Good old First Northampton

[overthewater]

As its about to kick the bucket, I thought we could have a wee look back at the route the first used to operate.

Does anyone remember that no3 and 7

Around 2000

3/7 BLACKTHORN & RECTORY FARM EVERY 20 MINS
4 HEADLANDS EVERY 20 MINS
5 HEADLANDS EVERY 20 MINS
11 PARKLANDS EVERY HOUR
14 PARKLANDS EVERY HOUR
20 SOUTHFIELDS EVERY 30 MINS
26 CAMP HILL EVERY 10 MINS
26 OBELISK RISE EVERY 10 MINS
27 SHELFLEYS EVERY 20 MINS
27 ST GILES PARK EVERY 20 MINS
28 LINKS VIEW EVERY 40 MINS
28 HOPPING HILL EVERY 40 MINS
29 / 30 KINGS HEATH EVERY 10 MINS
29 / 30 ACRE LANE EVERY 10 MINS
60 GUILSBOROUGH SEE TIMETABLE
69 / 79 ECTON BROOK EVERY 20 MINS
207 / 208 / 209 / 210 CRICK every 90mins


Around 2001

Service No. Location Frequency
1 ECTON BROOK EVERY 2 HOURS
1 NEW DUSTON EVERY 2 HOURS
2 RECTORY FARM & BLACKTHORN EVERY 15 MINS
3 WESTON FAVELL CENTRE EVERY 20 MINS
3A PARKLANDS EVERY 20 MINS
4/4A HEADLANDS EVERY 10 MINS*
5 SOUTHFIELDS EVERY 30 MINS
5A ECTON BROOK EVERY 30 MINS
9 MOULTON PARK/ SOUTHFIELDS SEE TIMETABLE
10 BRACKMILLS EVERY 10 MINS
17 BRACKMILLS SEE TIMETABLE
23 BRACKMILLS SEE TIMETABLE
24 CAMP HILL EVERY 15 MINS
26 HOLLY LODGE DRIVE EVERY 10 MINS
27 ST. GILES PARK EVERY 20 MINS
27 SHELFLEYS EVERY 20 MINS
28 HOPPING HILL EVERY 40 MINS
28 LINKS VIEW EVERY 40 MINS
29 / 30 ACRE LANE EVERY 10 MINS
29 / 30 KING'S HEATH EVERY 10 MINS
60 GUILSBOROUGH SEE TIMETABLE
207 / 208 / 209 / 210 CRICK SEE TIMETABLE

2003

Service No. Location Frequency
2 RECTORY FARM & BLACKTHORN EVERY 10 MINS
3 BLACKTHORNE EVERY 20 MINS
3 RYE HILL EVERY 20 MINS
4/4A HEADLANDS EVERY 10 MINS
5 SOUTHFIELDS EVERY 30 MINS
5A ECTON BROOK EVERY 30 MINS
9 SOUTHFIELDS SEE TIMETABLE
11/14 PARKLANDS EVERY 30 MINS
17 BRACKMILLS SEE TIMETABLE
23 BRACKMILLS SEE TIMETABLE
5/5A CAMP HILL EVERY 15 MINS
4/4A HOLLY LODGE DRIVE EVERY 10 MINS
27 ST. GILES PARK EVERY 20 MINS
27 SHELFLEYS EVERY 20 MINS
13 LINKS VIEW EVERY HOUR
29 / 30 ACRE LANE EVERY 10 MINS
29 / 30 KING'S HEATH EVERY 10 MINS
60 GUILSBOROUGH SEE TIMETABLE
207 / 208 / 209 / 210 CRICK SEE TIMETABLE

=================================

Bus War of late 2004/ 2005:

Service Change Details

01/11/2004 New Pink Line Service 52

New pink Line Service 52 will be introduced to provide the most direct link from Rectory Farm and Blackthorn to Weston Favell Centre and then via Wellingborough Road to the Town Centre.
This new service runs every 10 minutes Mondays to Saturdays and has special dicount fares as follows:
Rectory Farm/Blackthorn to Weston Favell 50p
Rectory Farm/Blackthorn/Weston Favell to Town Centre £1

First routes: April 2005

1 Timetable : Monday to Friday (not Public Holidays except Good Friday) | Saturday
Yellow Line
Line
1: DUSTON - TOWN CENTRE ( Yellow Line )
Via Rail Station

2 Timetable : Monday to Friday (not Public Holidays except Good Friday) | Saturday
Red Line
Line
2: TOWN CENTRE - RECTORY FARM / BLACKTHORN ( Red Line )
Via Kettering Road, Thorplands, Goldings

4 Timetable : Monday to Friday (not Public Holidays except Good Friday) | Saturday
Green Line
Line
4: TOWN CENTRE - HOLLY LODGE DRIVE ( Green Line )
Via Kingsthorpe

5/5B Timetable : Monday to Friday (not Public Holidays except Good Friday) | Saturday | Sunday and Public Holidays (except Good Friday)
Blue Line
Line
5: TOWN CENTRE - SOUTHFIELDS ( Blue Line )
Via Riverside, Weston Favell Centre
5B: TOWN CENTRE - SOUTHFIELDS ( Blue Line )
Via Bridgewater Drive, Weston Favell Centre

7 Timetable : Monday to Friday (not Public Holidays except Good Friday) | Saturday
Turquoise Line
Line
7: LAKE VIEW ESTATE - TOWN CENTRE ( Turquoise Line )
Via Broadmead Avenue

8 Timetable : Monday to Friday (not Public Holidays except Good Friday) | Saturday
Brown Line
Line
8: WESTON FAVELL CENTRE - TOWN CENTRE ( Brown Line )
Via Headlands, Broadway East

10 Timetable : Monday to Friday (not Public Holidays except Good Friday) | Saturday
Claret Line
Line
10: ACRE LANE - TOWN CENTRE ( Claret Line )
Via Kingsthorpe Road

12 Timetable : Monday to Friday (not Public Holidays except Good Friday) | Saturday
Indigo Line
Line
12: CAMP HILL - TOWN CENTRE ( Indigo Line )
Via Briar Hill, Far Cotton

23 Timetable : Monday to Friday (not Public Holidays except Good Friday)
Line
23: TOWN CENTRE - BRACKMILLS
Via Bedford Road, Pavilion Drive

27 Timetable : Monday to Friday (not Public Holidays except Good Friday) | Saturday
Lilac Line
Line
27: ST. GILES PARK - TOWN CENTRE ( Lilac Line )
Via Sixfields Sainsburys

28 Timetable : Monday to Friday (not Public Holidays except Good Friday) | Saturday
Orange Line
Line
28: TOWN CENTRE - SHELFLEYS ( Orange Line )
Via Delapre, Mereway Tesco

29/30 Timetable : Monday to Friday (not Public Holidays except Good Friday) | Saturday
Purple Line
Line
29: TOWN CENTRE - KINGS HEATH ( Purple Line )
Via St. James, Dallington Road
30: TOWN CENTRE - KINGS HEATH ( Purple Line )
Via St. James, Gladstone Road

52 Timetable : Monday to Friday (not Public Holidays except Good Friday) | Saturday. Pink Line: TOWN CENTRE - RECTORY FARM ( Pink Line ) Via Wellingborough Road, Weston Favell Centre, Ecton Brook

57 Timetable : Monday to Friday (not Public Holidays except Good Friday) TOWN CENTRE (St. Giles Street) - BRACKMILLS Via Bedford Road
63: TOWN CENTRE (Derngate Gym) - THE LAKES (John Dryden House) Via Bedford Road
135: NORTHAMPTON (Botmead Road) - WELLINGBORO' (Sir Christopher Hatton Sch) Via Earls Barton, Wellingborough Wrenn Sch
205: LILBOURNE GREEN - RUGBY Via Crick
207: NORTHAMPTON - RUGBY Via Althorpe, Crick
208: NORTHAMPTON - RUGBY Via Holdenby, Crick


Stagecoach routes:

* 22 December 2004 : 4U
Come and have a ride on our new low floor buses operating between Kingsthorpe and Northampton. They are wheelchair and pushchair friendly.
We have a special rate for MegaRider until the end of December 2004
Al you have to do is present the voucher from the 4U promotional leaflet to the driver of the 4U bus and you will only have to pay £3 instead of the usual price of £5.
We also have special fares for you they are
All stops in Kingsthorpe to town centre Adult-£1 Child-70p Concessionary-50p

Kingsthorpe Hollow to town centre Adult-50p Child-35p Concessionary-25p

MegaRider tickets available from the driver for unlimited ALL DAY travel for 7 days on Stagecoach buses in Northampton ONLY £5


* New Dog in Town | 3 March 2005 : K9
Sit - For as long as you like on our clean modern and ergonomically designed vehicles. Stay - For a much shorter trip from Kings Heath to Town Centre now only 10 minutes in length. Fetch - And then we'll come and collect you with buses running every ten minutes

 

[causton]

My god the bus fares were cheap? £5 barely gets you a day ticket in Northampton let alone a weekly ticket!

 

[mainframe444]

A good example of how to run down a bus company, when I worked for united counties between 1986 and 89 they ran all the local daytime services (except the 51) and had a remarkably standard fleet (VRs and Olympians, later Volvo citybuses), and now reduced to two routes....

Shameful!!

 

[overthewater]

Northampton Service Revision: Sunday, April 3rd, 2005.
The second phase, of the Northampton service revisions, will be introduced, from April 3rd as follows:

New route! Yellow Line service 1: will operate from Greyfriars Bus station (bay 14) to Duston, Newton Road. It will operate via West Bridge, St. James Road, Weedon Road, Duson Road, Bants Lane, Chiltern Avenue, Cotswold Avenue and Newton Road. (Returning via Eastfield Road and Limehurst Road.)

Yellow Line service 3: will be withdrawn, after operation on Saturday, April 2nd. Northamptonshire County Council have issued a tender, for a replacement service, which has been won by Stagecoach. Passengers are advised to telephone, the Stagecoach helpline (01604 676 060), or, Traveline (0870 608 2 608) for more information.

Orange Line service 27: to improve reliability, service 27 will be split at Greyfriars bus station, so that no longer operates “cross town”. As a result, two new services will be created:
Lilac Line service 27: will operate between Greyfriars Bus station (bay 18) to St. Giles Park, via the same route, as the current Orange Line 27 service.

Orange Line service 28: will operate between Greyfriars Bus station (bay 15) to West Hunsbury / Shelfleys, via the same route, as the current Orange Line 27 service.

First will also be ceasing operation, on services: 3A, 9, 15 and 54, after April 2nd. Northamptonshire County Council have issued tenders, for replacement services, all of which have been won by Stagecoach. Again, passengers should be advised to telephone the Stagecoach helpline (01604 676 060), or, Traveline (0870 608 2 608) for further information.

Service 356: a flat £1.00 fare, will be introduced, for all journeys made on this service. Return fares will no longer be available. N.C.C. passes will continue to be valid.

For full details see the new First Northampton Map & Timetable Guide.

 

[MK Tom]

Overthewater, you are actually God!!! I've been looking for this kind of info for ages!!

Shall I post this August's services?

2 Town Centre - Rectory Farm (Red Line), Monday-Saturday.
4A Town Centre - Acre Lane (Green Line), Monday-Saturday.

 

[Wolvercoter]

Nice map there MK Tom.

Here's my oldest First Northampton map from 1st September 2002:

 

[F Great Eastern]

That really puts it in perspective.

 

[Ivo]

Here's another thing for you all...

firstnorthampton.co.uk, September 2000

I started secondary school that week. That's how old it is hock: Not all of the links work though.

 

[overthewater]

I just cant find the map for the April 2005 when the 3 come off and the new 1 and 52 come along.

Thanks Wolvercoter for that map, which I sure lasted throughout 2003 and into 2004

Look what else I have found:

first Northampton.co.uk, Spring 2005

Leaflet from Spring 2005 about the 19 new buses

Remember the 50p service, By August 2005 1 and 52 were gone, First just cut and run why!

 

[MK Tom]

I've attached a comparison of the January 2010 services and the current June 2013 ones (not the August 2013 ones I posted earlier). I'd be interested to see the gradual closure of routes between Spring 2005 and September 2010 when the 5/5B and 22 went. I take it nothing new started in that period?

 

[overthewater]

Also remember first pulled the no8 aswell around 07/08.

 

[Ivo]

I see that the bottom map still shows the "Transforming Travel" slogan. Are we to assume that said slogan now refers to "transforming travel in ways that will change it for the worse - for ever"? :roll:

EDIT (because I'm not making another post for this): If you go on the UK Bus home page, you can hover over various areas to see where they cover.Some are substantial and offer places 50 or more miles apart with swamps of intermediates; Northampton, well...

 

[Wolvercoter]

I've attached a comparison of the January 2010 services and the current June 2013 ones (not the August 2013 ones I posted earlier). I'd be interested to see the gradual closure of routes between Spring 2005 and September 2010 when the 5/5B and 22 went.

I've got some more maps which I will scan and post later on... I don't think I have those with the 52 or 50P routes though.

I take it nothing new started in that period?

If I recall correctly, First ran some of the Wellingborough town routes for a while, but not sure when that was.

 

[MK Tom]

Yeah they ran a few of the W routes, I meant more within Northampton.

 

[overthewater]

Yeah they ran a few of the W routes, I meant more within Northampton.

After the bus war in 2005 it started going down hill.

 

[MK Tom]

Yeah I know, I'm assuming it was nothing but closures from then on, just wondering if at any points any new routes came into being. Not counting the splitting of the 27 and 28.

 

[overthewater]

Yeah I know, I'm assuming it was nothing but closures from then on, just wondering if at any points any new routes came into being. Not counting the splitting of the 27 and 28.

The council contracts on the W routes come in around 2004? No new service come in after that.

It was always the same, First starts a war with someone cuts some of there routes pulling out of some of areas and trys to grab what it believe to be are better areas, then after what 5 months cuts and runs.

Here is the map from 2007

 

[MK Tom]

Ooh did the 27 become the 22 at some point? Because my January 2010 leaflet is exactly like that one but has no 8 and 27 but does have the 22. Also curious that the 205/207/208 isn't shown on that one. When did First lose that?

 

[overthewater]

Ooh did the 27 become the 22 at some point? Because my January 2010 leaflet is exactly like that one but has no 8 and 27 but does have the 22. Also curious that the 205/207/208 isn't shown on that one. When did First lose that?

Now I remember, 22. It was paid for by the housing company, it took the old 27 and was improved to operate via the new houses


Details about the new 22 from November 2007

We are delighted to announce a new service 22 which will replace our existing service 27 from Sunday 30th November.

It's good news for all, as this service will run every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime, and every hour on Sundays. Service 22 also operates until 11pm, 7 days a week.

The route for Service 22 is as follows:
Bus Station, Rail Station, St James, Sixfields, Upton, St Crispin Drive, Berrywood Road, Weggs Farm Road.

A new timetable book for Northampton will be available from Monday 17th November.


THE MAP Late 2007 - 2009??

 

[MK Tom]

That's the January 2010 map, the same one I shared on the last page.

To think there was a time when First ran to 11pm... actually they ran two night bus services at one point. Northampton of course has no night buses at all these days.

 

[overthewater]

That's the January 2010 map, the same one I shared on the last page.

To think there was a time when First ran to 11pm... actually they ran two night bus services at one point. Northampton of course has no night buses at all these days.

That map did come out in 2008, I take it were trying to found the map before that with the 27?

http://web.archive.org/web/20081006.../eastmidlands/northampton/map/northampton.pdf

 

[MK Tom]

That map did come out in 2008, I take it were trying to found the map before that with the 27?

Ah hang on did the 27-22 change happen at the same time they dropped the 8? If so we already have it.

 

[overthewater]

Ah hang on did the 27-22 change happen at the same time they dropped the 8? If so we already have it.

I get the feeling no new map was made for that 6 weeks

No8 was still going when the 22 started, but it disappeared soon after

Stagecoach take over route 8
From the 4th January 2009 Stagecoach have taken over the operation of route 8 buses in Northampton.

 

[Wolvercoter]

I get the feeling no new map was made for that 6 weeks

No8 was still going when the 22 started, but it disappeared soon after

Stagecoach take over route 8
From the 4th January 2009 Stagecoach have taken over the operation of route 8 buses in Northampton.

I have a map dated 30th November 2008 which shows route 8 and 22.

I had hoped to scan in all my First Northampton maps this evening but haven't had the chance tonight... will hopefully get them scanned tomorrow.

 

[MK Tom]

Thanks Wolvercoter!

While we wait for that, here's the January 2010 service booklet. Did they ever produce a booklet like this again? I have all the leaflets from the 2/4/4A/12/23/28/29/30 period, but I'm not aware of a booklet from that time. Also, have they done new leaflets for the current service? There were none there when I was at Greyfriars on Saturday.

 

[overthewater]

Thanks Wolvercoter!

While we wait for that, here's the January 2010 service booklet. Did they ever produce a booklet like this again? I have all the leaflets from the 2/4/4A/12/23/28/29/30 period, but I'm not aware of a booklet from that time. Also, have they done new leaflets for the current service? There were none there when I was at Greyfriars on Saturday.

There was big fold out leaflet from November 2007, with all the timetables and a proper route map Not like the overground. That had the short lived No10 which was replaced by the 4a.

 

[MK Tom]

Not sure if this belongs in here or the sell-off forum, but this new Stagecoach timetable for Sundays seems to be called the '2' and covers both the 4A and 2 routes, replacing the cancelled First Sunday services - http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/en/councilservices/Transport/pubtrans/Documents/Bus%20Timetables/SM-N2-Aug2013.pdf

 

[overthewater]

Not sure if this belongs in here or the sell-off forum, but this new Stagecoach timetable for Sundays seems to be called the '2' and covers both the 4A and 2 routes, replacing the cancelled First Sunday services - http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/en/councilservices/Transport/pubtrans/Documents/Bus%20Timetables/SM-N2-Aug2013.pdf

I bet Stagecoach are waiting in the wings to take over the 2 and 4a.

 

[markie73]

I bet Stagecoach are waiting in the wings to take over the 2 and 4a.

Stagecoach are starting a weekday service to compete with First and their service 4A at the start of September which will be the service 15 but I dare say that will be changed to the 2, and they will bring forward that start date to take the battle even more to First.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Not sure if this belongs in here or the sell-off forum, but this new Stagecoach timetable for Sundays seems to be called the '2' and covers both the 4A and 2 routes, replacing the cancelled First Sunday services - http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/en/councilservices/Transport/pubtrans/Documents/Bus%20Timetables/SM-N2-Aug2013.pdf

Well,Well Stagecoach dont waste anytime do they!, I suspect that their 2 service will become weekly as well and take competition to First and 'their' service 2...,seems like Stagecoach will have the monopoly on the town when/if First decide that they are losing the battle and close the operation.

 

[overthewater]

Well,Well Stagecoach dont waste anytime do they!, I suspect that their 2 service will become weekly as well and take competition to First and 'their' service 2...,seems like Stagecoach will have the monopoly on the town when/if First decide that they are losing the battle and close the operation.

Stagecoach will not have a monoploy since Uno bus will compete of some corridors while Meridian buses, will kept them on there toes aswell. I get the feeling Uno will start one more route in the town.