That's what I am saying. I don't understand why Cheshire East don't change it so it works better for buses. Hey, nothing like needlessly slowing down buses and sending them on a convoluted route and then wondering why people choose not to use them.....
At least it's an easy interchange to Metrolink at Wythenshawe and, whilst it's annoying, the fare is relatively low from there to the Airport.
It will be quicker to change to Metrolink at the Peel Hall tram stop.
Or, best plan, don't make the service so slow to get to the airport in the first place. At Handforth, join the new Airport connector road and you'll be there in 5 minutes then link up to Wythenshawe.
From my experience, passenger flows were generally quite good from Handforth to Wythenshawe so why alienate the people actually using the service?
It wouldn't be much time difference if they ran to Wythenshawe via Airport rather than running via Heald Green.
If that does happen then just an idea, they could number that service the 31A. With it following the 31 route down to Winsford then serving Winsford railway station and Middlewich and then following the 42 route to Leighton and then picking back up the 31 route into Crewe serving Broad Street & North Street.
Yes it’s very good to see Chester Road having a bus service again, with 8 outbound journeys and 9 inbound journeys.
From what I understand (and could change) it would be numbered 37 and run the 37 route from Northwich to Middlewich, then the 42 route to Leighton, then the 31 to Crewe but could change as there is an appetite to serve the Frank Webb Avenue part of Crewe too
Cheshire East appears to be really pushing the 38 and hopefully that can increase to half-hourly again, which would allow the 37 to be retimed and reduce overcrowding on the Crewe - Sandbach section
www.dgbus.co.uk
Timetable: https://www.dgbus.co.uk/media/5411/130-150_2025-11-23.pdf
Good to hear that a Sunday service is arriving, I did think it wasn't very clever that a route that connects 4 or so major places isn't running on a Sunday and will hopefully allow people to get out on Sundays.
The 8 and 12 look okay especially when the Makers Market is in Crewe. I've used the 38 a few times and loads were very low albeit not used it recently.
I've noticed that too on the weekdays on the 38, it can be a bit too busy at time and I do feel that double deckers would be feasible to put on the route, not that D&G would ever get deckers..
Before Arriva withdrew from Eastern Cheshire in April 2023, D&G operated route 38 as well as Arriva, giving a half hourly service 0800-1800 Mon-Sat. There might be a case for increasing the service back to half hourly at certain times, in particular 0800-1800 Mon-Fri between Macclesfield and Sandbach. Sandbach to Crewe already has a half hourly service 0800-1800 Mon-Sat alternately on routes 37 and 38. There is no need for double deck buses in Eastern Cheshire.
They were 15/45 minutes apart in competition
Crewe - Sandbach COULD work 3 buses per hour. After all it did work that frequent for a while. The difference now is that this corridor is ran by an operator who wants the world handed to them on a plate and thrives by scrounging off taxpayers. They haven't a care in the world for growing patronage or improving services. If the corridor was ran by a more progressive operator, I think you'd probably find there would be 3 buses per hour.
I miss the 37A/W when that was a thing connecting Winsford to Sandbach as it made the connection from Winsford, Middlewich to Sandbach much quicker. Arriva did give up the service just before covid but it was great for the school runs and better frequency.
www.shropshirestar.com
I think that at Nantwich people will just get on the first bus to turn up and so being 5 minutes ahead is probably more beneficial for them at that end. At the Crewe end I think people there prefer the 15 minute frequency and that is benefits them more. Great shame though that the only time D&G give a stuff about providing a service is when they are trying to get rid of a competitor. Any other time, they provide a sub standard service and want to scrounge off Cheshire East.
Long overdue. Why it's taken Shropshire council this long to see sense and link between their towns, is anyones guess. I'll certainly go for some journeys when it starts up.
Because the previous services carried fresh air?
That'll be very handy. Saves people having to go the long way round via Shrewsbury and then Drayton. Much easier! Any idea what depot this will be run from? It seems like something Chaserider should run as it's closer to them and pretty much equal distance from Crewe & Stoke depot. Would make sense if Crewe ran it though as they already have buses in Whitchurch-ChesterD&G varying timetable on 10 and 84X from 4 January 2026. On 84X a couple of services are removed following reshuffle of timetable and they mainly sit 5 minutes ahead of Stagecoach leaving Nantwich although a more consistent 15 minute service leaving Crewe appears it seems.
D&G also launching a new 340 bus service in partnership with Shropshire Council from January 2026: Whitchurch - Market Drayton - Wellington
New bus service connecting Whitchurch and Market Drayton with Wellington and hospital to begin operating - here's when
A long-awaited new bus service connecting Whitchurch and Market Drayton with Telford's Princess Royal Hospital and Wellington will begin operating next month.
Given it's on D&Gs website and not Chaseriders website, I think we can put safely that this will be operated by Chaserider.