Wiltshire Bus Services

[wiltshirebloke]

Thamesdown/Swindon's Buses are revising services in the Bedwyn, Hungerford & Marlborough areas

Following a review of services by Wiltshire Council, due to reduced financial funding, a number of services in the Bedwyn, Hungerford and Marlborough areas will be revised from Sunday 14th August 2017.

In summary the changes are as follows :-
19: this service will now be run by Tourist Coaches
20: revised timetable
X20: this service will now be run by Tourist Coaches and run on Friday instead of Tuesday
21: service withdrawn
22: revised timetable
X22: revised timetable
70A: service withdrawn
72A: service withdrawn
95: service withdrawn
217: All Monday to Friday journeys will now be run by Tourist Coaches. We will still operate the Saturday service, but to a revised timetable

 

[DaveHarries]

Just thought I might rejuvenate this thread with an observation from the week just gone.

While waiting to catch a Service 51A from Swindon Bus Station to Cricklade on Thursday afternoon (24th August) I noticed that Thamesdown had an Enviro200 MMC demonstrator out on Service R1. I read the registration as YX65 RKK although I may have got that wrong considering how close the bus was to the stop block.

Dave

 

[leb37]

Thamesdown have announced that they are dropping the R1 Royal Wootton Bassett - Swindon bus, due to Stagecoach introducing extra Royal Wootton Bassett - Swindon shuttles on its 55 service. The service will be dropped from Sunday 22nd October.

Since the changes have taken effect in April, Royal Wootton Bassett has had 10 buses an hour into Swindon, a better and more frequent service than a lot of the Swindon town services.

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/15500462.Thamesdown_shelves_Royal_Wootton_Bassett_bus_route/

 

[wiltshirebloke]

Swings and Roundabouts continue, with the Sunday Urchfont service reverting back to First :

Service 271/272 (Bath – Bowerhill / Devizes / Urchfont)

From 4 February 2018, First will operate a new Service 271 between Melksham and Devizes / Urchfont on Sundays and Public Holidays, which follows a tender awarded by Wiltshire Council.

Up to six journeys will operate in each direction, and buses will connect with Service 272 at Melksham for travel to and from Bath. Through tickets will be available for customers travelling across Melksham.
​

https://www.firstgroup.com/bristol-bath-and-west/news-and-service-updates/news/first-bath-announce-service-changes-bath

 

[wiltshirebloke]

Also, rumour circulating that Faresaver are looking to drop the 60 Trowbridge Circular service.

This was dropped by First in 2013, where FS then took it on a commercial basis.

Will be interesting if true, as it will leave 3 large housing estates without a bus service. Yes, I suspect many are on passes, but I would have thought there would have been some social need for bus services in these areas.

 

[wiltshirebloke]

Faresaver announcing changes due 29th January.

10 Corsham Town:
The majority of timings on the town service remain unchanged but the current 1335 and 1435 trips departing Newlands Road will be combined into one trip at 1405. In addition the trips which service through to Chippenham will no longer operate due to low passenger numbers. Alternative buses between Corsham and Chippenham are available on the X31 service which departs Newlands Road up to every 20 minutes.

33/X33 Chippenham - Devizes:
We have experienced an increase in usage of this service over the past year and are therefore introducing a trip departing Chippenham at 1600 arriving into Devizes for 1652 and a trip departing Chippenham at 0830 arriving into Devizes for 0910. The current 0700 departure from Chippenham along with 0800 departure from Devizes will depart at 0655 and 0755 respectively in an effort to improve punctuality.

X34 Chippenham - Frome:
This service will no longer operate via Notton village. Passengers wishing to use the service to/from Notton and Whitehall Garden Centre should use the Cantax Hill stop in Lacock. The majority of timings throughout the day remain unchanged but certain trips around the afternoon peak have been given more time to reflect current traffic conditions.
In addition any passengers currently using the Trowbridge 0735 to Oak School morning service should now catch the main Frome - Chippenham X34 and alight on Spa Road. This trip departs Trowbridge Town Hall at 0738. The afternoon service will continue to operate from Oak School at 1500.

44 Chippenham Town:
Timings of trips have been adjusted by up to 15 minutes between 1600 - 1700. The 0830 Pewsham service will no longer operate due to low passenger numbers. All other timings remain unchanged.

60/65 Trowbridge Town:
There are no changes being made to the Studley Green/Wiltshire Road loop. However we will no longer operate the St Thomas Road loop and this will be taken on by Frome Minibuses. In its place we will be operating the 65 service via Brook Road previously operated by Frome Minibuses on weekdays. The Saturday service will continue to be operated by Frome Minibuses.

69 Trowbridge - Bradford on Avon - Melksham - Corsham:
Timing changes have been made across the 68/69 service, particularly around the lunchtime period. The service will also no longer serve Asda bus stop in Melksham.

Revised fares:
Single and return fares on service numbers X31, X33/33, X34, X67, X72, 10, 228 and 635 are increasing by up to 30p. 11 journey ticket prices will adjust accordingly.​

 

[LiftFan]

It seems as if I'm on that X34 for the majority of my week - I travel end to end and I am glad it will always skip out Notton. Nobody ever got on or off when I was on the bus down there and it just was a cause for delays getting back onto the A350.

 

[wiltshirebloke]

More details from Wiltshire Council of other changes :

• New timetables for local bus service 10 operated by the Faresaver bus company in the Corsham area from 29 January, with buses no longer running through to Chippenham
• New timetables for Faresaver bus services 33 and X33 between Devizes and Chippenham from 29 January
• Changes bus services X34 which links Chippenham, Melksham, Trowbridge and Frome from 29 January with buses no longer calling at Notton
• New timetables for local bus service 44 operated by the Faresaver bus company in the Chippenham area from 29 January
• New timetables for bus services 50, 53, 54 and 57 operated by Frome Minibuses and Beeline Coaches in the Warminster area from 29 January
• New route numbers and timetables for bus services 58 and 58A/B/C operated by Frome Minibuses in the Westbury area from 29 January
• New timetables for local bus services 60, 65, 66, 67 and 68 operated by the Frome Minibuses and Faresaver bus companies in the Trowbridge area from 29 January (including the introduction of Saturday services for Studley Green, Holbrook Lane & Dursley Road areas)
• Minor changes to “ZigZag” bus services 68 and 69 which link Corsham, Melksham, Bradford on Avon and Trowbridge from 29 January
• New timetables for bus services 77, 85 and 87 which serve the villages between Devizes and Westbury/Trowbridge from 29 January, with most journeys now operated by Libra Travel
• Minor changes to the morning timetable of Wednesday bus services X88 which links Chitterne, Great Cheverell, Bratton, Steeple Ashton and Hilperton with Bath from 29 January

 

[wiltshirebloke]

Stagecoach are 'converting' the 55 Swindon - Chippenham to Gold service from February 13th.

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/west/stagecoach-gold-55

 

[carlberry]

Stagecoach are 'converting' the 55 Swindon - Chippenham to Gold service from February 13th.

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/west/stagecoach-gold-55

From the 18th

 

[wiltshirebloke]

Yes, sorry the tweet was quite ambiguous. It's the launch event in RWB thats on the 13th.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I know I've said this before but I go back to my experiences of the two main services into Chippenham and see how they have changed over time. I first visited 'Nam in 1992 and travelled from Swindon to Chippenham and through to Bath. First leg was on the X54 operated by a "pre Stagecoach" Swindon & District Mk2 National (3521 AAE665V). The Chippenham to Bath bit was Badgerline service 232 with a late model VR of similar age (5531 EWS739W).

Now Stagecoach have done a superb job in cultivating their route, helped by some Kickstart funding along the way, but they have continued to grow it and develop it - I think it was something like every 20 mins to Wootten Bassett and then hourly to Chippers? Compare that with First's stewardship where they barely updated the stock until Faresaver appeared. Then some new fleet appeared in 2005, moved away a bit later and finally they left it to Faresaver who are seemingly leaving their old image of battered breadvans behind.

This latest upgrade really does make you wonder if First could've really developed this route - after all, they managed it with the 376.

ps Thanks for all the updates Wiltshire Bloke - must have a Day Rover trip soon

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

True to my last post on this thread, I elected to have a trip out last week on a Wiltshire Day Rover; this is probably one of the best multi operator tickets in the shires and having done quite a few I first visited Wiltshire in the early 1990s, I can thoroughly recommend it. For me, and an imminent return to work after a few months off, it seemed to be a good time and there were a few things that I really fancied doing. Apologies if this does come across as self indulgent tosh but I hope a few people find it of interest!

I drove to Melksham (as that seemed to be a logical place for me) and parked the car. Sadly, I walked into the market place in time to see me miss my X34 to Chippenham that was a Faresaver decker. Rather than kick my heels, I instead elected to have a short trip on the 272 to Bowerhill on Streetlite 47448 of First; this was actually in decent nick. The driver, on arriving at Bowerhill, asked nicely if I'd actually wanted to go to Devizes but I reassured him that it was because I didn't want to hang around in Melksham. We arrived back there and was able to catch the next Faresaver X34 which was a more mundane but quite lively ex Western Greyhound Solo WK11APX. As it was 0930, we had plenty of pensioners and arrived into Chippers.

A quick change and onto one of my targets for the day. The 55 has just received new Gold deckers and I fancied a longish trip on one so 15343 duly arrived, still with that slight new bus smell! Have to say that these are nicely built machines though a bit utilitarian in places. I certainly prefer the recent Arriva and First deliveries. Still, it was a nice journey up through Calne and RWB and into Swindon where I had a few errands to attend to!

Then time for some very long term aspirations of places and services to visit, with services that I've been wanted to try for several years. Firstly, it was time for a trip across the border to Hungerford on the 46A, on one of the e200s that were delivered just before the Go Ahead takeover. What a lovely route as we passed through some very large villages like Wanborough (with 5 pubs), Aldbourne and Ramsbury. This really is a lovely route (or group of routes) and I can really recommend it. It was a shortish stay in Hungerford, a singularly unremarkable town, and onto another Thamesdown e200, though this was a short wheelbase example that fairly bounced along the A4 to Marlborough; I think this was a placement journey to get the vehicle back for a school run and forms part of a reduced network of services that Wilts Council support to serve Great Bedwyn and other villages. Think Thamesdown (or Swindon's bus company as they will soon be known exclusively) have done this since 2014 when Hatts went bust?

It was time for a Costa so I retreated and eschewed the Pewsey schoolbus for obvious reasons, and waited for the 1556 X5 journey which was e400 1501, working off the Pewsey outstation. This was a nicely appointed vehicle, a little scuffed in places but smarter than equivalently aged machines of Stagecoach or First. We climbed out of Marlborough, with me thinking of the first time I'd done this in a Wilts and Dorset Olympian in 1991! It was a pleasant ride to Pewsey where I exited.

I then waited for the bus to Devizes. I'd wanted to do this for years, but back in the day, it was a remarkably infrequent service with school runs and the odd market day service. However, it has had a much increased DRT style service operated by the council. However, this was changed in late 2017 to be operated by Salisbury Reds, again on a quasi DRT fashion with the odd timing point. Optare Solo 3827 duly arrived - a vehicle I'd travelled on just 9 months earlier but from Yetminster to Yeovil on a Damory route just before it was withdrawn and Damory exited most of their West Dorset work. The route works on calling and booking journeys from intermediate points; this means that, when quiet, the service often waits time to ensure that it doesn't run early through the few timetabled points, as well as then having to wait for passengers to turn up when they say they will!

One other bizarre point was that it operated into Devizes and along New Park Street, the single busiest road and especially during the rush hour! Why it is routed that way instead of turning left at the pond and running via Long Street, I don't know! As a consequence, we were late into the market place but it meant that I had plenty of time to wait for my final bus, the Faresaver X72 and a speedy journey down through Sells Green on e200 YX61DOU.

I really can recommend the Wiltshire Day Rover and it really does illustrate what a proactive county Wiltshire has been with bus services over the last 25-30 years, and has done very well in protecting many routes from cuts unlike its neighbours Somerset and Dorset.

 

[swifty]

Parnham Coaches have sad entered voluntary liquidation. Seems to be a sad case and the business was treated badly by Wiltshire Council in the end.

https://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/parnham-coaches-wiltshire-closes/

Drivers were in tears after it was announced Parnham Coaches of Ludgershall, Wiltshire, is to enter voluntary liquidation.

Director, Ray Parnham, made the decision after suffering a considerable loss of business as a result of a driver found to be secretly videoing up school children’s skirts using a hidden camera onboard one of Parnham Coaches’ vehicles.

The offending person in question was employed by the operator on two separate occasions. The first round of employment saw him work on school services, before driving for another company. When he returned, he did tour work. It was not until he departed the company for a second time that Hampshire County Council flagged its suspicions of abuse and made investigations. Ray explained to the Council the driver no longer worked for him. The police then made contact to notify Ray that the legal entity of Parnham Coaches was under investigation in relation to the council’s investigation into the driver.

Following this, Hampshire Council withdrew all of the operator’s school contracts. Wiltshire County Council followed suit. Hampshire County Council also wrote to other education establishments and private schools, warning them not to make use of Parnham Coaches.

The driver found to be recording inappropriate footage of children received a custodial sentence for his actions.

Ray said: “The situation left us in an untenable position.” In the first year following the loss of contracts, Ray reported the business had to lay-off 18 drivers.

Ray said: “We lost around £100,000 of revenue through it and I’ve spent a lot on lawyers to get nowhere with it. We have struggled to keep our head above water for the last two years. I’m 67 and just don’t want to do it anymore; it’s my time to pack-up. Everyone I have spoken to has told us we have been treated terribly. But once you have lost your repute, it’s an up-hill struggle. It’s 45 years of hard graft basically nobbled by one individual driver.

“I’ve had drivers that were with me for up to 27 years. Drivers were in tears basically when I told them we were closing. They were shocked, they didn’t want to leave. They said if I started up again they would come back.”

Ray has now got planning permission to build a housing estate on the land his depot occupies.

Assisting Ray in the case was CPT’s South Western Regional Manager, John Burch, who said: “I’ve known Ray a long time and know Parnham to be a fine operation. To hear these DBS issues, I was absolutely flabbergasted. I know Ray was absolutely stunned.”

He continued: “The problem occurred because the DBS check is only as good as the day it was conducted. Almost as soon as they are checked, almost anything can happen. Local authorities work on a three-year basis with DBS. But when CRD morphed into DBS a number of things changed, one of which was a new facility, a new updating service. The system adds applicants to the database and automatically notifies their employer if there is any change to their records in relation to DBS. It works a bit like the OCRS system.

“I would advise it is important to make it a condition of employment to subscribe to the update service. Ray did not know the service existed. I have discussed this with others in my South Western area and very few knew it existed either.

“CPT got involved with Parnham with this in late 2016. We took over their DBS checking and took on the up-dating service for them, putting Ray’s drivers all through their contracts again to make it mandatory they participate in the updates.”

 

[DaveHarries]

Parnham Coaches have sad entered voluntary liquidation. Seems to be a sad case and the business was treated badly by Wiltshire Council in the end.

https://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/parnham-coaches-wiltshire-closes/

What rotten luck. Sympathies to Ray and to the innocent drivers.

Dave

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

See Frome Minibuses are having a major rebrand.... Well, they have a new identity as FromeBus and a new logo, still retaining (dealer) white.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Slightly off topic (?) but Go Ahead London e400 LX06EZL seen on A303 by Stonehenge without fleetnames and still with London blinds. Heading west - perhaps not GSC so Plymouth?

 

[Surreyman]

Slightly off topic (?) but Go Ahead London e400 LX06EZL seen on A303 by Stonehenge without fleetnames and still with London blinds. Heading west - perhaps not GSC so Plymouth?

Reported 17 - 2006 E400 going from London(GA) to Plymouth.
Going off at a slight tangent, These are 'full height' or 'Highbridge' in old terminology, not aware of any histrical height issues in Plymouth but am I right in thinking that the new E40D in Plymouth are built to low height Spec?

 

[DaveHarries]

Thought I would rejuvenate this thread for this post.

One side of the recent Wiltshire retendering (which, among other things, has seen Stagecoach West take the 46/46A/48/48A Swindon - Hungerford routes from Thamesdown / Swindon Bus) is that, according to the VOSA Bus Service registrations for 15th July 2019, the X76 Marlborough - Bath is to be operated by GoAhead South Coast (presumably Thamesdown / Swindon Bus) wef 29-Jul-2019.

HTIOI,
Dave

 

[njlawley]

X76 is Marlborough to Bath, and yes to be operated by Swindon's Bus Company. Also gained is the Sunday service on the 80, between Swindon and Marlborough.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

X76 is Marlborough to Bath, and yes to be operated by Swindon's Bus Company. Also gained is the Sunday service on the 80, between Swindon and Marlborough.

Go Ahead returns to Bath

 

[DaveHarries]

Go Ahead returns to Bath

Not sure they have ever been there have they? I remember when Wilts & Dorset (as was) had the X4 and X5 but that was long before GoAhead SC. Or have I missed something?

X76 is Marlborough to Bath

Thanks. Edited it.

Dave

 

[cactustwirly]

Thought I would rejuvenate this thread for this post.

One side of the recent Wiltshire retendering (which, among other things, has seen Stagecoach West take the 46/46A/48/48A Swindon - Hungerford routes from Thamesdown / Swindon Bus) is that, according to the VOSA Bus Service registrations for 15th July 2019, the X76 Marlborough - Calne is to be operated by GoAhead South Coast (presumably Thamesdown / Swindon Bus) wef 29-Jul-2019.

HTIOI,
Dave

Is it the first time that Stagecoach has been to West Berkshire?

 

[jay38a]

Is it the first time that Stagecoach has been to West Berkshire?

Nope they get to Newbury with The Link from Basingstoke.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Not sure they have ever been there have they? I remember when Wilts & Dorset (as was) had the X4 and X5 but that was long before GoAhead SC. Or have I missed something?

Dave

The X4 was run by W&D until 2008 (I think) so well after the GSC takeover but more recently, the tendered X80 from Shaftesbury to Bath https://assets.goaheadbus.com/media/cms_page_media/3410/damory_routeX80_80.pdf

Think that one only lasted a year?

 

[RT4038]

Nope they get to Newbury with The Link from Basingstoke.

Is it the first time that Stagecoach has been to West Berkshire?

They also ran a No. 234 Didcot-Newbury, later morphing into a 34 Oxford-Newbury, for a period in the last decade (1999-2004 possibly)