A while back we took a closer look at Stagecoach and what this year might hold for them. Finally we now have a closer look at First South West, or First Kerrnow / Cornwall by Kernow or whatever you want to call them. There has been a lot of speculation earlier this year that First were coming back into Plymouth and Stagecoach were wanting to pull out. Some saying its a done deal but no one has been able to pin anything down and I have to say I remain unconvinced. I can see that Stagecoach might want to pull out but I remain less than convinced that First would want to come back.
When it was first announced that Plymouth Citybus had won the main contract for Transport for Cornwall there were some that saw the end of First in Cornwall. For years Cornwall along with Devon was very much an unloved Corner of First Group and quite a drain on their finances. As a result it was very much a dumping ground for First Group fleets with lots of older buses running round in all sorts of liveries. The arrival of Alex Carter and his team very much changed all of that!
It has taken a while, but the whole operation is very different these days. Its profitable for the first time in years, had even purchased a fleet of brand new double deckers for Cornwall and have worked wonders with a set of smart new liveries which throw the old First Group rules out of the window! When they lost such a large chunk of their service work they were in no mood to sit back and let all their hard work go to pot. They came out fighting and sort to refocus on tourism and school contract work. Cornwall is perfect for this sort of work as it has amazing scenery and stunning coastlines and so many opportunities for open top services especially that First Kernow (FK) have been quick to build on.
Our makeover for the Atlantic Coasters between St Ives and Padstow is underway pic.twitter.com/5UtWzZh53H
— Marc Huws (@MarcMorganHuws) March 15, 2021
The COVID disaster and the ever so long lockdowns due to the governments lack of action when it counted, meant that last season was cut short, but they did get routes up and running for a short time at least. Hopefully this year ahead with the vaccination program being the one thing that this government has got right, should mean the opening up of all their new services and with overseas travel likely to be restricted for a good time yet, more people will want to come done to Cornwall and FK is ready for them!
Its not just open top services either. There is a whole new day tripper network which appears to be using The Eden Project as a hub. FK go big with their marketing and have introduced the new branding for these services. You wont miss seeing these out and about!
We’re still busy on plans for @creatingdesire across the South West this summer pic.twitter.com/8FN6nxn3mK
— Marc Huws (@MarcMorganHuws) March 8, 2021
Of course its not just Cornwall. Top of my post lockdown to-do list, as I am sure it is for many of you, is the new Dartmoor Explorer, which does bring them back into Plymouth! The buses look stunning so again will certainly turn heads and alert non bus travellers that such a service exists. Hopefully this first season will work well and we will see this service thrive.
Sunday 16th May is our expected date to start all seasonal routes. We’re making ready at the double...@creatingdesire @FlashForwardCo pic.twitter.com/EoBAu9qY0C
— Marc Huws (@MarcMorganHuws) February 24, 2021
Then we have the new Exmoor Coaster.
In for a penny, in for a pound... pic.twitter.com/oRh5yT0OzG
— Marc Huws (@MarcMorganHuws) March 5, 2021
another one one on the to-do list!
The other big area which FK has invested in, is their Truronian coach brand. First Group never seem that interested in coaches but once again FK does things differently and have built up a strong brand by bringing in as many decent coaches as they can get from within the group and also good quality coaches from elsewhere. Lots of railway replacement works helps with a good sized fleet of PSVAR compliant coaches on hand has helped ensure the future for the coach operation when others have scaled back or even closed down.
Introducing our latest addition to fleet, UHW 661. This coach has a wheelchair lift fitted and can seat up to 53 passengers. We look forward to welcoming you onboard soon! pic.twitter.com/L6YncVCUfY
— Truronian Coaches (@TruronianC) March 19, 2021
So the conclusion is that FK are on the up! They have been working incredibly hard during lockdown and everything points to them coming out fighting for every passenger they can get and grasping all opportunities for growth in the new holiday where for a while at least its very much a staycation for most people. I for one will be one of those passenger's when I get the chance.
Which then brings me back to the opening paragraph. Whist we will be seeing more of FK in and around Plymouth through their Dartmoor Explorer, Rail Replacements and college contract work, I am not sure why they would want to come and take on Plymouth Citybus for the routine bus work in the city. Unless Citybus start to ramp up on commercial work in Cornwall and aggressively target FKs services in The Duchy then I cant see them bothering that much in needless competition.
Of course it it has to be said for all the reasons mentioned above, any new operation by First in Plymouth will be a very different beast to the one that Citybus saw off all those years ago.
Anyone disagree and still think that FK are Plymouth bound? What new services are you looking forward too, and where do you think FK will venture next?
Interesting turn of phrase on the Truronian coach tweet "Introducing our latest addition to fleet, UHW 661" - UHW 661 is not by any means a new plate..
ReplyDeleteIt has appeared on coaches before, namely 2511
https://www.flickr.com/photos/23095055@N05/7928685642/
which possible was renumbered and became 20050
https://www.flickr.com/photos/swbuspics/5987274472/
On Double Deckers in Somerset
https://www.flickr.com/photos/benbeaver95/27382636118/
And on TavyLinks brand 40582
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_40582_UHW_661_(5343567995).jpg
which itself also went to Somerset and was in service (or out of it!) in 2016
https://www.flickr.com/photos/transporttim/26010394946
And if I'm not very much mistaken, it also appeared on a Double Decker in this batch, which had it N-reg plates changed and later changed back, when in service in Plymouth
https://www.flickr.com/photos/21611052@N02/4814195261
UHW661 has indeed appeared on all of these vehicles but this coach itself is 'new' addition to the fleet. looks very smart too
DeleteStagecoach 54321 has been painted out of Falcon and seems to be in a livery similar to the new Gold Service livery. Spotted at Marshmills today
ReplyDeleteI believe that the new livery all the Falcons will carry eventually - Not sure if its keeping the Falcon name though?
DeleteCitybus have a new toy. Mercedes iCity demo CK70LVX, formally with First Kernow. My friend saw it on an essential trip to Town today on Royal Parade. Mark Horide was driving it once with R13 displayed and again with R79A displayed minutes later
ReplyDeleteI think 54319 in new livery aswell also to add to 18308(tqy) 19001(exe) 35164(barn) i beleve 54211 is to be the plymouth allocated vehicle painted in strips to mark 25 years of stagecoach in devon
ReplyDeleteIn regards to international travel some of it will be back in May just before the Summer but I suspect many of the main corridors will be reopen by the end of Summer, the USA by September and limited Australia flights by November. I would love to see First come back to Plymouth but I don't believe it will happen in the way people think, First didn't exactly have a great reputation when they called it quits in 2015. Stagecoach dramatically improved the service within a few months with new buses and better services. I would be surprised to see Stagecoach leave Plymouth but they haven't really expanded as I was expecting further into West Devon & North Cornwall (such as First 76 to Callington, Launceston & Bude) or other services from Tavy to Okehampton. It seems to me the Stagecoach operation in the South West is now so big they don't know what to do with it and mainly focus on their core Torbay/Exeter area too much.
ReplyDeleteFirst have certainly turned the corner since their lacklustre days in Plymouth. Their bold and imaginative routes for day trips during the summer deserve to succeed. When we have the freedom to travel for leisure we should all get out there and support these new routes.
ReplyDeleteAfter the past difficult year they need our custom even more, if they are to remain a decent operator in our area.
On the point about aggressive on-the-road competition, be it in Cornwall or Plymouth or anywhere else I think those days have long gone. Operators will continue to need central government funding for their "commercial" local services for a long time and the government has made clear, not least in their just-published national bus strategy, that that public money is not going to be available to operators to spend on aggressive competition.
ReplyDeletestage coach is a waste off time.in plymouth
ReplyDeleteonly 1 main bus route in plymouth .and a few orther routes .so if stage coach do pull out
who take.over couse.got to be 2 bus companys
Stagecoach have the 1,2,101,200, 19,31,36 along with Falcon, some Gold and X38 workings from Plymouth. I agree they need more in Plymouth itself if they pull out there is nothing to say anyone will take over unfortunately. Personally I think it can only be First if not Stagecoach, but quite possibly we would be left with jyst 1 operator
DeleteOnly one main bus route in Plymouth? They have the 1, 2/2A, 3, X38, Gold, Falcon, 36 and the Park & Rides! I can't see Stagecoach giving up on Plymouth, Torquay is short of depot space and Exeter is difficult to staff.
DeleteAnd just to add the 19 and 31 for plymouth council on tender and you could include the 87 89 from tavy and 90 91 92 at Dartmouth which come under plymouths allocation(tho some workings on 92 torquay) i think the last fleetcard for devon(p11) showed a fleet of about 66 moters(including trainers,falcon) the smallest stagecoach Devon depot is barnstaple
DeleteJulian, SC no longer short of depot space in Torquay due to new Newton Abbott depot! Also more space in Paignton due to work transferring to Newton Abbott with number of Paignton drivers being significantly reduced! Speaking to them they are not happy!
DeleteI suspect in future Stagecoach will open a larger depot in Newton Abbot/Heathfield area and replace Paignton & Torquay altgoether.
DeleteIt looks like an open top tour of Exeter is also on the cards for First South West.
ReplyDeleteYes 16 May
DeleteI hope first don't come back to Plymouth when they were here over half their routes finished by 6pm and with saltash run was a nightmare in the evening s every 30 minutes till 9:30pm if you missed the 9:30pm then you had to wait till I think 10:40pm and that was the last bus to saltash, plus the torquay bus finished early x80, I think stagecoach have done good for the routes they got its definitely improved and saltash every 30 minutes last bus 23:25 and gold bus is excellent and finishes late it s not quantity its quality of service first had more routes but more running at a loss and copying doing the same routes as citybus and citybus won at least now it's good routes between citybus and stagecoach and they seem to be happy
ReplyDeleteI agree with you assessment of First in their last stint in Plymouth but they are a very different company these days and I cant see them making the same mistakes again. I also don't think they would be interested in taking on the Plymouth network for exactly that reason!
DeleteFirst are certainly being very innovative Stagecoach too popping up with new open top routes and increased frequency on their Devon open top routes Just seems to be 1 operator devoid of any new ideas then.
ReplyDeleteStagecoach only one new open-top route 21C, 95 increased frequency but 122 cut in frequency & not serving scenic Meadfoot area or zoo. First has several exciting new services on a much grander scale to Stagecoach! Citybus introducing open-top back onto 25 but again doing far less then First.
Delete