First South West (Kernow & Buses of Somerset)

[TheGrandWazoo]

Are you sure? The depot and Truronian itself are being sold to Go-Ahead, unless solely the Flixbus vehicles are staying in Cornwall and being outstationed somewhere this doesn't make sense, First aren't going to run a contract at a Go-Ahead owned company.

I guess they could be outstationed at Go Ahead's new Truro depot?

 

[markymark2000]

Are you sure? The depot and Truronian itself are being sold to Go-Ahead, unless solely the Flixbus vehicles are staying in Cornwall and being outstationed somewhere this doesn't make sense, First aren't going to run a contract at a Go-Ahead owned company.

It's worth noting that the 049/N49 Flixbus routes, are not just operated by Truro staff. They are also worked by staff from First Taunton and I think Bristol may be involved too at times.

 

[buscoaster]

Correct, the Flix work will be outstationed at the Truro depot, with engineering, fueling and cleaning etc contracted to Go Ahead. The oversight will be from Taunton.

 

[Murray J]

Correct, the Flix work will be outstationed at the Truro depot, with engineering, fueling and cleaning etc contracted to Go Ahead. The oversight will be from Taunton.

Interesting, that makes sense.

 

[markymark2000]

Correct, the Flix work will be outstationed at the Truro depot, with engineering, fueling and cleaning etc contracted to Go Ahead. The oversight will be from Taunton.

Can't help but feel they may find it easier to amend the timetables so that the 049/N49 can be maintained at Bristol and then the work in Cornwall can be limited to a driver depot (or office). Interwork as a Bristol - London - Penzance - London - Bristol 2 day bus duty, and have a light walkthrough clean in Cornwall between trips, refuel at a normal petrol station. The time buses are say in Cornwall would then be limited to layover between trips, rather than needing somewhere to park up properly.

 

[nick291]

The Flix coaches will be remaining with First, running out of Truronian but as a First operation.

Doesn't First Berkshire have a similar situation with the RA1 being ran out of Reading Buses' Depot?

 

[Flange Squeal]

Doesn't First Berkshire have a similar situation with the RA1 being ran out of Reading Buses' Depot?

They do indeed, and in the past First also outstationed some buses there when they operated the Madejski Stadium Park & Ride 'fasttrack' service.

 

[YorkRailFan]

E400MMC 33301 has moved to Weymouth.

 

[Whiteway215]

E400MMC 33301 has moved to Weymouth.

It is reported that 33301 went to Hoeford for repairs as it sustained roof damage earlier this month in one of the Cornwall storms.

 

[fgwrich]

It is reported that 33301 went to Hoeford for repairs as it sustained roof damage earlier this month in one of the Cornwall storms.

Seems to be a bit of both here if Bustimes is to be believed. It’s at Hoeford for repairs and minor rebranding, but is to move across to Weymouth to replace B9TL 37583 which has gone for scrap.

Shame to see the start of the retreating of the fleet, had that a few times on the U-Lines routes.

 

[83G/84D]

When First Kernow cease operations and assuming Buses of Somerset is still part of First South West I wonder what the new legal address displayed on the buses will read?

 

[Goldfish62]

When First Kernow cease operations and assuming Buses of Somerset is still part of First South West I wonder what the new legal address displayed on the buses will read?

The address on the O licence is Hoeford, so I'm guessing it will change to this.

 

[83G/84D]

The address on the O licence is Hoeford, so I'm guessing it will change to this.

Thanks.

 

[Rutland Road]

First Bus South advised legal lettering will change to Hamilton Road, Taunton for the First Bus Somerset Fleet. First South West Ltd will remain as the operating company. That plan might have changed since we were advised I guess.

 

[Goldfish62]

First Bus South advised legal lettering will change to Hamilton Road, Taunton for the First Bus Somerset Fleet. First South West Ltd will remain as the operating company. That plan might have changed since we were advised I guess.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Snozzel]

With a week and a half to go till exit i noticed the not in service destination has a new scrolling addition

 

[Cheers Drive]

Farewell to the best Cornish bus operator First! …now Cornwall is stuck with Last!
Plymouth City buses with their lower quality buses lower quality driving standards lower quality maintenance and a less frequent service, all because of the MD’s personal vendetta against first,
and First just completely gave up!
But tbf there’s no profit in Cornwall I think Go Ahead shot itself in the foot here.
I know from nearly every passenger I’ve spoken to that they really do not like GoCornwall and having worked for them the feeling seems mutual.
I spoke to the MD many times and he said he wanted Cornwall just to p off his old boss and Look at the state of the service and the buses now.
Well done Cornwall council another massive waste of taxpayers money and a lot of the new fleet in 2020 has gone to other areas like Dartline and some of the newer deckers never even left Milehouse. When you look at Brighton & Hove Morebus or EYMS it’s like a completely different company there has been zero f given to Cornwall the new electric fleet is all in Devon.
As a driver from Bristol originally it used to be the other way round with First Group they would never be bullied out of an area they would destroy any competition and they made it their goal.
I watched them take out Sky Blue Durbins (dustbins) and Wessex (although that was down to losing a great manager).
I think the new P&O managers they have don’t get what First bus was and they just see numbers.
I know that First had it difficult with the council in Cornwall totally siding with PCB and giving them all these free sites free maintenance and cleaning (or reduced fees where not free) but there was a way back they just didn’t have the right management to do it.
Let’s just hope that Go Ahead up their game down here and that this is just a transitional period.

 

[Metal Mickey]

I think the new P&O managers they have don’t get what First bus was and they just see numbers.

What do you mean by this?

 

[Goldfish62]

Well done Cornwall council another massive waste of taxpayers money

What's the waste of taxpayers' money here?

and a lot of the new fleet in 2020 has gone to other areas like Dartline

I'm surprised the council let this happen given that the contracts were awarded on the basis of 100 new buses for Cornwall. Effectively Cornwall appears to be part-subsidising Dartline's operations.

the new electric fleet is all in Devon.

No it's not. Some are operating on the Rame Peninsula which was always intended to be the case. Bit difficult for them to operate elsewhere in Cornwall without charging infrastructure!

I know that First had it difficult with the council in Cornwall totally siding with PCB and giving them all these free sites free maintenance and cleaning (or reduced fees where not free.

Nope. It's all at full commercial rates.

Let’s just hope that Go Ahead up their game down here and that this is just a transitional period.

On this point I very much agree!

 

[MotCO]

I'm surprised the council let this happen given that the contracts were awarded on the basis of 100 new buses for Cornwall. Effectively Cornwall appears to be part-subsidising Dartline's operations.

This is presumably due to poor contract management on the part of the Council, unless Go-Ahead has had to pay a contract penalty for not using buses of the required specification. (assuming that the newer buses are being replaced by older buses)

 

[Goldfish62]

This is presumably due to poor contract management on the part of the Council, unless Go-Ahead has had to pay a contract penalty for not using buses of the required specification. (assuming that the newer buses are being replaced by older buses)

That's certainly what it looks like to me.

 

[Cheers Drive]

What do you mean by this?

First group now run by ex P&O cruise managers

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Feb 2026 ==

No it's not. Some are operating on the Rame Peninsula which was always intended to be the case. Bit difficult for them to operate elsewhere in Cornwall without charging infrastructure!

Yeah I’m more referring to the headlines and company promotional materials that said new electric buses for Cornwall makes it appear as if it’s all of Cornwall to the average reader but it’s like 10% of Cornwall the fleet is now older than it was under First bus.

 

[Goldfish62]

Yeah I’m more referring to the headlines and company promotional materials that said new electric buses for Cornwall makes it appear as if it’s all of Cornwall to the average reader but it’s like 10% of Cornwall the fleet is now older than it was under First bus.

Fair enough!

 

[CornwallBus]

Marking the end of an era in Cornwall bus history

On Saturday 14th February, Cornwall will see the final day of bus services operated by FirstGroup — and, in turn, the end of the Western National lineage that has served our communities for generations.

To mark this significant moment, Cornwall Bus Preservation Society will be duplicating selected bus services on the final day, operating to the timetable shown in the attached picture.

Please note that the yellow-highlighted trip is operated by Go Cornwall Bus. On this journey, the crew’s decision on the day will determine whether the service is duplicated or whether the vehicle runs dead to Penzance.

This event is not a celebration in the traditional sense, but an acknowledgement of the people, vehicles, and history that have kept Cornwall moving for decades. Our thoughts are very much with the drivers, engineers, and staff whose jobs are affected by this change.

We would also like to thank FirstGroup for their support of Cornwall Bus Preservation Society over the years, which has helped us continue preserving and sharing Cornwall’s bus heritage.

Members of the public are welcome to observe the vehicles in service or travel on the day, and we hope it provides an opportunity to reflect, remember, and say thank you.

Edit: A slight change on 1226 working since publication - V2 image attached.

 

[Cheers Drive]

Marking the end of an era in Cornwall bus history

On Saturday 14th February, Cornwall will see the final day of bus services operated by FirstGroup — and, in turn, the end of the Western National lineage that has served our communities for generations.

To mark this significant moment, Cornwall Bus Preservation Society will be duplicating selected bus services on the final day, operating to the timetable shown in the attached picture.

Please note that the yellow-highlighted trip is operated by Go Cornwall Bus. On this journey, the crew’s decision on the day will determine whether the service is duplicated or whether the vehicle runs dead to Penzance.

This event is not a celebration in the traditional sense, but an acknowledgement of the people, vehicles, and history that have kept Cornwall moving for decades. Our thoughts are very much with the drivers, engineers, and staff whose jobs are affected by this change.

We would also like to thank FirstGroup for their support of Cornwall Bus Preservation Society over the years, which has helped us continue preserving and sharing Cornwall’s bus heritage.

Members of the public are welcome to observe the vehicles in service or travel on the day, and we hope it provides an opportunity to reflect, remember, and say thank you.

Edit: A slight change on 1226 working since publication - V2 image attached.

Truly honourable

 

[Tim33160]

Apparently most of the decent First Bus fleet in Cornwall is heading for Glasgow. Drivers from First Yorkshire companies are collecting them from Summercourt (Newquay) on Sunday 15th Feb, and then they will be collected from Yorkshire by Glasgow staff.

 

[Goldfish62]

Apparently most of the decent First Bus fleet in Cornwall is heading for Glasgow. Drivers from First Yorkshire companies are collecting them from Summercourt (Newquay) on Sunday 15th Feb, and then they will be collected from Yorkshire by Glasgow staff.

Sunday 15th will be a big swap-around day at the depots. First moving out, GA moving in!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Farewell to the best Cornish bus operator First! …now Cornwall is stuck with Last!
Plymouth City buses with their lower quality buses lower quality driving standards lower quality maintenance and a less frequent service, all because of the MD’s personal vendetta against first,
and First just completely gave up!
But tbf there’s no profit in Cornwall I think Go Ahead shot itself in the foot here.
I know from nearly every passenger I’ve spoken to that they really do not like GoCornwall and having worked for them the feeling seems mutual.
I spoke to the MD many times and he said he wanted Cornwall just to p off his old boss and Look at the state of the service and the buses now.
Well done Cornwall council another massive waste of taxpayers money and a lot of the new fleet in 2020 has gone to other areas like Dartline and some of the newer deckers never even left Milehouse. When you look at Brighton & Hove Morebus or EYMS it’s like a completely different company there has been zero f given to Cornwall the new electric fleet is all in Devon.
As a driver from Bristol originally it used to be the other way round with First Group they would never be bullied out of an area they would destroy any competition and they made it their goal.
I watched them take out Sky Blue Durbins (dustbins) and Wessex (although that was down to losing a great manager).
I think the new P&O managers they have don’t get what First bus was and they just see numbers.
I know that First had it difficult with the council in Cornwall totally siding with PCB and giving them all these free sites free maintenance and cleaning (or reduced fees where not free) but there was a way back they just didn’t have the right management to do it.
Let’s just hope that Go Ahead up their game down here and that this is just a transitional period.

I think you're being rather rose tinted in the perception of First.

Let's look at Go Ahead first of all. I don't know if Richard Stevens has a personal vendetta, any more than Andrew Wickham had against Yellow Buses or First Southampton. More that they had an opportunity to grow their business in 2019... and they took it. The Cormac sites are provided at a commercial rate and were available to everyone; First with their existing sites should have had a massive advantage but failed to capitalise on that. If Richard Stevens has decided to take on First... well, so did Mark Howarth back in the day. Perhaps it's more a person with a knowledge of the business and the territory and seeking to exploit it. The remark on electric buses... Everyone electrifying their fleet is doing so off the back of government funding that is allocated to specific areas to pay for infrastructure and the price differential between electric and conventional - Plymouth Citybus got theirs for Plymouth so it was always going to be in that areas that the electric buses were going to work, and that involves Torpoint and the Rame. You might as well criticise the fact that First promote their electric buses in Somerset but they're actually concentrated around Taunton - you won't see them in Wells or Yeovil (unless one stumbles in from Taunton).

Now onto First, and their approach to competition. Back in the day, First were aggressive as the Sky Blue example suggests. However, whether it was hubris or complacency or fear of upsetting the competition authorities, they let many firms grow in their patches during the 2000s. Remember that Western Greyhound grew at First's expense, they allowed Webberbus to grow in Somerset, Wessex in Bristol, Faresaver in Wiltshire... I could go on. In the Giles Fearnley era, that changed - they then began to fight back though in some places, the damage was irrecoverable - Plymouth, North Devon. I agree that under the Janette Bell command, they've retreated back to their old ways and now seem to be soft touches, and it remains to be seen how much stomach for the fight they have against Go Ahead in Berkshire.

As for the best Cornish bus operator... First. Yes, we had a wonderful period of innovative and determined management between 2013 and 2019. They saw off Western Greyhound and there was an unheard level of new vehicle investment, allied to a real focus on marketing and a good relationship with Cornwall Council, who also supported the new vehicles with 14 of the e200mmc coming with their finance.

However, let's not forget that First hadn't really invested in Cornwall for years before that. Under Badgerline, they'd invested regularly then under First from c2001 to 2016, there were

• some Darts for Penzance (which may have been part funded by the council) that were still on the same routes when the Solos arrived 15 years later
• some more ex dealer stock Darts for the Falmouth to Redruth of which most got nicked and sent to Manchester
• a trio of Tridents that were moved within the year to Barnstaple
• some more Darts for the 14/18 that were moved and replaced by ex Manchester Eclipses

As for cascades in, aside from the Eclipses (which were good vehicles), who can forget the 25yr old plus ex Aberdeen Atlanteans as open toppers working not just the 300 but on the 2, the knackered husks that were the ex Yorkshire Rider Plaxton Derwent Volvos, the ex Leeds Plaxton Verdes and my favourites... the ex London Mercedes 811s that were turfed out onto various trunk routes. Oh, and the various assorted Olympians of advancing years that joined the existing VRs that soldiered on in various levels of shabbiness into their dotage. We'd seen a regression to that in recent years - the ex Norwich B9TLs are some of the shabbiest machines I've seen for a long while, whilst there were all manner of colour schemes - Doncaster Red, various iterations of First with orange, blue or turquoise fronts, Bath blue, overall teal or purple, and vehicles awaiting vinyls for months. I might add that aside from the troublesome Sprinters, there's been no new vehicles from First since 2019 - just elderly B9s replacing older B7s.

I might add that service reliability wasn't the same after Covid - many more cancellations esp the Sunseeker and DayTripper routes (remember them?). I remember when First had Cornwall to themselves - depots at Torpoint, St Austell and Truro went as did the old yard in Newquay where they also had the bus station. They had a large National Express fleet too. By 2011, they'd been largely exiled to core bus operations around Camborne and Penzance. Prior to the management change, First had begun to fight back with the Lizard tenders being secured from an ailing Western Greyhound, It was to the credit of messrs Carter and Huws that they rebuilt the business, capitalising on the WG weaknesses but that period of 2012-2019 has been the outlier. Standards have been slipping since Alex Carter left, and they never really recovered from losing the tenders in 2019/20.

I will be sad to see the end of what was Western National. Like many, I have memories of Devon or Cornish holidays. My real memories were in the Badgerline era when VRs ruled the roost, supported by new Darts and some rather elderly Leopards and minibuses. I will miss First in Cornwall. Sadly, First mismanaged it in the early 2000s, and aside from a golden era, the loss of the contracts was compounded by Covid and a loss of local management focus. Much more culpability rests in Aberdeen, Hoeford and Camborne than Milehouse in my opinion. I don't have massive expectations from PCB/Go Cornwall - they're a competent rather than a dynamic operator but hopefully the financial position will be stabilised and allow new vehicle investment to recommence.

 

[01d-and]

Apparently most of the decent First Bus fleet in Cornwall is heading for Glasgow. Drivers from First Yorkshire companies are collecting them from Summercourt (Newquay) on Sunday 15th Feb, and then they will be collected from Yorkshire by Glasgow staff.

Leave a few at Worcester on the way through.

 

[Simon75]

How many ex Western National depots/outstation are still and use and being sold to Go Cornwall?