henryb
Member
Where are the updated timetables? Traveline wont load me the new ones?
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Stagecoach South West - Fleet News & Discussion
- Thread starter GusB
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-Colly405-
Member
I've just seen 18308 heading in towards Teignmouth northbound on the 22. I didn't realise that Stripes livery was still around - is it te only one left now?
150249
Member
Heritage livery. Was repainted along with 19001 and 35164 in early 2021
DaveHarries
Established Member
150249
Member
Word on the grapevine (I've waited all year to use that saying 
) is that the changes have been cut or postponed. I don't have full information but a well known driver claims the September changes won't happen.
) is that the changes have been cut or postponed. I don't have full information but a well known driver claims the September changes won't happen.What reason did they give as they dont require much if any more PVR in total from what I can tell and are mostly very sensible for once.Word on the grapevine (I've waited all year to use that saying
150249
Member
No reason. Someone asked about the changes to the 2 route and a driver said there won't be any changes anymore. Not sure of that's just the 2 or all the changes.
So when you said the quote below you were only referring to the 2, which was never down to change in the first place and indeed no-one on this thread has suggested it was. So that statement was rather misleading and I'd suggest the post be amended to add the 2 to it (and also which 2, noting that neither 2 has posted changes currently and never has had!) to clear up the confusion for other readers?
I understand the changes can still get cancelled but, as of right now, there is no evidence or grapevine to suggest this I would argue.
I understand the changes can still get cancelled but, as of right now, there is no evidence or grapevine to suggest this I would argue.
Word on the grapevine (I've waited all year to use that saying
Bornin1980s
Member
- Joined
- 4 Apr 2017
- Messages
- 560
What about service E? Will that still be changing?
As of today, all changes across Devon, Somerset and Cornwall on Stagecoach are still showing as happening and there is zero evidence to the contrary. Personally I think most are positive, except the E which negatively affects my family too but I can understand as clearly they want to serve the busiest stops more frequently, at the expense of 3 other stops.
150249
Member
Oh, sorry.
I'm happy with the E changes because my house now gets a bus every 15 minutes but I never thought it would be at the expense of those on Exwick Road
South West Timetables
www.stagecoachbus.com
Full changes have been announced. Something we haven't mentioned is that the Green route will change into the C
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DaveHarries
Established Member
Not sure where you are coming from with that one: Exwick Road still has a bus service as far as I can tell.
As for the new electric buses for the 21/21A/21B anyone know what they will be? Yutong or something else?
Dave
gka472l
Member
- Joined
- 29 Apr 2016
- Messages
- 472
I would expect some of the 180 E400EV that Stagecoach have ordered...... https://www.route-one.net/news/adl-announces-order-of-244-buses-from-stagecoach/
HTH
Peter Philips
Member
- Joined
- 30 Jun 2016
- Messages
- 138
A section of three stops will no longer be served. Larger buses will also be used on the E.
Larger than the ADL Enviro200s currently used?
The Green becoming C is accompanied by a weekend frequency reduction to every 30 mins which is not great for a park and ride (though park and ride is effectively dead in Exeter as a term with this change) and this will put more pressure on the 4 through Heavitree. Not sure what happens to the existing C to Sandy Park on match days.
Also, the 4 is serving the Uni as the UNI is gone and now only runs on a longer loop overnight in term times. This also means St Lukes Campus rear entrance loses it's buses. The overnight UNI is very useful as it now serves St Davids handily for both sleepers. Interestingly, it no longer serves High Street at all overnight which makes sense.
The other big change is the Crediton services with all 5B going double decker again and the 5A no longer split connecting onto the little sprinter in North Tawton. However, the 5 being is reduced and overall frequencies are cut significantly with Tuckers Close getting a very erratic service with nothing between 1700 and 2000. Also, the remaining 5 group services run at uneven intervals and its just a mess.
Stagecoach now formally relinking the 155 and 346 and running both with double deckers is good (currently the 346 is mini/dart but the driver from the 155 connecting to it runs it and so its all just a faff in South Molton for little purpose)
The E replacement I assume will be all single deck e200 as it largely is now. However, by all going the same way they avoid 2 singles passing on the tight roads of the loop which was not fun.
The new map is also wrong as it has the R/S using their existing route when they will now revert to using the old H1 route via Woodwater Lane.
Also, the 4 is serving the Uni as the UNI is gone and now only runs on a longer loop overnight in term times. This also means St Lukes Campus rear entrance loses it's buses. The overnight UNI is very useful as it now serves St Davids handily for both sleepers. Interestingly, it no longer serves High Street at all overnight which makes sense.
The other big change is the Crediton services with all 5B going double decker again and the 5A no longer split connecting onto the little sprinter in North Tawton. However, the 5 being is reduced and overall frequencies are cut significantly with Tuckers Close getting a very erratic service with nothing between 1700 and 2000. Also, the remaining 5 group services run at uneven intervals and its just a mess.
Stagecoach now formally relinking the 155 and 346 and running both with double deckers is good (currently the 346 is mini/dart but the driver from the 155 connecting to it runs it and so its all just a faff in South Molton for little purpose)
The E replacement I assume will be all single deck e200 as it largely is now. However, by all going the same way they avoid 2 singles passing on the tight roads of the loop which was not fun.
The new map is also wrong as it has the R/S using their existing route when they will now revert to using the old H1 route via Woodwater Lane.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Surely it made sense financially (and hence the purpose) to run the 346 with smaller vehicles given the light loadings on that route. Perhaps the failing was running it with Barnstaple drivers so they had to change buses in South Molton, rather than from Tiverton?
markymark2000
On Moderation
Changing buses in South Molton felt very much like parts of the TrawsCymru network where you change in a small town with not a lot there and you just beg that connections wait else you're stuffed.
What I don't understand though is as they are linking the 155 and 346, why keep the separate route numbers? Numbering the whole trip to the same route number would make it much easier for passengers to know buses run through without any changes.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Fair point on the route number but the number of people who head from Tiverton to Barnstaple is paltry. Done it a few times (on the old 155 and the current arrangement) - very few through passengers. Of course, given the change of drivers, the connections really have to wait!
I might ask what you're asking for in a small town anyway whilst waiting for a bus? Cafes? Pubs? Toilets? Convenience stores?
markymark2000
On Moderation
Are the through passenger numbers low because of the risk of not making connections? I know when I did the 346 to 155 connection last August and I had so much anxiety over the connection working as I saw that the 346 and 155 could sometimes be 10-15 mins late and if that connection was missed, it had a great potential to ruin the rest of the day (for various reasons). I don't want to go off on too much of a tangent but there are many routes, which if split with passengers made to change in a town similar to South Moulton, the number of through passenger would drop considerably.
You don't know that drivers swap though until you read a forum such as this or you have done the journey and seen it happening. There is absolutely no information anywhere on either timetable which states the connection is guaranteed. If buses interwork you can sometimes put in the time investigating that using tracking on bustimes.org, but drivers changing, it is impossible for a normal passenger who hasn't used the route before/travels rarely to know that the drivers change over here which gives a guaranteed connection.
I'm not overly bothered what a small town has to offer in these kind of instances. I want to be on my way. Given the general forum users, I admit I may be in a minority here, but I can't think of anything worse than sitting around pubs or cafes for an hour waiting for a bus.
The 346 and 155 never were unlinked driver wise, despite the numbering, as each 346 was staffed by the arriving 155 driver after they'd done the loop of Mill-on-the-Mole. The incoming 346 driver then changed back to the 155. So basically they did:
Barnstaple-Mill-South Molton on the 155
South Molton-Tiverton-South Molton on the 346 then
South Molton-Barnstaple on the 155.
So you could never miss the 346, but it was often very late by the time the bus had looped round Mill-on-the-Mole. Also, changing in South Molton is very awkward with so many people waiting to board to got to Barnstaple. Also, leaving the few 346 passengers waiting in the weather whilst the bus sat there was not a good look, particularly when the 155 was late, which it often is.
The other issue was if the 155 was late then the 346 could miss the 55 in Tivvy and so, by not serving Mill-on-the-Mole now, it runs 10 mins earlier so has more chance of making the connection if the 155 is delayed.
I agree the 355 doesn't need more than a sprinter for most journeys but locals complained a lot about the splitting and seem to have gotten their way. The through bus does make more sense, if wasting a double decker for the 346 bit.
I assume keeping the route number is Devon's decision as the 346 is tendered and the 155 is not?
As for running it from Tivvy. That would likely lead to bigger issues as the 155 would miss the connection too often and if the 3546 waited for the late 155, the return 346 could be too late to catch it's 155 connection, and try telling a whole bus of 155 passengers that they have to wait for a late 346 with one person connecting on it!
The 5A currently operates similarly off peak with a decker to North Tawton connecting onto a Sprinter or Solo on to Okehampton but that too will revert back to through operation which also will carry fresh air past North Tawton, even when a single.
I wonder with the demise of the ludicrous 43 whether the Sprinter will go away. The 43 is often an e200 due to lack of Sprinter anyway and then it can't even serve Pinhoe station terminus and instead picks up at the E1 bus shelter on Causey Lane and zooms by the actual bus stop without even slowing to check for anyone waiting (not that I've ever seen more than one passenger on it in 2 years!)
Barnstaple-Mill-South Molton on the 155
South Molton-Tiverton-South Molton on the 346 then
South Molton-Barnstaple on the 155.
So you could never miss the 346, but it was often very late by the time the bus had looped round Mill-on-the-Mole. Also, changing in South Molton is very awkward with so many people waiting to board to got to Barnstaple. Also, leaving the few 346 passengers waiting in the weather whilst the bus sat there was not a good look, particularly when the 155 was late, which it often is.
The other issue was if the 155 was late then the 346 could miss the 55 in Tivvy and so, by not serving Mill-on-the-Mole now, it runs 10 mins earlier so has more chance of making the connection if the 155 is delayed.
I agree the 355 doesn't need more than a sprinter for most journeys but locals complained a lot about the splitting and seem to have gotten their way. The through bus does make more sense, if wasting a double decker for the 346 bit.
I assume keeping the route number is Devon's decision as the 346 is tendered and the 155 is not?
As for running it from Tivvy. That would likely lead to bigger issues as the 155 would miss the connection too often and if the 3546 waited for the late 155, the return 346 could be too late to catch it's 155 connection, and try telling a whole bus of 155 passengers that they have to wait for a late 346 with one person connecting on it!
The 5A currently operates similarly off peak with a decker to North Tawton connecting onto a Sprinter or Solo on to Okehampton but that too will revert back to through operation which also will carry fresh air past North Tawton, even when a single.
I wonder with the demise of the ludicrous 43 whether the Sprinter will go away. The 43 is often an e200 due to lack of Sprinter anyway and then it can't even serve Pinhoe station terminus and instead picks up at the E1 bus shelter on Causey Lane and zooms by the actual bus stop without even slowing to check for anyone waiting (not that I've ever seen more than one passenger on it in 2 years!)
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
As I said, I've done it a few times when it was the old through 155 from Exeter to Barnstaple. There wasn't much in the way of through traffic then.
Got to remember that prior to the rural bus challenge funding, they were separate services and the old 346 Tiverton to South Molton services were fairly infrequent. Just because they were linked didn't mean there was suddenly a great untapped market of passengers wanting to travel across South Molton. Let's face it, if you're in Tiverton, you're unlikely to go to Barnstaple rather than Exeter (or vice versa. The only place of any size is Witheridge and you get a few there into South Molton with perhaps the occasional one going further.
Fair point in that they could have said it's a guaranteed connection. As I say, the numbers of passengers affected are pretty small.
Just that you said you'd be stuffed. I thought you were referring to somewhere with few or no amenities, not just a personal preference.
Well, potentially, but isn't that what they've done with the timetable already. The 155 to South Molton has a 15 min gap with the 346 for connections heading southbound, and an 8 min the other way. They could change the 346 to make it 10 and 13 mins?
I mean, if the 155 is so unreliable, perhaps that's the bigger problem?
Peter Philips
Member
- Joined
- 30 Jun 2016
- Messages
- 138
From memory wording for E1/E2 in Stagecoach timetable changes website section said "an enhanced capacity will be offered with larger vehicles allocated to all journeys". I doubt anything larger than E200s would be used and note one Solo is currently tracking so perhaps just meant all workings will be guaranteed E200s? Wasn't the route mainly (all?) Solos until recently, if so possibly the capacity upgrade has already taken place?
Wolvercoter
Member
The West Garth Road error hasn't been corrected either I note. The routeing on the map is not accurate as it appears to take in Belle Vue Road!
Peter Philips
Member
- Joined
- 30 Jun 2016
- Messages
- 138
A driver said it'll be known as route "Chiefs"
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
That would seem unlikely but also overkill. You can never create a timetable that is so robust that it is impervious to every potential disruption.