First South West (Kernow & Buses of Somerset)

[Callum15632]

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.

Some E400 mmcs will be going to Slough and Weymouth and Weston.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

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.

This had been expected up in Scotland. First Glasgow are due to take over Stagecoach’s X25/X25A Cumbernauld service in April, which will require an increase in vehicles for First. That alone needs about 10 vehicles to run.

There’s still plenty of 2007 and 2008 plate Gemini’s in and around Glasgow too.

 

[Goldfish62]

Anyone know where the Mousehole Sprinters are heading off to?

 

[fgwrich]

Some E400 mmcs will be going to Slough and Weymouth and Weston.

It does mean that there’s been an interesting array of transfers between Scotland and Kernow over the years, with B7TLs heading to Kernow, Solos and Caetano Darts to Scotland, some of those Solo’s then returning back to Cornwall with the Aberdeen Enviro 500s, Solo’s back up to Scotland and now by the sounds of it some MMCs heading up there.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

It does mean that there’s been an interesting array of transfers between Scotland and Kernow over the years, with B7TLs heading to Kernow, Solos and Caetano Darts to Scotland, some of those Solo’s then returning back to Cornwall with the Aberdeen Enviro 500s, Solo’s back up to Scotland and now by the sounds of it some MMCs heading up there.

Don't forget the Aberdeen Atlanteans - I think only open topped ones ran in Cornwall and closed tops in Barnstaple - and the N-SOS Olympians from Glasgow. Also Mousehole Solo 53704 was also a Scottish refugee.

 

[Snozzel]

With cornwall gone first south will merge with first west. Info from staff communication

 

[MarkC]

With cornwall gone first south will merge with first west. Info from staff communication

I wish First would learn this merging to form larger operations doesn't work. No local knowledge kills the business!

 

[Andyh82]

It’s only the management structure, it’s not ‘enthusiast-facing’

Saying that before people start messing with the fleet lists on BusTimes

 

[markymark2000]

With cornwall gone first south will merge with first west. Info from staff communication

Doesn't LBU stand for Local Bus Unit? If so, you can't surely be local to Bristol, Slough and Portsmouth.

What happened to Wales too? I thought that was part of the "West" LBU.

 

[Goldfish62]

What happened to Wales too? I thought that was part of the "West" LBU.

That goes into the Franchising business unit under Zoe Hands.

This is a new reorganisation. Forget the current structure - that's being superceded.

 

[Andyh82]

Doesn't LBU stand for Local Bus Unit? If so, you can't surely be local to Bristol, Slough and Portsmouth.

What happened to Wales too? I thought that was part of the "West" LBU.

Wales is in the ‘expected to move to franchising’ unit alongside Yorkshire

 

[markymark2000]

That goes into the Franchising business unit under Zoe Hands.

Is that part of a wider division remap then (and it's not just a merger of West of England and South divisions) as I am sure Zoe currently covers Potteries, Leicester and Worcestershire doesn't she? And those areas aren't going franchising.

 

[Goldfish62]

Is that part of a wider division remap then (and it's not just a merger of West of England and South divisions) as I am sure Zoe currently covers Potteries, Leicester and Worcestershire doesn't she? And those areas aren't going franchising.

Thid is a completely new reorganisation announced on Monday under Project Reset. It's got nothing whatsoever to do with the current structure and who does what in it. Several senior staff are being made redundant, including the current MD of First South.

I have screenshot of the new org charts, but Forum rules prevent me from posting them.

 

[markymark2000]

In case you've missed my earlier posts this is completely new reorganisation announced on Monday under Project Reset. It's got nothing whatsoever to do with the current structure and who does what in it. Several senior staff are being made redundant, including the current MD of First South.

I have screenshot of the new org charts, but Forum rules prevent me from posting them.

I hadn't seen those post, thank you for the information.

 

[Goldfish62]

I hadn't seen those post, thank you for the information.

Apologies - they were in the First Group thread - my mistake!

 

[Cesarcollie]

Apologies - they were in the First Group thread - my mistake!

Sorry. Can you point me to the thread? Thanks

 

[YorkRailFan]

Sorry. Can you point me to the thread? Thanks

Should start here: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/first-group-general-discussion.65668/page-419#post-7670524

 

[Cesarcollie]

Should start here: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/first-group-general-discussion.65668/page-419#post-7670524

Should start here: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/first-group-general-discussion.65668/page-419#post-7670524

Aha. Thanks.

 

[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.

Slight change of plan:

There is a planned movement of buses from Cornwall on Sunday to head north to Glasgow.
A team of Scottish drivers are travelling south on Saturday to collect 18 vehicles and drive them north to Glasgow.
11 ADL E400 MMC’s 33450/452/3/5-562, 6 Optare Solo SR’s 53255/7/8,53862/4/5 and one Mercedes Tourismo coach 24212.
are being collected from Summercourt on Sunday, with an overnight stop at Adderley Green.

 

[aswilliamsuk]

Slight change of plan:

There is a planned movement of buses from Cornwall on Sunday to head north to Glasgow.
A team of Scottish drivers are travelling south on Saturday to collect 18 vehicles and drive them north to Glasgow.
11 ADL E400 MMC’s 33450/452/3/5-562, 6 Optare Solo SR’s 53255/7/8,53862/4/5 and one Mercedes Tourismo coach 24212.
are being collected from Summercourt on Sunday, with an overnight stop at Adderley Green.

The suggestion that the remainder are being split between Slough, Weymouth and Weston makes sense. Weston are releasing StreetDecks for the NewPower programme, and clearly the plan is to repower the remainder left with West of England. Weymouth need - at least - to replace their remaining B9TLs, and Slough need more vehicles for the X74/M40 uplift. By my reckoning, that's 18 for Weston, 8 for Weymouth and 4 for Slough at minimum (so 30), with 11 E400 MMCs going to Glasgow, and with 52 of the type up for grabs, presumably more are going to Weston/Slough/Weymouth!

In addition, I wonder if Tourismo 24212 is actually headed for the Aberdeen coach fleet?

 

[Whiteway215]

The suggestion that the remainder are being split between Slough, Weymouth and Weston makes sense. Weston are releasing StreetDecks for the NewPower programme, and clearly the plan is to repower the remainder left with West of England. Weymouth need - at least - to replace their remaining B9TLs, and Slough need more vehicles for the X74/M40 uplift. By my reckoning, that's 18 for Weston, 8 for Weymouth and 4 for Slough at minimum (so 30), with 11 E400 MMCs going to Glasgow, and with 52 of the type up for grabs, presumably more are going to Weston/Slough/Weymouth!

In addition, I wonder if Tourismo 24212 is actually headed for the Aberdeen coach fleet?

14 Slough 9 Essex 5 Weymouth 12 WsM 11 Glasgow. 10 B9TLs to Eastern Counties.
24212 to Aberdeen to replace 20812

 

[Goldfish62]

14 Slough 9 Essex 5 Weymouth 12 WsM 11 Glasgow. 10 B9TLs to Eastern Counties.
24212 to Aberdeen to replace 20812

Thanks for that detail.

 

[aswilliamsuk]

14 Slough 9 Essex 5 Weymouth 12 WsM 11 Glasgow. 10 B9TLs to Eastern Counties.
24212 to Aberdeen to replace 20812

That's great, thanks for confirming.

 

[Nammer]

Any idea where 44953/4 are heading? I know 44952 is due for Solent at Hilsea.

 

[Whiteway215]

Any idea where 44953/4 are heading? I know 44952 is due for Solent at Hilsea.

York Pullman.

 

[Nammer]

York Pullman.

Thank you for the information

 

[Pyromaniac]

Part of me wonders if the 9 vehicles suggested for Essex, might be destined for the Chelmsford P&R, which has been retendered to First from next month.

There has been no other comment I have found anywhere regarding vehicles for it.

 

[Express380]

I'm interested to see when they depart Summercourt, wouldn't mind going up to watch them leave.

 

[Whiteway215]

I'm interested to see when they depart Summercourt, wouldn't mind going up to watch them leave.

Said to be on Sunday

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Part of me wonders if the 9 vehicles suggested for Essex, might be destined for the Chelmsford P&R, which has been retendered to First from next month.

There has been no other comment I have found anywhere regarding vehicles for it.

Doubt it needs deckers for Chelmsford P&R; perhaps release e200mmc from elsewhere but not really a capacity challenge