Much quieter this week with just a few new notices for Cornwall over the last two weeks. Looking ahead there were going to be quite a few timetable changes for First on the 19th April but these were all registered just before Western Greyhound went under so have been replaced by all the new services taken on by First.
Previous Chapters: CT001, CT002, CT003, CT004, CT005, CT006, CT006A, CT007
First Kernow
Timetables
A couple more late changes
Changes to services 91 & 92 (Truro - Newquay) from Monday 13 April Cornwall Council have requested that all journeys on services 91 and 92 will now serve Tregurra. Therefore the timetables for both services will change to accommodate this from Monday 13 April 2015. The timing of all journeys between Newquay Manor Road Bus Station and St Erme Eglos Road are unchanged.
91 Truro - Indian Queens - St Columb Minor – Newquay (pdf)
92 Truro - Indian Queens - St Columb Minor – Newquay pdf
Vehicles
The situation in Cornwall is pretty fluid but it seems that internal transfers from within First are gradually replacing the loaned WG buses (from Ensign)
Buses which have arrived in Cornwall include:
32097 KP51WCY Volvo B7TL Alexander from Leicester
41383 X383HLR Dennis Dart Marshall from Cymru
50292 W337DWX Optare Solo in Penzance in the new First livery still with First Bluebird names
53701 LK05DYO Optare Solo from Essex
61594 SA02BZL Volvo B7L Wright from Glasgow in new First Glasgow livery
65579 T579JNG Scania L94UB Wright from Eastern Counties
32027 V124LGC Volvo B7TL Alexander is now open top in the two tone green Somerset livery but appears to be for us in Falmouth for the summer.
63097 SM13NBO Wright Streetlite from Manchester (believed to be on loan till June?)
It seems that several buses are being ‘transferred’ from Somerset following major service reductions happening up there.
Optare Solos 53013 53014 have already arrived from Bridgewater.
Several of the former WG fleet have already departed back to Ensign
206 NA52AWO 209 NA52AWU 914 PL06TFX were all observed heading back on the 8th April
A2B Newquay
VOSA
- PH1088109/4 - A2B NEWQUAY TRAVEL LTD T/A A2B Newquay Travel & JC Tours, 7 PORTH WAY, NEWQUAY, TR7 3LP Registration Accepted Starting Point: Newquay Bus Station, Manor Road Finish Point: Padstow Old Railway Station Via: Service Number: 171 Service Type: Normal Stopping Effective Date: 28-MAY-2015 Other Details: Monday to Friday
- PH1088109/5 - A2B NEWQUAY TRAVEL LTD T/A A2B Newquay Travel & JC Tours, 7 PORTH WAY, NEWQUAY, TR7 3LP Registration Accepted Starting Point: Manor Road Bus Station, Newquay Finish Point: St Columba Major, Trelawney Park Via: Service Number: 172 Service Type: Normal Stopping Effective Date: 28-MAY-2015 Other Details: Monday to Friday
Plymouth Citybus
VOSA
- PH0000135/166 - PLYMOUTH CITYBUS LTD, MILEHOUSE, MILEHOUSE ROAD, PLYMOUTH, PL3 4AA Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Plymouth, Royal Parade and Liskeard, Ballas Street given service number 11 effective from 12-Apr-2015. To amend Timetable
- PH0000135/171 - PLYMOUTH CITYBUS LTD, MILEHOUSE, MILEHOUSE ROAD, PLYMOUTH, PL3 4AA Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Liskeard, Barras Street and Padstow, Station Road given service number 75 effective from 12-Apr-2015. To amend Route and Timetable.
New Timetables already covered
Royal Buses
VOSA
- PH1086607/14 - NICHOLAS COLIN EASTWOOD T/A Royal Buses, VICTORY HEIGHTS, THE BURROWS, ST. IVES, TR26 1GD Variation Accepted: Operating between St Ives, Royal Square and Polamnter given service number 55 effective from 23-May-2015. To amend Timetable.
- PH1086607/15 - NICHOLAS COLIN EASTWOOD T/A Royal Buses, VICTORY HEIGHTS, THE BURROWS, ST. IVES, TR26 1GD Variation Accepted: Operating between St Ives Royal Square and Trevalgan given service number Trevalgan 44 effective from 23-May-2015. To amend Timetable.
Vehicles
Eastwood {Royal Blues} is using Enviro 200 MX14FUG and Streetlite WF MX11CZR, MX12CFU and MX12DYM. All are in plain white except MX12CFU which retains the pale green skirt from last operator South Wales Transport
St Ives Bus Company
Vehicles
Along with Royal Buses, there has been an influx of newer low floor buses to the fleet replacing older Mercedes which no longer comply with regulations.
St Ives Bus Co have 6 Solos, mostly new to Epsom/Quality Line. These are SH51MHU, YE52FHO YE52FHR YE52FHS YE52FHU, YG52DHE and are in the fleet livery of white with blue skirts. Thanks to Dave Godley for bring us up to date with the local fleets here!
Stagecoach Devon
VOSA
- PH1020951/179 - STAGECOACH DEVON LTD T/A Stagecoach South West, BELGRAVE ROAD, EXETER, EX1 2LB Variation Accepted: Operating between Stratton and Poughill given service number 128 effective from 30-May-2015. To amend Timetable.
- PH1020951/200 - STAGECOACH DEVON LTD T/A Stagecoach South West, BELGRAVE ROAD, EXETER, EX1 2LB Variation Accepted: Operating between Hartland or Crimp and Bude given service number 219/216/217 effective from 30-May-2015. To amend Timetable.
Travel Cornwall
VOSA
- PH1011427/57 - SUMMERCOURT TRAVEL LTD T/A TRAVEL CORNWALL, THE OLD COACH GARAGE, ST. AUSTELL STREET, SUMMERCOURT, NEWQUAY, TR8 5DR Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Pedna Carne and Truro given service number 497 effective from 04-Apr-2015. To amend Timetable.
Timetable
Cant see any update for the 497 as on VOSA above.
I thought "buses of somerest" we're doing well and expanding? My sister who lives up there said webberbus are on the up again with first retracting. Is there a Somerset equivilant of your blog?
ReplyDeleteBuses of Somerset is currently featured at http://publictransportexperience.blogspot.co.uk/
DeleteMore a stalemate than some sort of revival for Webberbus. Looking at the two killer routes First are still carrying more customers on their 21 and 28 than Webberbus on their 15/75 and 18. First have certainly trimmed a few bits and pieces but their fares are still competitive, and their publicity is still much better. neither operator can be covering their costs, so it's more a case of who has the deepest pockets. The changes looked more like First being able to cut their losses in some places but still keep up the pressure especially on the 21.
DeleteI am not aware of a Somerset blog.
DeleteThe buses of Somerset changes are more subtle than a first glance suggests and Webberbus have changed their's too partly to combat ill discipline and the £7000-ish fine recently. What is success? Money or bus miles even if empty? Buses of Somerset have continued to loose county contracts that have run for many years as Somerset and Devon cut back. Traffic congestion is increasing. Some routes had extra off peak journeys added as an anti-competitive measure, but they actually extract from their traditional service rather than the competition. Webberbus have lost the 19 to Hatch Green so its not all one way. The competition is more mature and is not going to go away unless its a spectacular collapse. Therefore change tack and don't waste money
For example the trunk 21 has become the new main Taunton hospital service in place of the local service but the 21 round trip time has been increased by 26 minutes from 292 to 318 minutes (9% or 1 extra bus). The 7 and 25 have lost loops to keep to time. The 29 has supposedly gone from hourly to 3 hourly, but the first and last journeys in both directions remain the same - the reduction is off peak used mainly by bus pass holders; also Street to Wells now has 4 buses an hour anyway making the 29 irrelevant. The 14 spectacularly looses one very rural minibus in exchange for a town peak hour run and serving Cannington village center on every journey - financially its small change. And so on.
Pulling the odd route does not necessarily mean First Somerset are struggling necessarily. This might mean they have expanded quite a lot and purely these few routes are not performing, so to improve the figures on the books the underperforming ones must go. In terms of profit etc First somerset were losing money not so long ago now they make a small profit, First Kernow the same, now make small profit. That just leaves First Devon that whilst still losing money the losses are now much smaller. That is a pretty good turnaround from a previously dead duck operator at First Devon, Cornwall and Somerset in the past 18 months or so. I am sure given time as they seem to be getting along with the freedom to develop locally without interference from Aberdeen, First in the SW can grow from strength to strength, and I include the Plymouth ops in that too. I think GA have missed the opportunity now to push First out of the city so will need to calm down on their competitive moves and consolidate what they have got.
ReplyDeleteYou may well be right as I dont know the figures but the cuts in Somerset do look quite severe especially coming after a period where everything seemed so positive. As for Citybus, I am sure it will be mostly consolidation now as I am not sure that there is much left to compete against. I suppose they could try Dartmouth / Kingsbridge but I am not convinced that would be worthwhile for anyone. Even Stagecoach pulled back a fair bit there.
DeleteNote no Summer enhancements registered as yet, which means either they'll be delayed beyond early June, FK will have to apply for short notice dispensation and hope it's granted, or there aren't any Summer enhancements!
ReplyDeleteThere was a recent comment on their Facebook page saying they were still in discussions regarding their open-top summer services
DeleteOr the TC has agreed to them being delayed so that they can be co-ordinated with Cornwall Council tender changes to allow refinement and improvement of the emergency tenders, to create a stable network for the year ahead.
DeleteBuses of Somerset have now got the Taunton Park and Ride and a lot of EDF work at Hinckley Point. They also did introduce a number of competitive services against Webberbus. However, some of those have now gone together with some tendered stuff being axed by Devon and Somerset Councils and a number of other cuts.
ReplyDeleteHence the number of Solos and Darts heading to Kernow to replace hired kit.
Think Cornwall is just about to have a new bus company https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1569534630001586
ReplyDeleteI think its best to wait and see - there are plenty of people out there who are convinced this is just someone's fantasy rather than a real company.
DeleteI don't think PCB ever mention the revised 75 from 12th April apart from it appearing in the new timetables. It has yet more running time and misses out Sarah's Lane in Padstow completely. It now has to inter-work with the 11 to Plymouth unless it has a 56 minute layover; the 11 is thus alternately to/from Polperro(73) or Padstow(75).
ReplyDelete