Warrington Coachways and Bennets gone and rebranded Tanseys

[Y961 XBU]

Warrington Coachways and Bennets who Operated Services 33,37,37A and 38 along with a number of School Routes have *Ceased Trading* most of their Buses have been ceased however a few Buses remain (Only B10M R227 CRW confirmed) and have been re-branded Tanseys and are now going to do Hire Work like rail replacements.

 

[185143]

What will happen to the services Warrington Coachways used to operate? Will they go to Network Warrington?

 

[northwichcat]

What will happen to the services Warrington Coachways used to operate?

Bus route 37 is a commerical service between Altrincham and Warrington via High Legh. There is also a Network Warrington service between Altrincham and Warrington via Dunham, which I would imagine will get enhanced so that some of the journey opportunities between Altrincham/Lymm and Warrington aren't lost. I have contacted Warrington Borough Council, Cheshire East council and Warrington Borough Transport about if there are any changes proposed as a result of the loss of the number 37 bus and none of them have come back to me.

 

[gnolife]

The Network Warrington route between Altrincham and Warrington is atrocious in terms of level of service, with no services leaving Altrincham between 10:29 and 15:38 Monday to Friday, with service being considerably better on Saturdays (Every half hour throughout the day) and Sunday (Every Hour 10 - 6). Is this down to the competition with the Warrington Coachways routes?

 

[northwichcat]

Network Warrington have applied to change the number 5 route on 1st September but I imagine they applied to do that before they knew Warrington Coachways were withdrawing their services.

 

[Y961 XBU]

according to TFGM they are in talks with Network Warrington to provide a Daytime service between Alt and Warrington.

 

[Greybeard33]

Regarding the Warrington Coachways service withdrawal:

Originally Posted by TfGM
37 Altrincham – Lymm – Thelwall – Warrington

The majority of this service
operates outside Greater
Manchester although the bus stops
on Dunham Road will only be
served by infrequent service 289
with 5 journeys per day in each
direction on Monday to Saturday
daytimes. However this section of
route is sparsely populated. These
bus stops are approximately 700
metres away from alternative
service 246 that operates via Bow
Green Road.

No TfGM action at this stage

37A Altrincham – Lymm – Thelwall – Warrington

The majority of the service
operates outside Greater
Manchester although a section of
Dunham Road will become
unserved in the evenings.
However, this section of route is
sparsely populated and the section
affected is approximately 700
meters away from alternative
service 246 that operates via Bow
Green Road.

No TfGM action at this stage

38 Altrincham – Warburton – Lymm - Warrington

TfGM officers have had
discussions with Warrington
Borough Council in respect to the
potential replacement of this
service

I imagine Cheshire East council will argue that the 289 service can be used as an alternative to get between High Legh and Altrincham. Although, the Warrington Coachways Altrincham-High Legh-Warrington service currently allows a 17:30 Altrincham-High Legh journey, while the 289 service doesn't have an Altrincham departure between 16:25 and 19:05.

Well this service [47] is to be reinstated in part. Cheshire East council seem to think a Tuesday and Friday reinstatement of the 47 service between High Legh and Warrington only is adequate replacement for the loss of the mainly hourly Warrington Coachways Altrincham-High Legh-Warrington service. It's also the reverse of the old 47 service so that the bus starts and ends in Warrington and giving less useful options for people in High Legh.

New timetable: https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/PDF/47_Warrington_-_Lymm_-_High_Legh.pdf

It seems to me that TfGM, Cheshire East and Warrington are all more concerned about services within their own boundaries than connectivity with the other authorities' areas. This parochial attitude is typified by the above TfGM and Cheshire East responses regarding the 37/37A - no consideration of the possibility that people might need to travel between Altrincham and Little Bollington or High Legh in the peak.

I remember that there used to be a special service that operated between Altrincham and the National Trust property at Dunham Massey. Has anyone any news on what happened to that service.

I note that the Arriva North West service 247 passes along "the lanes" in the Sinderland Lane and Moss Lane area and I wonder what would be the nearest bus stop in that area to the Dunham Massey estate for families without cars to visit there.

I think the walk from the nearest 247 stop would be nearly as long as walking direct from Altrincham via the footpath over the golf course. The latter option would be quicker and more pleasant, and have the advantage that one would not be tied to the bus timetable.

 

[northwichcat]

It seems to me that TfGM, Cheshire East and Warrington are all more concerned about services within their own boundaries than connectivity with the other authorities' areas. This parochial attitude is typified by the above TfGM and Cheshire East responses regarding the 37/37A - no consideration of the possibility that people might need to travel between Altrincham and Little Bollington or High Legh in the peak.

You might not be aware but there was a historic fall out between what was at the time Warrington Borough Transport and Cheshire County Council over the 47 route. It ran as 5 services per day each way between Lower Peover and Warrington but 2 additional services each way on Tuesdays and Fridays were subsided, Tuesday and Friday coincided with market days. Warrington BT said that revenue on the service had dropped and the subsidy needed reviewing. What then happened was Cheshire County Council put out a new tender for the 2 services on Tuesday and Friday only (with no Warrington Borugh Council contribution), awarded the contract to Tomlinson Travel and the rest of the 47 route went.

Last year Tomlinson Travel told Cheshire East council passenger numbers on the 47 route had dropped and they wanted out of the contract. Cheshire East council agreed to cancel it but didn't re-tender it. Warrington council then issued a tender for 2 Warrington-Lymm only return services on Tuesday and Fridays only and awarded it to Network Warrington. Now it looks like Cheshire East have agreed to subside an extension of that service back to High Legh.
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Been reported on another forum that one day Warrington Coachways cancelled two consecutive services from Altrincham due to no bus available. Then the next service (for which a bus was available) was cancelled as the bus ran out of diesel.

 

[185]

Was watching the Bennetts/(Wton Coaches) parked at Alty on the last few days it ran, no ticket machine & money going straight into pockets. Just like the early 90's. (well, including the bus itself).

 

[Whistler40145]

I'm not surprised this Bus Operator has ceased trading, earlier this year I was travelling from Warrington Interchange to Altrincham on their 37 service & had to wait nearly an hour as it just didn't appear & when I asked the reason why, they didn't care or want to know.

Has anyone else encountered a sloppy service?

 

[Y961 XBU]

I'm not surprised this Bus Operator has ceased trading, earlier this year I was travelling from Warrington Interchange to Altrincham on their 37 service & had to wait nearly an hour as it just didn't appear & when I asked the reason why, they didn't care or want to know.

Has anyone else encountered a sloppy service?

well when the 37/38 services where operating often buses would go missing, sometimes due to not drivers, sometimes to cover school drivers, in recent times Buses where buggering of to do Rail Replacements! Cant say am sad to see the firm go.

 

[northwichcat]

Was watching the Bennetts/(Wton Coaches) parked at Alty on the last few days it ran, no ticket machine & money going straight into pockets. Just like the early 90's. (well, including the bus itself).

Early 1990s.

Well if you got a bus like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11253414@N04/5056676784 the driver just came up with a fare for your journey (or asked you how much it was!) and pocketed that. If you got a ticket then it just basically said how much you had paid and either single or return.

But if you got a bus like this: https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/5568303728/in/set-72157626240876217 you got a large ticket with your boarding stage and destination printed on it

North West retained the Starline Travel branding on route 19 after takeover which was one of the first routes in the Altrincham area to see low floor buses: https://www.flickr.com/photos/theoriginalzippy/4305003236/ Very different from the elderly Leyland Nationals which sounded like class 150 Sprinter trains.

 

[Emyr]

Very different from the elderly Leyland Nationals which sounded like class 150 Sprinter trains.

Pacers, surely?

 

[northwichcat]

Pacers, surely?

Did you ever hear a North Western Road Car Co Leyland National in the 1990s? They were old and poorly maintained and the engines were a lot louder than they should have been. On one occasion inspectors grounded the entire Leyland National fleet based at Skelmersdale.

 

[Emyr]

I was on the Llyn Peninsula in the 1990s, we probably had their hand-me-downs.

 

[northwichcat]

I was on the Llyn Peninsula in the 1990s, we probably had their hand-me-downs.

I travelled on some double decker Crossville hand-me-downs around the turn of the millennium operated by Northwich based Walkers Coaches complete with original black and white number plates. They didn't like hill starts