Nottingham 'Bus War'

[Deerfold]

Long Eaton Exprss goes in May , its getting cut down to just 2 trips per day anyway.

8:45 Commuter Xprss is also getting cut.
Trent Bartons Skylink is getting a change already (not even started yet). it was on Vosa today something to do with stopping places.

One of the Two Kinch 9 Darts caught fire on the 22nd closing the A60 at Costock.

Trent Barton again failed to run Two Lex services on the 22nd , but had spare buses to do Skylink Route learning and park one up to show the public in Long Eaton.

Quite odd - the LEX service no longer appears on the trentbarton website, though there's been no mention of it in any of their service updates and according to VOSA it doesn't finish until 08/05/2012.

Also using the routefinder at http://www.trentbarton.co.uk/bus-information/route-finder the only route that comes up for Long Eaton to Nottingham is indigo, no LEX or (more suprisingly) Skylink.

It also just gives a dead link referring to indigo if you select East Midlands Airport to Nottingham - looks like standards are really slipping in trentbarton's publicity machine.

 

[tbone]

Quite odd - the LEX service no longer appears on the trentbarton website, though there's been no mention of it in any of their service updates and according to VOSA it doesn't finish until 08/05/2012.

Also using the routefinder at http://www.trentbarton.co.uk/bus-information/route-finder the only route that comes up for Long Eaton to Nottingham is indigo, no LEX or (more suprisingly) Skylink.

It also just gives a dead link referring to indigo if you select East Midlands Airport to Nottingham - looks like standards are really slipping in trentbarton's publicity machine.

The Long Eaton xprss is still running, I think that Trent want to get all the people onto skylink, quite why they didn't cancel is completely from Skylink's start date is another question

I find it quite suprising about the website though, the ticket pages have all been changed to show Skylink Nottingham and on the route finder, all destinations served by Transpeak, Skyline 199 and 185/186 have already been removed so some updating must have been done in the psat few days. That must have slipped the net

 

[Ginga]

The Premiere Fairfares target has been reached . Helped by good numbers on Red 1 , 5 and 9. The Redflyer also helped.

So no Premiere price increases. They have a promo on over Easter. Ten trip tickets that can be used on ALL routes are just £10. Also the group tickets Duo and Trio are half price.

Trent Barton cash prices for a Two trip between Stapleford and Nottingham on Rainbow 4 or i4 are now Five Quid.

Same on Calverton Connection the two trip ticket is also Five pounds.

 

[MCR247]

On skylink now and it is very well loaded! Pretty much every seat taken, and about 10 people boarded at Mecca in Beeston. I presume the luggage racks will remove seats, which may result in some standing on some services!

 

[Deerfold]

On skylink now and it is very well loaded! Pretty much every seat taken, and about 10 people boarded at Mecca in Beeston. I presume the luggage racks will remove seats, which may result in some standing on some services!

Perhaps they'll have to increase the frequency

 

[ARedFlyer]

On skylink now and it is very well loaded! Pretty much every seat taken, and about 10 people boarded at Mecca in Beeston. I presume the luggage racks will remove seats, which may result in some standing on some services!

Just want you want when you go to the Airport. A packed bus and having to stand?! Less a Skylink, more a Long Eaton link. EMA should be ashamed. Red Flyer is a premium service to the Airport running at a fraction of the cost, doubt they are running at profit though despite their extravagant claims of success.

 

[MCR247]

I was very surprised, and I think it could be a success for TB, with or without RedFlyer, since every skylink bus I have seen has good loadings.

Notice at Broadmarsh there is a sign at the bottom of the skylink bay saying alternative bus from bay 11!

But yeah if loadings are successful and maybe the RedFlyer goes then maybe a 20 minute frequency to the airport might be an idea? Maybe just during 7 - 6

 

[trentside]

The competition doesn't seem to be affecting passenger loadings on the Bingham Xprss. I passed a full and standing Optare Tempo on the A52 on Tuesday, off-peak at 1030 with a good mix of fare payers and pass holders. The standing traffic made such observations easy.

Apparently recent fare rises haven't put people off, or onto the competing Red1.

 

[Ginga]

Red 3 Fares will be £1.40 Single , £2 Two trip and £8 Ten Trip.
BUZZ fares ( under 22's). £1 Single , £1.50 Two trip and £5 Ten Trip.

Red 5 getting extra Morning trips and will be running later from end of May.

They are doing a Mobile ticket for £10p/w till the end of the Month that can be used on All Premiere Services.

Going to be doing Discounts for NHS staff as well.

Mango prices are going up on services that had the cash fare go up in January , so thats Red Arrow , Rainbow 1 , Rapid 1 etc etc.

 

[MCR247]

Indigo Volvo 703 looks like it was involved in some sort of RTC on Derby Road and is now sat outside savoy cinema not looking too good

 

[Heinz57]

Wouldn't be surprised if that ends up in Langley Mill depot some time soon then.

On a similar note, they've had nearly all the Felix fleet in over the past month of so. 03 was in for quite a few weeks with the sparkies doing some work on it. 56 and 08 have also been in for MOT. Can't remember if 05s been in yet.

The Felix depot in Stanley is a bit of a sorry site now. All empty. All the coaches are gone (the red ones I beleive are still in the TDG haulage depot down the road). The solos and I beleive the dart are inside the little garage building at Felix. Thats about it.

Notts + Derby have bought a couple more Varios. Simaler to those from Felix. These have come from TM travel. One of which is riding around still in TM travel colours with Notts + Derby logos pasted on the side.

 

[tbone]

The Felix depot in Stanley is a bit of a sorry site now. All empty. All the coaches are gone (the red ones I beleive are still in the TDG haulage depot down the road). The solos and I beleive the dart are inside the little garage building at Felix. Thats about it.

Notts + Derby have bought a couple more Varios. Simaler to those from Felix. These have come from TM travel. One of which is riding around still in TM travel colours with Notts + Derby logos pasted on the side.

The 'V' plate dart has been sold to Harrogate coach travel, they have named it Felix. One of the '55' coaches was/is on loan to Swiftsure

Notts and Derby have on ex. TM Travel *Centro* no. 792, it was always the plan to have this transfered, hence why the ex Felix Centros are 791 and 793. It will eventually be repainted for the D1 P&R service

 

[WillPS]

Wouldn't be surprised if that ends up in Langley Mill depot some time soon then.

On a similar note, they've had nearly all the Felix fleet in over the past month of so. 03 was in for quite a few weeks with the sparkies doing some work on it. 56 and 08 have also been in for MOT. Can't remember if 05s been in yet.

The Felix depot in Stanley is a bit of a sorry site now. All empty. All the coaches are gone (the red ones I beleive are still in the TDG haulage depot down the road). The solos and I beleive the dart are inside the little garage building at Felix. Thats about it.

Notts + Derby have bought a couple more Varios. Simaler to those from Felix. These have come from TM travel. One of which is riding around still in TM travel colours with Notts + Derby logos pasted on the side.

It will have been transferred, not purchased, from TM Travel; they're both sister companies within the Wellglade group.

 

[tbone]

I can confirm the '55' reg coach is still with Swiftsure, seen out today on school runs around Uttoxeter, still in full Felix livery
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Trent Barton will be unveiling their secret weapon tomorrow, an i4 Tempo SR will be on display in Nottingham city centre

 

[trentside]

Two blogs that may be of interest.

Firstly, the official TrentBarton blog on their new brand image and the i4 launch;
http://trentbartonlive.blogspot.co.uk/

Secondly, the new transportdesigned blog which features a more detailed look at the new i4;
http://transportdesigned.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/trent-barton-a-lesson-in-brand-management/

 

[Heinz57]

I heard the other day that ex-Felix '10' now with Skylink is in Langley Mill being repaired.

Had some sort of scrape with an Arriva bus at Derby bus station. It was backing out of a bay (the rule at the bus station is give way to reversing buses). But this Arriva guy decided not to stop for it and went straight into the back.

 

[tbone]

The latest competing route Red3 starts tomorrow, between Nottingham and Keyworth, competing with the Keyworth connection. A number of 'X' plate Solars have been branded

RedFlyer is likely to become a bus service in the future, plans are afoot to serve a city centre stop, which would prohibit coach use under the SQBP in place in Nottingham

 

[WillPS]

The latest competing route Red3 starts tomorrow, between Nottingham and Keyworth, competing with the Keyworth connection. A number of 'X' plate Solars have been branded

RedFlyer is likely to become a bus service in the future, plans are afoot to serve a city centre stop, which would prohibit coach use under the SQBP in place in Nottingham

I thought SQBP only restricted routes with a frequency greater than half-hourly?

I personally don't like SQBP - it just smacks to me of a backhanded way of keeping low-ball competition away from NCT (who the council own ~80% of).

 

[MCR247]

Whats SQBP?

 

[trentside]

Whats SQBP?

It's a Statutory Quality Partnership Scheme. Nottingham implemented one a few years ago to prevent stand blocking in the city centre, as well as to ensure all vehicles operating were easy access.

 

[MCR247]

Ok thanks

TB have announced the changes for the 3, although I'm surprised they've stuck with 3a 3b and 3c instead going with 3.1 3.2 and 3.3?

Also is it keeping its rainbow brand?! hock:

 

[trentside]

Also is it keeping its rainbow brand?! hock:

As I understand it, the Rainbow brand was supposed to be going completely. The original logic was that the 'Rainbow' brand was because the routes stood out with their coloured branding, whereas most of the network now operates in this way, so they're not as distinctive.

I'd be surprised if it was retained - but stranger things have happened.

 

[bb21]

It is no longer a network, with the demise of the 2 and 5, and the impending renaming of 4.

Rainbow 1 and 3 will be very unlikely to last long, as the rainbow routes are now a rather old concept, which does not fit in with TB's ethos of continuous brand refreshment.

 

[WillPS]

As I understand it, the Rainbow brand was supposed to be going completely. The original logic was that the 'Rainbow' brand was because the routes stood out with their coloured branding, whereas most of the network now operates in this way, so they're not as distinctive.

I'd be surprised if it was retained - but stranger things have happened.

Could just become r3? Ashfield Three? I dunno. It's looong overdue anyway.

When indigo was launched the stated logic was that their research showed that customers/drivers called it either R5 or just 'the 5', and they wanted it to be known by a brand rather than just a number. Pretty inconsistent given the subsequent rebrands have both put more emphasis on the number, if anything!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Just read - they're cutting the Ninety back to Sutton after making a massive deal about taking it to McArthur Glen in January - a flop?

 

[Ginga]

Also Trent Barton are going to be running Radcliffe Line Every 15 Minutes on Sundays (Xprss has Sundays off). But thats just part of the story as it will only run as far as Bingham Market. not to Willow Road .

That means a large part of Bingham will have no Sunday Buses, as Red 1 also only runs to the Market on Sundays.

Trent Barton are also cutting back on Sunday Evening Services to Every hour .

I have asked Premiere if they could run one of their Red 1 buses to Willow Road and he is looking at it .

 

[trentside]

The residents of Willow Road do not like the fact that the buses serve the estate. There have been many complaints over the years about the buses causing noise, damaging parked cars and driving too fast. The complaints re-emerged when the X1 was first launched due to the increased number of buses running along Willow Road, and I believe some Premiere journeys were cut back to avoid this issue.

 

[Ginga]

Red 1

Sunday buses will now be extended to Grantham Road in Bingham to replace a service cut by another operator. from 27th May.

Local 17

A special offer fare is now running on this service, all trips from the Sherwin Arms stop at Bramcote, and then all stops to the City cost just £1 adult single or only £5 for a 10trip ticket.

 

[Jordeh]

The replacement for the Rainbow 4, the "i4" has gone live today with new buses and branding.

 

[bus man]

Another bus war in nottingham the last one was nottingham ct and nottingham omnibus wasnt it

 

[MCR247]

Not my photo but 323's main front LED is already broken

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...05516244_1600735033_32370246_1455932599_n.jpg