How are your local buses doing in the snow?

[Dai Corner]

if you intend going out don't be fooled... just because the air temp is above freezing and it's raining doesn't mean to say there won't be black ice... the weathermen have been warning about this for days... because the ground is still frozen then rain can freeze on contact with the ground and form black ice....

Indeed. I'm told it's snowing again in Bassaleg, a couple of miles away but significantly higher.

Latest update from Stagecoach

Service disprution due to the weather conditions03 Mar 2018 to 05 Mar 2018


ADVERSE WEATHER ANNOUNCEMENT 04.03.18



On Sunday (04.03.18) we hope to run more buses in Torfaen and from Blackwood, Caerphilly and Porth. The Cardiff Merthyr X4 we hope to run but only as far as Merthyr and Dowlais. There will be no service to Tredegar, Ebbw Vale, Brynmawr and Abergavenny.

We will be online from 0800 for live updates through the day.


Aberdare


The following services will run in Aberdare

Service 9

First bus: 13:45 Hirwaun to Glynhafod 14:16 Glynhafod to Hirwaun

Last bus: 17:00 Aberdare to Glynhafod 17:16 Glynhafod to Hirwaun 17:45 Hirwaun to Aberdare

Service 172

12:45 Aberdare – Tonypandy via A470 13:26 Tonypandy – Bridgend (not serving Edmondstown or Garden City)

1437 Bridgend – Tonypandy (not serving Garden City or Edmondstown)

15:29 Tonypandy – Aberdare via A470

 

[route101]

Nearly back to normal on Glasgow buses , some oddities like the 7 running to Maryhill

 

[SCH117X]

Does any operator tweak their real time tracking to take diversions into account. Its alright being told to look on line or on mobile app but they just seem to report the expected time at all stops even if half are not being served. Maybe something map like, like the Swiss train tracker is needed, with highlights of the route being followed (picked up from the earlier workings) which operators could override once services return to normal.

 

[Wirewiper]

OK a final update for Devon on Sunday 4th March:

- Stagecoach South West reports that all routes except one are back to normal today as warmer weather and rain has cleared the ice and snow. This includes route 22 which is now able to operate to and from Dawlish Warren, so the planned shuttle service will not now be needed.

The one exception is route 3 (Plymouth-Dartmouth). Part of the A379 in the Torcross/Slapton area has been washed away by the storms, which affects the whole Kingsbridge-Dartmouth section of the route as there are few alternative roads suitable for full-size buses. The Sunday service only consists of two journeys each way between Dartmouth and Kingsbridge anyway, so these will be cancelled today. Stagecoach and Devon County Council will be working on a plan for Monday to provide some sort of service along route 3, and to the communities either side of the closure that route 3 won't be able to serve for the foreseeable future.

- Country Bus, the County's largest independent operator, operated no buses on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd March. Its Depot is on an industrial estate outside Heathfield and its drivers come on from a large area, and most were simply not able to get to the Depot on those days. It's also worth remembering that Stagecoach was not operating its route 39 in the Heathfield area on those two days either. Country Bus operates no Sunday services but is expecting a full service on Monday 5th March.

- Target Travel, based on an industrial estate outside Plymstock near Plymouth, also did not operate services on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd March presumably for similar reasons, even though the Plymouth area was less badly affected than most parts of Devon and other operators managed to keep some sort of service going throughout. Again they expect normal service on the 5th.

Let's hope this weather clears up for the rest of the UK and neighbouring countries soon.

 

[Wirewiper]

<snip> Stagecoach South West reports that all routes except one are back to normal today <snip>
The one exception is route 3 (Plymouth-Dartmouth). Part of the A379 in the Torcross/Slapton area has been washed away by the storms, which affects the whole Kingsbridge-Dartmouth section of the route as there are few alternative roads suitable for full-size buses. The Sunday service only consists of two journeys each way between Dartmouth and Kingsbridge anyway, so these will be cancelled today. Stagecoach and Devon County Council will be working on a plan for Monday to provide some sort of service along route 3, and to the communities either side of the closure that route 3 won't be able to serve for the foreseeable future. <snip>

Correction: route 3 IS operating between Dartmouth and Kingsbridge today, but not serving any of the intermediate stops.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Correction, Arriva MK did not stop service at 7 yesterday.

 

[Wirewiper]

Correction: route 3 IS operating between Dartmouth and Kingsbridge today, but not serving any of the intermediate stops.

Just to follow up on this, today (Monday 5th March) and for the foreseeable future, Stagecoach South West route 3 between Dartmouth and Plymouth will operate to its normal timetable with a diversion, whilst the A359 remains closed at Slapton.

Buses will operate normal route from Dartmouth to Strete, and will then run non-stop via the A3122 and A381 to reach Kingsbridge Bus Station before continuing on to Plymouth. Reverse same route.

An emergency shuttle service will operate between Kingsbridge Bus Station and Torcross. A couple of journeys will also serve Kingsbridge School at school start and finish times. Times of the shuttle are on the Stagecoach website.

All other bus services in Devon are now operating normally as the snow and ice has cleared.

 

[theblackwatch]

Very bad road conditions around here in North & West Yorkshire this morning (much worse than last week, took me 2 hrs 35 to get to work rather than 25 mins roads being ungritted/ploughed). Connexions pulled all their services for a while and a work colleague was travelling on Transdev from Harrogate to Wetherby and it turned back. Pretty much back to normal though now and the sun is out.

 

[SCH117X]

Connexions did not pull all services, having stated they had they suddenly remembered they run some services in York which were running
Transdev suspended the Harrogate-Leeds section of 36 having a number of 36s stuck en route, then as some road improvements arose started to run it via Wetherby and then as normal. Always feel sorry for those who find out they could have got to Leeds sooner by catching a later service

 

[Wirewiper]

I am reawakening this thread for reports from the weekend of 17/18 March.

 

[Wirewiper]

Devon fell to bits again around lunchtime (same as it did on the 1st). Stagecoach South West pulled all its services in Torbay and Exeter and cancelled all Falcon and Megabus services. Only Stagecoach services currently operating are in and around Plymouth and some services in North Devon.


Reading Buses had an a unusual situation today - due to the adverse weather they WERE able to run a normal service!

The Reading Half-Marathon which had been scheduled for today was cancelled at the last minute. Normally this event causes extensive road closures in a wide area of South and West Reading and in the town centre until around 14.00, requiring extensive diversions and the complete suspension of a few services. However when the cancellation was announced Reading Buses was able to revert to its normal Sunday service.

Fortunately the drivers and vehicles which were supposed to be operating the shuttle services for the runners and spectators were able to be redeployed, to reinstate the routes which were meant to have been suspended.

The only reported problems were on route 1, which stayed on the A4 between Theale Green and Newbury during the morning, missing out the diverts in Thatcham, West Berkshire Hospital and Turnpike Estate; and route 16 which for a while terminated at Purley Post Office on the A329 and did not operate into Purley Village.

 

[Dentonian]

I am reawakening this thread for reports from the weekend of 17/18 March.

The situation is a bit complicated here in GM. Most services are fine, but there are predictable problems closest to the Pennines in Rochdale, Oldham and Tameside. The complications come in the last two areas named:

First Oldham are running a very limited service (mostly just Oldham to Manchester) due to ice in or near the depot itself. For those unfamiliar with the depot location at Mumps, its on a steep hill, albeit only a few metres off the main road. After the great Freeze of 2010, all parties (Operators, GMITA as was, local Councils and where relevant the Highways Agency) drew up a plan to minimise future problems, including giving all major bus routes priority when gritting. In the case of Oldham, this included access to the depot and AFAIK there hasn't been a problem since (including a fortnight ago). So whether the problem is the actual depot or surrounding roads, I don't know.
In Tameside, its the opposite - Fire not Ice (and Stagecoach, not First). A major Mill Fire last night near the "Ashton" depot (technically in Stalybridge) meant no access to the depot was allowed initially by the Emergency Services. With a PVR of about 75, this didn't bode well for tomorrow's Stagecoach services, as it is suggested the road won't re open for some days. However, unconfirmed reports suggest that access was allowed purely to drive buses from the depot to a car park on Ashton Moss. This has to be a very temporary arrangement though (and only possible on the assumption the sub-zero temperatures are impacting on demand for car bound patrons of the Leisure area and neighbouring Snipe Retail Park. The businesses at the location will doubtless demand the buses are removed before they open tomorrow, and I'm sure the Car Park owners/contractors will be licking their lips at the bill winging its way to Stagecoach.
Meanwhile, we think we've seen the last of the snow, but the Ice warnings remain, so I would imagine some services in the region will still be affected tomorrow morning.

 

[Bath Travel UK]

In Bath we had a few issues this morning;

265/271/272/267 & 174/172/179 all suspended, with the Bath Depot team running special Bus services between Norton-Bath as "173" until Wells could get buses running again. Overall not as bad as last time. Did a walk through and the roads seem to be passable, will be interesting overnight to see what happens, Amber warning in force for more snow.

 

[Dai Corner]

Broadly, the City services in South East Wales are running but the Valley ones are not.

Like Reading, Newport had a better service than expected due to cancellation of a half marathon. I think it's the second time ours had been cancelled. Third time lucky?

 

[Bath Travel UK]

Broadly, the City services in South East Wales are running but the Valley ones are not.

Like Reading, Newport had a better service than expected due to cancellation of a half marathon. I think it's the second time ours had been cancelled. Third time lucky?

Same in Weston Super Mare, although they'd had to stick to main roads.

 

[Wirewiper]

Not a great morning in Devon. The south of the county seems to have copped the worst of the snow last night and as of 08.20 all Torbay services remain suspended this morning. Exeter has a limited service with several curtailments and some routes not operating at all. North Devon fares better with most routes operating, whilst over in Plymouth route 3 is only operating as far as Yealmpton and the X38 and Gold services are not operating into the city.

I shall be out today so I won't be keeping this updated. Here's the link to the Stagecoach page: https://*******.com/yco5xra9

 

[Smethwickian]

Coventry was in the same position as Reading, mentioned above, yesterday. The scheduled half marathon and consequent road closures and bus diversions were cancelled so NX Coventry reported a normal service.

Only a couple of minor ice-related side-road issues reported by NX West MIdMidla yesterday and today.

 

[SCH117X]

On Saturday evening Transdev Harrogate cancelled its services to Leeds travelling any further than Wetherby (71) or Pannal (36). This lead to one no longer in service 36 attempting to return from Leeds and the driver despite being NIS spotted a stranded passenger and picked them up.

 

[Busaholic]

On Saturday evening Transdev Harrogate cancelled its services to Leeds travelling any further than Wetherby (71) or Pannal (36). This lead to one no longer in service 36 attempting to return from Leeds and the driver despite being NIS spotted a stranded passenger and picked them up.

Good for that driver!

 

[AY1975]

I believe that all bus services in Sheffield (First, Stagecoach and all other operators) were cancelled for a time on Sunday morning, but I was in London at the weekend and at least my local route was running again by the time I returned that evening.

Cancelling all bus services, or at least those routes that run onto housing estates and side roads, has long been the norm in Sheffield during heavy snowfalls, probably because it's a very hilly city. The trams usually carry on running whatever the weather, though, and where I live I'm 5 minutes' walk from the nearest bus stop and 15 minutes from the nearest tram stop so at least then I have the tram to fall back on.