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.