iantherev
Member
A write-off wouldn't surprise me - it's an ex First Cymru vehicle and was only survived a one way trip to the scrapyard because Bristol needed vehicles in a hurry.
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First West of England (Bristol, Bath & The West)
- Thread starter Ivo
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A write-off wouldn't surprise me - it's an ex First Cymru vehicle and was only survived a one way trip to the scrapyard because Bristol needed vehicles in a hurry.
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TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
I thought (feared) it might survive a little longer being a bit newer and possibly DDA compliant. Had it on an 81 a couple of months ago and it was a shed (as per the ones I've also experienced in Cymru)!
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Class 33
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I too used the current timings from Cribbs Causeway-Thornbury Health Centre. And it's about 37 minutes journey time at peak times.
This is what I got for a sample X12 service leaving Bristol at 1600.
BRISTOL Bus Station 1600
Cribbs Causeway 1627
Almondsbury, The Swan Hotel 1639
Thornbury, Rock Street 1654
THORNBURY, Health Centre 1703
I thought Hmmm... that's 1 hour 3 minutes, the same time the current service 310 leaving at 1600 takes running via Gloucester Road! Eh?!
freetoview33
Established Member
Running via the mway doesn't always save much time. Look at the X7 and compare the times of the service that runs up Gloucester Road to the ones that don't, they are exactly the same! I find it hard to believe to but that's the timetable!
DaveHarries
Established Member
On the matter of the StreetLites, a recent posting of what was at Heysham Docks on Saturday just gone revealed the following ones:
First Bristol: 47552 & 47553
First West of England (S&A): 47547 - 47549
Steve White says on the July page of his website - http://www.swhite.org.uk/steve/jul.htm - that 47544 & 47545 (respectively SB14 FFU & SB14 FFV) are also this side of the Irish sea. It seems that the ones seen at Heysham are all in the standard corporate livery. All? No, not quite, It seems that 47552 & 47553 - both thought to be for First Bristol - have been painted into something else if these photos are anything to go by.....
47552: http://malsfotofile.smugmug.com/HeyshamDocks/First-Group/28199298_xDfKFr#!i=3366074530&k=WXgWq7M
47553: http://malsfotofile.smugmug.com/HeyshamDocks/First-Group/28199298_xDfKFr#!i=3366074483&k=kxtSXct
..... which looks like the "Express Yourself" livery! Interesting question is what route these are likely to end up on.....
HTIOI,
Dave
First Bristol: 47552 & 47553
First West of England (S&A): 47547 - 47549
Steve White says on the July page of his website - http://www.swhite.org.uk/steve/jul.htm - that 47544 & 47545 (respectively SB14 FFU & SB14 FFV) are also this side of the Irish sea. It seems that the ones seen at Heysham are all in the standard corporate livery. All? No, not quite, It seems that 47552 & 47553 - both thought to be for First Bristol - have been painted into something else if these photos are anything to go by.....
47552: http://malsfotofile.smugmug.com/HeyshamDocks/First-Group/28199298_xDfKFr#!i=3366074530&k=WXgWq7M
47553: http://malsfotofile.smugmug.com/HeyshamDocks/First-Group/28199298_xDfKFr#!i=3366074483&k=kxtSXct
..... which looks like the "Express Yourself" livery! Interesting question is what route these are likely to end up on.....
HTIOI,
Dave
freetoview33
Established Member
X18 or X49 are both the express services registered under First Bristol, Or (cough an X70 to U.W.E)
matt_splat
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the stagecoach decker was prob on its way to or from transtec for repaint.
on the idea of your thornbury routes
maybe if you had a play about with your ideas it could work better why not have your hourly express routes run via the M32 then UWE and parkway then onto Thornbury?
as you already have plenty of Parkway - Cribbbs routes so it would still be express but would run between other points after Parkway it could run via Gypsy Patch then onto the A38 and it would miss out on the traffic on the M4
the 622 might need looking at as well because I would expect its busiest trips are at school times / peak mornings
on the idea of your thornbury routes
maybe if you had a play about with your ideas it could work better why not have your hourly express routes run via the M32 then UWE and parkway then onto Thornbury?
as you already have plenty of Parkway - Cribbbs routes so it would still be express but would run between other points after Parkway it could run via Gypsy Patch then onto the A38 and it would miss out on the traffic on the M4
the 622 might need looking at as well because I would expect its busiest trips are at school times / peak mornings
THarris123
Established Member
This is exactly what I was thinking. It could only be a few Streetlites painted in Express Yourself livery and I would have thought they could go on X49, X18 and X8. However, the more likely scenario would be that they go on X2/X3 and the Darts currently on there will end up on X49, X18, X8 and some could possibly go to Weston for X4/X5 (unlikely).
To quote an earlier post about the 379/178, the PVR is 8.
Also has anyone thought about starting up a separate thread on the 309/310 stuff (there's that much)?
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Private Baxter
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Is the X49 operated by First Bristol as opposed to FSA? I thought those eclipses had just moved to MH. Perhaps in time LH will just incorporate MH services as well, or the two will merge.
If streetlites go on X2/3 as I hope they will, that will probably knock off some of the old B10s and update routes like X9/10. But maybe a couple of the current darts could head to Wells to replace the final step dart and that marshall dart currently used on 161??
Thanks for clearing up 178/379 PVR. If Bath recieve eight, then that's a possible route for them, although as I realised yesterday perhaps those routes don't really have the numbers to justify it...?
If streetlites go on X2/3 as I hope they will, that will probably knock off some of the old B10s and update routes like X9/10. But maybe a couple of the current darts could head to Wells to replace the final step dart and that marshall dart currently used on 161??
Thanks for clearing up 178/379 PVR. If Bath recieve eight, then that's a possible route for them, although as I realised yesterday perhaps those routes don't really have the numbers to justify it...?
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
X49 is bizarrely an FB operation not FSA.
I can't see any other route than the X2/X3 for the Streetlites. Might be another cock up with legal lettering; last years' HE Streetlites appeared with FSA legals remember
Private Baxter
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Possibly, but I think it's now safe to say that they are destined for MH and X2/3. I think last years streetlites still have FSA legals1
First Bristol operating X49 does explain why those two eclipses work the route (the remaining two at LH), I think they are ideal for that route and aren't really city buses anyway imo. I have a gut feeling that the eight currently based at HE for the 70 will have moved on (possibly to WM or BH) by this time next year.
freetoview33
Established Member
I really do expect FB and FSA to merge into one legal company, it would make life much simpler! And First just sent me two First Day South West tickets after complaining about the 76!
Class 33
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The X7 has a timetabled 30 minute journey time between the bus station and Cribbs Causeway. The handful of times I've done it southbound it's took approx 25 minutes. Though on one occasion it took just 19 minutes, that's when traffic was really light though and was pretty much greens(traffic lights) through central Bristol. I did the journey northbound once and it took 25 minutes. But a half hour timetabled journey time is sensible, to allow for any delays on the motorway. That's why for my sample imaginary timetable I gave it 27 minutes timetabled journey time.
However I do wonder on the current 309 & 310 peak time workings from Bristol can often keep to the timetables. For instance of the 1700 & 1730 depatures, they are timetabled for 17 minutes to Muller Road Top and 28 minutes to Filton Gipsy Patch Lane. At these busy times when there are a lot of vehicles on the road I can imagine these particular services easily running 5, maybe 10 minutes or more late by the time they reach Filton Gypsy Patch Lane. When I used to work in central Bristol and heading home to Horfield around 4pm-ish, I'd sometimes get the 309 or 310 and on some of those occasions by the time they got to Muller Road top they were running 10 minutes late allready. Today heading home I saw a 309(which slightly surprisingly for a weekday was an ALX 400 Volvo B7) heading Northbound at Filton Roundabout at 1805. This would have been the 1730 Bristol-Thornbury service which should have been at Filton Gypsy Patch Lane by 1758.
I also can't really foresee First running three services per hour between Bristol and Thornbury. Would be nice, but can't see it happening anytime soon. Where are First going to get the extra buses from required for this?
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TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
It's 25 mins from Cribbs to Bristol bus Stn, but 30mins BBS to Cribbs though suspect this is actually 25 plus 5 for loading at Cribbs (for Chepstow bound passengers).
Remember that there have been other frequency increases (Bath to MSN from 20 to 15 mins) or all the new services (e.g. 17, 81, 82, X49, 224). They found vehicles then...
Legally Bristol has been a subsidiary of Somerset & Avon now for a few years.
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That's a bummer, I've still got an unused one they sent me a while back!
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Class 33
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What?! I was hoping to do a couple more bus trips around the region using the First Day South West(or Day Rider South West as I prefer to call them) tickets during the next few months! It will be too expensive to pay for a series of seperate return or single tickets for such a trip!
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TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Can everyone relax.....as announced on 12 June. Just means the FDSW is no longer farcically cheap!!
FirstDay South West ticket replaced by new 'West of England' day ticket. Cost £7. This offers unlimited travel on all First West of England and selected Buses of Somerset services'. Weekly, monthly and annual versions of this ticket also available. A family FirstDay West of England ticket will cost £14,
New 'West of England Plus' day ticket made available, offering unlimited travel on all First West of England Buses and all 'Buses of Somerset'. Cost £10. Weekly, monthly and a family day versions of this ticket will also be available,
ClevedonYellow
Member
The X4/X5 would not be suited to the Streetlites! The Enviro 400 just about cuts it but even a B7 is full and standing most of the journey.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Absolutely. Busy routes at times.
Might be likely that XY Darts go onto X8 or X9 and retain livery, or head to Thornbury?
freetoview33
Established Member
It says I can use the up until the end of August, or they will exchange it for a new ticket!
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You can use them until the end of August! So use it by then, or they will exchange it for a new ticket.
If they changed so they were all under one licence it would give much more flexibility on what buses get used!
I'm not trying to start another Thornbury here but with the X4 and X5 thought that it could be better having one X4 an hour (To Cribbs) and one X5 (But X5 stopping at Portishead) Or extend the X4 from Cribbs via the Mway to Thornbury and get an additional bus an hour that way!
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You can use them until the end of August! So use it by then, or they will exchange it for a new ticket.
If they changed so they were all under one licence it would give much more flexibility on what buses get used!
I'm not trying to start another Thornbury here but with the X4 and X5 thought that it could be better having one X4 an hour (To Cribbs) and one X5 (But X5 stopping at Portishead) Or extend the X4 from Cribbs via the Mway to Thornbury and get an additional bus an hour that way!
Martin1988
Member
Over the weekend I ended up riding on two of the recently introduced evening journeys from Bristol to Yate. On Saturday night I rode home on the last X49 journey(2145 from the bus station) and on sunday night I rode home on the last 47 journey(2335 from the bus station).
Neither journey had many passengers on it. With the X49 in particular this came as rather a surprise to me given the fact that the bus services out of Bristol were all very busy on Saturday evening. I can sort of see why there might not have been many people using it to travel to Yate(as the 47 runs 10 minutes in front) but I thought there'd be more people using it to travel to other places on the route like Fishponds, Staple Hill and Mangotsfield.
The late sunday 47 was also rather quiet with only a couple of other passengers on board(all traveling to Yate). Other services going to Portishead and Cribbs Causeway seemed to be a lot busier.
If anyone is able to answer I would be interested to find out, how long does it normally take for new bus journeys to establish themselves and attract passengers? Would the light loadings on the journeys I went on maybe be relate to the fact that these journeys are still fairly new and run later than previousy?
Neither journey had many passengers on it. With the X49 in particular this came as rather a surprise to me given the fact that the bus services out of Bristol were all very busy on Saturday evening. I can sort of see why there might not have been many people using it to travel to Yate(as the 47 runs 10 minutes in front) but I thought there'd be more people using it to travel to other places on the route like Fishponds, Staple Hill and Mangotsfield.
The late sunday 47 was also rather quiet with only a couple of other passengers on board(all traveling to Yate). Other services going to Portishead and Cribbs Causeway seemed to be a lot busier.
If anyone is able to answer I would be interested to find out, how long does it normally take for new bus journeys to establish themselves and attract passengers? Would the light loadings on the journeys I went on maybe be relate to the fact that these journeys are still fairly new and run later than previousy?
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Don't know if there is a definitive answer. Some evening services may never be sustainable or busy. In regard of the X49, it is very much the junior service to the 48/49 in terms of frequency and (as you said) the 47 goes before so probably takes a number of the Yate passengers.
Sunday evening loadings are now markedly weaker than other nights with increase in drinking at home and withdrawal of subsidy but why the 47 is worse than anything else, don't know!
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THarris123
Established Member
Didn't realise they were that busy. Shows how much I know! So are they decker services really?
ClevedonYellow
Member
Should be but most often they are B7's that run 20 mins late because of the loading issues.
Private Baxter
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I was unaware of this. Does that mean I won't be able to use the 29 to get to Glastonbury if I buy a FWE ticket in Bath or Bristol? Before anyone says it, I know there's a heap of other, more regular services to jump on, and I'm unlikely to use 29, but just in case that happened to be the first one to show up....
freetoview33
Established Member
Nope won't be able to get the new more frequent 29
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Weston's e400s are concentrated on the X1 and X6 as well as X4/5. If they're short for any reason (e.g. Maintenance, failure, traffic delays on X1, etc) then the other routes get priority and X4/5 gets the next best option which are the B7RLEs (thought B10BLEs have a few more seats and are arguably more comfortable albeit older)
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It does say selected BoS services.... Might be worth contacting them? Could be 29 but not south of Street/Ashcott but that's just a guess so worth dropping a tweet to them. That section, Weston to Uphill, Woolavington to Bridgwater and Somerton to Yeovil are the only common sections where BoS and FSA operate?????
freetoview33
Established Member
Yeah I guess that would make sense.