Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Bus News

[Trainman40083]

I believe they're recruitment went really well and now all they need is buses to run the bus service!

Stopping a complete aversion against hiring buses/ using Notts+Derby's buses when they are avaliable would help, perhaps!

Wrong colour, wrong seats etc. I wonder how many people see them all parked at the depot when their TB bus in cancelled OR in limp mode. 100 new reliable buses and it will all be fine. But....

 

[ChrisC]

I was told Kinchbus and Trent had enough drivers....but they sure did not have enough serviceable buses. You only have to look at the Red Arrow coaches to see that.

The Red Arrow was terrible yesterday afternoon 13/2/24.
I was in Derby and needed to get a Red Arrow that would arrive in Nottingham Victoria Bus Station that enabled me to get the 3.30pm Stagecoach 141 bus. I checked earlier in the afternoon at the Trent Barton information desk and was told that the 2.30pm Red Arrow was cancelled but the 2.40pm was running and I would be ok with that one. The 2.30pm was indeed cancelled, as was the 2.40pm and the 2.50pm. Therefore I ended up missing my bus in Nottingham and having to wait for the next 141 at 4.30pm.

 

[cnjb8]

I believe their recruitment went really well and now all they need is buses to run the bus service!

Stopping a complete aversion against hiring buses/ using Notts+Derby's buses when they are available would help, perhaps!

Second hand buses would help, with an interior refurbishment and repaint to bring them up to standard and a regular passenger would have no idea the bus wasn't brand new to Trent

 

[Trainman40083]

Second hand buses would help, with an interior refurbishment and repaint to bring them up to standard and a regular passenger would have no idea the bus wasn't brand new to Trent

Ah yes, so I see. .The service yesterday seemed to be worked with 4 coaches and 3 single deckers... But that would only mean two diagrams missing....40 minutes gap in a 10 minutes service are not unusual.. Ah the joys of a premium service..Don't think some of the coaches have moved in weeks/months.

Ah yes, so I see. .The service yesterday seemed to be worked with 4 coaches and 3 single deckers... But that would only mean two diagrams missing....40 minutes gap in a 10 minutes service are not unusual.. Ah the joys of a premium service..Don't think some of the coaches have moved in weeks/months.

Sorry . somehow the reply to Chris ended up here

 

[Scott1]

It's terrible recently, you have Trent Barton/Notts & Derby, where the bus might break down or catch fire, if it turns up. Then you've got Arriva, who are also hit and miss on turning up, can't be bothered to put timetables up anymore and have got the scruffiest and dirtiest busses going.

 

[ChrisC]

Ah yes, so I see. .The service yesterday seemed to be worked with 4 coaches and 3 single deckers... But that would only mean two diagrams missing....40 minutes gap in a 10 minutes service are not unusual.. Ah the joys of a premium service..Don't think some of the coaches have moved in weeks/months.

The 2.30pm was a cancellation as I believe also was the 2.50pm. The 2.40pm was on the screens right up to being due but didn’t arrive. A Red Arrow coach arrived down the far end of the bus station and I saw it leave from there empty just before 2.40pm. I was standing in the queue, along with many others from just after 2.30pm.

 

[zakky1.0]

It's terrible recently, you have Trent Barton/Notts & Derby, where the bus might break down or catch fire, if it turns up. Then you've got Arriva, who are also hit and miss on turning up, can't be bothered to put timetables up anymore and have got the scruffiest and dirtiest busses going.

While arriva aren’t the greatest; I’ve never not had one be dropped when I’ve gone to catch it, unlike I have with Trent Barton.

499 once again broke down with the exact same fault as yesterday, instead at the traffic lights waiting to exit the bus station! Luckily CWT arrived within the hour.

These engineering problems really seem to have arisen since Jeff Counsell left Wellglade, maybe it’s time the TC & VOSA do exactly as the should be & start coming down hard on this cowboy operation.

 

[Ginga]

Yesterday Kinchbus had 3 buses on the 9 - the first time this week. On Tuesday they were 4 buses short out of a fleet of 35.

Only one of the fleet of 4 Citaros is available! For a company that made £2m profit out of the £4.1m Wellglade made last year; this is pretty poor. As long as Skylink, the route that makes all the money runs, that's all they care about. If it was true that Wellglade reinvested it's profits in the fleet then Kinchbus would get 10 new buses per year!

It's about time the DVSA came down hard on "Loughborough's finest". Most days they can only manage a hourly service on the Kinchbus 9. At least when Premier ran it, they would send a coach out if they were short of buses and you got a free trip.

They seem to be having issues getting Optare and Mercedes Benz parts. Things have only got worse since that ex Reading Buses chief Engineer joined.

Profits are down at Wellglade. Look at what they made pre bus war with Premiere and after Premiere Travel when bust in 2013. I make it 4 bus fires in a year.

 

[LowLevel]

Kinchbus had 3 buses on the Kinchbus 9 for the first time . This week yesterday . On Tuesday they were 4 buses short out of a fleet of 35.

Only One of the fleet of 4 Citaros is available! For a company that made £2m profit ,out of the £4.1m Wellglade made last year, this is pretty poor. As long as Skylink the route that makes all the money runs ,that's all they care about. If it was true that Wellglade reinvested it's profits in the fleet . Then Kinchbus would get 10 new buses per year!

It's about time the Dvsa came down hard on "Loughboroughs finest" . Most days they can only manage a hourly service on the Kinchbus 9. At least when Premere ran it, they would send a coach out if they were short of buses and you got a free trip.

They seem to be having issues getting Optare and Mercedes benz parts. Things have only got worse since that ex Reading Buses chief Engineer joined.

Profits are down at Wellglade. Look at what they made pre bus war with Premiere and after Premiere Travel when bust in 2013. I make it 4 bus fires in a year.

I see lots of Kinch 9s and have done for years and whilst it is occasionally useful for me it's rarely been busy. I don't really understand why it's escaped the cull that befell the Kinch 2 to be honest.

Outside of leisure times it rarely does much trade in the villages and most of it's traffic seems to be as a 2 quid competitor to the train to Nottingham and even that doesn't fill the bus from Loughborough.

 

[Robertj21a]

Kinchbus had 3 buses on the Kinchbus 9 for the first time . This week yesterday . On Tuesday they were 4 buses short out of a fleet of 35.

Only One of the fleet of 4 Citaros is available! For a company that made £2m profit ,out of the £4.1m Wellglade made last year, this is pretty poor. As long as Skylink the route that makes all the money runs ,that's all they care about. If it was true that Wellglade reinvested it's profits in the fleet . Then Kinchbus would get 10 new buses per year!

It's about time the Dvsa came down hard on "Loughboroughs finest" . Most days they can only manage a hourly service on the Kinchbus 9. At least when Premere ran it, they would send a coach out if they were short of buses and you got a free trip.

They seem to be having issues getting Optare and Mercedes benz parts. Things have only got worse since that ex Reading Buses chief Engineer joined.

Profits are down at Wellglade. Look at what they made pre bus war with Premiere and after Premiere Travel when bust in 2013. I make it 4 bus fires in a year.

I gather that Kinch routes 9, 11 and 12 are all routinely short of buses. It's been like it for months.

 

[Trainman40083]

Yesterday Kinchbus had 3 buses on the 9 - the first time this week. On Tuesday they were 4 buses short out of a fleet of 35.

Only one of the fleet of 4 Citaros is available! For a company that made £2m profit out of the £4.1m Wellglade made last year; this is pretty poor. As long as Skylink, the route that makes all the money runs, that's all they care about. If it was true that Wellglade reinvested it's profits in the fleet then Kinchbus would get 10 new buses per year!

It's about time the DVSA came down hard on "Loughborough's finest". Most days they can only manage a hourly service on the Kinchbus 9. At least when Premier ran it, they would send a coach out if they were short of buses and you got a free trip.

They seem to be having issues getting Optare and Mercedes Benz parts. Things have only got worse since that ex Reading Buses chief Engineer joined.

Profits are down at Wellglade. Look at what they made pre bus war with Premiere and after Premiere Travel when bust in 2013. I make it 4 bus fires in a year.

Then the profit that Trent Motor Traction made in the last set of accounts will make interesting reading then. At least Barton Buses and Notts and Derby made a profit. You have to think, that the £2 fare is not seeing large increases in passengers. TBH, I'd have thought maybe 130% of pre Covid for such a bargain fare would be attainable.

I gather that Kinch routes 9, 11 and 12 are all routinely short of buses. It's been like it for months.

Even Skylink Enviro 200MMC seems to have been off the road since the end of November 2023.

 

[STINT47]

TBH, I'd have thought maybe 130% of pre Covid for such a bargain fare would be attainable.

It would if the buses were reliable. I often make a journey where I pay more money to use the train as I have been left at the side of the road on one to many occasions.

A £2 fare is great but when your stod waiting for a bus that never turns up people think screw this and find an alternative even if it's more expensive.

The Wellglade group need to stat investing in some new buses. Since covid they've only had some new buses on the Threes. In the past they used to buy far more new buses and had a very young fleet.

 

[Trainman40083]

It would if the buses were reliable. I often make a journey where I pay more money to use the train as I have been left at the side of the road on one to many occasions.

A £2 fare is great but when your stod waiting for a bus that never turns up people think screw this and find an alternative even if it's more expensive.

The Wellglade group need to stat investing in some new buses. Since covid they've only had some new buses on the Threes. In the past they used to buy far more new buses and had a very young fleet.

Your reply sums it up. People do find alternatives, and some do not even involve cars. I don't think any new buses are on order for the group at the moment... I guess it depends upon the Zebra funding bid, for anyone from 2025 onwards.

Then the profit that Trent Motor Traction made in the last set of accounts will make interesting reading then. At least Barton Buses and Notts and Derby made a profit. You have to think, that the £2 fare is not seeing large increases in passengers. TBH, I'd have thought maybe 130% of pre Covid for such a bargain fare would be attainable.


Even Skylink Enviro 200MMC seems to have been off the road since the end of November 2023.

Correction Enviro 157

 

[43055]

It's terrible recently, you have Trent Barton/Notts & Derby, where the bus might break down or catch fire, if it turns up. Then you've got Arriva, who are also hit and miss on turning up, can't be bothered to put timetables up anymore and have got the scruffiest and dirtiest busses going.

To be fair to Arriva yes they are not the best but at least the buses do turn up and I have never noticed a missing bus on the 1/1A/1C which I see most days.

Back to trent, I wonder if the wash is broken now. A few vehicles do look quite dirty today.

 

[STINT47]

Ten years ago the thought if Arriva or another company taking over Trentbarton would have horrified me. Now I'd be pretty indifferent or even midly optimistic that things could improve.

The really bus company my.....

 

[Trainman40083]

To be fair to Arriva yes they are not the best but at least the buses do turn up and I have never noticed a missing bus on the 1/1A/1C which I see most days.

Back to trent, I wonder if the wash is broken now. A few vehicles do look quite dirty today.

Maybe the bus wash needs a part from a cut off Republic in the USSR only accessible for one week a year. Well, they have not used that excuse yet.

Ten years ago the thought if Arriva or another company taking over Trentbarton would have horrified me. Now I'd be pretty indifferent or even midly optimistic that things could improve.

The really bus company my.....

Maybe the problem is, no other company would want to take them over. They wait for them to fail, just like Bournemouth and others. I understand that there was a bid from elsewhere, a few years ago, but they walked away...Would anyone really want the depots (Wellglade owned) or the buses?

 

[SSmith2009]

To be fair to Arriva yes they are not the best but at least the buses do turn up and I have never noticed a missing bus on the 1/1A/1C which I see most days.

Back to trent, I wonder if the wash is broken now. A few vehicles do look quite dirty today.

Same with arriva in Leicester running near knackered buses but at least they're running and trying their best.

Countless times I've been waiting in St Margaret's Bus Station lately for the arriva 84/85 and the queue for Skylink to Derby is all the way up to the information desk so much for Loughborough's Finest

 

[Trainman40083]

Same with arriva in Leicester running near knackered buses but at least they're running and trying their best.

Countless times I've been waiting in St Margaret's Bus Station lately for the arriva 84/85 and the queue for Skylink to Derby is all the way up to the information desk so much for Loughborough's Finest

But if Kinchbus is Loughborough's finest, what does it convey to the general public about the others? A driver of another company said to me "we don't say we are really good, but we are far better than them". Maybe they have killed the brand. After that, what is there?

 

[JD2168]

If you think Kinchbus are bad then try TM Travel. Some services this week have not operated on certain days or just one round trip, gaps of an hour or 2 hours on some services are pretty common on services with frequencies of every 30 minutes or hourly.

There are current complaints in the local Star newspaper about issues on one serve the M17 from Dore to Jordanthorpe which is supposed to be hourly but has at times had just one round trip operate.

With the issues of Solo 462 it now appears that the oldest bus in service in Wellglade group is TM Travel Scania Solar FJ03VWY (631) which is still in Skylink blue.

 

[tram21]

If you think Kinchbus are bad then try TM Travel. Some services this week have not operated on certain days or just one round trip, gaps of an hour or 2 hours on some services are pretty common on services with frequencies of every 30 minutes or hourly.

There are current complaints in the local Star newspaper about issues on one serve the M17 from Dore to Jordanthorpe which is supposed to be hourly but has at times had just one round trip operate.

With the issues of Solo 462 it now appears that the oldest bus in service in Wellglade group is TM Travel Scania Solar FJ03VWY (631) which is still in Skylink blue.

Yeah I think anyone who complains about Wellglade in the East Midlands should go to Sheffield and look at the immaculately presented, brand new and reliable buses they have in Sheffield at TM! Or maybe I mean the opposite...

Generally I am almost always very impressed with Trentbarton and the operation of the services, the presentation of vehicles and the very friendly staff who always try their best for the customers, but a few (a lot of) new buses would really help to make it even better and more reliable!

The Indigo and i4 are more popular than ever, you just have to ride a bus at any time of day on any day to see they are always well loaded, and I think the £2 fare is definitely encouraging local journeys considering the expensive prices on trentbarton normally, and people would always prefer NCT.

 

[Trainman40083]

Yeah I think anyone who complains about Wellglade in the East Midlands should go to Sheffield and look at the immaculately presented, brand new and reliable buses they have in Sheffield at TM! Or maybe I mean the opposite...

Generally I am almost always very impressed with Trentbarton and the operation of the services, the presentation of vehicles and the very friendly staff who always try their best for the customers, but a few (a lot of) new buses would really help to make it even better and more reliable!

The Indigo and i4 are more popular than ever, you just have to ride a bus at any time of day on any day to see they are always well loaded, and I think the £2 fare is definitely encouraging local journeys considering the expensive prices on trentbarton normally, and people would always prefer NCT.

A bus may appear fairly full, but is it making a profit.. Maybe certain routes are supporting others that might not even be covering direct costs . Oh, the bus wash at Meadow Road is broken

The 2.30pm was a cancellation as I believe also was the 2.50pm. The 2.40pm was on the screens right up to being due but didn’t arrive. A Red Arrow coach arrived down the far end of the bus station and I saw it leave from there empty just before 2.40pm. I was standing in the queue, along with many others from just after 2.30pm.

Of course, if a bus arrives so late it misses it's planned on time departure, many just go fast to make up time... With the Mickleover some turn round at the Royal Hospital.....Funny, yesterday pink 105 worked the Mickleover service tracking as a V1. Bet that confused HUGO.

Let us look on the bright side. Trentbarton are still using Solo SR 499.....Okay, it is tracking bas 462, but at least they are the same colour.

 

[43055]

Langley Mill's Mango Versa 848 had a few trips on the villager yesterday filling in for what would otherwise be a missing diagram.

 

[martinsh]

I was in Derby last week, and picked up a copy of the latest local CAMRA magazine. Full page advert by Trent Barton for engineering staff ! Never seen that before...

 

[Trainman40083]

I was in Derby last week, and picked up a copy of the latest local CAMRA magazine. Full page advert by Trent Barton for engineering staff ! Never seen that before...

Shows how they are trying everywhere to.try and get some interest.

 

[satisnek]

I was in Derby last week, and picked up a copy of the latest local CAMRA magazine. Full page advert by Trent Barton for engineering staff ! Never seen that before...

It's a two-way thing...

Take the sixes for a great choice or real ale....

Take the sixes for a great choice or real ale....

www.trentbarton.co.uk

 

[MCR247]

Back in December, Nottingham City Council put forward a number of proposed budget cuts, including a variety of potential changes to how public transport.

Last week, the Council discussed the budget proposals required to close the £50million funding gap in 2024/2025. You can read more about that here.

We asked for your input on some of the transport-specific proposals in the budget, so that we could get more information on how they would impact on residents and use that evidence to try to mitigate some of the proposed cuts.

We can now update you that:

• Current link bus services will be retained by using alternative funding sources that we hope to secure. Funding for the Medilink service will be removed from April 2025 but in the meantime, the council will work with the NHS Trust to develop an alternative operating model for the service.
• Public transport infrastructure, including Park & Ride sites at Queen’s Drive and Colwick and the real time information displays at bus stops, will be retained by using alternative funding sources, subject to review in the wider region and the emerging Combined Authority from 2025/26.
• Concessionary fares will be reviewed in conjunction with the wider region and the emerging Combined Authority to ensure a consistency of approach. Efficiencies will be created within smart ticketing and the removal of on-street Robin Hood ticket machines.

Thank you again for your passionate feedback.

Nottingham City Council will set its final budget for 2024/2025 at a meeting of all city Councillors on 4 March.

Source.

So it seems the P&Rs and real time displays are safe. Medilink safe in the short term. No mention of Victoria Bus Station though, interestingly.

 

[tram21]

Source.

So it seems the P&Rs and real time displays are safe. Medilink safe in the short term. No mention of Victoria Bus Station though, interestingly.

Good point, I had forgotten about that. I assume they're still negotiating with Trentbarton and Stagecoach?

Good to see the bus services and real time is safe, and I am told the current plan is for Nottingham University Hospital (NUH) to fully fund Medilink after April.

 

[kevjs]

Source.

So it seems the P&Rs and real time displays are safe. Medilink safe in the short term. No mention of Victoria Bus Station though, interestingly.

Seems like they are all safe for now, but only because others have agreed to cover for the short term - existing operators/partners willing to cough up for a year in the hope a new government will provide some more certain funding, via the Combined Authority perhaps - "subject to review in the wider region and the emerging Combined Authority from 2025/26"? Both the Labour and Conservative candidates have already suggested they support the CA doing it's bit for Public Transit.

 

[Trainman40083]

Seems like they are all safe for now, but only because others have agreed to cover for the short term - existing operators/partners willing to cough up for a year in the hope a new government will provide some more certain funding, via the Combined Authority perhaps - "subject to review in the wider region and the emerging Combined Authority from 2025/26"? Both the Labour and Conservative candidates have already suggested they support the CA doing it's bit for Public Transit.

It makes you wonder what difference, if any, the combined authority will make. Are operators expecting franchising?

 

[Mikw]

What can i say about "Loughborough's finest". Skylink - Great. Everything else - patchy.
I remember when the number 2 was the watchword for reliability. Then buses stopped turning up. i got marooned at the bus station on more than one occassion when the last bus of the night was a no-show. Then the timetable was cut, then the Sileby-Leicester bit was removed altogether.
Give me Arriva - with all it's issues - anyday. Yes, we've got a bunch of cast off heaps running the 127 at the moment, but at least they turn up.