Stagecoach Banbury Garage

[BanburyBlue]

I was just pondering as I was walking past Banbury Bus Station today...

How many buses are based at Banbury Bus Garage? Although a fair size, Banbury isn't the biggest town in the world. There are a number of town services, and services wider afield to Oxford, Brackley, Chipping Norton, Stratford on Avon etc, so I guess the number of buses starts to add up? But at what stage does a bus garage become unviable?

Do they do much maintenance there, or is this more tyre pressures, engine oil etc?

Just curious.

 

[Typhoon]

According to unofficial websites, the number of vehicles seems to vary between 20 and 22!

It is not the smallest, for instance (according to the same sources) Stratford is smaller!

 

[BanburyBlue]

According to unofficial websites, the number of vehicles seems to vary between 20 and 22!

It is not the smallest, for instance (according to the same sources) Stratford is smaller!

Could you suggest a website or two?

 

[Surreyman]

Could you suggest a website or two?

MBonwicks site details the latest Stagecoach fleetcard from 09/12/2017 as Banbury having an allocation of 27 vehicles, the may have changed of course in the last 3 weeks.

 

[Busaholic]

MBonwicks site details the latest Stagecoach fleetcard from 09/12/2017 as Banbury having an allocation of 27 vehicles, the may have changed of course in the last 3 weeks.

The allocation will usually be a few more than the pvr, of course: prudent housekeeping!

 

[BanburyBlue]

PVR? Does this mean spares?

 

[Surreyman]

PVR? Does this mean spares?

Just to clarify, PVR listed as 24, total allocation 27, so spare/maintenance cover = 3.

 

[Robertj21a]

PVR means Peak Vehicle Requirement. I agree that the actual vehicle allocation at Banbury should, currently, be 27.

 

[BanburyBlue]

PVR means Peak Vehicle Requirement. I agree that the actual vehicle allocation at Banbury should, currently, be 27.

That’s a lot more than I thought. I guess you can do a count from the timetables?

 

[Cesarcollie]

I

That’s a lot more than I thought. I guess you can do a count from the timetables?

In theory yes but there may be closed door school or works contracts for which there is no publicly available timetable but will add to the PVR.

 

[BanburyBlue]

MBonwicks site details the latest Stagecoach fleetcard from 09/12/2017 as Banbury having an allocation of 27 vehicles, the may have changed of course in the last 3 weeks.

I can't find this site on Google - do you have a url?

 

[Blackpudding]

I can't find this site on Google - do you have a url?

Here you go

http://mbonwick.cu.cc/SCNW/Fleetcards/index.php

 

[Typhoon]

Could you suggest a website or two?

http://sdwebsite.co.uk/fleet/sdstagecoachfleetlist.php - filter by depot. Could not find a date.

http://www.buszone.co.uk/SiOfleet.xls - excel spreadsheet dated 25.08.17

http://www.uk-buses.co.uk/stagecoach/ - searched for 'Banbury'. Last date 10th December 2017.

Are they accurate? They are on the web so treat a little warily but they will be close (they will have been put together by enthusiasts for other enthusiasts). Even an official fleet list may well be out of date (particularly at this time of year - hardly a priority)!

Oh - and Stratford appears to be an 'outstation'!

 

[GaryMcEwan]

http://sdwebsite.co.uk/fleet/sdstagecoachfleetlist.php - filter by depot. Could not find a date.

http://www.buszone.co.uk/SiOfleet.xls - excel spreadsheet dated 25.08.17

http://www.uk-buses.co.uk/stagecoach/ - searched for 'Banbury'. Last date 10th December 2017.

Are they accurate? They are on the web so treat a little warily but they will be close (they will have been put together by enthusiasts for other enthusiasts). Even an official fleet list may well be out of date (particularly at this time of year - hardly a priority)!

Oh - and Stratford appears to be an 'outstation'!

Stagecoach push out their fleetlists every month, and it's usually spot on. January's will be out soon I would imagine.

 

[gka472l]

From the latest fleetcard, I have the following as Banbury allocated......

28742 YM15FPL
28743 YM15FPN
28744 YM15FPO
28745 YM15FPP
28746 YM15FPT
34436 KV53EZN
34467 KV53NHB
34468 KV53NHC
34469 KV53NHD
34471 KV53NHF
34472 KV53NHG
36448 OU61AUV
36763 OU62BHV
36764 OU62BKZ
36765 OU62BLV
36766 OU62BNF
36767 OU62BYL
36768 OU62BYT
36769 OU62BYV
36770 OU62BYY
37401 YX65PXS
37402 YX65PXT
37403 YX65PXU
37404 YX65PXV
37405 YX65PXW
47735 OU10GFE
47736 OU10GFG

HTH

 

[Mwanesh]

The Steven Knight Media website is good for fleet updates .It details everything by operating company mostly Stagecoach.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

That’s a lot more than I thought. I guess you can do a count from the timetables?

I remember popping into the Banbury depot one evening a few years ago and bumping into a member of staff there (health warning on staff rumours). He said that the view was that Stagecoach were holding onto the property as the area is likely to be redeveloped at some point and they'd move to a more modern depot in the town. They tend to do mostly light maintenance and servicing - the main stuff (MOTs, heavy maintenance) is done at Oxford.

The allocation was only about 20 then but since then, Geoff Amos went under so they got the Daventry service and I think they've recently won some more work off Johnsons. They did get some new Optare Solo SRs but they've been moved away? The main routes they have are the Oxford and Brackley routes IIRC.

 

[BanburyBlue]

I remember popping into the Banbury depot one evening a few years ago and bumping into a member of staff there (health warning on staff rumours). He said that the view was that Stagecoach were holding onto the property as the area is likely to be redeveloped at some point and they'd move to a more modern depot in the town. They tend to do mostly light maintenance and servicing - the main stuff (MOTs, heavy maintenance) is done at Oxford.

The allocation was only about 20 then but since then, Geoff Amos went under so they got the Daventry service and I think they've recently won some more work off Johnsons. They did get some new Optare Solo SRs but they've been moved away? The main routes they have are the Oxford and Brackley routes IIRC.

The local council do have redevelopment plans for that part of the town, and have started buying properties when they become vacant. So once all that comes to fruition, would Stagecoach look for a new site or move the fleet elsewhere? I guess it's a sizeable chunk of buses to have drive up the M40 every morning.

In terms of routes there are a number of town routes as well as Brackley (500), Oxford (S4) (not sure why we didn't get double deckers like all the other 'S' routes), Chipping Norton (488), Stratford on Avon (via Ettington) and Stratford on Avon (via Shipston on Stour) (can't remember the numbers) and Daventry (200?).

 

[robk23oxf]

The redevelopment rumours have been going around for a while. There was a rough date for when things were really going to get started and that passed by a couple of years ago so who knows what is going on? Banbury has a body shop but painting is handled by Oxford (standard livery) and outside contractors (Gold buses).

The only new depot plans for Oxfordshire at the moment are for Witney which still runs out of the tiny Midland Red garage in the town which is now surrounded by houses and would be a prime redevelopment spot. A new depot would take over from the existing depot and outstation in Witney and may also be able to take in the vehicles currently at Chipping Norton outstation?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The redevelopment rumours have been going around for a while. There was a rough date for when things were really going to get started and that passed by a couple of years ago so who knows what is going on? Banbury has a body shop but painting is handled by Oxford (standard livery) and outside contractors (Gold buses).

The only new depot plans for Oxfordshire at the moment are for Witney which still runs out of the tiny Midland Red garage in the town which is now surrounded by houses and would be a prime redevelopment spot. A new depot would take over from the existing depot and outstation in Witney and may also be able to take in the vehicles currently at Chipping Norton outstation?

Slight correction: Banbury is a former Midland Red garage. However, Witney is a former City of Oxford Motor Services depot.

Witney has a separate parking area on an industrial estate 5 mins from the depot so a new site is more pressing. Banbury isn’t for sale but if someone wants to buy.....

 

[David57]

Witney, Midland Red garage?

On another topic, I bet Stagecoach in Banbury would move out to an industrial estate, with outdoor parking, and fairly minimal workshop and staff facilities.

I can understand that the current depot would be worth a lot of money, if it was to be redeveloped.

 

[robk23oxf]

Slight correction: Banbury is a former Midland Red garage. However, Witney is a former City of Oxford Motor Services depot.

I did of course mean South Midland!

 

[mbonwick]

http://sdwebsite.co.uk/fleet/sdstagecoachfleetlist.php - filter by depot. Could not find a date.

http://www.buszone.co.uk/SiOfleet.xls - excel spreadsheet dated 25.08.17

http://www.uk-buses.co.uk/stagecoach/ - searched for 'Banbury'. Last date 10th December 2017.

Are they accurate?

Buszone is usually spot on, as it's run by Oxford based enthusiasts with a very good info base.

The other 2 I would not waste your time with - vehicles missing left, right and centre. Plus most of their updates come via the fleetcards anyway, so why add an extra layer of confusion?

 

[BanburyBlue]

The redevelopment rumours have been going around for a while. There was a rough date for when things were really going to get started and that passed by a couple of years ago so who knows what is going on? Banbury has a body shop but painting is handled by Oxford (standard livery) and outside contractors (Gold buses).

The only new depot plans for Oxfordshire at the moment are for Witney which still runs out of the tiny Midland Red garage in the town which is now surrounded by houses and would be a prime redevelopment spot. A new depot would take over from the existing depot and outstation in Witney and may also be able to take in the vehicles currently at Chipping Norton outstation?

Yes agreed - although didn’t Cherwell District Council buy the Antelope garage site? So I guess long term they’re serious?

Why a body shop but no painting? I would have thought painting was an intrinsic part of a body shop?

Does anyone know what happened to the bus garage at Leamington Spa? That always looked like quite a big one.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The Leamington (Station Approach) depot was closed and is being redeveloped for housing. It MAY have been leased? Can’t recall if it came to Midland Red with the G&G business or not but it replaced Myton Road (now a retail park).

Stagecoach have now moved to a new depot at Trident Park on the south side of the town.

 

[robk23oxf]

Why a body shop but no painting? I would have thought painting was an intrinsic part of a body shop?

As far as I'm aware it was to make space. When all the buses are in the depot at night nearly every inch of space inside the building is used and it was decided that an extra bus or two could be squeezed in if the engineering facilities were re-arranged. It has to be said though that the paint facilities aren't needed as full repaints are few and far between outside of Oxford depot. There are still buses 8 or 9 years old in the fleet with their original paintwork so full repaints aren't a priority.

 

[DavidGrain]

I have driven through Banbury a few times but actually visiting the town I have done only once a few years ago. Walking from the railway station to my hotel I passed the bus station and saw a Stagecoach bus on route B6. As someone who, as a boy spent much of my time hanging about in Bearwood (Midland Red Chief Traffic Office,) I was glad to see a relic of the Midland Red.

 

[Cesarcollie]

As far as I'm aware it was to make space. When all the buses are in the depot at night nearly every inch of space inside the building is used and it was decided that an extra bus or two could be squeezed in if the engineering facilities were re-arranged. It has to be said though that the paint facilities aren't needed as full repaints are few and far between outside of Oxford depot. There are still buses 8 or 9 years old in the fleet with their original paintwork so full repaints aren't a priority.

I'm not sure buses were ever painted at Banbury. They certainly weren't 25-30 years ago. In privatised but pre Stagecoach days painting was outsourced. In 'old' Midland Red days I presume it was done at Central Works.

 

[robk23oxf]

I'm not sure buses were ever painted at Banbury. They certainly weren't 25-30 years ago. In privatised but pre Stagecoach days painting was outsourced. In 'old' Midland Red days I presume it was done at Central Works.

They certainly did repaints on vehicles repaired after accidents up to a few years ago but nothing much more than that. An Optare which was crashed a few years ago came back with a whole new front end and a new coat of paint.

It's interesting to note also that Banbury has recently been fitted with a new bus wash and front doors.

 

[anti-pacer]

As much as I love Banbury, having spent almost 3 great years there in the mid to late 90's, I remember it being terrible for bus services. Outside the town, the only 'regular' buses ran to Brackley, Chipping Norton, and Oxford. Leamington, Rugby, Stratford, MK, and even Bicester, forget it.

The trains have improved, although they weren't bad then, but travelling to MK or Northampton involved a massive undertaking. I suppose the former can be reached by getting the train to Bicester and then the X5.

Also, I never understood why there was a bus company servicing Oxfordshire called "South Midland". The only part of the county that could remotely be classed as Midlands is Banbury, and that's not even the case.