Indeed. What was once a smart well respecteed company seems to just be on the path of cut after cut. At this rate it won't be long before Bus Link become tbe main player in Burton.
-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Diamond Bus East Midlands (was Midland Classic of Burton)
- Thread starter cnjb8
- Start date
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Ballyheigue
Member
To be fair, I caught a Saturday evening 21E into Burton from Linton the other week that had just me and 2 others on board, and I was just a visitor so it'll just be the two in reality.
YX73OUB
Member
I'm going over there myself today to have a look at what remains of the network
zkyx02
Member
what so he can sell the company again? Absolutely do not understand why he sold up just to start operating on the network again…
YX73OUB
Member
The debts.
derbybusdepot
Member
- Joined
- 17 Dec 2015
- Messages
- 346
And if someone takes a lot of the tenders and school contracts there's not a lot to sell.
SSmith2009
Member
it could have been a case that one of the shareholders wanted out but the interested party (in this case rotala) wanted to acquire the whole company.
There is an optimum size for a small operator before you have to restructure to start acting like a large operator. If you are owned by a group that is fine as admin functions etc can be shared but if you are a 'one man band' then you can go from being profitable to loss making due to the extra resources needed. That was one of the reasons Norfolk Green was sold, it had become too big to operate efficiently.
derbybusdepot
Member
- Joined
- 17 Dec 2015
- Messages
- 346
Ventura bus sales appear to have sold (YN64 FWU). I wonder where it will show up.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Why not?
If someone comes along with a large cheque to buy your business, then you might consider that depending on the size of the offer, the financial position of the company, the views of shareholders?
And then what does James Boddice do? Do you think that the money would be enough to retire on? No, he can employ his knowledge and do it again; he might even feel a little disappointed in how Diamond has managed the business he sold?
markymark2000
On Moderation
It was seen in South Wales on rail replacement this week.
markymark2000
On Moderation
No more or less than before given Bus Link already operate into the bus station with the 12E, 31/32 and X66
Flange Squeal
Established Member
- Joined
- 17 Jul 2012
- Messages
- 1,847
Indeed. How many times has Phil Anslow sold his bus operations to Stagecoach, only to then start them back up? I think twice so far, and currently running bus services once again (including in the same areas as Stagecoach, such as Cwmbran).
Buslink already run into Lichfield anyway. Where did you find this out?
Just means Burton to Lichfield will have more buses and is almost becoming the Uttoxeter corridor. Next Diamond will probably announce a special ticket price for the X12 and 12 like they have done with the 401.
YX73OUB
Member
And if you think about it not too different to when the Dunns sold to veolia just to have Scott start Yourbus up 2 years later.
I know it was withdrawn under Midland Classic a number of years ago, but is there anything stopping Bus Link from registering a Burton-Tamworth service?
Also can someone remind me why the service was withdrawn as I thought it was a good link
Also can someone remind me why the service was withdrawn as I thought it was a good link
derbybusdepot
Member
- Joined
- 17 Dec 2015
- Messages
- 346
Of course bus link run the 12E tendered services in the morning and evening, so a day time service 13, which covers much the same route, will compliment this well. Also with the £3 cap will be cheaper than diamond.
Ticketing must be a mess on those services with the mish mash of operators at present. South Staffs run the Sunday services.
Dwarfer1979
Member
James Boddice is relatively young, it may simply be having sold the company he found he missed being a bus operator, which he may not have expected when he sold up having gone through all the pressures of COVID running a major company, and he would have needed to find another job because as others have said he didn't get enough to retire that early on. There have been multiple incidents over the years of people selling their business (or even going bust) and re-entering the market relatively quickly as they missed being in it. Lynx in Kings Lynn is run by the guys behind Konnectbus whilst Border Bus is the son of the founders/owners of Anglian who both sold to Go-Ahead and SWT over in Neath was set up by the team behind 2-Travel. There are many reasons behind why they are sold, the money was just too good is often at the heart, but what you often hear from people like this is that when they come back in they say they don't want to get too big as what they found they began to dislike in the previous company, and was one of the reasons they sold, was their previous business got so big they were no longer involved in the day to day running but if they remain at a certain size (often quoted around 30 buses but that isn't a hard and fast limit) they can remain hands on.
From what I was told by a former Midland Classic employee involved in that sort of thing it was simply the demand never materialised, there is a direct train that takes less than 15-mins at a decent frequency, there is little between the two that is easy to serve on a direct bus that isn't covered by the Lichfield corridor and essentially people in Tamworth didn't look towards Burton or Burton towards Tamworth to allow a market to develop.
From what I understand
Current 12 is effectivly the new route 13 going Litchfield, Fradley, Alrewas, King's Bromley, Yoxall, Barton, Burton
New 12 will effectivly be the 12E going Litchfield, Fradley, Alrewas, up A38 to Barton, then burton missing kings bromley and yoxall
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
I can only concur with what @Dwarfer1979 says...
When I lived locally, I'd look north to Derby or south to Lichfield or Brum if I needed to go anywhere. Lichfield or Derby were on the bus, Brum was on the train. I'm not certain what I'd have found in Tamworth that would be distinctly different (apart from the snowdome) and the train is miles quicker. As for intermediate stops... Alrewas is already well catered for and if you run it via Coton and Elford... it's thin territory in some affluent villages.
Ballyheigue
Member
I wonder if the 13 would work by way of extending to Birmingham non stop on a commercial basis? Yes there is the train linking Burton/Lichfield and Birmingham, but train fares can be quite expensive compared to the bus if Bus Link is part of the £3 each way deal. There is already an express bus from Birmingham to Lichfield, but that has stops where as a non stop bus may be more appealing.
I think the 13 could be extended to serve the new housing estates at Fradley where Select bus run the 33 route, it would be more worthwhile than just serving Yoxall and Kings Bromley personally.
It’s a long way for Select to go to Lichfield to do the 33 and although it is for bus link from their yard too, they have other services which could interwork with the 13.
I’d assume the 13 will use the same bus as they use on the 12E.
It’s a long way for Select to go to Lichfield to do the 33 and although it is for bus link from their yard too, they have other services which could interwork with the 13.
I’d assume the 13 will use the same bus as they use on the 12E.
The 12’s route change has been reversed and will continue to serve Yoxall and Kings Bromley
Wonder what this will mean for Bus Link 13 now, looks like Diamond isn’t very happy about their presence(given Diamond have actually rerouted the 12 to serve Anglesey after Bus Link won the contract for the 11)
Wonder what this will mean for Bus Link 13 now, looks like Diamond isn’t very happy about their presence(given Diamond have actually rerouted the 12 to serve Anglesey after Bus Link won the contract for the 11)
markymark2000
On Moderation
I do love it when bus operators go scrounging then don't get their own way. Wish it happened more often. Somehow now this 'not viable' area can be reviewed when suddenly their biggest competitor won the tender to cover the affected areas.
Well it could be that the villages go from loosing a service to doubleing in the space of a month. The 13 would be a nice addition to Bus link as it connects the 31,32 and X66 to the rest of the network and may save dead runs. I never knew Bus link were going to run the 11.
Generally the local authority would give notice on the contract (so the 13). Either Buslink run it for a short period whilst they register the cancellation with the traffic commissioner or they decide to take it on commercially.
It feels like Diamond was hoping that they would either get a de-minimis agreement to keep serving the villages or win the tender. Either way won't have gone down well with Staffordshire.