Plymouth Citybus

[DaveHarries]

As has been seen in the "Stagecoach South West" thread the 48 (Plymouth - Wembury) sees a change of operator from Stagecoach SouthWest to Plymouth Citybus effective 02-Sep-2018. One side effect of this is that Service 15 (City Centre - Cattedown) will cease to operate and this, in turn, means that Service 48 becomes hourly when PCB takes it over and will divert via. Cattedown in place of Service 15. The timetable is on Traveline: http://nationaljourneyplanner.trave...td3_contractorMacro=&line=swe:32048: :H:y10:1

On arrival back at Plymouth City Centre the bus has a 50-minute layover before the next 48 trip so will presumably interwork with another route but, with Stagecoach having picked up all the City work that was up for tender, I wonder which route.

Dave

 

[mewstone]

Whilst not wanting to be ungrateful that Plymouth City Bus are trying to improve the 48 Wembury service, I personally am not sure what it achieves over the 48 as provided by Stagecoach. The morning service still causes problems for people who start work between 9am and 9.30 and there is no evening service. This means a lot of people from Wembury will still need to drive into Elburton or Plymstock if they need a return journey after 18.15. Also having no Sunday service again means that people who work bank holidays have no bus service out of Wembury. A less frequent daytime service and better morning and evening and bank holiday provision, I personally feel would have been a more useful improvement?

 

[DaveHarries]

Whilst not wanting to be ungrateful that Plymouth City Bus are trying to improve the 48 Wembury service, I personally am not sure what it achieves over the 48 as provided by Stagecoach. The morning service still causes problems for people who start work between 9am and 9.30 and there is no evening service. This means a lot of people from Wembury will still need to drive into Elburton or Plymstock if they need a return journey after 18.15. Also having no Sunday service again means that people who work bank holidays have no bus service out of Wembury. A less frequent daytime service and better morning and evening and bank holiday provision, I personally feel would have been a more useful improvement?

Interesting point about the morning provision although I wonder if the person who uploaded the new TT to TSW might have missed one out? (I wonder what the 0906 Plymouth to Wembury journey works beforehand?). As for evening provision I could hardly see a call for that where Wembury is concerned: Plymstock is, and will continue to be, well served for evening journeys. Likewise Sundays and Bank Holidays. Or am I missing something?

Dave

 

[mewstone]

["DaveHarries - Interesting point about the morning provision although I wonder if the person who uploaded the new TT to TSW might have missed one out? (I wonder what the 0906 Plymouth to Wembury journey works beforehand?). As for evening provision I could hardly see a call for that where Wembury is concerned: Plymstock is, and will continue to be, well served for evening journeys. Likewise Sundays and Bank Holidays. Or am I missing something?"]

I remember the Western National timetable days when there was a bus service in the evening Monday to Saturday and a Sunday service during the day to about 18.30. I think I am correct that the daytime service was “commercially” operated and the evening and Sunday services financially assisted by Devon County Council. I know in today’s bus operating environment it is very unlikely that the 48 service will return to the level it was some 20 or more years ago. It is just (and it probably is not feasible for operating reasons) that personally would have preferred a lower bus frequency during the day and a later evening bus, to enable a return journey to Wembury without the need for a taxi or car after 18.15.

 

[Wirewiper]

Perhaps a late evening 5 could extend to Wembury?

 

[mewstone]

Perhaps a late evening 5 could extend to Wembury?

If it were to be possible that would be very useful for me. After the 18.15 no 48 from Royal Parade, that is included in the new timetable, a departure, perhaps by extending an existing 5 service around 20.30 and 23.00 would be great and make the 48 service far more usable for a day/evening out.

 

[mewstone]

The Plymouth City Bus service 48 City Centre - Plymstock - Wembury, from Sunday 2nd September 2018, although there is no Sunday service. https://assets.goaheadbus.com/media/timetable_pdf/48_AW_030818AH_18-4986_TIMETABLES_SEPT_2018.pdf

 

[goldisgood]

Service "changes" (more like cuts) from the 2nd September

SERVICE CHANGES FROM 2ND SEPTEMBER 2018:

5/5A: Monday to Friday, due to very low usage, the following trips will be withdrawn: 0435 Plymstock Broadway to Royal Parade, 0500 Royal Parade to Elburton, and the 0523 Elburton to Royal Parade. Sunday and Bank Holidays: the 2025 Royal Parade to Elburton and 2051 Elburton to Royal Parade will also be withdrawn.

8/9: Monday to Friday, morning peak journeys have been given extra time to help improve reliability. Sundays, services have been retimed to improve reliability.

15: This service has been replaced with the new Monday to Saturday service 48 and will operate from Royal Parade to Wembury via Cattedown/Coxside and Plymstock, providing new links for passengers.

16: Monday to Friday, morning peak journeys have been given extra time to help improve reliability. Sunday and Bank Holiday services have been retimed to improve reliability.

20/20A: Sunday and Bank Holiday, the 1800 journey has been withdrawn due to low usage. All journeys have been retimed to improve reliability.

23/24: Monday to Friday, these services interwork with the service 8 & 9 so have been retimed due to changes taking place on the 8 & 9. On Saturdays due to the ongoing congestion issues for services trying to exit Ebrington Street onto Charles Cross Roundabout, late morning to early afternoon trips will operate inbound to the City Centre via Exeter Street instead of Ebrington Street. Sunday and Bank Holiday, journeys have been retimed to improve reliability.

27/27A/28/28A: Plymouth City Council has gone through a tendering process for all bus services they fund within Plymouth. As part of the tendering process, the council has awarded Citybus the contract to continue to operate the service 28A to Mainstone. The service 27 and 28 will receive some minor adjustments to their timings. But the overall service will remain largely unchanged.

33: Monday to Friday, morning peak journeys have been given extra time to help improve reliability. Sunday services have been retimed to improve reliability.

34: The current short journeys that only operate between Royal Parade and Royal William Yard and back to Royal Parade will be withdrawn due to low usage. All services that operate from Royal Parade to Royal William Yard and on to Derriford Hospital will remain unaffected. The last journey Monday to Friday departing Royal Parade to Stoke Village at 2230 will now depart at 2235 and the last journey Saturday departing Royal Parade to Stoke Village at 2230 will now depart at 2210.

35/35A: Monday to Friday, early morning journeys have been retimed following feedback from both passengers and drivers.

40/41: Monday to Friday, morning peak journeys adjusted. Sundays, revised service with the introduction of the new 40A/41A route, which will also serve Whitleigh.

42/42A/42B/42C: Monday to Friday will see a revised afternoon peak timetable to provide an extra bus from Seaton (The Ship) at 1654. Sunday and Bank Holiday, departures from Royal Parade have been retimed by 5 minutes. Service 42B will be replaced by additional services on the 42A route.

43: Monday to Friday, adjustment to the morning and afternoon peaks to improve reliability. Sunday and Bank Holiday, times revised to improve reliability.

44/44A/44B: Plymouth City Council has gone through a tendering process for all bus services they fund within Plymouth. As part of the tendering process, the council has awarded Citybus the contract to continue to operate a service to Holly Park and Ringmore Way. Monday to Friday, new 44A service to operate hourly from Royal Parade to Whitleigh and Holly Park. New 44B service to operate hourly from Royal Parade to Whitleigh and Ringmore Way. Service 44, early morning journeys have been retimed to improve reliability. Sundays, Whitleigh will now be served on a Sunday as part of new 40A/41A route, which will retain the same direct link and frequency between Royal Parade and Whileigh.

46/46A: School day service renumbered to 104 and 105. Service 105 will start from Horrabridge and serve Crapstone. Both services will be extended to Plymouth High School for Girls on North Hill.

48: Monday to Saturday, we will be operating the service 48 to Wembury via Cattedown/Coxside and Plymstock after being awarded the contract from Devon County Council. This service will extend to Plymouth High School and Devonport High Schools at peak times. The service will replace the current service 15.

50/51: Monday to Friday, the service 50A and 51A will be replaced with the new services 44A and 44B between Royal Parade, Whitleigh and Holly Park/Ringmore Way as part of the new Plymouth City Council tenders .The service 50 and 51 will now run every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 30 minutes on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Saturdays, between mid-morning to late afternoon most journeys will not serve Transit Way due to continued problems with congestion. Sunday and Bank Holiday, evening journeys will no longer serve Transit Way, Keswick Crescent, Asda or Marsh Mills Retail Park.

61/62: Saturday, between mid-morning to late afternoon most journeys will not serve Transit Way due to combined problems with congestion.

70/70A/70B: Due to changes in requirements for Torpoint School some morning and afternoon journeys have been adjusted. Minor adjustments to some evening services Monday to Sunday. All passengers should also be aware that the road at Cawsand will be closed for approximately 13 weeks from 17th September for additional roadworks. A revised timetable will be in operation during the closure.

75: Due to changes in requirements for Torpoint School some morning and afternoon journeys will be adjusted.

101/102: These school services have been retimed due to the end of the Derriford roadworks and will see departures from DHSB change due to the revised school finishing time. The 101 will also be re-routed to serve Seaton (The Ship).

Unless this is worded poorly, Looseleigh Lane, served currently by 3 buses an hour on the 50A/51A (2 in each direction) and 42B (1 in each direction), will only have a school service.
The other cuts to the 50/50A/51/51A aren't great either - Holly Park and Ringmore Way, currently served by 2 buses an hour in each direction on the 50A/51A running to the city centre and hospital are cut to one bus each to the city centre. (44/44A/44B), and the combined frequency through Estover reduced to every 20 minutes (not too bad, but not great).
Comments on Plymothian Transit suggest that these changes aren't that great, particularly the 50/51s. The other changes seem to just be chopping a few early morning and evening departures on the whole.

 

[DaveHarries]

Service "changes" (more like cuts) from the 2nd September

Unless this is worded poorly, Looseleigh Lane, served currently by 3 buses an hour on the 50A/51A (2 in each direction) and 42B (1 in each direction), will only have a school service.
The other cuts to the 50/50A/51/51A aren't great either - Holly Park and Ringmore Way, currently served by 2 buses an hour in each direction on the 50A/51A running to the city centre and hospital are cut to one bus each to the city centre. (44/44A/44B), and the combined frequency through Estover reduced to every 20 minutes (not too bad, but not great).
Comments on Plymothian Transit suggest that these changes aren't that great, particularly the 50/51s. The other changes seem to just be chopping a few early morning and evening departures on the whole.

TBH I have my own idea on the Holly Park area. Namely divide the 43 into three routes:

Monday to Saturdays (except Public Holidays):
- 43 extends from Ernesettle to Derriford Hospital, via. Whitleigh. Frequency every 20 minutes in the daytime, maximum journey time 55 minutes on a route which would also incorporate Loosleigh Lane and Powisland Drive. Would also operate every 30 minutes on Sundays and Bank Holidays duriong the evening.

- 43A (new route) operating same route as 43 from City Centre to Budshead Road, then via. Milford Lane and Lake View Drive to Holly Park terminus. Frequency every 20 minutes, maximum journey time 36 minutes.

- 43B (new route) operating early mornings and also throughout the evening. Same route as Service 43 but with a deviation to cover Holly Park. Maximum journey time 57 minutes, frequency every 30 minutes. Would also operate Sunday and Bank Holiday daytimes.

I did a sample TT for that for my ops on a fantasy bus group. Buses arriving at the City Centre on Service 43 become 43A and vice-versa and I think it would work quite well. Would use double-deckers.

Dave

 

[richw]

Service "changes" (more like cuts) from the 2nd September

Unless this is worded poorly, Looseleigh Lane, served currently by 3 buses an hour on the 50A/51A (2 in each direction) and 42B (1 in each direction), will only have a school service.
The other cuts to the 50/50A/51/51A aren't great either - Holly Park and Ringmore Way, currently served by 2 buses an hour in each direction on the 50A/51A running to the city centre and hospital are cut to one bus each to the city centre. (44/44A/44B), and the combined frequency through Estover reduced to every 20 minutes (not too bad, but not great).
Comments on Plymothian Transit suggest that these changes aren't that great, particularly the 50/51s. The other changes seem to just be chopping a few early morning and evening departures on the whole.

The cuts are cost saving on tender routes by Plymouth City Council. Presumably they have passenger numbers and decided what they could get away with!

 

[Wirewiper]

Plymouth CityBus are taking over the PR3 (George Junction Park & Ride - Derriford Hospital) from Monday 8th October, last day of Target Travel operation to be Friday 5th October. Some Target Travel vehicles will be acquired by CityBus as part of the deal.

(Source: plymothiantransit.com )

 

[Peter Heath]

370,371,373 at least are back in service, 370/1 on 20/A, also 504 the Heart FM ad after repairs.
What vehicles apart from the overall e400's are working the Callywith College services?

 

[richw]

370,371,373 at least are back in service, 370/1 on 20/A, also 504 the Heart FM ad after repairs.
What vehicles apart from the overall e400's are working the Callywith College services?

Most of the yellow flash are now on callywith. The day I passed the college it was only yellow flash and the turqoise college livery. Oh and a solitary blue flash.

 

[mewstone]

As has been seen in the "Stagecoach South West" thread the 48 (Plymouth - Wembury) sees a change of operator from Stagecoach SouthWest to Plymouth Citybus effective 02-Sep-2018. One side effect of this is that Service 15 (City Centre - Cattedown) will cease to operate and this, in turn, means that Service 48 becomes hourly when PCB takes it over and will divert via. Cattedown in place of Service 15. The timetable is on Traveline: http://nationaljourneyplanner.travelinesw.com/swe-ttb/XSLT_TTB_REQUEST?deleteAssignedStops_ttb=1&command=direct&itdLPxx_displayHeader=false&type_ttb=any&language=en&sessionID=0&requestID=0&itdLPxx_template=tableResults&coordOutputFormat=WGS84[dd.ddddd]&outputFormat=0&std3_commonMacro=ttb&std3_contractorMacro=&line=swe:32048: :H:y10:1

On arrival back at Plymouth City Centre the bus has a 50-minute layover before the next 48 trip so will presumably interwork with another route but, with Stagecoach having picked up all the City work that was up for tender, I wonder which route.

Dave

Service 27 apparently

 

[DaveHarries]

Some interesting entries on the VOSA Bus Registrations for 17th September 2018 are these registrations by PCB for new services which have been registered at short notice. Could be an expansion by PCB but unlikely.

PH0000135/212 Registered (Short notice)
PLYMOUTH CITYBUS LTD
Route: Plymouth to St Austell via Eden Project, Charlestown
Service number: 901 (901)
Service type: Normal Stopping
Effective date: 23 Oct 2018

PH0000135/214 Registered
PLYMOUTH CITYBUS LTD
Route: Plymouth to Camel Creek Adventure Park via Liskeard, Bodmin
Service number: 903 (903)
Service type: Normal Stopping
Effective date: 25 Oct 2018

PH0000135/213 Registered (Short notice)
PLYMOUTH CITYBUS LTD
Route: Plymouth to Boscastle via Trethorne, Port Issac
Service number: 902 (902)
Service type: Normal Stopping
Effective date: 23 Oct 2018

PH0000135/198 Registered (Short notice)
PLYMOUTH CITYBUS LTD
Route: Plymouth to Newquay via Liskeard, Newquay Zoo
Service number: 900 (900)
Service type: Normal Stopping
Effective date: 22 Oct 2018

Timetables for these already exist on TravelineSW so amendments being registered. I had no idea that PCB were operating quite so far into Cornwall though.

Dave

 

[LAIRA]

These were the days out trips that were run in the school holidays so maybe they are going to run them again at half term.

 

[richw]

Those are all half term start dates. I hear the summer holiday trips were very successful.

 

[LAIRA]

Recently acquired buses at Milehouse today are LX06EZL/EZN/EZO/EZP/EZR/EZS/EZT/EYY/EZD/EZE/EZF/EZG/ECT/ECV/FKL/FKM of which EZT is already in the workshops being rubbed down for a repaint. Also in the bodyshop rubbed down is 521 which is to be repainted red. 253 is currently out of use after having an electrcial fire. Also seen was 160 YX09FLR but YX09FLV was not seen so presumably on the paint booth.

 

[DaveHarries]

The VOSA Bus Service registrations for 23rd October contain entries from PCB for changes to the following routes:

8 (8, 9) City Centre - Lipson Vale - Laira & Efford
27 (27/27A/27B) Crownhill - City Centre
40 (40, 41, 40A, 41A) City Centre - Southway
43 (43) City Centre - Ernesettle
44 (44, 44A) City Centre - Whitleigh (44) / Holly Park (44A)
51 (50, 51) Derriford Hospital - City Centre
61 (62, 61) City Centre - Honicknowle - City Centre

All effective 02-Dec-2018 but nothing about these on the PCB website yet.

Dave

 

[83G/84D]

Of the recently acquired E400’s 475 ( LX06 FKL) is visible at Milehouse repainted in Plymouth Citybus colours and almost ready to enter service apart from fiitting of destination display equipment.

Poppy E400 521 on display in the city centre with some military vehicles.

 

[83G/84D]

Adding to my previous post, at Milehouse today were E400's:-

LX06 EZS (465), LX06 EZL (460)*, LX06 FKL (475)*, LX06 EZG (471), LX06 EZT (466)*, LX06 ECT (473), LX06 EZH (472), LX06 FKM (476)*,
LX06 EZN (461), LX06 EZP (463?), LX06 EZE (469), LX06 EZF (470), LX06 EZD (468), LX06 EYY (467) & LX06 ECV (474)*.

Those marked with a * were in full Citybus colours with white swoop. All are still in dual door configuration and are expected to enter service during December.

 

[richw]

All are still in dual door configuration

They will remain as such as they don’t have rear emergency exits downstairs,

 

[83G/84D]

They will remain as such as they don’t have rear emergency exits downstairs,

Confirms what I have heard, thanks.

 

[Hophead]

Will the centre exit door be used in service?

 

[83G/84D]

Blue Flash Volvo B7RLE 103 on service 89 at Truro college this morning.

 

[DaveHarries]

Although there is nothing about it yet in the Service Updates section of their website there are some timetable changes coming up effective 02-Dec-2018. New timetables are online for routes 27/27A/27B, 40/40A/41/41A, 44/44A, 50/51 and 61/62. From what I can tell:

- Service 27 (City Centre - Deer Park & Crownhill) looks like timetable changes only.

- Services 40 and 41 (City Centre - Southway) are unchanged. However Services 40A / 41A are revised on Bank Holidays. They will run on the same frequencies as at present but, as with the Sunday timetable, will see a revised route to extend beyond Southway to Whitleigh in place of Service 44 with daytime journeys along Taunton Avenue while evening journeys will finish at Whitleigh Green.

- With Services 44/44A/44B (City Centre - Whitleigh - Holly Park / Ringmore Way) the 44B, which serves West Park, is withdrawn. However Service 44A is extended from Holly Park to Camels Head (for Dockyard) on Mondays to Fridays (except Public Holidays), via. Ringmore Way, West Park and St. Budeaux. On Saturdays there will be no Service 44A or 44B while, on Sundays and Bank Holidays, there will be no Service 44: see 40A / 41A.

- Services 50 & 51 (Derriford Hospital - City Centre - Derriford Hosptial) and 61/62 (City Centre - Transit Way) look like timetable changes only.

Also it seems that PCB are now running a college Service 89 between Bodmin and Truro: not sure how long that has been going.

HTIOI,
Dave

 

[83G/84D]

Dave, the changes you outline are shown here:-

http://www.plymothiantransit.com/

See entry dated 24th November.

Service 89 started in September I believe. I have seen it several times, it is usually a Dart or Volvo B7RLE. Blue Flash 102 yesterday afternoon when seen approaching Bugle.

 

[Wirewiper]

Although there is nothing about it yet in the Service Updates section of their website there are some timetable changes coming up effective 02-Dec-2018. New timetables are online for routes 27/27A/27B, 40/40A/41/41A, 44/44A, 50/51 and 61/62. From what I can tell:

- Service 27 (City Centre - Deer Park & Crownhill) looks like timetable changes only.

- Services 40 and 41 (City Centre - Southway) are unchanged. However Services 40A / 41A are revised on Bank Holidays. They will run on the same frequencies as at present but, as with the Sunday timetable, will see a revised route to extend beyond Southway to Whitleigh in place of Service 44 with daytime journeys along Taunton Avenue while evening journeys will finish at Whitleigh Green.

- With Services 44/44A/44B (City Centre - Whitleigh - Holly Park / Ringmore Way) the 44B, which serves West Park, is withdrawn. However Service 44A is extended from Holly Park to Camels Head (for Dockyard) on Mondays to Fridays (except Public Holidays), via. Ringmore Way, West Park and St. Budeaux. On Saturdays there will be no Service 44A or 44B while, on Sundays and Bank Holidays, there will be no Service 44: see 40A / 41A.

- Services 50 & 51 (Derriford Hospital - City Centre - Derriford Hosptial) and 61/62 (City Centre - Transit Way) look like timetable changes only.

Also it seems that PCB are now running a college Service 89 between Bodmin and Truro: not sure how long that has been going.

HTIOI,
Dave

The big changes are to the 44/44A/44B. The 44A and 44B will be combined into an hourly 44A (Monday-Friday) which will extend from Whitleigh via Holly Park (double-run), Ringmore Way, West Park and St Budeaux to Camel's Head, return same way. This restores links to St Budeaux that were lost when the 50A/51A were withdrawn in September, and follows passenger feedback and discussions with Plymouth City Council who support financially the service to Holly Park and Ringmore Way.

The 50/51 and 61/62 will no longer serve Transit Way between 10.00 and 16.00 on Sundays due to increasing traffic congestion - Transit Way is basically the access road to Asda's car park. The Saturday service was withdrawn from Transit Way in September.

On an unrelated theme, an unconfirmed report suggests that Target Travel has been granted a new Operating Licence, and may continue to operate the bus routes that are contracted to Devon County Council.

 

[richw]

On an unrelated theme, an unconfirmed report suggests that Target Travel has been granted a new Operating Licence, and may continue to operate the bus routes that are contracted to Devon County Council.

Target announced it on their own Facebook a few days back.

 

[DaveHarries]

On an unrelated theme, an unconfirmed report suggests that Target Travel has been granted a new Operating Licence, and may continue to operate the bus routes that are contracted to Devon County Council.

Could be tricky now that quite a few have gone to other operators who are now running them.

Dave