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Bee Network Service/Route Discussion

Statto

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A song has been written about the 192 bus route by Stockport band, The Blossoms

Stockport indie band Blossoms has released a new song inspired by Greater Manchester's No. 192 bus.
Additional Driver, featuring fellow indie artist Declan McKenna, was born from a minor car collision involving frontman Tom Ogden outside Manchester's O2 Apollo.
The song tells the story of a journey from Manchester to Stockport that goes wrong, with the repeated refrain: "Should've got the 192".
The accompanying music video was filmed aboard a Bee Network bus, bringing one of Greater Manchester's best-known bus routes into the spotlight.
Music video stills showing a man in a denim jacket singing on a bus.
Image source, Ewan Ogden
Image caption,
The song's music video is shot on the 192 bus - one of the region's best-known routes.
"Last year we went writing in Wales and invited Declan," Ogden explains.
"I brought up a small bump I had in the car outside the Apollo, the previous week before the session.
"A vocal take in the hot tub later we had finished writing what would become 'Additional Driver'.
"We knew we wanted to try it out for the album so we invited Declan to Tilehouse when we were recording the album."
Music video stills showing band singing and playing on a full bus.
Image source, Ewan Ogden
Image caption,
Blossoms have had four number one albums in the UK charts
Blossoms are following in the footsteps of other successful indie and rock bands who have found inspiration on Britain's buses.
The Clash referenced London's No. 19 bus in Rudie Can't Fail, while Birmingham band Superfood featured the No. 9 route in Unstoppable.
Additional Driver tells the story of a journey home that begins when approaching the junction at the O2 Apollo, in Manchester city centre.
The song concludes with the closing lines, "Should've got the 192".
Ben Gamble, the Stagecoach driver who was behind the wheel of the bus featured in the music video said he "really enjoyed meeting Blossoms".
"They are a really good bunch of lads, very polite and chatty," he said. "It was a pleasure to drive them around while they filmed their music video."
The band stand with a man in a hi-vis jacket in front of a yellow bus.
Image source, TfGM
Image caption,
The band were named British Breakthrough Act at the Brit Awards in 2017
Transport for Greater Manchester's chief network officer Danny Vaughan, said: "For many people across Greater Manchester, the 192 is more than a bus route.
"It's part of daily life and part of the story of growing up, working, studying and socialising in our city-region.
"It's brilliant to see a hometown band like Blossoms put the route centre stage and introduce it to audiences beyond Greater Manchester."

 
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mayneway

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Looks like a row has broken out between Stagecoach and Stockport council over surrendering the lease to their current Daw bank depot. The council has accused them of demanding too much money and major plans to regenerate the centre of Stockport hang in the balance.

 

Simon75

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Looks like a row has broken out between Stagecoach and Stockport council over surrendering the lease to their current Daw bank depot. The council has accused them of demanding too much money and major plans to regenerate the centre of Stockport hang in the balance.

Should just build the new garage , rather than 2 temporary depots
 

mangad

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Should just build the new garage , rather than 2 temporary depots
They could but the council want the land for redevelopment sooner than the new depot site is available for the depot to be built.

So two choices. Wait and put the redevelopment on hold, or do the temporary depots
 

mangad

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What does Stagecoach have to do with any of this? I thought TfGM now owned the depot on Daw Bank, having taken it over as part of the franchising scheme.
At a guess, TfGM didn't buy it because they knew about the planned redevelopment and didn't think it was worth the hassle. I would assume therefore that they came to an agreement where, if Stagecoach didn't win the Stockport depot bid, they'd sublet it to whoever did. But that didn't need to happen.

The development plans have been around a while because the original plan was to relocate Stockport ambulance station toHazel Grove park and ride, and put the depot on the ambulance station site. But that's all gone very quiet as well. Which is another interesting question as if I remember correctly, Hazel Grove park and ride site was/is owned by Stagecoach. (Or maybe they simply lease the site)
 

mayneway

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What does Stagecoach have to do with any of this? I thought TfGM now owned the depot on Daw Bank, having taken it over as part of the franchising scheme.
TFGM haven’t put any money into daw bank like they have the other depots because they were working with Stagecoach and the council to secure new sites where they would have met the costs of establishing new depots, but TFGM are not daft enough to take on a building and lease that’s already agreed to be demolished.
 

Leyland Bus

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The great thing about Daw Bank depot was its immediate proximity to the town centre bus station.
So was Crook St in Bolton but look what happened there...

A new site has been earmarked but I presume legal stuff on purchase will take an age, then tendering for actual clearence and building will take further time still, so the best compromise was the two temp sites for parking to allow the shed at Daw Bank to go. I don't actually think Stagecoach own Daw Bank. I read somewhere (will try find it) that they are the leaseholders til 2046...
 

mayneway

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So was Crook St in Bolton but look what happened there...

A new site has been earmarked but I presume legal stuff on purchase will take an age, then tendering for actual clearence and building will take further time still, so the best compromise was the two temp sites for parking to allow the shed at Daw Bank to go. I don't actually think Stagecoach own Daw Bank. I read somewhere (will try find it) that they are the leaseholders til 2046...
That will be the story I’ve linked above which mentions them chasing compensation to surrender their lease early.
Let’s guess who the owners are…….
 

Statto

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Having a look on bustimes.org & the 575 is being operated by mostly deckers throughout the route, however an E200 MMC was allocated to a short 575 Bolton-Blackrod service before doing a 576 & now on a 20.

I thought the 575 & 615 would interwork with each other but they're not, it seems the 615 is being operated by Wigan, were as the 575 is being operated by Bolton
 

MCRTransitYT

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Having a look on bustimes.org & the 575 is being operated by mostly deckers throughout the route, however an E200 MMC was allocated to a short 575 Bolton-Blackrod service before doing a 576 & now on a 20.

I thought the 575 & 615 would interwork with each other but they're not, it seems the 615 is being operated by Wigan, were as the 575 is being operated by Bolton
615 since it's launch 2 years ago has been Wigan depot operated, and the 575 has been Bolton operated for many years, even when it was split operators, with Arriva running Wigan services from Goodwin Street, and First, later Diamond Bus, operated the Horwich shortrun (modern day 576) from Weston Street
 

neilcobbe

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615 since it's launch 2 years ago has been Wigan depot operated, and the 575 has been Bolton operated for many years, even when it was split operators, with Arriva running Wigan services from Goodwin Street, and First, later Diamond Bus, operated the Horwich shortrun (modern day 576) from Weston Street
Joint operation between garages of the same operator seems like a thing of the past for some reason. I recall all the Wigan/Bolton routes being operated by each depot in GMB days.
 
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Statto

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The way the 575 & 615 are timed at the Wigan end i thought they'd interwork with each other, & joint operation between depots by the same company still goes on, notably by Stagecoach.
 

mayneway

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@Leyland Bus question for you if you can?
Was talking a few days ago about Go North west winning the small Bolton/Leigh contract, and it brought up a query about Nelson Street. Is the 163 and 472/474 part of the Bolton large contract or were these put on a smaller contract after Diamond spat their dummy out.


For anyone reading this and slightly confused, when Diamond lost the final court case they deregestered the 163 and a couple of smaller routes (I think it was 472/474 and 575 but could be wrong), so GNW began operating them as Bee Network services months before the Bee Network actually launched.
 

Leyland Bus

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@Leyland Bus question for you if you can?
Was talking a few days ago about Go North west winning the small Bolton/Leigh contract, and it brought up a query about Nelson Street. Is the 163 and 472/474 part of the Bolton large contract or were these put on a smaller contract after Diamond spat their dummy out.


For anyone reading this and slightly confused, when Diamond lost the final court case they deregestered the 163 and a couple of smaller routes (I think it was 472/474 and 575 but could be wrong), so GNW began operating them as Bee Network services months before the Bee Network actually launched.
To be honest, that is outside my area of scope but I do however know where to find the answer. I do reckon you are right mind, as they were at Heywood from before franchising due to Rotala's actions and they likely got lumped together.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

As thought. Should be at Weston St but given what happened, it's been left be... (Yes with TfGM blessing).
 
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