Classic Bus North West - Red Rocket Express

[overthewater]

Why don't they also call in at Preston Bus station? It's a no brainer, fast link to Blackpool from that city, and also a fast manchester - Preston link?

It would add in, 20-30 mins onto the journey time.

 

[radamfi]

Are there specific timings which are more likely to be artic run? If I'm going to make a special trip I would like to be reasonably sure of getting an artic in at least one direction.

 

[Class20]

Are there specific timings which are more likely to be artic run? If I'm going to make a special trip I would like to be reasonably sure of getting an artic in at least one direction.

Don't think so. When I travelled on the service on Saturday it was just two Olympians out. Me and the driver could only think it was because someone had some foresight into the possibility of having a full load, which was the case. They may be used on week days but I'm not aware of the passenger loadings on such journeys.

Why don't they also call in at Preston Bus station? It's a no brainer, fast link to Blackpool from that city, and also a fast manchester - Preston link?

Because clearly that's not what the company want to do. They are working a fast Blackpool-Manchester service. If it called in at Preston, it would give a fast Preston-Manchester link but it would add extra time to the overall Blackpool-Manchester service which would defeat the point of running the service in the first place. It already takes up to an hour and 30mins for a single journey and that's with a fairly clear run.

I made a return trip to Manchester on the service on Saturday. No Citaro for me, but Olympian 325 both there and back (10.30 off Blackpool. 15:00 return off Manchester). The outward journey was about 80% full. As WestCoast says, OAPs do pay £8 and do not travel for free as I first thought. The driver then had a 3 hour layover in Manchester due to revised times which have seen some of the poorly loading journeys removed from the timetable. The return journey was just as full as the inbound journey with a large number of people making use of the Trafford Centre stop. Luckily the traffic was clear for most of the day, only the road works and Christmas markets in the centre of Manchester causing a few issues.

Overall the journey was ok. Will have to try again another time in a bid to get a Citaro.

 

[cainebj]

It has been reported that Classic Bus North West will enter administration at midnight tonight, with their services terminated.

A related article from Lancashire CC:
http://www3.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/news/press_releases/y/m/release.asp?id=201312&r=PR13/0644

News : Number 80 Bus Service between Blackpool and Preston Terminated

Classic Bus North West will cease to run its 80 service between Blackpool and Preston via Poulton and Great Eccleston, with effect from the end of today (Friday, 20 December).

The service currently runs seven days a week, with the county council subsidising evening and Sunday services between Poulton and Preston.

Classic Bus North West has terminated the service without the required 56 days notice to the Traffic Commissioner. They have also broken their contract with Lancashire County Council to provide an evening and Sunday service, which would require 12 week's notice. Lancashire County Council will inform the Traffic Commissioner of Classic Bus North West's actions.

Lancashire County Council is currently looking into possible options including trying to find out if Classic Bus North West are going into administration and, if so, the identity of the administrators.

 

[robertclark125]

I've sent that same link to the editor of Buses magazine. I have to say, this kinda mucks up the Fylde Villager network. Mind they had to make changes to the routes due to CBNW registering the 80 on a commercial basis.

Who do you think will take over the 80? Or rather, who can?

 

[Whistler40145]

With Classic Bus North West & Cumfybus now gone, the operators most likely to take on Service 80 are Coastal Coaches, Preston Bus & Stagecoach in Merseyside & South Lancashire (Glenvale Transport). I wonder if Blackpool Transport would consider the service?


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[radamfi]

The Red Rocket Express website says that it is suspended after 22 December until Easter, so they still think they are running tomorrow and Sunday.

 

[Whistler40145]

Won't the Traffic Commisioner & Lancashire Council want to have a more reliable operator run Service 80, rather than one who will suspend its service after 22nd December until Easter?


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[Xenophon PCDGS]

"Terminating a service without giving the required 56 days notice to the Traffic Commisioner".....Did this remind anyone of Speedwellbus in recent times ?

 

[Hardcastle]

I did not think the service 80 would last long the buses i have seen had few passengers the previous extension to Fleetwood was popular & making a commercial service out of a previous LCC subsidised one seems to have been a bad commercial mistake what happens now & who takes over will be interesting.

 

[Amberley54]

"Terminating a service without giving the required 56 days notice to the Traffic Commisioner".....Did this remind anyone of Speedwellbus in recent times ?

More recently Supertravel of Speke and Imperia on the Wirral have also ceased operating with less than 48 notice.

I suspect we haven't seen the last either.

 

[Class20]

Won't the Traffic Commisioner & Lancashire Council want to have a more reliable operator run Service 80, rather than one who will suspend its service after 22nd December until Easter?

Its the Red Rocket Blackpool - Manchester Express that's being suspended till Easter (that's if it will ever return then). The 80 Preston - Blackpool route has ceased running altogether after only 2 weeks of operation. Passenger numbers on the 80 were low but all journeys I saw had someone on them.

I can never understand why bus operators undertake changes to their fleets or routes when they are in financial difficulty. Surly going into administration isn't an over night thing? It must be a drawn out affair that builds up over time. So why do they continue to operate as normal?

 

[Hardcastle]

Yeah passengers about half a dozen the buses i saw where the ex Harrogate & District & ex Stagecoach the previous service 80/82 Cumfy Bus was operated by solos & always seemed popular running buses with no distinctive livery cant have helped plus a difficult to find timetable until the week before the start of the service it was not on the LCC website till then passengers need to get used to change plus the route was disjointed.

 

[TrainfanBen]

I'm just sorry for those jobs at risk. Didn't seem like a bad little operator.

I've never had the oppurtunity to use their services but it struck me a little odd that they are/were constantly changing their fleet.

 

[Hardcastle]

Maybe it was enthusiasts & a hobby that drove them forward no more they tried & failed sadly it seems to much to soon.

 

[Whistler40145]

AFAIK, Classic Bus North West was started up to assist with paying for renting Rigby Road Tram Depot in Blackpool.


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[robertclark125]

They were set up with the same aims as that of Routemaster Bournemouth some 20 years ago, namely to assist in restoring preserved vehicles from the area. In the case of Routemaster Bournemouth, whilst it was somewhat successful, at first, Yellow Buses responded in an aggressive manner, and within a year it was all over. Here, BTS hasn't responded aggressively, that's the key difference.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It does go to show that any commercially registered service. run by enthusiasts or commercial organisations, has either to stand or fall.

 

[robertclark125]

Totally agree with you Paul, it doesn't matter if it's set up to raise additional restoration funds, it becomes a business, and so has to make money.

Incidentally, I mentioned Routemaster Bournemouth. This link has a brief explanation.

http://www.countrybus.co.uk/routemasterbournemouth.htm

 

[Whistler40145]

I agree, Classic Bus North West was outgrowing its resources, the fleet at times hasn't been in the best of health. IMHO I think starting the X70 service could have been the start of its downfall.

Would It have been in their best interest to move into the bus hire business, maybe School contracts and then slowly start to introducing extra bus services?

I am no businessman, but if this company has limited resources, you have to grow slowly until the company gets going.

 

[robertclark125]

I have to say, the few occasions when I was in Blackpool to see the X70, it wasn't busy. I agree with you Tim, and I'd also say, why not possibly introduce a route 6, running the route of the old BTS route 6. Maybe trying to reach out to Manchester was a step too far.

 

[ECML180]

They probably should have stuckwith their heritage origins and just done private hires and seafront services.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

They probably should have stuck with their heritage origins and just done private hires and seafront services.

How very well put.

 

[trentside]

They were set up with the same aims as that of Routemaster Bournemouth some 20 years ago, namely to assist in restoring preserved vehicles from the area. In the case of Routemaster Bournemouth, whilst it was somewhat successful, at first, Yellow Buses responded in an aggressive manner, and within a year it was all over. Here, BTS hasn't responded aggressively, that's the key difference.

Wasn't Shamrock set up by the same organisation?

They had a longer run, but still ended up folding a couple of years ago.

 

[robertclark125]

Shamrock was set up by the same people, or mostly the same.

 

[Whistler40145]

Classic Bus North West has ceased trading, drivers will be made redundant.

Service 22 will continue to operate, but under Oakwood Travel Limited.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-25518788

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[Xenophon PCDGS]

Maybe trying to reach out to Manchester was a step too far.

With the type of organisation running the company, there was no "maybe" about it. It was a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[Class20]

They were set up with the same aims as that of Routemaster Bournemouth some 20 years ago, namely to assist in restoring preserved vehicles from the area. In the case of Routemaster Bournemouth, whilst it was somewhat successful, at first, Yellow Buses responded in an aggressive manner, and within a year it was all over. Here, BTS hasn't responded aggressively, that's the key difference.

You would have been surprised at what was going on in the background. I cant say much on the matter but relations between Classic Bus and various parties in Blackpool were not so great, and although this may not have been the main cause of the operators failure I don't think it would have helped.

They probably should have stuckwith their heritage origins and just done private hires and seafront services.

I think you've hit the nail on the head. I knew, and helped out, Classic Bus on a number of occasions with their private hire operation, before they made the decision to go mainstream and start up commercial bus routes. Back then it was all well and good from what I saw with good money being made from private hires and wedding hires.

For me the 22 was the only route to have had a chance at staying afloat. It did bring in new connections in the Blackpool and Fylde area as well as serving areas that Blackpool Transport had abandoned some time ago. Although they are continuing the service into the new year, its little comfort for the drivers who are out of work and out of money.

There was a news story yesterday on local BBC North West news about all of this.

 

[robertclark125]

It's good to see the 22 will carry on, but on the Oakwood Travel licence. But, their reputation with LCC must be in tatters now after the route 80 debacle. Passengers, who saw some links broken, when subsidised routes were diverted to avoid competing with the commercial route 80, must also be unhappy. And how must Cumfybus feel about all of this. After all, CBNW registering a commercial route 80 was the catalyst for them withdrawing from the Fylde.

 

[WestCoast]

I don't think CBNW had an especially good relationship with certain local stakeholders and I became suspicious about the firm when it appeared to register services under a number of different licenses (that can be legitimate, but often isn't).

I agree with class20 that Catch22 had and still has the best chance of making a profit, due to the number of connections it restores without immediate competition across the Fylde Coast. The Red Rocket and 80 seemed a lot to take on so soon, especially with the vehicles they had chosen.

The immediate parties I feel for are the drivers that will lose their jobs, not only with CBNW but those that lost out when Cumfybus had its contract cancelled on the Fylde Villager 75/80/82 routes. Also the rural communities along the 80 bus routes have lost out, I wonder who will eventually be reawarded this route? LCC is potentially facing blame here as well, since they allegedly failed to do an effective appraisal of CBNW's books before accepting their commercial registration on the 80 route and giving them subsidy on evening and Sunday journeys.

Mind you, Preston Bus have interestingly won the 75 Fylde Villager, I wonder if they'll be interested in the 80 as well? Will be curious to see who the service passes to, now that Cumfybus and CBNW are out of the picture. Personally, I'd like to see Blackpool Transport make a return to the rural Fylde and Preston, but I think that's unlikely.