Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

[E400]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
Another one that makes me curious is the 472 when it extends through lower Heswall - of the few times I've needed to use the extended part of the route, I've been one of only a handful of passengers on board. It seems like a lot of effort to put an Enviro 400 round some of the tight bends and up the steep hills just to put 3 or 4 people that little bit closer to home when the potential to damage the bus on a wall- or indeed another vehicle- is relatively high.

I'm not questioning the capability of drivers here, I'm just saying that there is an increased risk factor for something that doesn't seem worthwhile.

[R879 HRF]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
Regarding the 472 to barnston, on some journeys it's quite rare to have any passengers at all.

Pre QBP it was the arriva 472s which went to barnston, before finishing and running light back to LS. apparently they used to be quitebusy on some trips. I assume they only run exist now purely because they did before.

Do any AM trips still serve Barnston?

[Barney]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
What I'm trying to say is that loads of ENCTS passes aren't the be-all and end-all in determining the survival or not of a route - but they don't help anything.
[/quote]

Well they certainly help those elderly people on low incomes who live in isolated communities and don't own or can't drive a car. In Norfolk, First pulled many services that were deemed unprofitable many of which were taken over by an independent, Norfolk Green. Last year, having made a success of its network Stagecoach bought out Norfolk Green and has recently started cutting services in the area.

It will be interesting to see how Avon's replacement 22 service performs over the next few months.

[E400]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(20/08/2015 07:22)R879 HRF Wrote:  Do any AM trips still serve Barnston?

As far as I'm aware Arriva run Barnston to Liverpool AM and SC PM. Was the Barnston extension a partial-replacement of Arriva's 473 all those years ago?

[wirralbus]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
Enviro400

Can you remember the 417 and 418 , it stems back from them days when the Liverpool service used to start at Barnston Post Office before the service was renumbered when the number 418 was used for the Birkenhead - Mill Park service .

To this day there is still people who didnt like the Arriva renumbering services across the whole of the Arriva Merseyside empire.

[E400]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(20/08/2015 16:24)wirralbus Wrote:  Enviro400

Can you remember the 417 and 418 , it stems back from them days when the Liverpool service used to start at Barnston Post Office before the service was renumbered when the number 418 was used for the Birkenhead - Mill Park service .

To this day there is still people who didnt like the Arriva renumbering services across the whole of the Arriva Merseyside empire.

Can't say I do, did Arriva change the numbering on the Heswall routes to match First? Also, am I right in thinking that the current 38 is essentially First's old 51? If so why did they change the number on that?

[PO59 MXJ]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
First was the 71/72 was it not?

[R879 HRF]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
I think that's what he means, changing it to 471/2 rather than 417/8 to match Firsts 71/2..

Confusing.

A number of old First PMT Crosville routes could probably be reintroduced by stagecoach and would be successful, such as the 16/17 woodchurch beechwood, butobviously they'd want to avoid any conflict with arriva so would never happen.. and of course a lack of operational space in Birkenhead depot, but stagecoachs extremely low fares in comparison to that of other local ops would prove a hit.

[mr t]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
Originally, the MTL 417/418/419 were peak hour only services, with the 472 running Mon-Fri daytimes, and First only ran it Saturdays, with their own 71/72 running M-S too. Just before Arriva bought MTL, MTL started running the 472 Mon-Sats
When Arriva took over they renumbered them all to 471/472 and started the daytime 471 too.
At some point (2002?) First extended their 71/72 to Liverpool too until the QBP was established which combined them both to 471/472.

[YK53 GXO]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
Enviro400s MX56 FSL (19060) and MX56 FSO (19062) are on the 41\42 today.