Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I've noticed the southern section of the line being rather quiet. I wonder will the breaking of the connections with the FfR lead to a significant reduction?
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Express motors Caernarfon
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I've noticed the southern section of the line being rather quiet. I wonder will the breaking of the connections with the FfR lead to a significant reduction?
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R
RailUK Forums
I asked in the Tourist Information Centre in Llandudno yesterday, and they are still awaiting any news from Conwy Council.
I wonder if Llew Jones will take it on, and integrate it with their 19 group of services - they already serve Blaenau on Sundays and Public Holidays with their x19.
0B00
Member
Just up on the Arriva Buses Wales website is news of what we already knew with regards to the 1B, 82/83/85/86/88 and 91. However they are also advertising the '1NS' on Sundays ONLY providing an identical service to that of Express without the 2 positioning journeys from Penygroes depot.
They are also advertising two evening trips on the '1' from Caernarfon to Porthmadog (Mon-Sat) at 1825 and 2050 from Caernarfon and 1950 and 2145 from Porthmadog. So can we presume someone else is doing the day time service?
A hastily thrown together PDF as Garndolbenmaen is spelt incorrectly in one direction as Dolbelmaen and in the other as Garndolenmaen!
They are also advertising two evening trips on the '1' from Caernarfon to Porthmadog (Mon-Sat) at 1825 and 2050 from Caernarfon and 1950 and 2145 from Porthmadog. So can we presume someone else is doing the day time service?
A hastily thrown together PDF as Garndolbenmaen is spelt incorrectly in one direction as Dolbelmaen and in the other as Garndolenmaen!
backontrack
Established Member
I wonder what will happen to the routes to Llanddeiniolen, Llanrug and Llanberis. Surely Arriva would want to pick up the Bangor route at least - maybe they'd combine the two and operate straight through from Bangor to Caernarfon via Llanberis.
splashoutradio
Member
In theory, it would be possible to have a two-hourly train service along the valley without an extra unit. It would mean dropping the Llandudno - Llandudno Junction portion, and taking advantage of some of the timetable padding though. It would also require passengers travelling from stations on the valley to Deganwy and Llandudno to change at the Junction. If the timetable padding does become an issue, there could always be a (much-less atractive sounding) 2hour and 5minutely service
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
In theory, it would be possible to have a two-hourly train service along the valley without an extra unit. It would mean dropping the Llandudno - Llandudno Junction portion, and taking advantage of some of the timetable padding though. It would also require passengers travelling from stations on the valley to Deganwy and Llandudno to change at the Junction. If the timetable padding does become an issue, there could always be a (much-less atractive sounding) 2hour and 5minutely service
I believe this was tried some time ago and proved too unreliable. As for a 2h05 frequency, that loses all the connectional advantages of regular interval.
I suppose you could copy the Windermere branch and run every other train semifast, but then you've got a big cut at some stations to the point of near uselessness.
0B00
Member
More updates on Gwynedd CC website today.
- Arriva covering the evening service 1 Caernarfon - Porthmadog at 1825 and 2050 (the 2050 goes via Criccieth) and 1950 / 2145 return. The rest of the '1' withdrawn for rest of day replace by a FEW extra T2's including one at 0730 from Porthmadog via Criccieth.
- 38/39 - 39 withdrawn, a few 38's instead one each day running Dolgellau - Barmouth - Harlech - Maentwrog - Blaenau Ffestiniog with a few SDO daytime trips Harlech - Barmouth (is this an error, why SDO at 1120 and 1150 in the day time!?)
- 33/33A/36/533 all to Lloyds.
Llandudno- Blaenau Ffestiniog Services to be operated by Arriva and Llew Jones:-
http://www.conwy.gov.uk/en/Resident...Transport/Assets-Bus-pass/documents/X1-1X.pdf
http://www.conwy.gov.uk/en/Resident...c-Transport/Assets-Bus-pass/documents/X19.pdf
Giving 9 return services per day [4 more than now!]
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Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
What's with the X1/1X nonsense? That route isn't long enough to need a tacho avoiding cheat, is it?
Apart from the 1600 journey the Arriva one appears to nicely complement the train timetable, which is perhaps not surprising. Is either tendered or are both commercial? Also the X19 seems to substantially duplicate some of the X1 journeys (or vice versa)...wonder which will survive long term?
Apart from the 1600 journey the Arriva one appears to nicely complement the train timetable, which is perhaps not surprising. Is either tendered or are both commercial? Also the X19 seems to substantially duplicate some of the X1 journeys (or vice versa)...wonder which will survive long term?
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Just auto-routed it and it is just over 50km with the loop into Betws though agree, the different service number is silly. Still, once we reclaim our country......
jay38a
Member
That won’t change as the UK will still be part of AETR (The European Agreement Concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles Engaged in International Road Transport) which follows EU driving hours after they leaving the EU.
Anyone know if these will be running via Deganwy (similar to the X5) or via Craig-y-don (the route of the current X1)?
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Surely only applying to international transport per its title?
The X19 continues to be timed at Llandudno Hospital approach (as now), so would seem to be continuing to go via Deganwy.
The Arriva X1 is timed at Llanrhos Corner, so it could be going directly via the A470, especially as it is only allowed 10 minutes to Llandudno Junction, which is very tight, compared with the Service 5 via Craig-y-Don.
Baxenden Bank
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Comprehensive refresh of the Gwynedd Council bus timetable now on-line. I assume all the replacements that are happening have now been uploaded. Some timetables have changed slightly to those published just before Christmas e.g. 86, 88, 93 with some extra journeys and slight re-timings. A comprehensive X1 / X19 has been published.
No details of replacement Porthmadog local services.
I estimate about 24 buses worth of work compared to about 40 previously, although some of the difference may be due to previous 'open' school services becoming 'closed' and thus no times published. Also there is the removal of some duplicates e.g. the three buses running from Harlech to Barmouth around 0800.
Biggest losers seem to be the numerous '1' variants to Penygroes and surrounding villages with halved frequencies and minimal evening service.
No details of replacement Porthmadog local services.
I estimate about 24 buses worth of work compared to about 40 previously, although some of the difference may be due to previous 'open' school services becoming 'closed' and thus no times published. Also there is the removal of some duplicates e.g. the three buses running from Harlech to Barmouth around 0800.
Biggest losers seem to be the numerous '1' variants to Penygroes and surrounding villages with halved frequencies and minimal evening service.
0B00
Member
In Porthmadog no operator submitted a tender to run the 99 to Morfa Bychan so no bus goes down there now.
The 99H (one journey a day) was not tendered as it carried no one and the return trip was at the same time as a commercial service 3.
The 98 wasn't offered for tender as use was by 'non entitled' students according to the officers at Gwynedd CC. Same applied to the single S97 journey via Penrhyndeudraeth.
The 38 only runs on schooldays apart from one trip at the start and end of each day - Gwynedd CC officers tell me that is due to no funding available for a School Hol / Saturday service.
One error on the council website is the 1N has a Sunday service by Arriva but is not mentioned. A full list of typos that have crept in to the council timetable pages has been provided to the very helpful lady at Gwynedd CC who maintains the site, and she has promised to correct these ASAP.
The 99H (one journey a day) was not tendered as it carried no one and the return trip was at the same time as a commercial service 3.
The 98 wasn't offered for tender as use was by 'non entitled' students according to the officers at Gwynedd CC. Same applied to the single S97 journey via Penrhyndeudraeth.
The 38 only runs on schooldays apart from one trip at the start and end of each day - Gwynedd CC officers tell me that is due to no funding available for a School Hol / Saturday service.
One error on the council website is the 1N has a Sunday service by Arriva but is not mentioned. A full list of typos that have crept in to the council timetable pages has been provided to the very helpful lady at Gwynedd CC who maintains the site, and she has promised to correct these ASAP.
backontrack
Established Member
Arriva appear to have picked up the 85 from Bangor to Deiniolen and Llanberis, with a daily service on route 86 from Bangor to Llanberis via Llanrug.
https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/wales/services/85-86---llanberis-to-bangor/
They also now run the 88 from Caernarfon to Llanrug and Llanberis.
https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/wales/services/88---llanberis-to-caernarfon/
https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/wales/services/85-86---llanberis-to-bangor/
They also now run the 88 from Caernarfon to Llanrug and Llanberis.
https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/wales/services/88---llanberis-to-caernarfon/
They have failed in their bid to start again.The financial standing was ok .The transport manager was cleared but the owners took a proper hammering from The Traffic Commissioner.The transport manager can start in his own in future if he feels like it
I see that Arriva are pulling out of the X1-1X group of services from 25th March, leaving the field open to Llew Jones:-
https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/wales/updates/withdrawal-of-services-1x-and-x1/
That service didn't last long!
Full report here -courtesy of the excellent Rons's Bus and Coach site:-
https://sites.google.com/site/ronnewbe/express-motors-caernarfon
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Teflon Lettuce
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well to be fair to them Blaenau is usually mispronounced by English speakers as Blan-ee-ie. It always amazes me how often BBC presenters say "clan-duhd-no" as well... and yet they are equally careful to say "Mumbai" "beijing" etc!
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
That said, I got corrected by a North Walean that I’d pronounced a place name in mid Wales wrong. I’d pronounced it as per the local residents!!
To be honest, if I can spot it, so should Arriva.
Teflon Lettuce
Established Member
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lol that's the problem with Gogs... they think they're the only ones who know how to speak the lingo... but there are many different varieties of Welsh!
Sort of relevant to this thread as it is an old Express Motors service....
Express Motors used to run the 1B between Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog as a through service with the 1/1A between Porthmadog and Caernarfon making it possible to run an hourly service. When they folded the 1B was taken on by Arriva on a stand-alone one bus schedule, running every hour and a bit with breaks, most unsatisfactory. Given their local base is in Pwllheli the obvious thing to do would have been to tag the 1B onto the existing half hourly service 3 in which event an hourly service could be provided. Presumably this was seen as too difficult given the short notice on Express's demise. The other problem is that the service 3 is run jointly with Caelloi, Arriva providing two buses and Caelloi one. With this extension Caelloi would have to run to Blaenau every four hours.
Gwynedd's website now shows that, from 13 May, Arriva plan to do exactly that, but all themselves. Arriva, with 4 buses, now plan to run the 3/3B departing Pwllheli at 00 and 30 (currently 15 and 45) with alternate journeys as 3B through to Blaenau. Caelloi's existing journeys every 90 minutes between Pwllheli and Porthmadog continue at current times. I don't know what the politics and commercials of this are - maybe it is illegal for them to discuss a change to the joint operation, maybe they just couldn't agree, maybe Arriva are being competitive. This is a good change as it adds 5 more journeys to the Blaenau leg but seems hard on Caelloi. I used the 3 once a few years ago, I was on the Caelloi bus which was a proper Scania saloon, Arriva had one Cadet and one no-show with the Cadet running so late the Caelloi bus almost caught it up!
Other changes - with the withdrawal of Arriva's 1X-X1 between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog the Llew Jones X19 has been improved slightly. Also the Arriva 82/3, 85/6 and 88 have had small improvements compared with the original times especially eliminating a gap between 14.50 and 17.40 in departures from Caernarfon to Llanberis on the 88 and some later journeys.
Express Motors used to run the 1B between Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog as a through service with the 1/1A between Porthmadog and Caernarfon making it possible to run an hourly service. When they folded the 1B was taken on by Arriva on a stand-alone one bus schedule, running every hour and a bit with breaks, most unsatisfactory. Given their local base is in Pwllheli the obvious thing to do would have been to tag the 1B onto the existing half hourly service 3 in which event an hourly service could be provided. Presumably this was seen as too difficult given the short notice on Express's demise. The other problem is that the service 3 is run jointly with Caelloi, Arriva providing two buses and Caelloi one. With this extension Caelloi would have to run to Blaenau every four hours.
Gwynedd's website now shows that, from 13 May, Arriva plan to do exactly that, but all themselves. Arriva, with 4 buses, now plan to run the 3/3B departing Pwllheli at 00 and 30 (currently 15 and 45) with alternate journeys as 3B through to Blaenau. Caelloi's existing journeys every 90 minutes between Pwllheli and Porthmadog continue at current times. I don't know what the politics and commercials of this are - maybe it is illegal for them to discuss a change to the joint operation, maybe they just couldn't agree, maybe Arriva are being competitive. This is a good change as it adds 5 more journeys to the Blaenau leg but seems hard on Caelloi. I used the 3 once a few years ago, I was on the Caelloi bus which was a proper Scania saloon, Arriva had one Cadet and one no-show with the Cadet running so late the Caelloi bus almost caught it up!
Other changes - with the withdrawal of Arriva's 1X-X1 between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog the Llew Jones X19 has been improved slightly. Also the Arriva 82/3, 85/6 and 88 have had small improvements compared with the original times especially eliminating a gap between 14.50 and 17.40 in departures from Caernarfon to Llanberis on the 88 and some later journeys.
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