First West Yorkshire & York discussion

[Andyh82]

One thing First WY have started doing, they do it on the 72, and the new 576 timetable does it, is running the service with one bus less than would actually be required.

So every time that bus would come round in the cycle, the timetable drops to a lower frequency.

So for example an every 10 min service might go

0900 0910 0920 0935 0950 1000 1010 1020 1030 1040 1050 1105 1120 1130 1140....

 

[Deerfold]

One thing First WY have started doing, they do it on the 72, and the new 576 timetable does it, is running the service with one bus less than would actually be required.

So every time that bus would come round in the cycle, the timetable drops to a lower frequency.

So for example an every 10 min service might go

0900 0910 0920 0935 0950 1000 1010 1020 1030 1040 1050 1105 1120 1130 1140....

I spotted that. It seems designed to make buses bunch more than they would with an even headway.

 

[317 forever]

If I was transport minister, I'd ban such stupid names for bus companies!

Hopefully these First cuts won't see Yorkshire Tiger (named because they're getting rarer and rarer in their natural habitat (HD8), perhaps?) trying to fill the void by spreading themselves too thinly...

SquarePeg may have got their name from the lyric Like a square peg in a round hole from the 1976 song Ships in the Night from West Yorkshire band Be-Bop Deluxe.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

It appears that the "HD Connect" brand isn't just for the 370 - 373 services, but is the foundation of something much bigger for the Huddersfield operation. Just as "Leeds City" is for Leeds with the various colours used (red for services through Headingley, yellow for York Road and eventually blue for Dewsbury Road. I'd imagine that green would be used for Kirkstall Road and possibly white / grey for spares) HD Connect seems to be going the same way. Where this leaves Holme Valley Connection and Calder Connect is anyones guess.

https://www.firstgroup.com/halifax-calder-valley-huddersfield/routes-and-maps/hd-connect

Plus Leeds now sees some more route maps uploaded, shame that the X26/X27 didn't have its timetable included.
https://www.firstgroup.com/leeds/routes-and-maps/route-maps

 

[Andyh82]

They’ve copied that HD connect info from the Leeds pages and left in one reference to Leeds and also the bits about the ‘new buses’

New, as in up to 13 years old.

I expect it doesn’t effect Calder Connect or Holme Valley Connection at all.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

They’ve copied that HD connect info from the Leeds pages and left in one reference to Leeds and also the bits about the ‘new buses’. New, as in up to 13 years old. I expect it doesn’t effect Calder Connect or Holme Valley Connection at all.

I've noticed that, especially when you click on a link which takes you directly to the Leeds City pages. The only new buses that Huddersfield has seen is those Streetlites and whatever Bristol or Sheffield didn't want as I'm sure I saw a former FSY ALX400 in Huddersfield which had the South Yorkshire fleetname removed.

What is missing from ther website is info regarding Zest503, Red Arrow, Holme Valley Connection and Calder Connect.

Speaking of the Zest503, surely any new vehicles that First get should be pressed into service on there to replace the heaps of junk that already operate on it considering its a flagship route.

 

[Deerfold]

Looks designed to confuse passengers. The X26/27 map has question marks instead of the bus stop details on the map. If a customer goes to look up the X27 timetable they get an error because it hasn't started yet - but there's nothing to say that on the map.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

There's four bus stops at Thorpe Park, all of which have Leeds and Cross Gates in the "buses towards" section on the stop flag.

Of those four stops, two are in use for the X26 but the two around the back (located to and accessed from the north of the car park) are out of use. Once that bridge over the York/Selby Lines is completed my guess is that the X27 will serve the currently out of use stops. It does somewhat appear that the X26/27 will run as a circular, so whatever runs to Thorpe Park as an X26 heads back to Leeds as an X27 and vice versa.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

First West Yorkshire have partially uploaded their Christmas travel information, no boxing day bus timetables as of yet (I'd imagine that WYCA would be once again producing the Boxing Day bus guide unless its left to the operators this time) but they have posted a table showing the last two journeys on the 24th and 31st December.
https://www.firstgroup.com/uploads/update-attach/West Yorkshire Last Journeys_0.pdf

First York is even worse with virtually no timetable info whatsoever for the services that are running on Boxing Day, a two page PDF would be enough.

Moving on to fleet updates, apparently the Leeds based E400's are to be transfered over to Halifax for the Zest503 which will see the current batch of Geminis taken off and proabably transfered on to other routes. Going by the South West & Wales thread, some X reg ALX400's are to be transfered from Halifax to Wales but checking the West Yorkshire fleetlists reveal that the X platers are Huddersfield based. The Halifax batch are a mixture of W and 51 plates.

 

[Kieran1990]

First West Yorkshire have partially uploaded their Christmas travel information, no boxing day bus timetables as of yet (I'd imagine that WYCA would be once again producing the Boxing Day bus guide unless its left to the operators this time) but they have posted a table showing the last two journeys on the 24th and 31st December.
https://www.firstgroup.com/uploads/update-attach/West Yorkshire Last Journeys_0.pdf

First York is even worse with virtually no timetable info whatsoever for the services that are running on Boxing Day, a two page PDF would be enough.

Moving on to fleet updates, apparently the Leeds based E400's are to be transfered over to Halifax for the Zest503 which will see the current batch of Geminis taken off and proabably transfered on to other routes. Going by the South West & Wales thread, some X reg ALX400's are to be transfered from Halifax to Wales but checking the West Yorkshire fleetlists reveal that the X platers are Huddersfield based. The Halifax batch are a mixture of W and 51 plates.

I assume the E400s will be coming off of the 49/50/50A corridor? Doubt the X84 batch will be removed?
Streetdeck replacement/ internal cascade of streetdecks taking over other routes?

 

[NorthernSpirit]

I assume the E400s will be coming off of the 49/50/50A corridor? Doubt the X84 batch will be removed?
Streetdeck replacement/ internal cascade of streetdecks taking over other routes?

It'll be the ones that are currently based in Bramley.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Going by the South West & Wales thread, some X reg ALX400's are to be transfered from Halifax to Wales but checking the West Yorkshire fleetlists reveal that the X platers are Huddersfield based. The Halifax batch are a mixture of W and 51 plates.

Just to clarify - the question came about because of the statement on the West Yorkshire proboard forum that mentioned six heading that way. I asked if there was anything in it as aside from 4 x 51 plate Tridents, South Wales doesn't have a need for old deckers. Hence my scepticism though I'm happy to be proved wrong That said, they might be more at home in Bristol (NOT a rumour). The vehicles mentioned would be six drawn from 30883/5/97, 30905-7, 30925-34 - the latter are the X regs and should be in Halifax.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Just to clarify - the question came about because of the statement on the West Yorkshire proboard forum that mentioned six heading that way. I asked if there was anything in it as aside from 4 x 51 plate Tridents, South Wales doesn't have a need for old deckers. Hence my scepticism though I'm happy to be proved wrong That said, they might be more at home in Bristol (NOT a rumour). The vehicles mentioned would be six drawn from 30883/5/97, 30905-7, 30925-34 - the latter are the X regs and should be in Halifax.

I'll keep an eye out TGW. What I do know is that some have been transfered from South Yorkshire (likely Doncaster) to Halifax with the odd few that I've seen to Huddersfield, as some have the South Yorkshire fleetname being highlighted in dirt.

Just a thought could the Tridents/ALX400's be required for any schools work? Which may explain the rumoured? transfer. As they are in Halifax and Huddersfield with some being pressed into use on the Storthes Hall Uni service. This is what got me thinking after I posted my initial reply.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Leeds sees more Streetdecks pressed into service, with another 58 due to come in January. I'm almost certain that these will most likley be for the "Dewsbury Road" corridor (services 2, 2A, 3, 3A, 12 & 13) as I've seen one blue LeedsCity Streetdeck in Otley on Sunday.

The X26 and X27 sees a completely new timetable as the service is extended over to Garforth, which to me has signalled the possibility of the 5, 19, 19A and the 40 being eventually be absorbed into the "York Road" corridor of the LeedsCity network.
http://www.thorpepark-parklife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/X27-27-Timetable-Dec-2018.pdf
https://www.firstgroup.com/uploads/maps/X26_X27_Map_WEB_0.pdf

 

[noddingdonkey]

Huddersfield appear to have a First Leeds Pulse liveried Gemini either on loan or transferred and awaiting debranding.

 

[Yorks185]

Huddersfield appear to have a First Leeds Pulse liveried Gemini either on loan or transferred and awaiting debranding.

Huddersfield are getting some of the 04-reg Wright Geminis to replace ALX400s,with 32471& 32467 being the first 2 to move

 

[Kieran1990]

Leeds sees more Streetdecks pressed into service, with another 58 due to come in January. I'm almost certain that these will most likley be for the "Dewsbury Road" corridor (services 2, 2A, 3, 3A, 12 & 13) as I've seen one blue LeedsCity Streetdeck in Otley on Sunday.

The X26 and X27 sees a completely new timetable as the service is extended over to Garforth, which to me has signalled the possibility of the 5, 19, 19A and the 40 being eventually be absorbed into the "York Road" corridor of the LeedsCity network.

I had a Leeds City on a 49 the other day! Didn’t realise the Streetdecks had an allocation to Bramley Depot

 

[KendalKing]

I had a Leeds City on a 49 the other day! Didn’t realise the Streetdecks had an allocation to Bramley Depot

There are currently six StreetDeck's allocated to Bramley, this is set to increase.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

I take it that Leeds will be 100% Streetdecked by the end of 2019 with most of the remaining Geminis, Pulsars, Streetlites and E400's being transfered elsewhere in West Yorkshire which in turn replaces the older stuff which will be either scrapped or moved to another OpCo.

Obviously there'd need to keep a few single decks for the lesser used routes / routes with low bridges.

 

[goldisgood]

I take it that Leeds will be 100% Streetdecked by the end of 2019 with most of the remaining Geminis, Pulsars, Streetlites and E400's being transfered elsewhere in West Yorkshire which in turn replaces the older stuff which will be either scrapped or moved to another OpCo.

Obviously there'd need to keep a few single decks for the lesser used routes / routes with low bridges.

What about the guided routes which can't use Streetdecks?

 

[SCH117X]

What about the guided routes which can't use Streetdecks?

Why? Is there some reason the guide wheels cannot be fitted?

 

[goldisgood]

Why? Is there some reason the guide wheels cannot be fitted?

I'm not too sure of the specifics, but AFAIK guide wheels can't be fitted onto Streetdecks.

 

[Andyh82]

I don’t think they are intending to replace the whole fleet, there are about 400 buses operating in Leeds.

 

[bluenoxid]

I take it that Leeds will be 100% Streetdecked by the end of 2019 with most of the remaining Geminis, Pulsars, Streetlites and E400's being transfered elsewhere in West Yorkshire which in turn replaces the older stuff which will be either scrapped or moved to another OpCo.

Obviously there'd need to keep a few single decks for the lesser used routes / routes with low bridges.

Not 100% Work is being done to make certain buses EURO 6 (some already are).

 

[Andyh82]

284 new buses are due for Leeds. It’s never been explicitly said they are all Streetdecks or even all double decks I don’t think.

Also it isn’t supposedly a like for like replacement one in one out, as when all these improvements were announced there is supposed to be some new services and/or frequency increases

 

[90sWereBetter]

I think the 58/09 plate B9s are being upgraded to Euro6 standards, while everything else in the double deck fleet will be sent over to Halifax and Huddersfield. The 14-plate E400s are apparently moving on as well, probably as they're non-standard in the West Yorkshire fleet.

 

[KendalKing]

284 new buses are due for Leeds. It’s never been explicitly said they are all Streetdecks or even all double decks I don’t think.

35563-35595 are due in January.

 

[Volvodart]

I'm not too sure of the specifics, but AFAIK guide wheels can't be fitted onto Streetdecks.

There are photos going around of a Green Wrightbus legalled Streetdeck at Wrightbus with what looks like the cut outs for guide wheels.

 

[winston270twm]

35563-35595 are due in January.

Will these two be from the above batch?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/70333100@N08/46305953731/in/dateposted/

 

[goldisgood]

There are photos going around of a Green Wrightbus legalled Streetdeck at Wrightbus with what looks like the cut outs for guide wheels.

This one? https://www.flickr.com/photos/70333100@N08/31421635537/in/photostream/