Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

[Penny Return]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
[quote='R879 HRF' pid='80403' dateline='1443595113']
One can't help wonder the thought processb behind buying smaller buses. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the new gold Enviro300s seat less than the already full to the Brim cramped solar?

In my mind it would have been sensible to invest in deckers for the 1, and reroute the 1 to omitt the zoo, wheatsheaf and Bache rail so it avoids the bridge and rather run straight down Liverpool road past the countless like the 2 currently does, and reroute the 2 via the zoo and wheatsheaf.

The 1 tries to do too much, and is very overcrowded in school holidays and around Christmas, the timetables go out of the window, and people often left behind

Spot on with your comments,the powers that be are sometimes clueless as to what is required
they should try riding around on the routes to see what is needed,still fuming over part of the
re-routing of the 41/42 in Bromborough

[gka472l]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(30/09/2015 06:38)R879 HRF Wrote:  One can't help wonder the thought processb behind buying smaller buses. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the new gold Enviro300s seat less than the already full to the Brim cramped solar?

In my mind it would have been sensible to invest in deckers for the 1, and reroute the 1 to omitt the zoo, wheatsheaf and Bache rail so it avoids the bridge and rather run straight down Liverpool road past the countless like the 2 currently does, and reroute the 2 via the zoo and wheatsheaf.

The 1 tries to do too much, and is very overcrowded in school holidays and around Christmas, the timetables go out of the window, and people often left behind.

On another note, a photo of one of the new Enviro300s SN65OCU fresh outside at adl I believe, thanks to MOD571P for photo https://flic.kr/p/yNhWvY

27256 I believe, with Wigan's 10444 behind (NYZ)

[DVG526]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(29/09/2015 19:24)Dentonian Wrote:  Bit of a "Jekyll & Hyde" post if I might say so!

However, I do fundamentally disagree with this trend towards "better public transport only for those with private transport". As discussed before though, Chester is far from the worst example as its long standing and seemingly has little effect on commercial services.

No at all.. Im all for P&R i think they are a good thing to ease congestion, however using small vehicles with all those extra 'perks' seems a total waste of time and to me is unfair on the regular bus users who have to put up with tatty old darts and tridents, maybe the 'executive Enviro200' would be better utilised on the 16/51/53/X2 etc instead of P&R. I wonder how much a bog standard 70 seater no frills DD costs compared to an all singing and dancing 45 seater?? A few of them 10 year old tridents tarted up in a new livery and disguised registrations would have been ideal and saved the council a few bob as well..

[DVG526]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(30/09/2015 07:47)Penny Return Wrote:  [quote='R879 HRF' pid='80403' dateline='1443595113']
One can't help wonder the thought processb behind buying smaller buses. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the new gold Enviro300s seat less than the already full to the Brim cramped solar?

In my mind it would have been sensible to invest in deckers for the 1, and reroute the 1 to omitt the zoo, wheatsheaf and Bache rail so it avoids the bridge and rather run straight down Liverpool road past the countless like the 2 currently does, and reroute the 2 via the zoo and wheatsheaf.

The 1 tries to do too much, and is very overcrowded in school holidays and around Christmas, the timetables go out of the window, and people often left behind

Spot on with your comments,the powers that be are sometimes clueless as to what is required
they should try riding around on the routes to see what is needed,still fuming over part of the
re-routing of the 41/42 in Bromborough

All you have to do with the 1 is double back from the Zoo to Mostyn lights to avoid Bache. The 2 could go straight on at Moston and via Bache instead or even send the X2 that way. They could even run the 1 limited stop/non stop from the Zoo, maybe calling at the Countess only on the way in to save a few minutes.

[Myllenium2453]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
Or better still let another company have the 1 & 2 so that services like the 38 could come back down from every 30 or 60 minutes to every 15 minutes daytime & 20 minutes at night like the 437 does although the 437 is every 10 minutes during daytime but anyway if they did that thrn they would ensure that there are plenty of standby vehicles in case of failures.

[Nwales Bus]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(30/09/2015 09:04)DVG526 Wrote:  All you have to do with the 1 is double back from the Zoo to Mostyn lights to avoid Bache. The 2 could go straight on at Moston and via Bache instead or even send the X2 that way. They could even run the 1 limited stop/non stop from the Zoo, maybe calling at the Countess only on the way in to save a few minutes.

Speaking of the 1
Does anyone know when this service alongside the 2 will be going gold.

Also what effect will this have on the X2 (New Vehicle?????)

[R557 ABA]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(30/09/2015 12:37)Nwales Bus Wrote:  Speaking of the 1
Does anyone know when this service alongside the 2 will be going gold.

Also what effect will this have on the X2 (New Vehicle?????)

The 1 & 2 will be going gold mid-November, there shouldn't be any effect on the X2 as that is operated by Chester.

[R879 HRF]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(30/09/2015 11:38)Myllenium2453 Wrote:  Or better still let another company have the 1 & 2 so that services like the 38 could come back down from every 30 or 60 minutes to every 15 minutes daytime & 20 minutes at night like the 437 does although the 437 is every 10 minutes during daytime but anyway if they did that thrn they would ensure that there are plenty of standby vehicles in case of failures.

They don't run the 38 more frequently because there is not demand for it, at night they carry a handful if lucky, so no need to change the frequency. It's not comparable to arrivas 437s, they have a much larger demand for the service and even at night can be seen busy, particularly weekend evenings, last bus is often full. As far as I know evening and Sunday 38As are part funded by Merseytravel anyway serving Saughall Massie and Sandbrook to replace avons 40/40A. Same with the 41A, that was to replace the 80 contract hence why it serves Prenton Dell and Arrowe Park.

Stagecoach would never abandon the 1 and 2, it brings in the most money of all the routes at Birkenhead, although I'm told the 471/2 is slightly more profitable as its less distance and less buses required etc.

[mbonwick]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(30/09/2015 06:38)R879 HRF Wrote:  One can't help wonder the thought processb behind buying smaller buses. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the new gold Enviro300s seat less than the already full to the Brim cramped solar?

2-4 seats less in a Gold Enviro300 than the current Solars, depending on exactly what interior spec the opt for. Enviro300s have a noticably higher standing capacity though IIRC.

[Barney]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral

(30/09/2015 17:04)mbonwick Wrote:  2-4 seats less in a Gold Enviro300 than the current Solars, depending on exactly what interior spec the opt for. Enviro300s have a noticably higher standing capacity though IIRC.

Perhaps there will be an increase in frequency if, as anticipated, overcrowding becomes a serious issue. A shiny new bus won't be very attractive to somebody considering leaving the car at home for the commute if it sails past the stop full. Time will tell.