Nottingham 'Bus War'

[harry42]

Long live sawley xprss...not!

Finally more skylink journeys

Well Done TB!

 

[ARedFlyer]

Yes the Skylate going every 20 minutes from Jan 26, during peak times. Still following the awful snails pace route though.

 

[harry42]

There should be 2 routes:

A direct skylink route for airport users
And a local different route following the current skylink route.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

On Marshalls 37 Newark to Retford today we did a driver change at an industrial unit at North Muskham - just beyond the northbound A1 turn (I wondered where we were going). Anyone experienced this before? Saw a Marshalls car going into the yard as well after the driver had walked into the building.

 

[harry42]

Delete

 

[trentside]

On Marshalls 37 Newark to Retford today we did a driver change at an industrial unit at North Muskham - just beyond the northbound A1 turn (I wondered where we were going). Anyone experienced this before? Saw a Marshalls car going into the yard as well after the driver had walked into the building.

That's the depot where they store the majority (if not all) of their services buses, I think only the coaches and vehicles requiring maintenance are at Sutton on Trent these days. I've experienced this on the 37 before - seems to be quite normal procedure.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

Ah right, thanks. Suppose having a depot nearer Newark means they don't get stuck in traffic so much if A1 blocked etc for supplying drivers for other routes. Must admit not been on the 37 for a year and previously it was driver change at Sutton.

 

[tbone]

There should be 2 routes:

A direct skylink route for airport users
And a local different route following the current skylink route.

This doesn't work! The NCT skylink required vast sums of funding which was why the Trent Barton skylink was introduced. Premiere attempted to introduce a direct route called the RedFlyer which was losing at least £1,000 a week.

 

[starrymarkb]

IIRC the Skylink services are more for the staff at the large freight terminals (which are major local employers.

 

[BuhSnarf]

It'd be interesting to see the split of travellers vs workers on airport link. I know when I worked at Manchester airport it was almost 90% staff on airport buses from Manchester town. Slightly less on train but still mainly staff.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[edwin_m]

When Nottingham Skylink was introduced in 2004 it was indeed mostly about staff, and quite soon afterwards it was re-routed from Clifton Bridge to Wilford Lane so as to connect with the deprived area in Meadows. From my occasional use then and now I would say airport staff outnumber air passengers by two or three to one, though it's harder to tell these days as between Long Eaton and Nottingham local passengers probably outnumber both.

 

[WillPS]

This doesn't work! The NCT skylink required vast sums of funding which was why the Trent Barton skylink was introduced. Premiere attempted to introduce a direct route called the RedFlyer which was losing at least £1,000 a week.

I doubt it needed that much funding. Flipping it around, Premiere were only £1000/week away from making it profitable. That isn't that much in the grand scheme of things. And that's *after* you consider the passengers that were lost to Trent's flagship service.

 

[harry42]

-Club Class is to be extended to Borrowash

Club class already suffers major timekeeping issues.

I preferred when it was long eaton xprss and commuter xprss! You need a separate link going Borrowash, Long Eaton fast to Nottingham. Club Class can sometimes even leave full for Bramcote and Sandiacre.

Disclaimer: My personal opinion!!!

 

[WillPS]

You don't need to leave a disclaimer, and such a disclaimer is meaningless when used against statements of fact ( "Club Class can sometimes even leave full for Bramcote and Sandiacre" ).

I've always thought the Commuter [Ex|X]pr[e]ss/Club Class is a strange idea, but then I don't enjoy coach travel, and it's been going for about 15 years now so it must be worth while.

 

[Hyphen]

I've always thought the Commuter [Ex|X]pr[e]ss/Club Class is a strange idea, but then I don't enjoy coach travel, and it's been going for about 15 years now so it must be worth while.

I've only once caught it from home in the direction of Nottm, but if I'm looking to leave Nottingham around that time in the afternoon, I'll always catch it, often opting to wait 15/20 mins for it. It's usually less packed (and less stressful) than the i4 departures around the same time, and almost always overtakes an earlier i4 departure along the A52.

Having been a regular traveller between Nottingham and Stabbo a number of years ago, it does provide very welcome capacity on the route. And don't forget that even though it's a service for Stapleford and Sandiacre, it does have the benefit of freeing up capacity on the main route for those who commute from Bramcote.

I did once miss a (then) R4 departure from Broadmarsh but realising the time, got on the Centrelink and asked the driver to let me off on Friar Lane. He obliged, then I dashed onto the about-to-leave Commuter Xprss, and got home sooner than if I'd managed to catch the R4. Bet I couldn't achieve that again if I tried

 

[Mitch in Notts]

What do you think of Nottinghamshire County Councils tendered service proposals?: http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/t...2014-15/localbusservices/proposals/?opentab=3

Most obvious is virtually all cross boundary tenders will go.

So NCTs 47(Nottingham-Gunthorpe) & AOTs 5(Oxton-Netherfield) will be replaced by a daytime only Arnold-Lambley-Calverton-Oxton-Lowdham service and a short Burton Joyce to Netherfield. This would have a vehicle requirement of 3 I would think whilst the current 5 & 47 have a 4 vehicle requirement. Passengers for Nottingham would 'interchange' onto commercial services.

Similarly Trents 22 would go. Peak time a West Bridgford-22route-Cotgrave-Colston Bassett would run. As would a Radcliffe-Cropwells-Sutton cum Granby. Off Peak would be Gamston-Tollerton-Keyworth-Widmerpool-East Leake 3 days a week & Bingham-Cropwells-Sutton cum Granby 6 days a week.

Makes no sense as they are providing Colston Bassett with a peak service (current 50 runs 9-3 only) but on demand only at off peak. So suddenly their is a peak market for travel to West Bridgford - where is this 'created' from? And realistically how many would bus from Sutton cum Granby to Radcliffe to change to another bus for Nottingham? What happens when the return runs late & you miss the last bus - and knowing Trent they aren't very good a mainting their evening tenders - the new Alfreton R1s failed to run on the second evening of operation last week. Similarily the 2010hrs Radcliffe line failed to run 3 times last week leaving passengers stranded until 2245.
Shambles!

 

[WillPS]

It's a genius idea. Make the buses run to places nobody wants to go (or at best inconvenience them by making them change with no through ticketing); watch at demand drops through the floor; then they can claim they're all uneconomic.

Bravo Notts CC.

 

[harry42]

yourbus Citylink

Derby - Nottingham LIMITED STOP

From 19/1/14, an additional stop will be added to the service at University of Nottingham North Entrance.

The 0720 Monday to Saturday service from Nottingham will arrive into Derby at 0750.

Due to light usage, late evening buses will be withdrawn. Last buses Monday to Saturday will be 2045 from Derby Bus Station, and 2115 from Nottingham.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

yourbus Citylink

Derby - Nottingham LIMITED STOP

From 19/1/14, an additional stop will be added to the service at University of Nottingham North Entrance.

The 0720 Monday to Saturday service from Nottingham will arrive into Derby at 0750.

Due to light usage, late evening buses will be withdrawn. Last buses Monday to Saturday will be 2045 from Derby Bus Station, and 2115 from Nottingham.

They will also add a stop at Priory Island.

 

[Deerfold]

yourbus Citylink

Derby - Nottingham LIMITED STOP

From 19/1/14, an additional stop will be added to the service at University of Nottingham North Entrance.

The 0720 Monday to Saturday service from Nottingham will arrive into Derby at 0750.

Due to light usage, late evening buses will be withdrawn. Last buses Monday to Saturday will be 2045 from Derby Bus Station, and 2115 from Nottingham.

Sounds like an odd combination. Adding a stop to attract the student market and getting rid of the late buses which they might be expected to use more than many segments of the population...

 

[harry42]

Furthermore...


Y1

Heanor to Derby

Monday to Saturday daytime service increased to every 15 minutes.


Y3

Cotmanhay to Derby

Morning journeys retimed to improve reliability. Evening service reduced.



101

Eastwood Town

Service renumbered Y10 and will no longer serve the Moor Green area. Timetable amended.



110

Matlock to Ashbourne

New Sunday service introduced operating approximately every two hours.




@Eastwood town changes: Is this service now running commercially?

 

[Mitch in Notts]

101

Eastwood Town

Service renumbered Y10 and will no longer serve the Moor Green area. Timetable amended.

@Eastwood town changes: Is this service now running commercially?

Been running commercially ever since Yourbus introduced it. Council therefore withdrew subsidy from Doyles. Doyles carried on commercially on a reduced timetable until they pulled the plug last October.
The Moorgreen section is being withdrawn as the introduction of the 332 makes it pointless. I personally fail to see how the Eastwood Town Service could ever be profitable. Bet it will require council subsidy sometime in 2014 now that the competition has gone.

 

[Deerfold]

Long live sawley xprss...not!

Finally more skylink journeys

Well Done TB!

As well as the extra service each hour almost all journeys have been extended to the Pegasus business Park, the first journey to/from Loughborough has been withdrawn and the half-hourly service starts an hour later on a Sunday morning.

 

[harry42]

Been running commercially ever since Yourbus introduced it. Council therefore withdrew subsidy from Doyles. Doyles carried on commercially on a reduced timetable until they pulled the plug last October.
The Moorgreen section is being withdrawn as the introduction of the 332 makes it pointless. I personally fail to see how the Eastwood Town Service could ever be profitable. Bet it will require council subsidy sometime in 2014 now that the competition has gone.

Never knew that...Cheers

 

[harry42]

Nct bus i went on today seemed full. First time for 30 years on boxing day

 

[Mitch in Notts]

Rainbow 1s were running 20mins late by lunch and 40mins by teatime. Impossible to do Nottingham to Heanor in 42mins, turn round & get back to Nottingham in 41mins. Especially when you factor in the NEXT sale at Giltbrook. (Mind you last year the first three journeys(every 30mins frequency) of the day ran together....)
Noticed comments on NCT facebook about buses going past full....

 

[Mitch in Notts]

Passed a Transpeak heading north between Fritchley & Crich at 1730hrs today while on the 141 going south. Was the A6 blocked?

 

[harry42]

Nothing showing on travel news...

New Mickleover timetable today, hope that'll help!

 

[Mitch in Notts]

From High Peak Facebook:

transpeak--RTC at Ambergate has closed the A6, causing serious delays to our tp services

transpeak--the 17.50 dep ex Derby is operating 1hr late-due to the RTC at Ambergate

 

[tbone]

Update on the Derby- Heanor competition:

Y1 is now running every 15 minutes to match the H1
H1 is getting brand new Versas this weekend, with the new interior, but also featuring 4G free wifi, which will give better speeds than that on Y1. I'd imagine an email will be sent along the lines of "our buses are newer than yours now, you'd better take the big sign with "new buses" on off the side of yours"