TfGM-website, timetable updates and general news concerning TfGM bus stations.

[northwichcat]

Wouldn't it be nice if they gave them "names" like they do with railway locomotives. Can I suggest:-
Bollington
Prestbury
Wilmslow
Alderley Edge

Trains are normally names after influential people or places, so maybe for the 88 route they could be:
1. Elizabeth Gaskell/Cranford
2. Alan Turing (who lived in Wilmslow)
3. Henry Royce (who lived in Knutsford)
4. The Stone Roses (Ian Brown and John Squire went to school in Altrincham)
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In fact the 289 does not entirely duplicate the 35 within Greater Manchester. Since the demise of Warrington Coachways' 38, the 289 is the only service that is routed through Bowdon Village via The Downs and The Firs and stops at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls. The 5, 35 and 246 all go via Ashley Road and Langham Road. The 35 and 289 share a route only along Park Road and Dunham Road to the county boundary.

Ah OK I didn't realise. I did suggest to Cheshire East council and GHA an additional service departing Altrincham was required between the 1625 and 1905 now that the Warrington Coachways service which departed Altrincham for High Legh (and Warrington) at around 1730 no longer exists.

 

[Greybeard33]

Ah OK I didn't realise. I did suggest to Cheshire East council and GHA an additional service departing Altrincham was required between the 1625 and 1905 now that the Warrington Coachways service which departed Altrincham for High Legh (and Warrington) at around 1730 no longer exists.

Yes, the 1905 from Altrincham is too late for most commuters and for students who have after school activities. In the other direction, students who miss the 1536 from Knutsford have a long wait for the 1821.

High Legh residents must be feeling rather isolated.

 

[northwichcat]

Yes, the 1905 from Altrincham is too late for most commuters and for students who have after school activities. In the other direction, students who miss the 1536 from Knutsford have a long wait for the 1821.

High Legh residents must be feeling rather isolated.

The 289 service running via High Legh only happened relatively recently after the 47 service between Lower Peover and Warrington (via High Legh) was cut back from 5 return services per day to 4 return services per week.

The 47 was then axed altogether until Network Warrington started a limited replacement on the Warrington-Lymm part, which got extended to High Legh a couple of months ago.

Unfortunately, the change to the 289 route meant for people not going to High Legh the gap between services increased from 2 hr 30 between services to 2 hour 45.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Trains are normally names after influential people or places, so maybe for the 88 route they could be:
1. Elizabeth Gaskell/Cranford
2. Alan Turing (who lived in Wilmslow)
3. Henry Royce (who lived in Knutsford)
4. The Stone Roses (Ian Brown and John Squire went to school in Altrincham)

Whilst I cannot argue with your first three choices (with your cunning home-based duplication of Knutsford (Cranford and Knutsford) and admitting that my four choices were more centred upon my side of Cheshire East, there is no way whatsoever that I can agree with your fourth and final choice of such a proletariat-based entity.

We are referring to Cheshire East here, not to the Ancoats / Miles Platting conurbation...:roll:

 

[northwichcat]

Whilst I cannot argue with your first three choices, admitting that my four choices were more centred upon this side of Cheshire East, there is no way whatsoever that I can agree with your fourth and final choice of such a proletariat-based entity.

We are referring to Cheshire East here, not to the Ancoats / Miles Platting conurbation...:roll:

Really you'd need an Altrincham area name for the 4th one given the route is Knutsford to Wilmslow to Altrincham, so what would you suggest?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Really you'd need an Altrincham area name for the 4th one given the route is Knutsford to Wilmslow to Altrincham, so what would you suggest?

Mobberley is on the route, so....

Trafford Leigh-Mallory, the Commander-in-Chief of RAF Fighter Command in Word War II

 

[Amberley54]

Whilst I cannot argue with your first three choices (with your cunning home-based duplication of Knutsford (Cranford and Knutsford) and admitting that my four choices were more centred upon my side of Cheshire East, there is no way whatsoever that I can agree with your fourth and final choice of such a proletariat-based entity.

We are referring to Cheshire East here, not to the Ancoats / Miles Platting conurbation...:roll:

There is plenty of deprivation in Cheshire East, it just gets hidden behind shiny Chelsea tractors, Prestbury Gin Palace and bling.:-x

 

[northwichcat]

There is plenty of deprivation in Cheshire East, it just gets hidden behind shiny Chelsea tractors, Prestbury Gin Palace and bling.:-x

Indeed. There are council estates and food bank schemes in Knutsford, despite it being the rated as the second most affluent town in the North of England.

If you want to see the diverse range of people in Knutsford then visit the Aldi store where you see the less well off buying their everyday essentials from there for a fraction of what it costs in Waitrose, while the more well off are buying discounted luxury items such as Whisky and Champagne.

 

[Greenback]

Please try and keep this thread on topic. Thanks.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

There is plenty of deprivation in Cheshire East, it just gets hidden behind shiny Chelsea tractors, Prestbury Gin Palace and bling.:-x

I knew that the upholder of Macclesfield's proud tradition for ""straight talking" would not be too long in surfacing upon this thread. This is why that my own rural location on the Prestbury/Mottram St Andrew border (which would be nice if called Prestbury Superior) is far more civilised than Prestbury village with its importation of professional sportsmen from backgrounds less then salubrious (Prestbury Inferior?)...
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Please try and keep this thread on topic. Thanks.

I thought that my newly-made posting (ending with three smileys) would be worthy of an attempt to let humour combat angst.

 

[Amberley54]

I knew that the upholder of Macclesfield's proud tradition for ""straight talking" would not be too long in surfacing upon this thread. This is why that my own rural location on the Prestbury/Mottram St Andrew border (which would be nice if called Prestbury Superior) is far more civilised than Prestbury village with its importation of professional sportsmen from backgrounds less then salubrious (Prestbury Inferior?)...
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


I thought that my newly-made posting (ending with three smileys) would be worthy of an attempt to let humour combat angst.

I liked it anyway - how about Nether Prestbury? So I must pass you house on way to work in chic suburban Bramhall every morning.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Concerns have been voiced how the Bradshaw area will fare as a result of certain route organisational changes, so as from Sunday, 26th October, an extension will be added to the existing East Bolton Local Link service to incorporate Bradshaw Road to its limit on Ramsbottom Road. This will provide a direct link both to Bolton Interchange and the Royal Bolton Hospital. The service is said to run daily from 0600 to 2200.

 

[northwichcat]

Full 88 timetable leaflet now on TfGM site. Special introductory fare is a weekly ticket for just £10 for the first 4 weeks: http://www.tfgm.com/journey_planning/RouteMaps/88-Knutsford.pdf

 

[radamfi]

Do we know how successful Local Link is? On the face of it, it looks like it could be advantageous to have your regular bus service withdrawn if it gets replaced by a Demand Responsive service. But I thought that DRT is expensive to run, and that is why such experiments around the country have largely been scaled back or withdrawn. The Greater Manchester Local Link service seems to be expanding all the time as the regular bus network shrinks.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I liked it anyway - how about Nether Prestbury? So I must pass your house on way to work in chic suburban Bramhall every morning.

Not unless you use the narrow rural lanes that lead upwards passing the eastern boundary of the Hare Hill National Trust walled garden estate that lead up to the border with Mottram St Andrew...

Incidentally, does your route take you past Parkers Garden Centre and Woodford Park garden centre en route to Bramhall?

 

[neilmc]

Noticed that the Stagecoach Megarider is no longer valid on First's buses on the jointly operated X34 and 22. This is very poor especially as passengers may find huge gaps between Stagecoach buses or get stranded in the evening. Has this been publicised?

 

[northwichcat]

TfGM are proposing withdrawal of the following subsided services from April 2015:

The last round trip on service 535 1820 Monday to Friday (1813 Saturday) from Belmont and 1750 (1745 Saturday) from Bolton

Evening services on the 597 route between Leigh Sports Village and Leigh Infirmary

Nightbus 203 between Manchester and Stockport via Belle Vue

Nightbus 219 between Manchester and Stalybridge via Audenshaw

Nightbus 256 between Manchester and Flixton

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

TfGM are proposing withdrawal of the following subsided services from April 2015:

The last round trip on service 535 1820 Monday to Friday (1813 Saturday) from Belmont and 1750 (1745 Saturday) from Bolton

Evening services on the 597 route between Leigh Sports Village and Leigh Infirmary

Nightbus 203 between Manchester and Stockport via Belle Vue

Nightbus 219 between Manchester and Stalybridge via Audenshaw

Nightbus 256 between Manchester and Flixton

That is certainly giving a good amount of time as advance notice of these proposed withdrawals.

 

[northwichcat]

That is certainly giving a good amount of time as advance notice of these proposed withdrawals.

They're consulting on the removal of the funding, rather than just saying we'll axe the funding because there's no money/low patronage like Cheshire East council.

 

[Y961 XBU]

Tbh i am shocked the 535 still exists at all, Yes ok its the only Bus that goes to Belmont Village but very few people use it, in fact i would say Passenger numbers get lower on there each year!

 

[WatcherZero]

They're consulting on the removal of the funding, rather than just saying we'll axe the funding because there's no money/low patronage like Cheshire East council.

Wasn't consulting, they had months earlier (Autumn 2013 annual budget setting negotiations I think?) made the policy decision to axe funding for all night bus services as part of cost saving required for bus budget cuts from Government. Wigan ones were cancelled when they came up for renewal and duly Manchester ones announced to be cancelled from the date the contract to provide them expires. Bus groups of course free to make them commercial services if they thought they could make a go of it after public funding removed.

Indeed was in the town hall public budget briefing in January, page 16.

http://www.transportforgreatermanch..._budget_briefing_presentation_21_january_2014

 

[Starmill]

Can anyone confirm if First are still offering £1 singles from Didsbury/Withington to Piccadilly, please? Thanks.

 

[Y961 XBU]

The new Alt Interchange opens on Sunday!

 

[Starmill]

Great.

Let's hope they get the CIS screens working for national rail services again!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Can anyone confirm if First are still offering £1 singles from Didsbury/Withington to Piccadilly, please? Thanks.

They were the weekend before last. And they were carrying almost nobody.

Neil

 

[Starmill]

I bought a Daysaver on one at Withington Library last Sunday early afternoon. It was so full by Rusholme that we had to leave people behind!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I bought a Daysaver on one at Withington Library last Sunday early afternoon. It was so full by Rusholme that we had to leave people behind!

You actually managed to get one to stop? My observation was that they went flying past most stops, carried one or two passengers per bus, and existed only to block stops at Parrs Wood turnaround. Not at all sustainable.

Oxford Road needs Metrolink more than any other route that's got it, IMO. Then get rid of the buses (a weight restriction should do that).

Neil

 

[Starmill]

You actually managed to get one to stop? My observation was that they went flying past most stops, carried one or two passengers per bus, and existed only to block stops at Parrs Wood turnaround. Not at all sustainable.

Oxford Road needs Metrolink more than any other route that's got it, IMO. Then get rid of the buses (a weight restriction should do that).

Neil

Metrolink already competes with the 42 on Didsbury - City Centre journeys. The problem is they charge many times the fares, so cannot really compete with bus companies who always undercut them. TfGM have to keep the price of Metrolink very high because of it's funding arrangements - loans that need to be paid off. Maybe if funding had been secured from other sources there would be more scope to offer more affordable fares.

It's competitive if you need to travel on more than one line, with the £5 Off-Peak Day Travelcard representing good value, but then that's more expensive than all of the bus companies own day tickets if you can make your journey on one bus company to so...

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Oxford Road needs Metrolink more than any other route that's got it, IMO. Then get rid of the buses (a weight restriction should do that).

Neil

I am now totally confused about what you say about weight restrictions when discussing buses and trams. Surely the tram weighs a great deal more than a bus. (The T68 admittedly weighed more than the M5000).

With regard to your aspiration for the Manchester Metrolink to run alongst Oxford Road, I ask that you let us know the number of existing bus stops that are currently available on that road and the number of tram stops that are in your aspirational proposal. Having removed the buses, as you state, will members of the travelling public be subjected to long walks in order to access intermediary points? Your proposal looks like the removal of freedom to travel by any chosen mode of public transport and only being left with a tram service.

What about the bus services that proceed along Oxford Road as part-only of a journey to onward destinations far removed from the said area. Do you propose that these are diverted along alternative routes?

 

[Starmill]

Noticed that the Stagecoach Megarider is no longer valid on First's buses on the jointly operated X34 and 22. This is very poor especially as passengers may find huge gaps between Stagecoach buses or get stranded in the evening. Has this been publicised?

Very poor. I used to use the 22 all the time, the operator switching was a constant source of contention. If there is one good argument for bus regulation, this route is it. I can tell you it was a pain in the arse paying single fares from Burnage to Stretford both ways every day for several years.