Just a quickie with clarification from Plymouth Citybus re their new Devon contracts being taken on at the end of October:
From Monday 31stOctober, under tender from Devon County Council, we will be running some new bus routes.
These will be….
- 315 Exeter to Barnstaple via Crediton / Copplestone/ North Tawton/ Winkleigh/ Great Torrington / Bideford
- 345 Exeter to Okehampton via Crediton / Copplestone/ North Tawton/ Hatherleigh
- 377 Exeter to Chulmleigh via Crediton / Copplestone/ Lapford/ Chawleigh
As part of the round of tender awards from Devon County Council, there will also be an new service 20 from Plymouth to Ivybridge via Sherford, which will run from the Milehouse depot.
A new service 306 will run from Launceston to Okehampton, operating out of the Launceston depot.
New Devon tickets possible?
ReplyDeleteIf Citybus really are expanding like this I think they need to come up with some new brands like Go South Coast have. Not just "GoDevon" but something creative. Although I'd prefer it if First won the contracts and brought back the Western National name in the same way Badgerline has.
ReplyDeletethat would be nice but I think its wishful thinking! Go Devon would make sense and possibly appeal to Devon CC who would be paying for it. Likewise I would be very surprised if First brought back the Western National name but I'd welcome it if they did!
DeleteA while ago there was rumour around that First were to buy their Plymouth ops etc back off Stagecoach. Unfortunately this hasn't materialised but the way Stagecoach are going perhaps Fursr could buy all their SW ops off them and cover Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. First Western National maybe? LOL
DeleteGo South West is division to cover all Go Ahead bus companies in South West but operate under Plymouth City Bus O Licence
DeleteKeywest
ReplyDeleteMore of a chance of Go Western National maybe? Although I presume First still own the name Western National?
ReplyDeleteYeah First own Western National and the website www.westernnational.co.uk which ironically still redirects to First Devon!
DeleteTransport for Exeter is a branding i was expecting for the routes they run, Go southwest Exeter citybus, plymouth citybus, go cornwall bus is another guess... would be strange though for a while when they use buses in normal livery
ReplyDeletePlymouth Citybus will need to open a depot in North Devon and West Devon to run the routes as it will be a lot of dead runs from Milehouse Depot
ReplyDeleteAgree re North Devon (also Exeter of course) but 306 has Launceston surely?
DeleteThe Okehampton-Launceston route is being covered by Launceston depot. I would imagine Citybus would open a depot or share one in Exeter.
DeleteOr perhaps we may see Dartline vehicles on the route ?
DeletePlymouth CityBus (Go Ahead) and First across Devon and cornwall sharing depots etc
ReplyDeleteWhere did Citybus post the above info, can't see it on its website Graham?
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen it published by them yet - but came from a reliable source
DeletePCB have picked up 7/8 bus workings here. As a casual observer, am surprised that there are sufficient passengers for DCC to justify
ReplyDeletefunding such levels of service compared with that provided 40 years ago. What does interest me is who is the 306 aimed at, the timetable does not suggest local traffic and why does a peak morning 345 run 2/3 minutes behind a Stagecoach 5? Are there heavy student/commuter flows over this section of route?
The 306 is replacing the 6A Launceston - Exeter which replaced the 510 of Western Greyhound, which replaced the X10 of First Western National. The new service is culling the Okehampton - Exeter section allowing people from Launceston to either use the train to Exeter & beyond. Or switch to the new Stagecoach 6A to Exeter.
Delete306 workings include 178 or vv
DeleteThere is a job advert on Indeed from Manley Summers looking for temporary drivers for Exeter, paying £14-£18 pph for two months, its 10 plus positions, so would assume this would be to cover this
ReplyDeletewindow
ReplyDeleteWESTERN NATIONAL HOLDINGS LIMITED is still a wholly owned active subsidiary at Companies House of FirstGroup PLC
It’s on the Devon County Council Bus News page.
ReplyDeletecitybus cant.even run bussess in plymouth
ReplyDeleteshort off driver,s bus not trun upor .run late
disgrace off a company
about time city bus bought some new buses
They have issues like every other company but they've only bought brand new buses 2 or 3 years ago, there isn't the need for any new ones at the minute until passenger numbers pick up. I would like to see PCB take over the Park & Ride officially though, maybe bring some nice brand new Wright Streetdecks like Oxford has.
Deletefew operators are buying new at the moment although it does seem to be picking up a bit. I think the days of the Park & Ride being a special service have sadly long gone now its just a standard service that happens to serve a few big car parks. The George is due to be expanded sometime soon and there will be more staff from Derriford using it so it should get busier then.
Deleterumours going around on a few FB groups that Dartline has been acquired by Go Ahead, which would fall under GSW - if so, this makes sense to be the new base for the new routes which have been confirmed above.
ReplyDeletethese rumors have been around for a little while now, but as far as I can tell there is nothing official at the moment which is why I have not covered it here. How many times have we read rumours that Stagecoach were launching loads of Plymouth services, or that First were coming back and taking over Stagecoach Plymouth services again. Im not saying its not happening though, and it would make a good fit with Citybus so you never know! But at the moment it is just rumour.
DeleteGraham, how would Dartline make a good fit with PCB? Streetlites, Solo SRs and some omnidecker most of which PCB don't have or not longer want.
Deletewas thinking more about the operations more than the actual vehicles to be honest. Would expand the area and allow them more opportunities for further expansion. I dont think they would be put off by Solos and they do already operate Scanias,
ReplyDeleteThe Solos if the rumour is true could go on the 55,56,98 routes and be named ‘Dartmoor Darts’
DeleteI see there is another Devon Contract - Sunday 6/6a through from Bude - Okehampton station - Exeter Bus Station 2 round trips. (Travel Devon News 6/6a timetable).
ReplyDeleteWould be nice to see Go Ahead in Exeter. As a name poss Go Exeter? Stagecoach real name is Stagejoke! As a bus service in Exeter is a joke! Why wait for they don't turn up!!!
ReplyDeleteGo Ahead aren't much better, don't get your hopes up there
DeleteYet MD Watson told DCC at latest bus investigation meeting that only 3% of services don't run, did he keep a straight face? Local passengers & disgruntled drivers do not agree!
DeletePersonally I am surprised you are blaming The Birmingham Commonwealth Games for your "joke" bus service. We well remember the utter shambles Go Ahead made of Diamond Bus here exiting to Rotala after a £1m write-off. What exactly is to blame now for your consent staff shortages on Stagecoach South West & Plymouth CityBus ; Liz Truss perhaps?; mind you she has just been in Brum too. Curiously we have no cancellations or driver shortages & they are taking over a large number of NXWM services across the West Midlands from 1st January 2023
ReplyDeleteNo one is blaming the games - they are blaming Stagecoach for sending staff away when they were needed here. It remains to be seen what the TC has to say - which we should find out shortly. You are clearly lucky if you dont havs driver shortages up there, as its a problem in many areas across the country, not just with Stagecoach / Go Ahead.
DeleteIn my honest opinion depending on what happens in Manchester it's only a matter of time and further bad press that Devon County Council will push to take over Devon's bus services in some way. Stagecoach have been slowly cutting and cutting back the network for years now they haven't invested in new buses for years and the majority of the fleet is old, dirty and untidy. The management don't seem to give a damn even over the basics(getting on a Torbay Dart or Trident since 2014 all the seats are worn, threadbare) it doesn't give a good impression.
DeleteIf they had the money I think they would like to, although I doubt if they wouldf do much better tbh. Deven were not given as much money as they asked for, and I think we can all forget the big promises made for funding by the conservatives now anyway
DeleteInterestingly the Traffic Commissioner will no longer be responsible for regulatory procedures in Brum from 1/1/23 it will pass to Andy Street CBE & Transport for West Midlands
ReplyDeleteWhy would you want Devon County Council to pursue Manchesters Andy Burnham strategy of bus franchising,? In Brum our Mayor Andy Street CBE pursues a strategy of a working partnership between his TfWM, NXWM & Diamond. You can travel all day over a 40 mile radius for just £4 if you don't come into the City it's £3 all day. Why would anybody want Burnhams Manchester franchising when the UKs 2nd City has the lowest all day fares in a partnership between our Mayor called Andy & the bus operators?
ReplyDeleteReading between the lines are you leaning towards suggesting Street is doing a better job than Burnham when it comes to bus matters?
DeleteWhat buses & depot Citybus using in Exeter + North Devon (some workings are clearly North Devon based)?
ReplyDeleteIs there some kind of link with Dartline as per rumours flying around? Wouldn't provide a Barnstaple base though.
DeleteI can only comment on the West Midlands but thru a Statoury Quality Partnership between TfWM & the operators 93% of our network is commercial & you pay £4 to travel all day within the WMCA & £3 if you don't travel to the City Centres . The cost of the Greater Manchester Mayor's franchising is £135m yet our Levy on the council tax is less than all the other combined authorities & our services run 7 days a week 364 days a year on frequencies of up to every 7 mins & Brum is a much bigger city ; the 2nd City; than Manchester.
ReplyDeleteGo Devon Bus. Looks like GSW are branching out.
ReplyDeletePlymouth City Bus, Go Cornwall Bus, Go Devon Bus. Somerset next?