things might get interesting in the N&P over the next few weeks. Nothing today (12th February) though.

Dave

It appears to be relieving the 2/2a and the 75/76. The fact that it's ends appear to be so close is almost an accident, I feel.

Don't forget that services wholly within Weca and N Somerset are no longer in N&P, but on Travelwest at this link https://travelwest.info/bus/registrations/register-of-local-bus-services-applications/

 

[Buses in Bath]

Nearly but not quite. The only roads between the two ends - Muller Road Top and Henleaze (Lake Roundabout) would be Wellington Hill and Wellington Hill West. Sounds like a thoroughly pointless route to me.

Meanwhile someone has told me on a Facebook group that there will be

so things might get interesting in the N&P over the next few weeks. Nothing today (12th February) though.

Dave

Might be wrong but I think the funding conditions have been amended as I know at one point the money was only for new innovative routes/schemes which is how Westlink came about whilst now I think they are now allowed to use it on conventional routes so hopefully some good stuff comes out this April change.

 

[Private Baxter]

From Somerset County Council's Bus Advisory Board meeting on Tuesday 6th February

Of particular note...
Service 29 and 75 renumbered 374 and 375 and extended to Bristol Bus Station.
Service 376 reduced to hourly, maintaining a 30 minute frequency between Bristol and Street alongside 374 and 375.

I havent watched the meeting, only getting the jist. Is this actually happening, or is it mere discussion?

 

[Parebunks]

I havent watched the meeting, only getting the jist. Is this actually happening, or is it mere discussion?

Actually happening, starting mid-April. A timetable towards Bristol is visible at timestamp 53:50 or so.

 

[DaveHarries]

I havent watched the meeting, only getting the jist. Is this actually happening, or is it mere discussion?

That chair certainly got annoyed with BoS! If the withdrawl of the 54 & 58 come to pass it does put Yeovil depot in doubt (didn't they recently announce they were either closing it or moving to a new site anyway?) but it would leave Yeovil with only one route - the 51 - given the transfer to Wells depot of the 77 (although I would be surprised if Wells have the space to house the 77 when you take into account the 374, 375 & 376 as well). Hopefully the 54 & 58, which I have no cause to use unless required by work as I don't live along the route of either, can be saved but if not then SWC could certainly take both routes given that they have depots at Yeovil and Wincanton. Also if First dropped Yeovil completely then SWC could step in with a town network of some description: they would be well placed to do so and could take the Yeovil drivers who would otherwise be without work.

Dave

 

[CD]

That chair certainly got annoyed with BoS! If the withdrawl of the 54 & 58 come to pass it does put Yeovil depot in doubt (didn't they recently announce they were either closing it or moving to a new site anyway?) but it would leave Yeovil with only one route - the 51 - given the transfer to Wells depot of the 77 (although I would be surprised if Wells have the space to house the 77 when you take into account the 374, 375 & 376 as well). Hopefully the 54 & 58, which I have no cause to use unless required by work as I don't live along the route of either, can be saved but if not then SWC could certainly take both routes given that they have depots at Yeovil and Wincanton. Also if First dropped Yeovil completely then SWC could step in with a town network of some description: they would be well placed to do so and could take the Yeovil drivers who would otherwise be without work.

Dave

Yeovil also have the CR4 to Blandford. It is Dorset CC tendered.

 

[Citistar]

Don't forget that services wholly within Weca and N Somerset are no longer in N&P, but on Travelwest at this link https://travelwest.info/bus/registrations/register-of-local-bus-services-applications/

When they can be bothered to update it. There is also this page (https://travelwest.info/bus/registrations/record-of-registration-applications/) with "daily" updates, but WECA only update it sporadically despite it being published daily. They also decline to add the date that most of these changes were applied for, despite telling operators a couple of weeks ago that the 70 day limit was a strict deadline which must not be missed and that there would be absolutely no leniency. That'll be why North Somerset issued a tender for a new 125 contract to start in April yesterday, well within the 70 day registration period...!

 

[Callum15632]

Does anyone know when the full list of changes will be published?

 

[Martin2012]

With regards to the new 374 and 375 will they be able to be operated by deckers or will they need to be Streetlites? Am asking as my understanding is the 28 can't use deckers.

It sounds an interesting idea but if it leads to regular single deck workings between Bristol and Wells in place of double deck workings and a greater potential for delay en route then much less so.