Stagecoach win Transport for West Midlands Tenders

[bussnapperwm]

Stagecoach have won some Travel for West Midlands routes, which commenced operation yesterday. They had been up for tender in November (Stagecoach website).

We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded new tenders and will be running the following new routes from 1st January 2023
41 - Queen Elizabeth Hospital - Headlands Hospital
169 - Kings Heath - Shirley
A9 - Kingshurst - Blyth Valley Park
46 - Queen Elizabeth Hospital - Kings Heath
71 - Chelmsley Wood - Sutton Coldfield
7 - Pool Meadow - Brownshill Green
51 - Pool Meadow - Arena Retail Park

Transport for West Midlands website

7 - Coventry to Brownshill Green
From 1 January 2023, Stagecoach will operate this service from 6pm and on Sundays.

National Express will continue to operate the service until 6pm from Monday to Saturday.

So, now the Queen Elizabeth (Birmingham) area/Solihull area Transport for West Midlands tendered network, currently based at Rugby depot, has started, I wonder how long it'll be until Stagecoach start commercial bus work in Birmingham?

 

[Cesarcollie]

Stagecoach have won some Travel for West Midlands routes, which commenced operation yesterday. They had been up for tender in November (Stagecoach website).



Transport for West Midlands website


So, now the Queen Elizabeth (Birmingham) area/Solihull area Transport for West Midlands tendered network, currently based at Rugby depot, has started, I wonder how long it'll be until Stagecoach start commercial bus work in Birmingham?

Midland Red South ran Centro tenders in Coventry from Rugby depot (and others) in pre-Stagecoach days. There’s nothing new under the sun…..

 

[markymark2000]

Midland Red South ran Centro tenders in Coventry from Rugby depot (and others) in pre-Stagecoach days. There’s nothing new under the sun…..

The 'New' thing will be if they find the land for the outstation that they want to open to try and reduce dead mileage. I believe they wanted to get one opened prior to starting the contracts but of course weren't able to.

 

[bussnapperwm]

Midland Red South ran Centro tenders in Coventry from Rugby depot (and others) in pre-Stagecoach days. There’s nothing new under the sun…..

Yeah, but running routes out of Rugby based around the QE Hospital (Birmingham) is worth noting as they have a large amount of dead mileage, and it is the first time since 2009 that Stagecoach have run buses within the Birmingham city boundary (when they ran the Warwickshire X20 route).

(Totally ignoring the Commonwealth Games stuff as that only carried Games ticket holders, not the General Public at large)

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Midland Red South ran Centro tenders in Coventry from Rugby depot (and others) in pre-Stagecoach days. There’s nothing new under the sun…..

In pre-Stagecoach days, they purchased Vanguard Coaches and had a depot at Rowley Drive in Baginton (near the Airport). I think it did tendered work but I don't think it was ever integrated into Midland Red South - @RT4038 will be able to provide expert advice on that.

However, I don't think I ever envisaged Stagecoach operating tendered services in Sutton Coldfield though. Given that, at various times, most large groups seem to have had a bash at operating tendered routes in West Mids, perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised.

 

[bussnapperwm]

In pre-Stagecoach days, they purchased Vanguard Coaches and had a depot at Rowley Drive in Baginton (near the Airport). I think it did tendered work but I don't think it was ever integrated into Midland Red South - @RT4038 will be able to provide expert advice on that.

This blog written by National Express West Midlands Perry Barr driver Mark Fitchew talks about the Vanguard Coaches era and the takeover by Stagecoach

Stagecoach

December 1993 saw the Western Travel Group purchased by the expanding Stagecoach Group. On the negative side, Stagecoach’s, in my opinion bland, white based livery swept away all the colour (if sometimes rather scruffy) of the three Warwickshire fleets of the group but the positives overtook this, as the new owners began to take a more positive outlook over it’s acquisition!

Almost immediately, ticketing between Midland Red South, G & G and Vanguard was integrated.

However, I don't think I ever envisaged Stagecoach operating tendered services in Sutton Coldfield though. Given that, at various times, most large groups seem to have had a bash at operating tendered routes in West Mids, perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised.

I think its only ComfortDelGro, Abellio, Wellglade, Centrebus and RATP that haven't tried to run tenders in the WM area yet.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

This blog written by National Express West Midlands Perry Barr driver Mark Fitchew talks about the Vanguard Coaches era and the takeover by Stagecoach

Thanks for that link - lots of good info there

 

[RT4038]

In pre-Stagecoach days, they purchased Vanguard Coaches and had a depot at Rowley Drive in Baginton (near the Airport). I think it did tendered work but I don't think it was ever integrated into Midland Red South - @RT4038 will be able to provide expert advice on that.

It did tendered work including school buses, and as the blog states the lettered Coventry Metro routes, some tendered and some commercial. It was closed down in 1999. One route (H City-Holbrooks, which paralleled the 57/157 out of Coventry) was retained and operated by Nuneaton Depot (on a 10 min daytime frequency using 709s) . It was withdrawn in 2002 and the resources used to improve the Coventry-Nuneaton corridors.

 

[Cesarcollie]

It did tendered work including school buses, and as the blog states the lettered Coventry Metro routes, some tendered and some commercial. It was closed down in 1999. One route (H City-Holbrooks, which paralleled the 57/157 out of Coventry) was retained and operated by Nuneaton Depot (on a 10 min daytime frequency using 709s) . It was withdrawn in 2002 and the resources used to improve the Coventry-Nuneaton corridors.

All that is true. But the ‘main’ MRS operation also ran Centro tenders - mainly in the Coventry area - and mainly eves/Sundays if I remember rightly (but also the Flexibus operation using Leyland Nationals with a wheelchair lift). The Metro minibus operations and the Vanguard/G & G acquisitions were later I recollect.

 

[RELL6L]

Stagecoach have won some Travel for West Midlands routes, which commenced operation yesterday. They had been up for tender in November (Stagecoach website).
We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded new tenders and will be running the following new routes from 1st January 2023
41 - Queen Elizabeth Hospital - Headlands Hospital
169 - Kings Heath - Shirley
A9 - Kingshurst - Blyth Valley Park
46 - Queen Elizabeth Hospital - Kings Heath
71 - Chelmsley Wood - Sutton Coldfield
7 - Pool Meadow - Brownshill Green
51 - Pool Meadow - Arena Retail Park

Transport for West Midlands website

So, now the Queen Elizabeth (Birmingham) area/Solihull area Transport for West Midlands tendered network, currently based at Rugby depot, has started, I wonder how long it'll be until Stagecoach start commercial bus work in Birmingham?

That's quite a significant amount of work. I make it:

In Birmingham
41 2 vehicles
169 2 vehicles
A9 5 vehicles
46 4 vehicles

In Coventry
51 3 vehicles

The other routes are evenings / weekends.

That's 16 more vehicles out all day, I think the Birmingham routes from Rugby and the 51 from Nuneaton - possibly some Nuneaton involvement in the others - the 51 is not on BusTimes. All seems to be with E200s. Are they able to staff this?

Stagecoach Midlands have taken on other extra tendered Warwickshire work fairly recently in the Stratford area with the demise of Johnsons, including the X20 Stratford-Solihull and many obscure and complex routes from Stratford towards Moreton in Marsh and the rural hinterland towards Banbury. Some of this includes quite a few double deck workings, presumably based around schools.

Looking at Stagecoach Midlands twitter today there are a lot of cancellations in the Stratford area including some of these extremely infrequent routes, even the last journeys. Not good. None anywhere else?

 

[Justin Tyme]

The Birmingham and Solihull routes are indeed all currently run from Rugby, and the Coventry routes from Nuneaton. No doubt the Birmingham and Solihull routes will transfer to a Birmingham area garage if one is opened - it makes sense for the Coventry services to stay at Nuneaton (which also, by the way, runs the ex-Johnsons ex-Diamond Coventry - Solihull services funded by TfWM).

I'm only an observer of the scene but I wouldn't put any money on Stagecoach running commercially in Birmingham. National Express responded when Stagecoach started a Coventry - Warwick Uni service in Jan 2020. Driver shortages brought the end of the Stagecoach service last year, but NX Coventry 20 still runs from Cov to Nuneaton - and Stagecoach have reduced its higher fares on parallel service 48 to match.

 

[Andy Pacer]

Interesting to see them branching out, given that they won the Leicestershire tender last August which they also run from Nuneaton.

 

[Simon75]

Wonder if they will open additional depots/outstations?

 

[duncanp]

Wonder if they will open additional depots/outstations?

They need to, because they are having problems with staff shortages.

From the Transport for the West Midlands disruption page.

Disruptions

Find live and planned disruptions for public transport in the West Midlands.

disruptions.tfwm.org.uk

Due to driver availabity, some of the new Stagecoach services may be subject to short notice cancellations.

These are mostly affecting the A9, 41, 46, 169 routes in Birmingham and Solihull and the 7 and 51 in Coventry

Stagecoach will be updating their social media channels regularly with the latest service updates. Please refer to their Twitter feed for the very latest information.

 

[Megafuss]

They need to, because they are having problems with staff shortages.

From the Transport for the West Midlands disruption page.

Disruptions

Find live and planned disruptions for public transport in the West Midlands.

disruptions.tfwm.org.uk

Given what we know Stagecoach were doing with other local operating companies last summer in order for the Commonwealth Games services to operate, I do find it ironic they are now having "unforeseen circumstances" in the West Midlands!

 

[bussnapperwm]

It seems that the Stagecoach Twitter doesn't even know that they run the 41 in Acocks Green. Someone complained to Stagecoach Midlands on Twitter about one of the routes not running

I was waiting for the 802am 41 in Acocks green yesterday, arrived in the green at 745 with my son in the rain for the bus not to come at all had to get the 11 and be very late for a very important appointment give up the contract to landflights who should have got the contract

https://twitter.com/ilovekeith86/status/1613796854927343622?s=20&t=XQTgLaVFiWJj4qy4mkSlnw

Stagecoach's response...

Hi there, I have left the link below for the http://bustimes.org website as this is a National Express West Midlands service. Thanks EM https://bustimes.org/services/41-qe-hospital-heartlands-hospital

https://twitter.com/StagecoachMids/status/1613911308818169856?s=20&t=XQTgLaVFiWJj4qy4mkSlnw

The irony is the original tweet was in response to Stagecoach announcing some of the TfWM services that are based at the QE Hospital (Birmingham) would not run on the 12th. Funny thing is that the previous operator (National Express West Midlands) hadn't removed the withdrawn routes from their Bus Open Data feed, although it seems that the old timetable has been removed on there and the link Stagecoach had supplied has now been redirected to the Stagecoach timetable on bustimes

 

[Liam L]

Any updates on how the services have been running as of late, I know they had some issues at the start of the tenders with buses being missing?