First West Yorkshire & York discussion

[Hullian111]

The streetdecks will be leaving once we know what is happening with the uni contract - they’ve not ordered enough EVs to cover the 8 uni branded streetdecks as is and there will be a PVR uplift anyway from september

Somewhere, ~15 extra EVs have to be found according to my maths

I think the PVR at York is around 70 buses

I don't have a semester timetable for the University services but I've estimated about 10 buses within that number

Therefore a total electric fleet of 86 buses as mentioned in the above press release sounds to be ok

That would presumably be made up of the new 53 buses, plus the existing 21 Optare Metrodeckers and 12 Optare Versas

There's a couple of debranded Metrodeckers going around York still (fleet nos. 39518-39523), so maybe they might be brought into use as branded university buses?

 

[dodecahedron67]

There's a couple of debranded Metrodeckers going around York still (fleet nos. 39518-39523), so maybe they might be brought into use as branded university buses?

These are needed for conversion of Service 2 to double deck. 21 Metros for a DD P&R PVR of 21 on 2/3/7/8/9 leaves 0 “spare”

12 Versas for 4x 59s + sporadic filling on 6s/10s/11s afaik

There are new uni services starting in september that will increase the PVR of the uni services

 

[Andyh82]

When the Versas are all back in action maybe they’ll start to be used on the 9 again?

 

[Fin447]

Apparently there is an order of Electric buses for Hunslet on top of the 57 currently on order for Bramley, does anyone know how many and what vehicles have been ordered?

 

[Seehof]

Any news as to when the Kites will start to appear in York?

 

[noddingdonkey]

Is there a reason that the 72 reg Streetlites at Huddersfield are not in the HD connect livery. It looks a bit odd when the rest of the fleet is in HD connect livery.

I still don't get the need for the HD and HX Connect sub brands. They are only seen on the external livery, everything else uses the First brand. Is First so toxic a brand that they prefer to use something else?

 

[Andyh82]

I still don't get the need for the HD and HX Connect sub brands. They are only seen on the external livery, everything else uses the First brand. Is First so toxic a brand that they prefer to use something else?

Most parts of First across the country have introduced a local livery and brand name

 

[noddingdonkey]

Still not convinced of there being a need for it

 

[dodecahedron67]

Most of York’s diesel deckers are leaving today supposedly

 

[MasterSpenny]

Most of York’s diesel deckers are leaving today supposedly

Any evidence to support this?

 

[dodecahedron67]

Any evidence to support this?

My eyes in the yard this morning not good enough?

 

[Seehof]

Wow - I did not expect the introduction of the new EVs to be rapid. One on the 1s this morning.

 

[LeylandLynx]

Most of York’s diesel deckers are leaving today supposedly

This might be a stupid question, but do Micro Hybrids count as diesel or not?

 

[Deerfold]

My eyes in the yard this morning not good enough?

To be fair, you hadn't mentioned it was a personal observation, especially as you put "supposedly".

 

[Andyh82]

Looking at the new timetables on the Metro website and it looks like Huddersfield is now having the new ‘computer generated’ timetables inflicted on them

For example the 306 is currently a nice clean 20 minute frequency, from September it seems to run every 21-23 minutes

Also it looks like the computer has been asked to remove 1 bus from the PVR on the main X63 Huddersfield to Bradford route, the result it reduces from every 15 minutes to every 18 minutes.

That is also possibly the lowest number of buses between these two locations in living memory

 

[dodecahedron67]

This might be a stupid question, but do Micro Hybrids count as diesel or not?

They do, but these will be the last to leave (for now, plans keep changing every other day atm)

 

[Hullian111]

(for now, plans keep changing every other day atm)

Suppose we'll find out more concrete plans when the 73 plates become valid on 1st of September!

Speaking of StreetDecks, I posed the question somewhere on the forum ages back, but any idea where they might be destined for after York?

 

[LeylandLynx]

Suppose we'll find out more concrete plans when the 73 plates become valid on 1st of September!

Speaking of StreetDecks, I posed the question somewhere on the forum ages back, but any idea where they might be destined for after York?

Hengrove Depot in Bristol desperately needs modernizing, the majority of the vehicles are 14-16 year old Geminis, and most of its Streetdecks got sent away to Weston or elsewhere and has a PVR increase this September.

 

[dodecahedron67]

Speaking of StreetDecks, I posed the question somewhere on the forum ages back, but any idea where they might be destined for after York?

Not a scooby. I’ve heard different people say Leeds, Norwich, Bristol. Pretty much everywhere there’s a first depot has been floated at one point.

The one thing I think we can be sure of is them going in a batch as they’re so new, rather than piecemeal like the B7RLEs & B9TLs currently are

The person that told me Leeds is the “highest” I heard from, but they did say that even Leeds was a temp and they weren’t sure where after Leeds

 

[LeylandLynx]

The person that told me Leeds is the “highest” I heard from, but they did say that even Leeds was a temp and they weren’t sure where after Leeds

I heard a rumour that Leeds is also about to release some Streetdecks.

 

[noddingdonkey]

Looking at the new timetables on the Metro website and it looks like Huddersfield is now having the new ‘computer generated’ timetables inflicted on them

For example the 306 is currently a nice clean 20 minute frequency, from September it seems to run every 21-23 minutes

Also it looks like the computer has been asked to remove 1 bus from the PVR on the main X63 Huddersfield to Bradford route, the result it reduces from every 15 minutes to every 18 minutes.

That is also possibly the lowest number of buses between these two locations in living memory

It's as if they haven't connected the fact that having spent the last decade or more reducing everything to such a level that it was really a service for people who didn't have a choice but to use it (rather than a quality service they people would choose to use), now that many people have the option to work from home rather than endure a commute via First Bus they do.

Rather than up their game to attract people back to the buses, the response is more cuts. They seem to be in a spiral of self destruction.

 

[Callum15632]

Not a scooby. I’ve heard different people say Leeds, Norwich, Bristol. Pretty much everywhere there’s a first depot has been floated at one point.

The one thing I think we can be sure of is them going in a batch as they’re so new, rather than piecemeal like the B7RLEs & B9TLs currently are

The person that told me Leeds is the “highest” I heard from, but they did say that even Leeds was a temp and they weren’t sure where after Leeds

I heard Huddersfield and then I heard Bristol. It would be nice for Bristol to get some newer Streetdecks to most probably see off some B9s if they do go ahead and transfer to Bristol as I live in the Bristol area.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

I still don't get the need for the HD and HX Connect sub brands. They are only seen on the external livery, everything else uses the First brand. Is First so toxic a brand that they prefer to use something else?

I'd prefer it if First used both the HALIFAX and HUDDERSFIELD as brands, rather than the current HD/HX Connect. All they'd need to do is remove the First logo and simply use the Olympia? style font - the same font that was used for the Red Arrow branded 521/522/523 (Halifax to Ilingworth). In fact what First should have done was keep the Holme Valley Connection, Calder Connect, Zest503 and Red Arrow brands and introduced (possibly) Zest576, MixLinx, TownLinx, Colne Valley Connect, LimeLinx328 and UniLink.

- MixLinx could have been appiled to what is now the 509/510/511/512/513 serving Mixenden
- TownLinx could have been appiled to the 541/542 Norton Tower to Siddal, which could have been split in Halifax with the Halifax to Siddal section being jettisoned off to being a 543 and extended to Elland, thus allowing a new route into Elland thus taking some pressure off the 503.
- Colne Valley Connect would include services 181/184/185/301/302 to Wilberlee/Oldham/Marsden/Golcar via Milnsbridge.
- UniLink (a brand previouly used in Leeds) could have been used for the now axed 398/399 to Storthes Hall.

Any routes not branded could simply have a generic HALIFAX / HUDDERSFIELD branded bus used instead.

Looking at the new timetables on the Metro website and it looks like Huddersfield is now having the new ‘computer generated’ timetables inflicted on them

For example the 306 is currently a nice clean 20 minute frequency, from September it seems to run every 21-23 minutes

Also it looks like the computer has been asked to remove 1 bus from the PVR on the main X63 Huddersfield to Bradford route, the result it reduces from every 15 minutes to every 18 minutes.

That is also possibly the lowest number of buses between these two locations in living memory

At least with the 363/X63 the last bus now leaves Huddersfield at 2300 Monday to Friday, 2301 Saturday and oddly 2312 on a Sunday rather than the previous 2257 M-F, 2258 Sat and 2304 Sun.

 

[noddingdonkey]

Yorkshire Buses would appear to have picked up the contract for the 398/9.

 

[AndyHudds]

It's as if they haven't connected the fact that having spent the last decade or more reducing everything to such a level that it was really a service for people who didn't have a choice but to use it (rather than a quality service they people would choose to use), now that many people have the option to work from home rather than endure a commute via First Bus they do.

Rather than up their game to attract people back to the buses, the response is more cuts. They seem to be in a spiral of self destruction.

As a Huddersfield resident I hate First Bus with a passion, I wish they'd just get out of Huddersfield, although not going to happen i accept. They've done nothing but absolutely dismantle the Huddersfield bus network from a fairly regular comprehensive service to nothing but a piece meal service that's not really usuable, certainly after 6pm. I can't even get home after a midweek football game anymore.

 

[noddingdonkey]

As a fellow Huddersfield resident I totally agree. The only time they every put any effort in was when Tiger launched a duplicate of the Golcar services. Whoever is managing it has no local knowledge.

 

[Hullian111]

Now that the 73 registrations are active effective 1st of September, seeing as how they still haven't entered service yet as opposed to the StreetDecks, what are the odds that the five or so GB Kites on MA23 registrations will have their registrations voided, as buses sometimes delivered around these changeover periods do in London, and be reissued with ML73 (or equivalent) ones?

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Yorkshire Buses would appear to have picked up the contract for the 398/9.

I think Yorkshire Buses will end up running half of the county eventually!

As a Huddersfield resident I hate First Bus with a passion, I wish they'd just get out of Huddersfield, although not going to happen I accept. They've done nothing but absolutely dismantle the Huddersfield bus network from a fairly regular comprehensive service to nothing but a piece meal service that's not really usuable, certainly after 6pm. I can't even get home after a midweek football game anymore.

I'm quite suprised that First haven't decided to bin off the 356 to Longwood, the 342 to Almondbury, the 358 to Ashenhurst, the 327 to Bradley, the 387 to Beaumont Park leading them to be tendered (if they aren't already) and jettisoning the 537 off to Team Pennine. Keeping only the more lucrative routes which is why I'm taken back at First axing the longstanding 398/399 as surely a student shuttle service will make money. There was a 397 at one point which was more of an evening service for Ashenhurst before that disappeared into thin air.

They've aleady cocked up the 548/549 to Halifax leaving a dismal 20/40 split and a timetable that is now a disaster, why not simply scrap the 549 as it doesn't pick anyone up or off between Waring Green and the Dusty Miller pub and instead replace it with an X48 to Huddersfield running directly down Halifax Road to complement the 548 (which could, hourly serve Waring Green by running down Garden Road and Bonegate before joining Bradford Road before heading into the bus station).

As a fellow Huddersfield resident I totally agree. The only time they every put any effort in was when Tiger launched a duplicate of the Golcar services. Whoever is managing it has no local knowledge.

Whoever is managing it need to be tempted to both Halifax and Huddersfield to see the network, well what's left of it.

 

[Andyh82]

I’m pretty sure the 398/399 hasn’t been “axed by First” more that Yorkshire Buses have quoted less to run it

It’ll be interesting to see how it works Yorkshire Buses running it, being based in Leeds, in regards to changeovers etc. It also significantly increases their PVR

 

[Deerfold]

I’m pretty sure the 398/399 hasn’t been “axed by First” more that Yorkshire Buses have quoted less to run it

It’ll be interesting to see how it works Yorkshire Buses running it, being based in Leeds, in regards to changeovers etc. It also significantly increases their PVR

I suspect either First gave late notice to cancel their contract or they struggled to get someone to bid a reasonable amount - details of who was running it and what the timetable was would usually be available more than a week before it started.