Express380
Member
I find it strange that the 276 Truro college route is being removed from the Feb 16th TT change, losing a direct to the college service for some locations on the route.
Anyone know why?
Anyone know why?
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Bill Badger
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Just noticed a change to the routing of Service 15 between St Erth and Penzance in the new timetable.
From St Erth to Marizion the routing is unchanged but in the other direction, instead of going via Rosevidney, buses continue up to Crowlas and along the A30 to St Erth interchange before resuming the traditional route.
Can't really see the logic. The A30 route is 2 minutes longer and although I guess it gives a few more buses on the main road, why only make the change in one direction?
From St Erth to Marizion the routing is unchanged but in the other direction, instead of going via Rosevidney, buses continue up to Crowlas and along the A30 to St Erth interchange before resuming the traditional route.
Can't really see the logic. The A30 route is 2 minutes longer and although I guess it gives a few more buses on the main road, why only make the change in one direction?
Goldfish62
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Well spotted. Absolutely no idea why it's doing that! Even if it were to provide more buses along the A30 it's next to useless being so infrequent and unidirectional. The road via Rosevidney is extremely narrow and not really suitable for an E200, but you'd think the change would be in both directions if that was the reason.
MaidaVale
Member
I've spotted numerous issues with the frequency indications based upon line thickness within the map. It seemingly indicates many more routes offer a "10-30 minute frequency" than they actually do, with the entirety of the 2/2A, 14/18 and 17 having the thicker line indicating higher frequencies for their entire routes, whilst in reality only a small portion of the routes (or in some cases, no portion for much or all of the day) actually offer more than an hourly frequency.
I'm here now
Member
So they can give the council an excuse to withdraw it possibly?
Goldfish62
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That makes no sense.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Reported on the TfC Enthusiasts Facebook group is that, perhaps surprisingly, 14 E400Cities are being allocated to Cornwall in the short to medium term, while the 20 incoming ex-London Gemini 2s are for Plymouth. At least one of the E400s has received "connecting Cornwall's communities" branding on its Spark livery.
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Cheers Drive
Member
Go Cornwall run everything to do with the buses the council DONT get involved with any of it.
I wonder if that’s a temporary move whilst the ex London B9TLs are refurbished and converted from 2 door?
A potential replacement for the MMCs on the T1/T2/14/18 too perhaps?
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christopher
Member
Believe it is so the ex-London stuff can settle in on the Plymouth routes and any niggles ironed out more easily before swapping back to go to Cornwall
Goldfish62
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According to the post, from someone who works at GSW, in terms of the the Geminis these are staying at Plymouth and have PCB fleetnames. Clearly seems that Cornwall is to be an all-ADL fleet.
co-tr-paul
Established Member
Am I missing something ?
No 2 PZ Helston around 1800 ?
Just studied the timetable for first time in case I need it .
No 2 PZ Helston around 1800 ?
Just studied the timetable for first time in case I need it .
JKP
Member
There is a 1750 Penzance to Goldsithney bus on Mons to Sats. Perhaps that is the section of route where the passenger demand is concentrated? Probably little demand for an 1800 Helston as well.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
That makes a lot of sense in having a standardised fleet especially with these moves
Goldfish62
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Indeed. I should have added, "apart from the small fleet of Sprinters" before someone picks me up on it!
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Yeah, you don't want to end up in Pedants Corner...or Pedant's Corner...or whatever
cactustwirly
Established Member
Was just thinking this, got rid of nicely specced 12 plate Volvos, for clapped out 09 plates E400s from Birmingham via Southampton
Goldfish62
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The Bluestar ones that you mean are reportedly staying at Plymouth.
cactustwirly
Established Member
Very much a downgrade over First
Reading has a few of the SN60 E400s and 2 have just spent 3 months out of use broken down, the 11 and 61 plates are also really tired mechanically and being replaced imminently for scrap.
Hopefully the B9s are better
I can't imagine it's going to be a reliable or comfortable bus service.
This is a classic example where the grass is not greener on the other side.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
AHH I saw it on Facebook and mentioned they were for Go Cornwall
cnjb8
Established Member
Reading’s E400s are former hybrids converted to diesel, hence the unreliability.
I dont disagree this fleet is a downgrade from First though!
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
I think @Goldfish62 stated that the B9s were to head to Plymouth? The word on the street is that the 17 and 69 plates are to be moved to Cornwall (a number have been working there for a bit). Granted, the Spark ones need to be debranded but not as big a downgrade as you may presume.
Goldfish62
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Yes, that is the information that has been reported by someone at GSW, albeit the E400 Cities are in Cornwall for the "short to medium term". I'd take that as maybe up to a couple of years?
I can only think that these buses specifically have been moved to Cornwall to mitigate what would otherwise be a significant overall downgrade in vehicle quality.
Very much what I was thinking too, I reckon they’ll either end up on the 14/18 or former U-Lines Uni routes.
Speaking of which, wasn’t there a condition on the contract First had with Falmouth & Exeter University’s that the vehicles could only be up to a certain age?
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Some time ago, when the 12 plate e400s were there. Don’t think it’s applied for many years - the U3 Unique fleet was 15 years old
There seems to be a bit of unnecessary criticism given the number of buses that Go Cornwall Bus have had to source in a short period of time... especially as the services they've been drafted in to operate haven't even started yet!
I think some might also be looking at the former First Kernow fleet with rose tinted spectacles... yes, some of the vehicles were newer, but many were looking very tired, in an absolute mixed bag of liveries, with even the newest fleet members being in need of an interior refresh or refurbishment.
Go Cornwall Bus perhaps don't meet the highest standards that some parts of the Go Ahead Group sometimes meet. But generally, they are competent but not inspiring operator... functional but not fantastic. However... to date, they have largely been operated tendered services to a specification set by the council... not usually the type of environment that favours innovation and pizzazz.
I think it only fair to see what they might bring to the table now that they have their own commercial services to promote and operate, have the opportunity to develop their own partnerships, and have the time to focus on looking for new areas for growth and potential.
I think some might also be looking at the former First Kernow fleet with rose tinted spectacles... yes, some of the vehicles were newer, but many were looking very tired, in an absolute mixed bag of liveries, with even the newest fleet members being in need of an interior refresh or refurbishment.
Go Cornwall Bus perhaps don't meet the highest standards that some parts of the Go Ahead Group sometimes meet. But generally, they are competent but not inspiring operator... functional but not fantastic. However... to date, they have largely been operated tendered services to a specification set by the council... not usually the type of environment that favours innovation and pizzazz.
I think it only fair to see what they might bring to the table now that they have their own commercial services to promote and operate, have the opportunity to develop their own partnerships, and have the time to focus on looking for new areas for growth and potential.
Lynford1976
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Completely agree, and @jammy36 you've worded it far better than the post that I was trying to write.
One wonders how some of the armchair enthusiasts on here would have collected seventy buses in the same period of time....?
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
This is exactly what I've been saying. GCB are a functional but not exciting operator. Far from perfect but not worthy of the brickbats that have been thrown their way. There also seems to be resentment that they've ousted First... as if First have been some brilliant service provider to Cornwall in the last 30 years - aside from the golden era of 2014-2020, they've been far from that. First didn't win the tenders in 2019, failed to rebase the overhead for a smaller business, and then lost the Truro College work whilst 2020 onwards seem to be centred on high risk strategies to trade their way out of trouble.
GCB have had to get 60-70 additional vehicles, mainly deckers, and there's not many places where you can get them from. Things won't be perfect in the first few days and weeks but it will settle down.
Goldfish62
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Agreed. If it was the other way around First would have done exactly the same including sourcing old crud from London.
Agreed.
The contracts are net cost so there's every incentive to try to increase revenue through publicity and marketing.
The experience of their commercial services to date does not inspire confidence. For example, the Lands End to St Ives service last summer received essentially zero marketing or publicity and often failed to operate due to staff shortages.
I'm afraid I think that GSW is just not very good at such stuff, in contrast to most of its fellow OpCos and really could do with a bit of the pre-2020 First Kernow sparkle. I'm told that the marketing and publicity team was largely abolished as a result of post-Covid cost savings and it shows.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
On an allied matter, in response to an enquiry from a contact of mine GSW have stated that the absence of route 7 from the timetable book is because it's being withdrawn in April. This suggests to me that the validity of the timetable book is going to be lengthy and thus there'll be no summer enhancements, including no reintroduction of the Land's End - St Ives service.
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cactustwirly
Established Member
From a passenger perspective, they are going from mostly high spec 66/18 plate vehicles. To very life expired buses with basic London spec interiors. Some of which still have the old First Barbie interior. I doubt any have been refurbished either.
Compounded with that the timetable is a reduction in frequency vs First
It's hard to see what the advantage is if GCB Vs First
Carousel have been using tatty buses for years without a refurbishment and a whole multitude of different liveries with the logo slapped on
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
From experience of using GCB I find them far better than the sort of operator you often get on very rural services. The whole Transport for Cornwall thing, while not perfect and not quite up to the standards of perhaps-comparable (and also Go-Ahead run) Southern Vectis, is one of the better rural operations I have experienced.
Not that they can't get better, but to me they gave a better impression than First ever do.
Not that they can't get better, but to me they gave a better impression than First ever do.
Goldfish62
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You won't find any with old barbie moquette. Everything used beyond one contract term will have received a refurb. In any case, as has been pointed out more than once on this thread the former First London vehicles, all Gemini 2s, are for Plymouth.
Has anyone suggested that they would be better? The responsibility for pulling out of Cornwall lies firmly with First. As that old sage Julian Peddle says in the current Buses that out of all the potential scenarios for Cornwall it's one that wasn't on his radar.
True. Likewise Thames Travel. But then so have First Kernow (without added logos). The only reason the fleet had smartened up latterly was due to a clear out of vehicles because they managed to lose all their contracts and a belated and very slow start to the repaint programme.