Haven't seen anything . 3 opentoppers have been transferred from Stagecoach in Cambridge to The Ride, Plymouth apparently are these for these services or something actually for Plymouth do we know?
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Stagecoach South West - Fleet News & Discussion
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This site (https://fleetreport.co.uk/latest-news/14th-april-2021) is saying:
The site also has a photograph of 19107 converted to open top.
gka472l
Member
- Joined
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- 429
B5TL's 13812/3 are the ones which have appeared at Plymouth, there's been pics of one of them in Dartmouth today on test.....they *may* be for the Dartmouth park & ride from postings on one of the Stagecoach South West facebook groups....
Thanks both. Didn't think Stagecoach would have anything planned for Plymouth tbf
gka472l
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I should add that it seems they are only loans and will return to Cambridge at some point (I'm hoping they will still be in Devon at the end of May when I'm down there!)
greatvoyager
Established Member
Must say 19107 certainly looks different to the other open top Enviro400s with the open top going along the entire upper deck.
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Stagecoach emailing customers asking for ideas re new ticket options to get people back on board etc. Seems they are thinking of doing books of day tickets at discount and more flexible ticket options? Great idea, I would do day tickets for 24 hour period on app, so if bought at 5pm valid until 4.59 pm the following day? Also perhaps 2 or 3 day tickets and bring back add a kid for a quid to encourage families back on board if just say going into town, rather than travelling across the network in Plymouth, Exeter or Torbay. Keep their excellent value £3 evening rider ticket for travel across Devon but have start time 6pm rather than 7pm
greatvoyager
Established Member
Now that’s an interesting development, I would support the idea of 2 or 3 day tickets.
greatvoyager
Established Member
Are any other Enviro400s going to be converted?
greatvoyager
Established Member
Good to hear.
39 to be extended hourly every Saturday to Widecombe from 30 May. 222 also recommences a 1 bus daily daytime service from Dawlish warren to Teignmouth and the Croyde open topper starts but it is unclear if this replaces the existing servicer or is extra. You'd hope it in addition given it doesn't go to Georgeham but the leaflet produced by stagecoach is hardly First Kernow standards.
Open Top Bus Sightseeing Tours in Devon | Stagecoach (stagecoachbus.com)
Open Top Bus Sightseeing Tours in Devon | Stagecoach (stagecoachbus.com)
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Oh dear - they haven't done well with that map
I used to really rate Stagecoach South West but their standards have slipped a bit.
Standards certainly have slipped when it comes to timetables. Dartmouth Park & Ride service 91 comes as an 8 page plain text pdf. This is a service that has two timing points, runs every 20 mins and is essentially the same every day apart from a later start on Sundays and "some bank holidays".Oh dear - they haven't done well with that map
I used to really rate Stagecoach South West but their standards have slipped a bit.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
In a follow up to my earlier comments, I have just returned from a well earned break in Devon and had the opportunity to sample some buses. We were staying in Appledore and had a couple of trips out, and not wishing to inflict too much travelling on my other half, I made sure the days were relatively short.
Day 1 was leaving Appledore on one of the older e400s, 2008 vintage 15434 which took us to Barnstaple Station. It was a scruffy internally and taking in water through the front dome, but passenger figures seemed to be reasonably healthy on that run. Having switched onto the train to Exeter, we then had a days shopping before electing to get the long 5B back north... I didn't realise that this interworks with the 155 so that you have quite the circular route! It was another e400 and this was one of the ex Sussex Coastliner ones and seems much nicer as we headed through lush countryside (and past the Winkleigh bus retirement home). However, it's about a two hour run so we decided to break it early, getting off at Great Torrington to grab a coffee and have a walk round. We then got the 75A with a newly repainted, late model Dart (again with a reasonable load) that took us into Bideford and then a quick change onto 15883, one of the North Devon Wave livered vehicles that are supposed to work the 21A.
Day 2 was a bit more complex and involved a Devon Day Bus ticket. We caught our usual 21A and it was again one of the batch of 2013 e400s that were new for the North Devon Wave in 15886. We travelled only to Bideford, grabbing a coffee before the 319 to Hartland. It was a bleak day but the bus (another e400) was one of the batch that was new to Torquay for the Hop12 in 2011 with high backed eLeather seats though they were looking a bit scruffy as they had begun delaminating. Cracking ride though as we headed out past the Milky Way adventure park and the Atlantic Academy, a comprehensive in the middle of nowhere. We arrived at Hartland, a nice enough village and were followed through by our next bus, Transport for Cornwall 2437, a nearly new e200mmc. We swapped from one to the other for the cross boundary trip to Bude which is permitted with the ticket. These are dealer spec and whilst new, they seem a bit basic but we made decent time to Bude, where we spent about 2.5 hours wandering round shopping and eating. We then caught another Stagecoach ex Hop12 e400 - I didn't realise that Bude outstation is totally worked off Barnstaple depot, including the main route to Exeter.; mind you, the driver didn't realise that a Devon Day Ticket was valid to Bude so I had to explain. Cue an excitedly blustery trip to Holsworthy which, we discovered, had more cafes than any other shops....or customers. There wasn't much to see so we waited impatiently for the 85 back to Bideford. It was a 2005 Dart, again newly repainted but in smart order internally and very few rattles as we scooted across the Devonian interior - a really hidden gem of a route. Back into Bideford, just missing our 21A (a Solo apparently) so we waited and were reunited by 15886.
So my observations of Stagecoach in North Devon. Well, it is still a good operation for the most part. Vehicles were generally on time and in reasonable condition, especially the two oldish Darts. However, the fleet is beginning to look quite mature. There are the large batch of 2013 e400s delivered for the 21/21A Ilfracombe - Braunton - Barnstaple - Bideford - Appledore/Westward Ho! and the 2011 ex Hop12 ones but otherwise, it was a lot of 2005-2008 vintage stuff in Tridents, e400s, Darts and Solos. With Darts being repainted, it seems they are hanging around for a while yet, which is concerning in that 15/16 year old Darts are likely to be soldiering on for a few more years yet. Unfortunately, with the constraints on Capex that Covid will bring, you wonder if any new fleet will arrive in North Devon again, if only for the North Devon Wave routes.
That gets me onto the livery. Firstly, I can't take to the new livery. I've tried and tried but it's just a failure. The colours are ok but the application is awful and the base white just seems to look grubby. More importantly, the North Devon Wave livery was a nice riff on the standard Stagecoach scheme but it also caught the eye in terms of branding. The new livery is just so nondescript. Without wanting to enter Private Eye's Pseuds Corner, what is it actually trying to tell me. Nothing local to anyone but also not a convincing representation of Stagecoach as a quality firm.
Stagecoach need to take a bit of a look at themselves. They aren't Lockhead era First, nor are they DB owned Arriva, but they are at risk of losing sight of what made them the pre-eminent UK bus company. Standards are still acceptable but vehicles aren't as modern, or quite as well turned out, as they used to be and there's a feeling (and it may just be me) that rather than the cold eyed ruthlessness of old, there's a hint of corporate BS and false economising coming in.
Anyhow, hope these observations are of interest.
Day 1 was leaving Appledore on one of the older e400s, 2008 vintage 15434 which took us to Barnstaple Station. It was a scruffy internally and taking in water through the front dome, but passenger figures seemed to be reasonably healthy on that run. Having switched onto the train to Exeter, we then had a days shopping before electing to get the long 5B back north... I didn't realise that this interworks with the 155 so that you have quite the circular route! It was another e400 and this was one of the ex Sussex Coastliner ones and seems much nicer as we headed through lush countryside (and past the Winkleigh bus retirement home). However, it's about a two hour run so we decided to break it early, getting off at Great Torrington to grab a coffee and have a walk round. We then got the 75A with a newly repainted, late model Dart (again with a reasonable load) that took us into Bideford and then a quick change onto 15883, one of the North Devon Wave livered vehicles that are supposed to work the 21A.
Day 2 was a bit more complex and involved a Devon Day Bus ticket. We caught our usual 21A and it was again one of the batch of 2013 e400s that were new for the North Devon Wave in 15886. We travelled only to Bideford, grabbing a coffee before the 319 to Hartland. It was a bleak day but the bus (another e400) was one of the batch that was new to Torquay for the Hop12 in 2011 with high backed eLeather seats though they were looking a bit scruffy as they had begun delaminating. Cracking ride though as we headed out past the Milky Way adventure park and the Atlantic Academy, a comprehensive in the middle of nowhere. We arrived at Hartland, a nice enough village and were followed through by our next bus, Transport for Cornwall 2437, a nearly new e200mmc. We swapped from one to the other for the cross boundary trip to Bude which is permitted with the ticket. These are dealer spec and whilst new, they seem a bit basic but we made decent time to Bude, where we spent about 2.5 hours wandering round shopping and eating. We then caught another Stagecoach ex Hop12 e400 - I didn't realise that Bude outstation is totally worked off Barnstaple depot, including the main route to Exeter.; mind you, the driver didn't realise that a Devon Day Ticket was valid to Bude so I had to explain. Cue an excitedly blustery trip to Holsworthy which, we discovered, had more cafes than any other shops....or customers. There wasn't much to see so we waited impatiently for the 85 back to Bideford. It was a 2005 Dart, again newly repainted but in smart order internally and very few rattles as we scooted across the Devonian interior - a really hidden gem of a route. Back into Bideford, just missing our 21A (a Solo apparently) so we waited and were reunited by 15886.
So my observations of Stagecoach in North Devon. Well, it is still a good operation for the most part. Vehicles were generally on time and in reasonable condition, especially the two oldish Darts. However, the fleet is beginning to look quite mature. There are the large batch of 2013 e400s delivered for the 21/21A Ilfracombe - Braunton - Barnstaple - Bideford - Appledore/Westward Ho! and the 2011 ex Hop12 ones but otherwise, it was a lot of 2005-2008 vintage stuff in Tridents, e400s, Darts and Solos. With Darts being repainted, it seems they are hanging around for a while yet, which is concerning in that 15/16 year old Darts are likely to be soldiering on for a few more years yet. Unfortunately, with the constraints on Capex that Covid will bring, you wonder if any new fleet will arrive in North Devon again, if only for the North Devon Wave routes.
That gets me onto the livery. Firstly, I can't take to the new livery. I've tried and tried but it's just a failure. The colours are ok but the application is awful and the base white just seems to look grubby. More importantly, the North Devon Wave livery was a nice riff on the standard Stagecoach scheme but it also caught the eye in terms of branding. The new livery is just so nondescript. Without wanting to enter Private Eye's Pseuds Corner, what is it actually trying to tell me. Nothing local to anyone but also not a convincing representation of Stagecoach as a quality firm.
Stagecoach need to take a bit of a look at themselves. They aren't Lockhead era First, nor are they DB owned Arriva, but they are at risk of losing sight of what made them the pre-eminent UK bus company. Standards are still acceptable but vehicles aren't as modern, or quite as well turned out, as they used to be and there's a feeling (and it may just be me) that rather than the cold eyed ruthlessness of old, there's a hint of corporate BS and false economising coming in.
Anyhow, hope these observations are of interest.
greatvoyager
Established Member
Have any of the decommissioned vehicles been reinstated yet at any of the depots?
theblackwatch
Established Member
- Joined
- 15 Feb 2006
- Messages
- 10,713
13812 has been in use on the 222 Dawlish Warren to Teignmouth in the past few days - seen it during my hols and had a ride on it today too. I gather it is generally used on this service if one of the other 3 open toppers (15665, 17701,18186) is out of action. They need 2 for the Sandy Bay (route 95) and one for the 222. Incidentally, one of the drivers advised that 17701 is due for withdrawal at the end of the season.
cnjb8
Established Member
10499/500/01 have left Exeter for Bedford
13812 has left for London, still on loan from East.
13812 has left for London, still on loan from East.
Tommy Walters
Member
I note there was a fire on a bus near Ottery on Wednesday, which burnt it out completely. Looking the tracker details it would appear to be 36250 that was involved.
-Colly405-
Member
Does anyone know whether concessionary passes give free travel on the Dawlish Warren - Teignmouth 222?
I used the service last week on a Weekly Gold ticket and saw a number of concessionary passes being used by other passengers.
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didbygraham
Member
- Joined
- 24 Mar 2015
- Messages
- 25
Ive certainly not seen anything else anywhere - Wouldn't expect to see anything on their awful web site just yet either.
You got to be good to find anything on Stagecoach website!! I find updates like this by typing Stagecoach SW promo in Google - No idea how to find it on the site itself. Just hope it is not a precursor to a cut or withdrawal to 101? Personally I would route 101 on same route as 1 and align the fares. It is crazy that fare from George is different on 1 than 101 with same company!
DaveHarries
Established Member
Stagecoach South West are advising online of changes to routes in Exeter, Torbay and North Devon effective from various dates in January. Amongst these changes will be the introduction of nightbuses on 5 routes in Exeter while, thanks to a weight restriction in the Cowley Bridge area, users on West Garth Road will have to catch different routes in future.
Info: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/south-west/south-west-timetables
Dave
Info: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/south-west/south-west-timetables
Dave
People won't be happy with most of these changes. There are complaints about the E1/E2 routes being every 20 minutes. This combined with the traffic around Exeter will mean that the buses will not run smoother at all.