Trivia: Short Lived Bus Routes

[Murray J]

There were 2 separate incredibly short-lived attempts circa 2008-2009 to challenge Metrobus on Crawley town routes, with 1 lasting a few days before being quietly cancelled.

 

[Martin2012]

Wessex and their short lived Service 90 route in the South Bristol area which was designed to compete with First. Remember it starting in June 2017 on the Monday following the General Election and was withdrawn by the end of the following month. Seem to recall First responded to Wessex by enhancing the timetable of their service and/or adding duplicate buses to the route including painting an existing vehicle from the fleet into Service 90 livery.

From what I understand the route got withdrawn at short notice due to an issue with drivers being assaulted over the validity of First tickets on the route but can't remember if Wessex had already registered to withdraw the service by that time.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Wessex and their short lived Service 90 route in the South Bristol area which was designed to compete with First. Remember it starting in June 2017 on the Monday following the General Election and was withdrawn by the end of the following month. Seem to recall First responded to Wessex by enhancing the timetable of their service and/or adding duplicate buses to the route including painting an existing vehicle from the fleet into Service 90 livery.

From what I understand the route got withdrawn at short notice due to an issue with drivers being assaulted over the validity of First tickets on the route but can't remember if Wessex had already registered to withdraw the service by that time.

At the same time (ISH), to supplement their competitive ONE service, they then introduced a ONE2 so also up Whiteladies Road but then to Henleaze and Southmead rather than to Westbury

 

[Martin2012]

Got a feeling the ONE and ONE2 were introduced the previous year (2016) but can't recall exactly when. I think the One2 got withdrawn in December 2016 but the One continued into 2017.

I was working for Bristol City Council at the time and was actually given the task of overseeing the installation of some bus stops on the ONE2 route (at locations that had previously had them and where members of the public requested the reinstatement of the stops after a service was put back). Then a few months after that exercise the ONE2 got withdrawn (although another service continued to serve those stops and still does).

A few others I've thought of:
A short lived Bristol to Cribbs Causeway service operated by Wessex which (I think) operated from Autumn 2013 until early 2014 which resulted in First adding extra journeys to the 309/310.

A short lived Bristol to Avonmouth service operated by Wessex which (I think) again operated from Autumn 2013 until early April 2014

A short lived service from Cribbs Causeway to Thornbury (I think it might have been 87 or 88) that was introduced by First in November 2014 and covered part of the 622 route. Seem to recall it only lasted for a very short time before the operator changed to Severnside Transport and it got withdrawn altogether in November 2015.

In tandem with the above, Service 622 which had operated between Cribbs Causeway and Chipping Sodbury got altered to run between Thornbury and Tetbury from January 2015 but the original route and timetable got restored in November 2015, replacing the short lived 87/88 service.

Also remember First having a Bristol to Durlsey route around the same time. Think it got introduced at some point in 2014 as a replacement for Mikes Travel on the 224 but in March 2014 switched operators (Possibly Severnside Transport).

Also not a short lived service as such but after 3 and a half years of running service X27 (Yate to Bristol) as a supported service from September 2010 until April 2014 their attempt to run it commercially lasted for less than 6 months with the service being withdrawn entirely at the start of September 2014.

 

[Citistar]

A short lived Bristol to Avonmouth service operated by Wessex which (I think) again operated from Autumn 2013 until early April 2014

X40, i believe. There was also a Portishead - Cribbs Causeway service in the same era. Wessex had a somewhat scattergun approach in this period, giving anything a go if they thought it might destabilise First.

A short lived service from Cribbs Causeway to Thornbury (I think it might have been 87 or 88) that was introduced by First in November 2014 and covered part of the 622 route. Seem to recall it only lasted for a very short time before the operator changed to Severnside Transport and it got withdrawn altogether in November 2015.

In tandem with the above, Service 622 which had operated between Cribbs Causeway and Chipping Sodbury got altered to run between Thornbury and Tetbury from January 2015 but the original route and timetable got restored in November 2015, replacing the short lived 87/88 service.

Also remember First having a Bristol to Durlsey route around the same time. Think it got introduced at some point in 2014 as a replacement for Mikes Travel on the 224 but in March 2014 switched operators (Possibly Severnside Transport).

First went mad in this period. As well as splitting off the Parkway - Cribbs part of 81/581 (into 16, IIRC), 81 (which had grown to become Longwell Green - Yate), 82 (Southmead Hospital - Yate - Wotton-under-Edge) and 83 (Hanham - Thornbury, formerly the 312 and later becoming part of the Stagecoach 10), they also launched those two routes over what had previously been tendered services. 87 was Cribbs - Thornbury - Wotton-under-Edge (over 622, then 309) and 88 Bristol - Dursley via the old 224 route.

 

[SSmith2009]

First Leicester introduced service 31 (Leicester - Oadby & Oadby Grange estate) in September 2007 and withdrew it in January 2009 lasting 16 months.

It was introduced in response to arriva launching competing services on First services 14 to Kirby Frith and 22 to Evington.

 

[Deerfold]

First Leicester introduced service 31 (Leicester - Oadby & Oadby Grange estate) in September 2007 and withdrew it in January 2009 lasting 16 months.

It was introduced in response to arriva launching competing services on First services 14 to Kirby Frith and 22 to Evington.

So, that'd be as part of a bus war, contrary to the OP's request?

 

[Strathclyder]

Stagecoach Glasgow G1/G2

G1 - Southern General Hospital, Glasgow to Ruchill Student Village, Partick, Glasgow
G2 - Southern General Hospital, Glasgow to Glenfinnan Road, Maryhill, Glasgow

Started August 2015, gone by April 2016

All I remember with those routes is the amount of Solos that were transferred in to run them, a real mixed bag of 'classic' and SRs of various lengths. Both routes were withdrawn in the same timeframe as Blochairn depot closing and the ex-First depot in Cumbernauld replacing it (April 2016). A pity they weren't successful either way tbh.

On the subject of the Southern General, First Glasgow's CQ1, linking Clydebank Bus Station with the Southern General running via Scotstoun & the Clyde Tunnel non-stop didn't last long either, only running between March and June 2016. Eclipse B7RLEs were the type most often used, but B7Ls and E300s weren't unknown to appear (all linked images are my own); a Marshall Dart even managed to crop up at least once!

From The Bank To The Southern (CQ1) (69079)

Photo Date: 19th March 2016

www.flickr.com

First Glasgow SA02 BZE (61588) | Route CQ1 | Clydebank Bus Station, W. Dunbartonshire

Photo Date: 18th April 2016

www.flickr.com

Second To Last (CQ1) (67893)

67893 is seen at Chalmers St making a irregular appearance on the Eclipse Urban-operated CQ1 from the Southern General. Photo Date: 19th May 2016

www.flickr.com

Interloping Marshall (CQ1) (41415)

41415 managed a appearance on the CQ1 (Chalmers St - Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Express) earlier today, covering a single run due to a vehicle fault. Captured at Chalmers St just before being swapped with a B7RLE, replacing it on the 81. Photo Date: 26th May 2016

www.flickr.com

 

[Martin2012]

First went mad in this period. As well as splitting off the Parkway - Cribbs part of 81/581 (into 16, IIRC), 81 (which had grown to become Longwell Green - Yate), 82 (Southmead Hospital - Yate - Wotton-under-Edge) and 83 (Hanham - Thornbury, formerly the 312 and later becoming part of the Stagecoach 10), they also launched those two routes over what had previously been tendered services. 87 was Cribbs - Thornbury - Wotton-under-Edge (over 622, then 309) and 88 Bristol - Dursley via the old 224 route.

My understanding was that 81 (Yate to Kingswood) was a commercial replacement for 581 (Chipping Sodbury to Hanham).

The 81 and 83 both lasted from April 2014 to September 2015 when both were withdrawn. 81 then got reinstated as Yate to Longwell Green from January 2016 but was withdrawn again in September 2016 and replaced with the 16 which (I think) ran Hanham to UWE. From memory that route only lasted 7 months before being withdrawn in April 2017.

I thought the 10 between Emersons Green and Southmead was a replacement for the 18?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

X40, i believe. There was also a Portishead - Cribbs Causeway service in the same era. Wessex had a somewhat scattergun approach in this period, giving anything a go if they thought it might destabilise First.



First went mad in this period. As well as splitting off the Parkway - Cribbs part of 81/581 (into 16, IIRC), 81 (which had grown to become Longwell Green - Yate), 82 (Southmead Hospital - Yate - Wotton-under-Edge) and 83 (Hanham - Thornbury, formerly the 312 and later becoming part of the Stagecoach 10), they also launched those two routes over what had previously been tendered services. 87 was Cribbs - Thornbury - Wotton-under-Edge (over 622, then 309) and 88 Bristol - Dursley via the old 224 route.

I remember the period well - I was on gardening leave.

First went and pursued a policy of ousting Wessex and so registered a load of additional work (the X49 also appeared and the 17 was also enhanced at this time). The objective was to get South Glos Council to pull the tenders so remove the bedrock of supported work. They went and secured some delightful ex London Marshall Darts from First Cymru. I remember travelling on one on the 81 - not good.

Whether it was that they underestimated how much of a money pit they were, or that they'd fulfilled their purpose, but the services were extensively recast the following year.

IIRC, I think the 224 was a tender win. Think it was Mike's Travel and it was an odd one for First to win, being one journey south in the morning and one back north in the evening peak. Again, I sampled it but on a 2005 Dart, heading up to Dursley on a glorious afternoon and then getting a trip back on the 309 on a Renown. Seems like eons ago.

 

[Martin2012]

I didn't know that First purposely registered those services commercially to get the tenders pulled and oust Wessex. I was always under the impression that South Gloucestershire Council had a tight budget and like other authorities had to consider cuts but by the services being commercial it gave a stay of execution to those routes that otherwise might have been cut. I understand that Wessex registered the X27 commercially after First registered the commercial X46 but don't remember any such competition on the other supported routes that Wessex ended up loosing (329, 482, 483, 581 and 689).

The 81 (581 replacement) only lasted a few years but X46 lasted for over 4 years, the 46 and the X49 (later Y4 and Y5) lasted for over 8 years and the 82 still runs today, albeit it is now the Y6.

I remember that 224 working and remember at the time it can't have been an easy one for First to operate.

Also remember traveling on the first ever X46 journey in April 2014. Only a handful of passengers on board with most opting for the X27 that ran alongside us into Bristol and ultimately completed its journey full up. Over the next few months there seemed to be a gradual shift of passengers over from the X27 onto the X46 until the former route was withdrawn in August 2014.

Interestingly that only 5 years before, First considered the X27 to not be commercial and the route would have been withdrawn had South Gloucestershire Council not stepped in and supported it.

 

[Taunton]

I recall back in the 1970s in Edinburgh there was introduced an inner circle operation, along Princes Street, up to Tollcross and The Meadows, back up The Bridges, run as a continuous circle in both directions. Possibly the No 6, which was otherwise unused. Called the "Shoppabus", as it only ran 0930 to 1700. Never anybody in it, probably just two vehicles in each direction. All these roads had other very frequent overlapping services, and even if you got it the schedule was very slack so there were points on the loop where it just waited for time while all these others went past. You have to wonder whoever might come up with such a plan (we suspected it would be a councillor, who the transport manager had just given in to).

 

[matchmaker]

Back in the 2000s Citylink started an Edinburgh - Dunblane service - I forget the number, but it might have been M9. The thing was that it was an hourly service. Outside the morning and evening commuter traffic I doubt there was much demand for such a frequent service, especially as there was a very good and regular train service. In addition to that, many Citylink services to Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness went through Dunblane anyway!

It didn't last very long.

 

[SCH117X]

First tried and failed with a service between York and Leeds Bradford Airport. Started running in March 2007 caling only at the village of Bickerton to allow for its regsitration as a local service it was diverted from their in Dec 2007 to run via a retail park on the edge of Knaresborough and cancelled in April 2009. Was originally named the York Air Coach then numbered 120 and finally 787.