Great Western 2013

The new 15 year Great Western franchise will see passengers benefit from new express trains, additional capacity, smart card ticketing and passenger satisfaction targets as part of proposals being put forward today by Rail Minister Theresa Villiers.

The number of train services required by the new franchise will be based broadly on the current timetable, rather than the contracted minimum in the existing franchise. The popular Sleeper Service to Penzance will be retained. An extra early, fast train from London to Plymouth will be introduced. This will achieve aspirations for a ‘there and back in a day’ service to Plymouth from the capital.

Successful extra local services such as those on the Truro to Falmouth, Par to Newquay and the Severn Beach Lines, including those which are locally funded at present, are being added to the base specification of the franchise. This recognises the valuable work and track record of investment made by local stakeholders. Full responsibility for funding these local schemes is expected to pass to the Department for Transport from 2015, securing their future and freeing up local resources for other transport priorities.

Rail Minister Theresa Villiers said:

“Passengers using the Great Western Line will benefit from major infrastructure improvements and new rolling stock over the next few years, as a result of the Government’s ambitious programme of rail improvements, including extensive electrification.

“For the first time on the Great Western franchise, we will be introducing requirements on passenger satisfaction for the train operator to meet which will mean they have to focus strongly on the issues that matter the most to passengers. Extending smart card ticketing across the franchise will provide many more passengers across the West and South West with the kind of convenience Oyster has brought to Londoners. The Sleeper train is being retained, Plymouth gets the new early train from London they asked for and the future of popular extra local services such as the Severn Beach Line and Truro to Falmouth has been secured.

“This new franchise will see additional capacity delivered to benefit passengers. A more efficient and flexible franchise will encourage private sector investment, for example in improving stations and investing in rolling stock. It will promote greater efficiency and also enable the train operator to react to more effectively to changing passenger demands.”

The new franchise will run for 15 years from July 2013 to July 2028. It will require broadly the same number of trains to run between end-to-end destinations as is the case today, while giving the new operator greater flexibility with regard to timetabling and calling patterns and, in certain instances, use of connecting trains.

This flexibility will help ensure the line is used in the most efficient way for passengers and potentially allow faster journey times and improved services. It will also encourage private sector investment in the franchise, including stations.

A final decision has not yet been taken on the exact number of through services between Paddington and Penzance. The Invitation to Tender requires the continuation of 9 journey opportunities between London and Penzance each day (in addition to the Sleeper) with at least 6 being provided by through trains. After discussions with local MPs and Cornwall Council, the Government is asking the bidders to explore with stakeholders how rail services in Cornwall might be improved to ensure the right balance between long distance and regional services is achieved. The ITT therefore requires bidders to provide a price for additional through journeys above the minimum and also for a half hourly regional service on the Cornish main line. Decisions on whether these options are affordable and can go ahead will be taken prior to the new franchise being agreed.

A number of other options which could help to further improve local services have been included which potential operators are invited to consider and provide pricing for so that they can be taken forward if a value for money solution is provided and local funding is available.

Department for Transport

The ITT asks bidders to price the following improvements to services:

Cornwall

Continued operation of 9 through services. Provision of a half hourly, regular service between Plymouth and Penzance or Exeter, from May 2017 when cascaded rolling stock is anticipated to become available.

Devon Metro:

Devon Metro follows a similar concept to Bristol Metro for local services into Exeter, from Exmouth, Barnstaple, Newton Abbot and Paignton. It also proposes additional, new services on the SWT route to Axminster and to Okehampton

Cornwall Branchlines:

St Ives Trains extended to Penzance. Additional summer, Monday-Saturday Looe Valley Services

Tavistock:

Re-opening of the rail line from Bere Alston to Tavistock

There are some interesting improvements mentioned here, as at least possibilities. There are also possible cuts to Cornwall, or at least it looks like less through trains may be laid on all the way down to Penzance. As always the Devil is in the detail. Bids have to be in by October this year and we should hear who wins it March 2013.

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Bloggers

• A-Line Coaches latest addition to the fleet, PUI 6627, originally L813 SAE when new to Bristol, has been settling in well at the company over the last couple of weeks. PTOTPA
• But for Harry it would be a clear opportunity to enjoy the benefits of Boris the Blue Wizard's cheap fares system purveyed by electronic bi-valve mollusc plastic. Public Transport Experience
• Mike Williams got in touch with his experience as a conductor for the Devon General in Torquay in the '60s Peoples Republic of South Devon
• The Obstreperous Oyster strikes again! How many "normal" London commuters will bother to go through this tortuous travail? That's why Boris and chums are banking £63 million which isn't their's! Public Transport Experience
• Today the weather seemed settled enough for the 3hr trip by open-top around the Penwith Peninsula. This must rate as one of the best routes in Britain. Excellent value with a fare of £7.40 and with the possibility of hopping on and off at such attractions as Land’s End and Geevor Tin Mine. Better value for me as with my “Twirlie” pass it was free. TGP

reverting to red

You will probably have noticed a few plain red buses in Plymouth recently. Rather confusingly both bus companies are running overall red buses at the moment. First have a few Dennis Dart Marshall buses from London covering for buses sent away for the Olympics. The other plain red buses look a lot smarter. These are Plymouth Citybus Darts such as 29:

©Jason Beverley
Others in this plain red livery include 25 R125OFJ, 55 WA51ACO, with 56 currently being stripped down also. It seems the recent dark red fronted livery is out of favour so the new boss wants a rethink. In the mean time buses due for repaint will receive plain red and then finished off into the new livery once its decided what its going to be. Its funny how the last time Plymouth tried a darker red (crimson lake) and cream livery they soon realised the error of their ways and reverted back to a much smarter red and cream livery. Expect to revert back to some sort of red and white scheme some time in the near future!

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Bloggers

• First Hants & Dorset have never operated any Tridents from new. However, over the past couple of years a number of second hand examples have joined the fleet and are in service from Weymouth. Southern England Bus Scene
• Who creates this stuff, and who is responsible for keeping it up to date? No doubt it comes from some impersonal unresearched database and is processed by a "lesser mortal" who has no idea where Honiton is in the first place. Public Transport Experience
• it’s not the bus’ fault that it’s become inflexible, it’s the planning system that’s allowed decentralised shopping, health, employment, education and leisure. It gives an automatic advantage to the car; buses cannot easily compete. Omnibuses
• fbb vowed that he would never spend money on a full-price bus model; but this was £10 from Creative Master Northcord and is in the short-lived Southern Vectis "small bus" livery, used alongside big buses branded Route Rouge and Island Explorer.. Public Transport Experience
• First have confirmed they will withdraw all services operated from North Devon with Stagecoach and Western Greyhound launching new routes to cover these. It marks a sad end to a situation that could have been handled differently by the OFT. Southern England Bus Scene
• There's a new poster display at the London Transport Museum, in celebration of the Olympics. Going Underground
• Oakley's Party Limos have continued to go from strength to strength and have recently expanded the fleet with 2 new additions. PTOTPA

Take a seat

It does seem that most of this week has been taken up with events elsewhere in Devon, and today is no exception with this bizarre tale that has to be seen to be believed:

Police in Devon are asking for help in finding a bus passenger who caused £200 worth of damage by eating his seat – or at least a chunk of it.

The young man was travelling on the bus in Paignton, on the English riviera, when he was apparently seized by an attack of hunger or boredom and began biting the leather seat.

A police spokesman summed the crime up: "While travelling between Paignton and Torquay on a number 12 bus, a male passenger started chewing the leather seat he was sat on and continued to pick at the hole with his hand to make further damage. Around £200 of damage was caused."

The bus operator Stagecoach's conditions of carriage asks passengers to "refrain from eating and drinking items which make the environment unpleasant for other customers or otherwise cause offence". It does not address the question of eating bits of the bus.

A spokeswoman for the company said the passenger had only been on the bus for 20 minutes. She said he had been chatting to people on the bus but then decided to munch on the seat. She did not know if he had swallowed the leather and emphasised that he had only eaten a small part of the seat – but enough to make it unpractical to repair it. "It's not the case that he ate the whole seat," she added.

The Guardian(!) 26 July 2012

This does seem one of the most unusual acts of bus vandalism I have come across – unless anyone else can beat it?

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Bloggers

• How lovely to meet so many people at Sunday’s Plymouth Hoe rally who knew all about 270 KTA’s exploits as soon as they saw her. 270KTA
• The big question is:- Will this exodus of bus stops further denude the traditional shopping streets in favour of the newer shiny "malls" and, having so denuded them, will the sleek new trams end up (still?) serving not very much. Public Transport Experience
• There was a sea change from the early- to mid-1980s. One of the pioneers to realise that livery could do more than protect and, in fact, was a method of projecting a brand, was an unlikely Plymouth City Transport. Omnibuses

The fast pace of change

Events in North Devon continue to move at a fast pace:

Stagecoach announced today (25 July 2012 ) that it is to launch an expanded bus network in Devon in September, providing new services and creating a small number of additional jobs.

The new network will provide vital bus links in North Devon and build on the company's track-record of investment and good value travel in the south-west.

Stagecoach employs around 900 people and operates more than 320 buses on around 120 routes across Devon and Somerset, and in the past three years has invested more than £13 million in new buses for the region.

The new and expanded services will be operated out of the company's depot in Barnstaple, which currently employs around 120 staff and runs around 50 buses. Around a dozen extra vehicles will be added to the fleet and Stagecoach will also be recruiting new drivers.

From Monday 24 September, the following enhancements will be introduced:

• Service X7, an express direct service, will run hourly between South Molton and Barnstaple Bus Station
• Service X9 will provide a link between Bude, Holswothy, Okehampton and Exeter, with services running approximately every two hours.
• Service 21 will now operate between Westward Ho!, Bideford, Instow Quay, Fremington, Barnstaple, Braunton, and Ilfracombe.
• Service 21A will now operate between Appledore, Bideford, East the Water, Fremington, Barnstaple and Braunton.

The expanded network will bring a boost to people in North Devon, whose services are currently under threat after First announced the closure of its Barnstaple depot. Stagecoach will provide:

• A 20min daytime service from Westward Ho!, Bideford and Barnstaple to Ilfracombe with a 30min evening and Sunday service.
• More links from Ilfracombe to Barnstaple Rail Station, particularly during the evening and on Sundays.
• A 10min service between Northam, Bideford, Barnstaple and Braunton, with a 30min evening and Sunday service.
• A 20min daytime service from Westward Ho! Bideford, Barnstaple and Ilfracombe to Instow Quay and hourly during the evening and on Sundays.
• A 20min daytime service from Braunton, Barnstaple and Bideford to Appledore and a new hourly evening and Sunday service which extends to Ilfracombe.
• A 20min daytime service from Ilfracombe, Barnstaple, Instow and Bideford to Westward Ho! plus an hourly evening and Sunday service.
• A 20min daytime service from Appledore, Bideford, East the Water and Barnstaple to Braunton and West Meadow Road.

Michelle Hargreaves, Managing Director of Stagecoach South West, said: "We have a long tradition of operating high quality services for people in the south-west of England and attracting people out of their cars and on to greener, smarter bus travel.

"It has been our ambition for some time to provide a more comprehensive network for passengers across the wider Devon region to improve services and connections for the local community. To that end, we announced in March that we had reached an agreement to acquire First Group's North Devon operations. This would have allowed us to deliver a range of improvements to the wider bus network.

"However, we decided we could not justify further management time and expense on pursuing the acquisition following the decision by the Office of Fair Trading to refer what was a relatively small transaction to the Competition Commission. Instead, we have now registered new commercial Stagecoach services that will extend our network in the North Devon area and provide more journey options for our customers.

"The new services, which have been registered with the Traffic Commissioner, will start in September. We look forward to providing local people on our new routes with a high quality bus service and value-for-money fares."

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You can see straight away that many First drivers are going to loose out big time. Although Stagecoach are expanding their network it wont require all the drivers currently working for First. There may be other opportunities with smaller local firms if they see any gaps in the network and register new services but its hard to see many of these springing up against the mighty Stagecoach. The CCs dream of lots of competition looks like being a forlorn hope although there will be some:

Mark Howarth, Western Greyhound’s Managing Director yesterday announced that Western Greyhound has registered additional journeys on the Bude to Exeter corridor which is currently operated by both Western Greyhound and First’s North Devon business.

He said, “Following yesterday’s announcement by First that it was to discontinue its bus services in the North Devon area, including the far flung X9 Bude – Okehampton – Exeter service, we have registered additional journeys on our common 599 Bude – Okehampton – Exeter service. Currently, Western Greyhound operates 2 round trips daily. This will increase to 4 round trips on Mondays to Saturdays and 2 on Sundays. The increase will generally cover the journeys at times currently operated by First and will enhance the broadly hourly service between Okehampton and Exeter.  This is an exciting increase and ensures that passengers on this corridor are not affected when First withdraws their service.  Western Greyhound will be recruiting a number of additional drivers at its Bude outstation to cover these additional journeys.  Passengers will also benefit as there will now be inter-availability of return tickets on all journeys between Bude, Okehampton and Exeter allowing much more flexibility in travel”

It surely wont be long before First announce when they are closing down their operations. It will be pointless to continue running once Stagecoach start their new services and the drivers will be keen to get new jobs as soon as possible, so wont be hanging around if they can help it. Of course if the planned sale had been allowed to take place then all of these changes could have been properly coordinated, We cant have that though can we?

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Bloggers

• The Leyland Society held their annual 'Gathering of Leylands', appropriately enough in Leyland, Lancashire earlier this month. With the original venue of the town's Worden Park being waterlogged the rally was moved to the car park of the British Commercial Vehicle Museum Transport Illustrated
• Furthermore, according to informed sources, this little bit of track will cost a modest £81 million. If you were a Birmingham Councillor, what else could you do with £81 million? Public Transport Experience
• And, lo, First this week declared that it’s to shut down its North Devon operation, effectively handing Stagecoach the very same monopoly that the OFT wanted to avoid. D’oh. Omnibuses
• I thought it didn't seem right that when under common ownership an industry stalwart like Wallace Arnold should be absorbed into what was by comparison a bit of an 'upstart' Busworld Photography

Dark clouds over First

As a bit of background reading to explain some of the difficulties that First Group seem to be having at the moment you might like to read this article that recently appeared on Herald Scotland:

THERE is a saying in management circles that a wise leader gets off at the second-last stop.

Whether or not Sir Moir Lockhead has ever heard this, it certainly looks as though he put it into practice when he began a very well- heeled retirement from FirstGroup in November 2010.

If you ask people in the industry, it was only a matter of time before the chickens came home to roost for First's buses in the UK. It runs the biggest bus business in the country, with more than 8000 vehicles serving London, Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds and numerous smaller areas.

Observers are happy to fill in the blanks. Lockhead's management philosophy is said to have been markedly different from the likes of Stagecoach and Arriva. While they invested more heavily in their buses and kept down prices to win passengers, First prioritised costs above all else. Vehicles were expected to last longer and were not cleaned as rigorously. Drivers appear to have been under less pressure to look smart. Timetables are said to have been less reliable because buses would sometimes be held off routes.

Early in O'Toole's reign he brought in Giles Fearnley, a well-respected bus and rail veteran, to run the division. This preceded various other management changes, not least the unexpected departure of Scottish bus boss Mark Savelli last autumn. Since then the company has carried out a full-scale review of the business that has led to a £160m investment programme in 1000 new buses, £4m in vehicle refurbishments and £27m plans to introduce swipe card/mobile phone payment technology on buses.

Read the Full Article Herald scotland for much more.

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Bloggers

• Unlike previous open golf events at Lytham Stagecoach managed the Park and Ride operation - previously Blackpool Transport (or earlier Fylde Borough) were responsible. Fylde Bus Blog
• Corporation Street in Birmingham has always been an important public transport corridor. Public Transport Experience
• Over the weekend, I travelled over to Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Here are a few photos from the day, documenting a standard Saturday bus scene Southern England Bus Scene

It was inevitable…

It may have come sooner than expected but I don't think anyone is surprised at this outcome:

First Devon and Cornwall today (23 July 2012) announced plans to discontinue its bus services in the North Devon area, including closure of the Barnstaple depot. The company also confirmed that it has started the collective consultation process with trade unions on the possibility of redundancies.
Firsts bus services in North Devon have underperformed for a number of years, despite the introduction of a variety of marketing and promotional initiatives. The company is now faced with extra cost pressures due to the economic climate and cuts in external funding and routes are now being discontinued in order to ensure the long term sustainability of operations elsewhere.
A range of alternative options including the potential sale and transfer of employees and assets to Stagecoach Group plc were fully explored. That option will no longer go ahead following the Office of Fair Trading's announcement on 10 July that it was referring the case to the Competition Commission.
Giles Fearnley, FirstGroup Managing Director, UK Bus, said: "We understand that this news will be distressing for employees affected by the decision and that it will similarly cause our customers in the area some concern. We apologise and will be supporting affected employees over the coming months, as well as working with Devon County Council on the future of bus services in the area. We will give customers ample notice of the date that services will cease to operate in North Devon.
"We will be working hard to minimise the extent of redundancies, trying to redeploy people where possible. We would like to take the opportunity to stress that the decision to close the North Devon operation is a business driven one and does not reflect on the effort or individual performance of the employees in North Devon.
"We are progressing our strategy to reposition and rebalance our UK Bus portfolio to restore operating margins and help facilitate improved growth and returns. The decision by the Office of Fair Trading to refer our proposed sale of our North Devon operations, where we had a uniquely high degree of overlap with Stagecoach, was disappointing. We are confident, however, of future successful transactions in the coming months as a number of potential bidders exist in the markets where we have identified other businesses for disposal.'
First Devon and Cornwall today (July 23) began its official consultation process with affected staff. This will include offering opportunities in other areas. The timescale for closing the business will be confirmed once the consultation with the affected employees has been completed.
Notes to editors
A timescale will be confirmed in due course.
The North Devon business comprises of the depot facility in Barnstaple, a fleet of around 30 vehicles and ten routes (Services 1, 2, 3, 5/5C, 8 (operates summer only) 30/30C, 31, 32, X7 and X9). The routes cover Appledore, Barnstaple, Bideford, Braunton, Bude, Coombe Martin, Fremington, Ilfracombe, South Molton, Swimbridge, Westward Ho! and Woolacombe.

First Devon & Cornwall

I feel very sorry for the drivers and other staff  affected by this announcement. First had at least tried to help them by selling to Stagecoach who would have then taken on the staff with the business with at least some degree of job protection through TUPE. Thanks to the Competition Commission this can not now happen so the staff loose out. Stagecoach are now free to register any of the routes they like and equally free to recruit any staff it likes under whatever terms and conditions it chooses. Stagecoach are possibly the only winners in this sorry state of affairs. Thanks to the CCs insistence that competition is encouraged over and above the reality of the situation facing First, there will in effect be considerably less competition than before.

Rant over – for now!

Feel free to add your comments. I know many people share the same feelings as I do, but I am sure there are other views!

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Bloggers

• How many places can you find in the UK today with Bristol VRs operating in public service side by side, earning their crust at a combined age of 67 PTOTPA
• Milton Keynes was designed for the motor car. In the early days, as the City was developing, the authorities actually advised all newcomers to "get a car"! Public Transport Experience
• Go South Coast has ditched its Wilts & Dorset website… in favour of two new ones, one for the south and the other for the north. Omnibuses

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• For those who love camping or want a Northern Line carriage all to themselves TfF that's Transport for Firebox has arranged for you to take the Tube to your next holiday or weekend break. Rail News

A great day on The Hoe

Well who would have thought that Sundays WNPG Rally on The Hoe would have such fantastic weather? When you get weather like that then Plymouth Hoe is the place to be. It may not be the biggest bus rally these days but there were plenty of people up on The Hoe to enjoy it and also to enjoy the free rides. I have over 200 photos on my hard drive so it will take a while to get them uploaded so this is just a quick snapshot of what was on offer:

Well done to all involved in planning and working to make sure the rally was such a success. In todays financial climate its a wonder that events like this are still able to take place at all. It was also nice to catch up with friends and finally meet a few others for the first time too.

Thanks also to Brian George for the trip up to Milehouse where many more photos were taken. More on that later!

 

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Bloggers

• Until the end of the month, Ipswich Buses and First Bus will operate in comparative harmony. To understand what happens now, and what will happen after the so-called bus war erupts into all its ultimately destructive extravagance, we need some fbb maps Public Transport Experience
• Luckily, in 2005, I did get to deep Cornwall, and get the VRs on camera during their last big year of service Southern England Bus Scene
• From tomorrow, the city centre will see the biggest single shake up of its buses ever, with the permanent closure to buses of a number of streets including the busy Corporation Street, the prime shopping street where at least half of Birmingham’s buses terminate. Omnibuses
• One problem with First's web site is that Ipswich is not listed. From First's point of view it is part of Norwich! Public Transport Experience
• Helston Depot TGP
• A special prize goes this week to Red Funnel at Cowes, Isle of Wight for this atrocity: Public Transport Experience
• I feel confident to say that the Weymouth bus scene has never been so busy, varied, or perhaps, young! Southern England Bus Scene

Citybus 42 Take 2

Thanks to Christopher Pullen here is the post from yesterday which I managed to loose!

Over the coming week we will be taking a closer look at the proposed changes to Plymouth Citybus routes as advertised recently.

Lets start with the new 42

• Service 20: Linked to service 42. Service to operate from Woodford to Mudgeway, then to the City Centre via Prince Rock. Then continue to Derriford Hospital and Tamerton Foliot on the revised service 42 route. Mon – Sat operating every 30 minutes during the day, with a limited evening service. Sun operating hourly to the City Centre and 30 minutely from City Centre to Derriford / Tamerton Foliot. Link to Ridgeway from Mudgeway reinstated.
• Service 42: Peak service will have a more direct route into the city centre. From Tamerton Foliot the service will run along Tamerton Foliot
  Road and Looseleigh Lane to Derriford, then direct to the city centre via Crownhill and Mutley Plain. An off peak service will run along Tamerton Foliot Road, via Southway to the George Junction, then via Tavistock Road to Derriford, then direct to the city centre

Citybus have already altered the plans slightly in that The 42 between City Centre and Plympton will operate through Lipson and Laira.
There have been comments that some parts of Plympton get a reduced service, notably the Steer Park section which seems to revert back to every 30 mins again. It wasn't that long ago that the 21 was put back into Steer Park!
There is little detail on what the route through the City Centre will be for this combined service. This is the case for most of these changes so the devil will be in the detail. It needs to be clear which 42 you are catching especially from Royal Parade! If I read it right then the new combined 42 on Sundays will only go through to Plympton every hour whilst the other half is twice an hour?

Other comments:

• “The new 20/42 route is fantastic - a link to the new library (currently a 10 minute walk away as the 20 stops at the Ridgeway School), an evening service (not that I'd ever really use it; if I did it would be extremely rarely), though the big thing is a Sunday service”
• “42 this looks confusing. It will go quick via Looseligh Lane to Tamerton Foliot in the peak, but via the George Hotel and Southway off peak. So good for commuters to the city centre from Tamerton Foliot but what about people wanting to get from Southway to Derriford Hospital in the peak - Target Travels 46/47 I suppose. The route will also take over the 20 and operate past the City Centre to Steer Park. The route around the back end of Plympton seems odd. I know it's trying to fill some of the 22 but Ridgeway then Hillcrest Drive then Glen Road.”

Citybus 21

Over the coming week we will be taking a closer look at the proposed changes to Plymouth Citybus routes as advertised recently.

The new 21

• Service 21: Linked to service 26 (see map). Allowing links to Devonport via the City Centre and will replace service 22 sections. Service
  will operate from Plympton to Barne Barton via City Centre. In Plympton it take the same format as the old 21/51 service to Mudge Way, then clockwise circuit of St Maurice, Steer Park, Chaddlewood and back to Mudgeway every 20 miniutes, with a 20 minute service also doing the loop anticlockwise, making a 10 minute service into the city . Service 20 withdrawn and replaced with 21 in St Maurice (see above)
• Service 26: Linked with service 21 (see above).

The Plympton section reverts back to the old 21/51 loop which is interesting after all this time. It does indicate that buses would go round the  loop in both directions every twenty minutes giving an overall 10 min frequency. This is great but I really hope that when the routs start there is some way of knowing which way round the loop the buses will be going. They need to have different route numbers or it will cause all sorts of confusion!
Some other comments:

• I reckon the 21/51 loop is a great idea - this was so much easier to use than the current 21 and 22. I still think that some should go through Lipson Vale/Laira, maybe every other 21? Also, the 21 that goes to St Maurice should be called the 51; this will considerably ease confusion with elderly passengers.
• 21 this is one of the more interesting changes. In Plympton it appears that the old 21/51 routes are to be re-instated. Not clear whether they will all be called the 21 whether via Chaddlewood or St Maurice. If so it needs to be clear on the destination display which way around the bus is going. Southern Vectis do this on the Isle of Wight with for example the 1 having 2 routes to Cowes from Newport but only one number. People always need to pay attention to the "via" on the display.

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Bloggers

• Golf Services Fylde Bus Blog
• Ipswich Buses is to deploy vehicles in its new Battenberg livery on its 13th August 2012 service revisions to the eastern suburbs Omnibuses
• Until the end of the month, Ipswich Buses and First Bus will operate in comparative harmony. To understand what happens now, and what will happen after the so-called bus war erupts into all its ultimately destructive extravagance, we need some fbb maps Public Transport Experience

Woops!

I am not totally sure how I have managed it but I have 'lost' the post on the new 42 route in the process of setting up part two - the 21 for tomorrow morning!

I will have to try and rewrite it tomorrow - or something very close to it as I have also lost the back up.

Dont ask me how I managed to do this as I have no idea. Clearly wasnt concentrating properly...

Graham

GP Trip Part 2

The final part of my Citycoach trip to the Silverstone Grand Prix: (Part1 was here)

Saturday was a bit different to what we had planned. Our driver had arranged for an earlier breakfast so we could get an earlier start after the delays in getting to the circuit on Friday. The trouble was the hotel had forgotten to tell the chef so breakfast was not served early so we couldn't make quite such an early get away as hoped. In all the confusion we ended up missing the coach! All my own fault. We got to the main entrance and asked where the coach was to be told it had already left. We then saw the coach drive up the other side of the road! We decided to go back up to our room and have a lie in. We later found out that we had been seen and the coach stopped and someone had run back to the hotel for us, bus seeing we were not there they had no choice but to leave us behind. Like I said it was all my fault so I was not too upset. It also gave me a chance to buy a new waterproof coat for Sunday.

We ended up shopping in Hatfield for a few hours (My wife enjoyed that!) and then watched the GP qualifying on the TV. Seeing how bad the weather was made us quite glad we had missed it as my old coat would never have coped with that much rain, and Jane, NOT a GP fan would have hated it. It also gave me an opportunity to get a few photos of Hatfields bus scene…

Sunday and the big race day. Breakfast was again arranged nice and early and this time the hotel got it right – and so did we as we were up in plenty of time and had our last full breakfast before the drive to Silverstone. No major problems getting in this time so we had a full day to watch the GP. 

What a difference a day makes – it was warm and dry and even sunny later on. The full impact of the F1 cars at full power on a dry track has to be seen to be believed! It was an amazing experience I wont forget in a hurry. It was also very tiring as we had to stand pretty much all day as we were not organised enough to have brought chairs like many race goers.

As well as the race we had the Red Arrows perform for us. Well I say perform for us, they actually performed for most of Silverstone apart from us, as most of the display took place behind us behind the large Copse Stands.

Just about the only time we saw them!

The crowds!

The drivers parade

The sun came out too!

We even got chance to get out on the track after the race had finished.

Due to drivers hours we were not due to leave the circuit till after 6pm so we were able to see the BBC Forum and some of the live music and grab some tea before the very long run back home. Traffic was very slow through Oxfordshire so we needed a final stop at Exeter Services before finally getting off the coach at about 12:35 am. We ended up getting home at 1am, totally shattered. Getting up for work at 7:30 was not great!

This has only been a flavour of the trip which I hope hasn't been too boring. Special thanks to Citycoach for organising the trip, many of the passengers are regulars and already planning to meet up again next year! The driver was excellent and a real credit to the company. Apparently he is due to transfer to Southern Vectis soon as he plans to retire on the Isle of Wight eventually.

Thanks again to Citycoach for offering the trip as a prize on their facebook page. It was extremely generous of them and I am extremely grateful that I won it! It just goes to show that its always worth entering draws like this as “someone has to win it and you never know it might just be your turn”

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Bloggers

• A solitary bus in the City of Cardiff fleet was this East Lancs bodied Dennis Dominator purchased for evaluation Busworld Photography
• Some experts would suggest that, in total, public transport in French towns is significantly more expensive than in the UK, and significantly less efficient Public Transport Experience

Its on Sunday

so much to post at the moment yet so little time!

Just a quickie this morning – a reminder of the main event this Sunday on Plymouth Hoe:

Western National Preservation Group 27th Annual Rally

This year, although we are all suffering from the effects of the recession, we are expecting close to 100 exhibits at the Rally.  Enthusiasts will also notice that we are again publishing a Fleet List in the Programme however, for first time, the List will be of our main sponsor  “Target Travel ” vehicles.

Also included in the programme will be a list of all exhibits together with a programme of the attending vehicles providing Free Rides and their departure times.

There will be plenty of stalls selling models, books etc. and our own WNPG stand selling Western National items and much much more.

WNPG

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Bloggers

• Adjacent to the GWR baggage store was this smaller goods shed, with platform consisting of blue & red brick steps. The exact year when this was built is unclear but is thought to pre-date the larger building Hidden Plymouth NEW BLOG!
• There is no doubt that public transport information in Aix-les-Bains (France) shows a "panache" that is rarely present in the UK. But the network that is publicised has a very different feel from that back in Glorious Albion Public Transport Experience
• But, can the local newspaper website really justify the headline, “Anger as Stagecoach crashes into Cheltenham bus shelter”? Or is this just lazy reporting? Just invective? Omnibuses
• Stagecoach's Portsmouth depot are temporarily losing all/most of it's Enviro300s for the Olympics, meaning a variety of older buses are taking their place on route 23... Southern England Bus Scene

Catch them while you can

A great shot from Jason seems to be an appropriate way to remind people that time is rapidly running out if you want to catch these stalwarts. Although most of the Citybus school services will be back for the new school year, these buses wont!
Last few days as the schools finish this week.. ©Jason Beverley 1st July 2012

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Bloggers

• And, of course, there are timetables for each route. Please note UK bus in general, these are NOT departure lists but slightly expurgated versions of the full published timetable Public Transport Experience
• Ipswich Buses has attacked the current thinking that produces subtle swirls and has plumped for a deliberate assault on the senses, something that’s jagged and jangles Omnibuses

Grand Prix Weekend part 1

As promised I bring you a brief report on my Silverstone Grand Prix trip which I won in the Plymouth Citycoach Facebook draw.

We set off from a dry but dull Bretonside at exactly 7AM on the Thursday morning with a feeder driver to Exeter where we had our first short stop and picked up our driver for the trip, Kevin. The journey up the motorway was uneventful with no traffic issues at all even around the Bristol area where we stopped at Gordano services for a break. We then continued up the motorway to the Heritage Motor Centre where we had three and a half hours free to look around…

I have to say that the museum comes under the worthy but dull category as far as we were concerned. There are some fantastic cars there and I took loads of pictures but after about an hour or so we had seen everything and there was little left to do. The place felt very corporate and was clearly geared up for conferences more than anything else. The cafe was incredibly expensive so that ruled out a slow cup of coffee to while away another half hour or so. We did go for a ride on a brand new RangeRover  on the off road course which was twenty minutes but felt like a lot quicker as it was great fun.

We were not the only ones who felt that we had too much time there so the driver tried to round us all up onto the coach an hour earlier than the planned departure and we were all keen to get going again onto the hotel in Hatfield.

 

The Comet hotel was in the centre of Hatfield. It was clean and tidy and the staff were very friendly It has to be said that the food was adequate rather than brilliant. It was hot though which isnt always the case in hotels.  There was not a lot of choice on the menu and the vegetarian option was lasagne on both Thursday and Friday! The breakfast though was fine, a nice decent full English along with all the other options meant you could fill up at the start of the day.

The room was surprisingly big with both a double bed and a single bed. I have never found a hotel bed anywhere near as comfortable as mine at home and these were  no different!

Early Friday morning and we set off for Silverstone only to be sat in heavy traffic on the A40 for ages not getting into Silverstone until gone 11am. This was all down to the extremely wet weather which turned the car parks and camp sites into mud baths as was reported on the national news all weekend. It pretty much rained all day. We were able to get some cover for the practice sessions but eve then were getting wet from the rain being blown in under the grandstands. I managed to get a few photos but nothing like as many as I hoped.

One thing we did find funny was that by pure chance  I ended up sitting next to my colleague from work who sits at the desk next to mine!

I think thats Alonso somewhere under all that spray!

To be continued...

Citybus changes

Thanks for all the comments over the last day or so about your thoughts on the proposed changes to routes which were featured in the local press this weekend. I will be going through these over the coming week so please keep your thoughts coming in the comments as I will be using them!

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Bloggers

• these little quirky Marshall bodied Bristol LH's reinforced the idea that I was visiting somewhere a bit different in character Busworld Photography
• The aim was to take a break from Largs, Glasgow, Scotrail etc. and take a look at bus/ferry (dis)integration at East Cowes, Isle of Wight. This will appear tomorrow (Friday) not-very-broadband permitting. In the meantime, the first in a series looking at the development of rail termini in Scotland's second City Public Transport Experience
• My experience of buses moving from garage to garage is that the receiving engineering staff will always tut and moan, no matter from where the bus has come. And no matter the condition of them. No one maintains & presents buses anything quite like *them* Omnibuses
• Since the 1880s East and West Cowes (Isle of Wight), situated on opposite sides of the mouth of the River Medina, have been linked by a chain driven floating bridge. Public Transport Experience
• The sorry conclusion is that integrated transport can be provided but ONLY if it is convenient for the bus operator. And, we are told, this reduction of service has come about because of "harsh times, commercially Public Transport Experience
• Though Blogger does its job at preventing readers having to wade through tons of unwanted spam, the blog owner (that’s me) gets every tiresome spam message. Every single one. Omnibuses
• When discussing the withdrawal of service 3 between Poole and Wimborne Minster, maybe I was a little premature, when I said, “Passengers are a hardy bunch and they’ll obviously adapt” Dorset Bus Blog
• Well, it seems that Plymouth Citybus has come up with a solution to the problem that many of us foresaw with the new livery PTOTPA
• Not for Gillian is there any skulking at the back of the queue, saying nothing, being ignored. She’s in your face. She manages to combine charm & political nous in equal measure to Get Things Done and in that one year has already moved BUUK forward considerably Omnibuses
• Today's Sunday Lost Scenes comes from First Devon & Cornwall's Falmouth outstation in 2005... Southern England Bus Scene
• The vehicle was last noted with First King's Lynn back in 2010, it was then thorght to have been sold for conversion into a playbus given its good condition and the fact it had only recently had a reconditioned engine fitted, Andys Bus Blog
• Sunflower Exeter TGP
• Monochrome Tate TGP

270KTA 275KTA

We end of Royal Blue series of (pre posted) blogs with these few shots of Western National liveried 270KTA and sister 275KTA:

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• 270KTA Bristol Vehicles
• 275KTA Bristol Vehicles
• 270KTA's Blog Blogger

Quickie!

PLYMOUTH CITYBUS PROPOSED CHANGES - Make sure you buy The Herald tomorrow to see full details on proposed changes to your network at the end of September. The 4 page pull out includes a route by route list on what we are proposing to do and why! There will also be details on how to contact us with your thoughts.

Plymouth Citybus

837SUO

Coming to the end of the (pre posted) Royal Blue series: 837SUO Bristol RE New May 1964 **

**Not quite the end though…

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• 837SUO Bristol RE

Ideology First

We have already seen what Stagecoach think, here we see Firsts reaction.

The proposed acquisition of FirstGroup PLCs North Devon bus operations by Stagecoach Group plc will no longer go ahead following the Office of Fair Trading's announcement today (10/7/2012) that it is referring the case to the Competition Commission.
Managers at First will now consult with Trade Unions and affected employees to review the implications of this decision.
Giles Fearnley, Firsts UK Bus Managing Director, said: "

We are extremely disappointed by this decision which may lead to services being withdrawn and puts jobs at risk.

"We are now considering our options and will consult fully with affected employees and stakeholders about the implications of the OFTs announcement. "We are progressing our plan to reposition and rebalance our UK Bus portfolio to restore operating margins and help facilitate improved growth and returns. We are continuing to develop opportunities for a number of disposals of our bus operations and, despite todays announcement, we are confident of future successful transactions in the coming months as a number of potential bidders exist in those markets where we have identified other businesses for disposal.'

First Group

Although there are people who agree that in an ideal world competition is good, its hard to find many people who agree with this strange decision by the CC. They have an ideoology that they are following in the belief that services will improve when it is clear that unless someone very special turns up and offers to buy the operation and compete against the might of Stagecoach services will be cut and jobs will be lost. You do have to feel very sorry for the staff currently employed by First who are stuck in the middle of all this.

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Related Links

• Who will now buy First Devon & Cornwall’s North Devon operation? Obviously, it won’t be Stagecoach. Omnibuses

Bloggers

• but various so-called "Government" funding decisions mean that the whole "Partnership" project looks likely to happen. "So-called" because we need to remember that there is no such thing as "government money"; it's OUR money Mr Cleggeron is giving away! Public Transport Experience
• I suppose most of us even if we ignore local coaches when we are at home notice them a lot more further afield Busworld Photography
• I take my hat off to the now outgoing managing director of Cardiff Bus, David Brown, who resigned with immediate effect this afternoon. A Transport of Delight
• A collection of bits and pieces which don't warrant a full blog. Public Transport Experience
• Helston Depot 1970's TGP
• On 24 March the first of an eventual fleet of 35 Optare City Pacers arrived at Blackpool. Fylde Bus Blog
• A-Line Coaches have just received another addition to the fleet, this time in the shape of a very smart little Mercedes 709D PTOTPA
• The fourth Scania Omnicity from London's Metrobus operation has been noted on the road in Anglianbus colours. East Norfolk Bus Blog
• Back to Public Transport, slightly easier to understand than the Higgs Boson. Or not? Public Transport Experience
• So we are presented with the PTE inspired proposals in the form of a trendy clicky web site and two explanatory paper leaflets Public Transport Experience
• Souter did say that with enough work, the under performing assets “would be fixable”. And if anyone can, Stagecoach can. Omnibuses
• There were, in essence, four ways to get from Queen Street Station in Glasgow to Central Station. These are: walk, taxi, underground and shuttle bus. Public Transport Experience
• But, did Go South Coast bite off more than it could chew? The answer must be oblique: Dorset Bus Blog
• Norfolk Green new livery special including both new Enviro400's in service! Andys Bus Blog
• The first of the 13 Stagecoach buses to enter service in Portsmouth for the Olympics have arrived. Southern England Bus Scene
• Back on Diamond Jubilee weekend I was at Burscough in Lancashire making an eagerly-anticipated visit to the Merseyside Transport Trust's new premises which have replaced hangars on the neighbouring former airfield. A superb by-product is now being able to admit the public. Transport Illustrated
• Meanwhile, in the bowels of the earth, the sign for the inter station bus directs you westwards .. Public Transport Experience
• Who will now buy First Devon & Cornwall’s North Devon operation? Obviously, it won’t be Stagecoach. Omnibuses

625DDV

625DDV Bristol MW6G ECW New May 1960

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• 625DDV Bristol Vehicles

253KTA

253KTA Royal Blue Bristol MW6G ECW New April 1962

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• 253KTA Bristol Vehicles

Oft their heads

News today:

The OFT today referred Stagecoach Group PLC's (Stagecoach) anticipated acquisition of the North Devon business and assets of First Devon and Cornwall Limited (First) to the Competition Commission, due to concerns the merger will reduce competition in local bus services in the area.

Stagecoach and First operate competing local bus services in North Devon, including in and around the town of Barnstaple. The OFT is concerned that the proposed merger would reduce competition on a number of route sections where the parties currently compete and create a monopoly for several journeys in the area around Barnstaple.

Given this expected reduction in competition, the OFT considers it appropriate to refer the merger to the Competition Commission for an in-depth review.

Although the annual value of the markets concerned is comparatively limited (between £2.5 million and £3.2 million), the OFT considers that the potential impact of the merger in terms of harm to passengers in North Devon is particularly significant. The OFT is also mindful that, as the Competition Commission noted in its recent market investigation report, mergers involving the sale of local bus operations are highly replicable across the country; this fact reinforces the OFT's view that a reference to the Competition Commission is appropriate in this case.

Amelia Fletcher, Senior Director and Decision Maker in this case said:

'The Competition Commission's market investigation into the bus industry showed how important competition between bus operators at local level is.

'Mergers between rivals in local markets can result in price rises or a reduction in journeys for passengers.

'As such, we believe it is appropriate that the Competition Commission reviews this merger in detail to ensure that the interests of passengers in Devon are protected.'

The Competition Commission is expected to report by 24 December 2012.

Office of Fair Trading New Release

Stagecoach have responded as you would expect as have withdrawn their offer to purchase the operation.

We do not believe we can justify spending further money and management time on what has already been a lengthy process.

Madness?

I have to wonder if the OFT are living in a different world to the rest of us. I can well understand that in an ideal world bus companies would compete for business and passengers would win as everyone upped their game to win their custom. This is not an ideal world. First group are very clearly struggling and need to sell off some of their ‘estate’ yet its looking increasingly difficult to do so. In order to achieve the cash that they want, First are going to have to make some pretty substantial sales. When it comes to larger operations the main players will be Stagecoach who have already announced they are keen to talk to First regarding some of the operations currently for sale and probably Go Ahead who have made one large purchase and have been quite active in the market over the last year or so. If OFT are going to refer most sales to the CC then how many potential sales will be lost?

So what will happen now? First clearly want rid of the operation but who else would want to take it on? Who else would want to come in and compete with Stagecoach who are there to stay and seem to be doing a very good job. The North Devon operation, has benefitted from SCs continued investment in new buses where First Group have allowed their fleet to decline as they cut back on buying new buses across the group. So no one would be that surprised to see First just pull out of the area altogether leaving the way for Stagecoach to pick and choose what they want for nothing. How will the CC stop that happening?

As always your thoughts will be welcome in the comments – I can see this being a contentious issue!

56GUO

Royal Blue 56GUO Bristol MW6G ECW New June 1961

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Event this weekend

Well I am now back in Plymouth. Totally shattered after a great Grand Prix trip to a very wet Silverstone with Plymouth Citycoach. It will be a day or two before I catch up on all the emails and my Google Reader list still stands at over 1000 articles to view. I will post a full review of my trip later in the week alongside the rest of the Royal Blue collection which continues for a week or so.

For now we have this little event which may interest some:

On Saturday 14th July, Plymouth City Council is hosting Hands on Plymouth's History - 2012 A Year of Celebration, a day of free events for all the family in Plymouth Guildhall.

Hands on Plymouth's History is presented in association with Plymouth and West Devon Record Office (which has its 60th anniversary this year, and will showcase some of the interesting records from its  collections), the Devon Family History Society, and Friends of Devon's Archives.

More details and schedule on the Devon History Site

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Bloggers

• Stagecoach (and its predecessors, Yorkshire Traction) have run the Pogmoor Circular in Barnsley for many, many years. It passes the local pub, the Tom Treddlehoyle Public Transport Experience
• For the uninitiated, there is a difference. Buses are designed for short journeys, and are generally less opulent than their long-distance coaching cousins which are purpose built with passenger comfort as a priority. 270KTA
• Norfolk Green's two brand new Alexander Dennis Enviro400's arrived in King's Lynn yesterday evening following their weekend stay in Lincoln where their vinyl branding was applied. Andys Bus Blog
• Helston Depot 1974 TGP
• Traveline, being comprehensive but profoundly NOT comprehensible, has simply imported this irrelevance from registration documents. Public Transport Experience
• Photos of R125 OFJ which has appeared out in service in a partial repaint of the new Plymouth Citybus livery. PTOTPA
• Sunday 15th July will see the sixth Peterborough Bus & Commercial Vehicle Rally take part at Sacrewell Farm. Andys Bus Blog
• The last North Weald Rally is the first of two photo specials today kindly provided by our regular correspondant David Bell. Andys Bus Blog
• what we at the FHD forum call the Marmite livery - you either seem to love it or hate it! A livery which will soon be all over the (shrinking) First empire Southern England Bus Scene

HOD 30

HOD30 Bristol L6A Beadle C31F New October 1948. Beautiful!

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• HOD 30 Bristol Vehicles

OTT 98

OTT98 Bristol LS6G ECW New September 1953. Its interesting how ECW have managed to make a beautiful coach out of what is basically a bus body with just a few simple alterations

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EDV505D

Part 6 of the Royal Blue series EDV505D. Bristol MW6G Note the few subtle differences with yesterdays EDV502D

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• EDV505D Bristol Vehicles

EDV502D

Part 5 of our Royal Blue series: EDV502D Bristol MW6G ECW

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• EDV502D Bristol Vehicles