Go Cornwall Bus

[Goldfish62]

Quite a few people live at the far end of Mousehole and it is a fair walk to the Harbour stop. Now they will have to walk even further to find a bus.

Always been my point. The majority of the village is located beyond the harbour stop.

Go Cornwall will have probably factored in losing some passengers as a result, but this being outweighed by a reduction in PVR and no need for a bespoke fleet.

For the rest of the route no one is going to be sorry to see the Sprinters going. Even at 3bph they can barely cope at times in the winter and a full Sprinter really isn't fun.

Looking at the timetables I reckon the 6 and 4/4A are going to be interworked, with a combined PVR of 4 (and a much improved service for St Just and Pendeen).

 

[Snozzel]

I remember the year when First ran the double deck ‘CAT’ route and it wasn’t clear where abouts to wait at The Old Coastguards

Another quirky terminus that looks to be being lost is the Fowey Safe Harbour Inn terminus, the alternative stop, like in Mousehole, is further up the hill away from the village centre

Its only a 2 min walk away even if it is uphill. The whole walk out of fowey to safe harbour is a hill that is a strain for some but this extra little bit isnt much more imo.

 

[Goldfish62]

Its only a 2 min walk away even if it is uphill. The whole walk out of fowey to safe harbour is a hill that is a strain for some but this extra little bit isnt much more imo.

It's not 2 minutes! It's 4 min at "Google Maps" speed, ie fast, so around 10 minutes for an elderly person. I'm speaking from a substantial amount local knowledge.

But I agree that the climb out of Fowey is worse.

Anyway, it's all academic because it's happening. As I said the main issue is sorting out where the actual stop is going to be.

 

[SW Buses]

The new 6 also reduces to every 30 minutes from every 20 when comparing the timetables on GCB and First’s respective websites.

 

[Goldfish62]

The new 6 also reduces to every 30 minutes from every 20 when comparing the timetables on GCB and First’s respective websites.

It's not surprising given that larger vehicles will be used. Until the introduction of the Sprinters which required a higher frequency for capacity the winter service was 2bph anyway. It's also reduced from 2 to 1bph on Sundays. Again not surprising for the winter.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jan 2026 ==

Another detail point I've noticed is that with the merger of the 5/5A into the 1/1A Paul will be served in both directions rather than on a one way loop. Unfortunately buses are timed to meet in the very narrow lanes around Paul. Oops!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Go Ahead appear to be more risk averse than First so it does not surprise me to see that the Harbour at Mousehole and the Safe Harbour at Fowey will no longer be served. Is there a safe pedestrian route from the Harbour to the Old Coastguards? It has been a very long time since my last visit. There were Bristol SUs and Harvey’s Albion Nimbus running the route back then.

I doubt it is about being risk averse.

More that rather than have a small dedicated fleet to access the harbour, they’re going to stop 150/200 metres short and have greater operational flexibility as well as being able to use larger vehicles when loadings demand it

 

[DaveHarries]

Clearly suggests First will have to find a home for the Sprinters.

Didn't GCB get some Sprinters when they picked up the operations of Summercourt Travel? I am sure ST had some for use on Service 23 between Gorran Haven and St. Austell.

Dave

 

[Goldfish62]

They were the narrow Solos in the shortest length (the sort with a single leaf door). Think that's what it was when I did it.

It was a mix of 7.1m and 7.8m Solos, the latter being quite a squeeze.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Didn't GCB get some Sprinters when they picked up the operations of Summercourt Travel? I am sure ST had some for use on Service 23 between Gorran Haven and St. Austell.

Dave

Yes but they’ve as many as the need for the current work. They’ve taken the view that Mousehole will be better served by not having Sprinters and instead turning at the Old Coastguard station even if it means sacrificing a few passengers.

 

[RELL6L]

These changes look very negative, but I guess Go Cornwall don’t have to propose any more than they want to and believe they have the resources for. Someone can always come and compete if they want to - but I doubt that they will. Or Cornwall insist on improvements - equally unlikely.

A few things strike me.

Currently the T2 and 17 provide a regular 15 minute frequency in and out of St Ives. The new 17 and 14 will provide two buses an hour, about 10 minutes apart. Roughly the same for the 17 and 18 into Penzance.

Still two buses an hour between Truro and Falmouth but departures from Truro on the 32 and 32A will be 15 and 45 minutes apart, not good.

The 87 to Newquay will only be hourly, not long ago it was every 30 minutes as U1 and U1A. Also it will go via Cubert adding nearly 20 minutes to most journeys, replacing the existing 86.

Many comments already on Mousehole, to me this is no surprise. I suspect having special small buses for this is a problem both for flexibility and capacity. Better to run full size buses reliably from the Coastguard. I agree this looks interworked with the 4/4A, these routes about the only positive change.

They do seem to be keeping a 15 minute between Falmouth town and campus between 3, 32 and 33. There already is a route 33 locally, seems odd as route numbers are not generally duplicated. Is the 33 being renumbered? Or scrapped?

Might some of these services step up in the summer? The timing gives scope to get things up and running, take stock and maybe make improvements later in the year.

 

[Snozzel]

It's not 2 minutes! It's 4 min at "Google Maps" speed, ie fast, so around 10 minutes for an elderly person. I'm speaking from a substantial amount local knowledge.

But I agree that the climb out of Fowey is worse.

Anyway, it's all academic because it's happening. As I said the main issue is sorting out where the actual stop is going to be.

When first used long solos on the 24 as a last resort for breakdowns they had to be abandoned on Hanson drive to walk down to safe harbour to enlighten passengers as to the new location of the bus that was unable to turn round at safe harbour,which was about 5 minutes return walk total including loading. The current “new” stop and shelter have been located at the bottom of new hill for quite a while now so i can only assume this will be the 24’s new home too.
I don't deny this is an extra strain on already weary old people.

 

[Express380]

These changes look very negative, but I guess Go Cornwall don’t have to propose any more than they want to and believe they have the resources for. Someone can always come and compete if they want to - but I doubt that they will. Or Cornwall insist on improvements - equally unlikely.

I unfortunately agree with this, being in the Truro area where the 14,18,87 cuts are, it's not ideal whatsoever, I hope for improvement but strongly doubt it.

 

[MotCO]

Where new services are at a lower frequency than the services being replaced, is this temporary due or vehicle or staff shortages? Maybe they will be increased later?

 

[Andyh82]

Where new services are at a lower frequency than the services being replaced, is this temporary due or vehicle or staff shortages? Maybe they will be increased later?

You’d hope it’s just a winter timetable for a few weeks until Easter

If it isn’t I’m not sure Go Ahead running First off the road with their competition (which many here were excited about) was such a good idea

 

[Bletchleyite]

You’d hope it’s just a winter timetable for a few weeks until Easter

If it isn’t I’m not sure Go Ahead running First off the road with their competition (which many here were excited about) was such a good idea

Go Cornwall Bus/TfC do run a substantially reduced winter timetable, so I'd be surprised if there weren't summer increases, maybe even entire additional routes. As an example there are no Sunday buses in most of north Cornwall pretty much between Newquay and the Devon border in winter, but there are pretty usable (if not super-frequent) Sunday services in summer.

 

[DaveHarries]

Many comments already on Mousehole, to me this is no surprise. I suspect having special small buses for this is a problem both for flexibility and capacity. Better to run full size buses reliably from the Coastguard.

It looks to me as if the OCH stop would tricky to turn anything at so you wonder why they don't finish at the Harbour stop as First presently do.

Dave

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

It looks to me as if the OCH stop would tricky to turn anything at so you wonder why they don't finish at the Harbour stop as First presently do.

Dave

It isn’t - as @Goldfish62 said, you regularly see coaches turning there let alone 10m buses.

If you go to the harbour, you need very short wheelbase vehicles which sees crush loaded Sprinters and dinky Solos (in the past) so GCB have elected to turn short and use larger vehicles so it solves the capacity problem and means greater operational flexibility. That’s the trade off.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Jan 2026 ==

You’d hope it’s just a winter timetable for a few weeks until Easter

If it isn’t I’m not sure Go Ahead running First off the road with their competition (which many here were excited about) was such a good idea

Were many on here excited about it? Seems there’s as many who are disparaging about GCB as there were about First

 

[GBM]

Having never caught the route from the Harbour - only going on foot that makes complete sense from your description.

There's going to be much anger from Mousehole residents about the long slog to the OCH.
As said, most residents live to the West of the Harbour stop, and many are getting more elderly!
Only small/short wheel base Solo's could use the harbour stop.
Evening runs had the service running into Mousehole via Paul Hill. One way in, one way out.
Always tricky with parked cars.
One evening a long wheeled Solo was taken for the Harbour run by a new driver.
Having tried the first top turn, the driver realised he was stuck - both back and front.
A driver buddy/trainer (off duty) was called, along with Management.
Vehicle driven out with just a few minor scratches.
Lesson learnt!
The turning just past the OCH which all large vehicles reverse is also difficult.
A low wall by your near side front, and your rear near side by the other wall.

 

[richard13]

I am reminded of the comment made when Go South Coast took over Bournemouth Yellow Buses, that their new network was deliberately at the minimum reasonable level, due to concerns over resources, particularly for them drivers. As they recruited over 100 drivers in 48 hours they added re-introduction of the contract routes immediately. I suspect in Cornwall they will take a similar approach and add frequency as resources and demand permit. In these situations extra services can be added very quickly, with council approval.

I used the 6 into Mousehole one lunchtime in Oct 2024. It was a scrum and the bus had difficulty reaching the harbour stop due to the crowd of people waiting in the bus stand - there is no pavement. With today's tourist numbers a bigger bus to the OCH makes a lot of practical sense even if it is inconvenient to some residents, but the residents are probably a small proportion of passengers. The stops and practice at the OCH needs better defining, but new management and route trainers will probably do that.

 

[Goldfish62]

I am reminded of the comment made when Go South Coast took over Bournemouth Yellow Buses, that their new network was deliberately at the minimum reasonable level, due to concerns over resources, particularly for them drivers. As they recruited over 100 drivers in 48 hours they added re-introduction of the contract routes immediately. I suspect in Cornwall they will take a similar approach and add frequency as resources and demand permit. In these situations extra services can be added very quickly, with council approval.

I used the 6 into Mousehole one lunchtime in Oct 2024. It was a scrum and the bus had difficulty reaching the harbour stop due to the crowd of people waiting in the bus stand - there is no pavement. With today's tourist numbers a bigger bus to the OCH makes a lot of practical sense even if it is inconvenient to some residents, but the residents are probably a small proportion of passengers. The stops and practice at the OCH needs better defining, but new management and route trainers will probably do that.

I can't disagree with any of that.

Re Mousehole harbour, if the 7.9m Solo SR fitted (it failed a route test a few years ago) and was still in production I dare say the harbour would still be served. The fact that only Sprinters fit and that that also results in a higher frequency dictated by the low capacity means the current arrangements were realistically living on borrowed time.

I'm sure there'll be a big storm about it locally, and understandably so, but it'll die down in time. As I said previously, passengers on the rest of the route will not be sorry to see the back of the Sprinters - they haven't exactly gone down well!

 

[Great_Western]

This is going to sound like a stupid question, but how do larger buses turn around at the Old Coastguard Hotel?

Do they turn in to Parkryn Road and reverse back to the stop, or is there another solution I am missing?

A quick look at Google Maps doesn't make it look like there is much space even there.

 

[Goldfish62]

This is going to sound like a stupid question, but how do larger buses turn around at the Old Coastguard Hotel?

Do they turn in to Parkryn Road and reverse back to the stop, or is there another solution I am missing?

A quick look at Google Maps doesn't make it look like there is much space even there.

They reverse into Parkryn Road. I've seen 13.5m triaxle coaches do it in the summer. It looks tighter than it is. The issue is what they do after. I don't think it's reasonable expecting drivers to reverse along The Parade especially at the height of the summer. Hopefully the council will put in a bus stop cage opposite the car park entrance.

 

[Scotrail88]

There also needs to be a reminder here that if First network is so underperforming then why would it be expected to be like for like.

 

[Great_Western]

They reverse into Parkryn Road. I've seen 13.5m triaxle coaches do it in the summer. It looks tighter than it is. The issue is what they do after. I don't think it's reasonable expecting drivers to reverse along The Parade especially at the height of the summer. Hopefully the council will put in a bus stop cage opposite the car park entrance.

Interesting, thanks!

 

[Goldfish62]

There also needs to be a reminder here that if First network is so underperforming then why would it be expected to be like for like.

One of the main reasons it was underperforming was not because the routes are inherently unviable, but because of First's high overheads, ie five depots to run around 60 buses. That's why by removing them the network can be run commercially with what are only fairly modest cuts, some of which I can see being reversed in time. Placing the routes into existing GoAhead depots will spread the operator's overheads more thinly and also result in improving the bottom line on its supported network.

One benefit that stands out is merging the 5/5A (supported) into the 1/1A (commercial). Apart from at school times the loadings on the 5/5A are generally very low and merging the routes saves a whole peak bus on the supported network.

 

[MotCO]

To service Mousehole, is it possible to run a minibus, such as a Transit, to run a connecting service to the main routes? Maybe there could be a driver swap on the main route, with drivers stepping back on to the next main route bus, and operate the Transit in between times?

 

[Goldfish62]

As a related aside here's an NBC publicity shot at Mousehole harbour from the 1970s. The Bristol LHS has just reversed down Fore Street ready for its return to Penzance. Back then this manoeuvre would usually be without passengers. Note also the lack of a ticket machine.

 

[GBM]

As a related aside here's an NBC publicity shot at Mousehole harbour from the 1970s. The Bristol LHS has just reversed down Fore Street ready for its return to Penzance. Back then this manoeuvre would usually be without passengers. Note also the lack of a ticket machine.

And now that manoeuvre is done with passengers on board!

 

[Goldfish62]

And now that manoeuvre is done with passengers on board!

Yes, it started in the early 80s when the owners of the house complained about buses on the Penzance-bound bus stop blocking their view.

 

[Andyh82]

People who live in the west suburbs of Camborne won’t know if they are coming or going. For many years they’ve had 4 buses per hour, dating back to the start of the Kernow/Tinner brand. Since September they’ve had 7 buses per hour. Now from February they will have just 2 buses per hour.

Out of St Ives, there are 4 buses per hour. There used to be 5 when the Lands End Coaster ran, and maybe even 6 at certain times when First’s short lived ideas were in operation. Now there will be just 2, and those 2 are badly spaced.

Let’s hope Go Ahead get the same backlash as First would have done. People here brought up First using Solos on the A17 leaving people behind for years, but now cutting the service in half is apparently understandable