Nottingham 'Bus War'

[Qwerty133]

Sarah Taylor from Yourbus has said the y5,y10 and y28 are going on a new "O" licence from Oct.

What does this remind me of...
The Red Rocket express, and we all know why that was

 

[kevjs]

I noticed a number of "excelsior" coaches round the broadmarsh carrying A4 destination stickers for the National Express 310 service.

First time I've seen a non-national Express coach on them - is this just holiday strengthening or have they taken over from the incumbent?

 

[nottinghamcity]

What looks like all of the YB services re-registered today. Only small changes obvious: Y28 now Mon-Sat only, Y5 becomes Y8. Amazingly S1 retained

Also notice Skylink Nottingham to serve Coalville once an hour.

 

[Robertj21a]

I noticed a number of "excelsior" coaches round the broadmarsh carrying A4 destination stickers for the National Express 310 service.

First time I've seen a non-national Express coach on them - is this just holiday strengthening or have they taken over from the incumbent?

Most Excelsiors I see on the 310 are in their own livery, not National Express,

 

[Mugby]

I saw Skills using an ex-Silverdale coach, still in full Silverdale livery on a NX service passing through Derby a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Robertj21a]

I saw Skills using an ex-Silverdale coach, still in full Silverdale livery on a NX service passing through Derby a couple of weeks ago.

That's quite common, there's one on there today as well. Of course Skills own Silverdale anyway.

 

[pjnathanail]

That's quite common, there's one on there today as well. Of course Skills own Silverdale anyway.

Skills are using a lot of non Nat Ex branded vehicles due to the large amount of extra work they have picked up from yourbus. This includes some ex megabus triaxle coaches (complete with stagecoach moquette in one case!) and some ex parks of Hamilton still in citilink gold livery albeit rebranded.

 

[howittpie]

NCT have announced on facebook that the Monday to Saturday evening 36 journeys are increased to every 15 minutes and the Sunday morning 36A journeys will run as 36 so will serve the full route.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Also notice Skylink Nottingham to serve Coalville once an hour.

The new timetable is now up for Skylink. Is running every hour to Coalville via Shepshed between approx 05.00 to 23.00.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

Worksops new Bus Station opened today:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-34085527

Only from what I can make out it's closed on Sundays & Bank Holiday Mondays....

See 'Worksop Bus Station has arrived PDF' leaflet near bottom of this page:

http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/t...sstationimprovementschemes/worksopbusstation/

 

[Statto]

Worksops new Bus Station opened today:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-34085527

Only from what I can make out it's closed on Sundays & Bank Holiday Mondays....

See 'Worksop Bus Station has arrived PDF' leaflet near bottom of this page:

http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/t...sstationimprovementschemes/worksopbusstation/

That is bonkers, build a new bus station but only open 7am-7pm Monday to Saturday, closed rest of the time.

 

[Marcus Fryer]

That is bonkers, build a new bus station but only open 7am-7pm Monday to Saturday, closed rest of the time.

Reading the leaflet, it's only the office building (and thus facilities like the café and toilets) that's closed in evenings and on Sundays - the bays are still open for buses/passengers to arrive and depart. In that respect, it's similar to Newark.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

Reading the leaflet, it's only the office building (and thus facilities like the café and toilets) that's closed in evenings and on Sundays - the bays are still open for buses/passengers to arrive and depart. In that respect, it's similar to Newark.

And the indoor waiting area is closed - out of hours stands are only accessible from the outside of the building.
I just found it amusing that the 'official' opening day was on a day when the building itself was closed!

 

[Mugby]

Lat time I went to Worksop and had a look at the site, before building started, it didn't seem exactly convenient for the town centre.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

Wouldn't say it was too bad. 2 minute walk from pedestrianised street. Across the road from a supermarket and closer to the library than the old bus station. It is further away from the Priory Shopping centre though.
More services are also using it - the 4/A to Manton never accessed the old Hardy Street area stops.

 

[tbone]

From late October, Red Arrow Chesterfield will be rebranded as 'Comet' using Volvo Eclipses from the Two.

From the same date the frequency of the Two will increase (presumably this will be the day of the new vehicles entering service too- could be a tight turnaround!)

 

[Mitch in Notts]

Littles Travel facebook page state they have 4 new (to them?) vehicles for new services starting 26th October.
Wonder which additional tenders they've won?

 

[tramdan]

And the indoor waiting area is closed - out of hours stands are only accessible from the outside of the building.
I just found it amusing that the 'official' opening day was on a day when the building itself was closed!

Fortunately the building was open specially on the opening day with extra staff on hand.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

Littles Travel facebook page state they have 4 new (to them?) vehicles for new services starting 26th October.
Wonder which additional tenders they've won?

Wonder if it's the Crich area network which Yourbus appear to have lost....

 

[howittpie]

According to the Nottingham Post the Ruddington Connection is being withdrawn from the end of November.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

And confirmed by a statement on the Trent Barton website.

The service has never done well. I saw one heading into Nottingham at 9am the other morning through Wilford - noone on it.

The top half of Ruddington Lane (between Wilford Green & Ruddington Lane tram stop) is in the city and frankly within walking distance of the tram or the buses at the Green. It could be served by diverting the L1 or L22/3 and turning round somewhere near the tram stop.

Residents at Wilford Rd in Ruddington could walk through to NCT 10 on Packman Drive.

The big issue is Ruddington to Clifton. Considering that Trent withdrew the hourly section through Barleylands earlier this year, the county council have replaced it by a Nottsbus 863 three times a day. The L22/23 already provide an hourly link so can't see any improvement by funding for this section considering what happened at Barleylands

None of this is satisfactory, but the county council will not pay for any of its tendered services to enter Nottingham City Centre anymore - I think the Sherwood Arrow is possibly the sole exception now.

Be interesting to see if Nottingham City Transport offer an alternative - but I don't see how it could fit into their network.

 

[edwin_m]

The big issue is Ruddington to Clifton. Considering that Trent withdrew the hourly section through Barleylands earlier this year, the county council have replaced it by a Nottsbus 863 three times a day. The L22/23 already provide an hourly link so can't see any improvement by funding for this section considering what happened at Barleylands

None of this is satisfactory, but the county council will not pay for any of its tendered services to enter Nottingham City Centre anymore - I think the Sherwood Arrow is possibly the sole exception now.

Be interesting to see if Nottingham City Transport offer an alternative - but I don't see how it could fit into their network.

The tendered L22 and L23 provide an hourly daytime link, which is probably as good as it will get. NCT may be looking to re-cast their Clifton services in the light of tram competition, and it's remotely possible they might run the 2 or the 3 to Ruddington. But it's a tiny market - suburb-to-suburb will always struggle, and there are only a handful of (very affluent) houses between Ruddington and Clifton that aren't within an easy walk of a better service into the city from one end of the other.

 

[howittpie]

NCT have announced they are plugging the gap of the Ruddington connection they are rerouting the 3 fromWilford Green via Ruddington to Clifton and are extending the 10 to the business park this was on facebook.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

NCT have announced they are plugging the gap of the Ruddington connection they are rerouting the 3 fromWilford Green via Ruddington to Clifton and are extending the 10 to the business park this was on facebook.

Interesting - and sensible that. Though it does appear to leave the northern section of Farnborough Road - between the Winning Post & The Fairham with NO Sunday evening bus service as the 2 doesn't run Sunday evenings. Winners & losers?

 

[howittpie]

I notice the y4 is going to be free for the first few days when it starts. A driver told me it was for the first week but the website states first few days.

 

[edwin_m]

Interesting - and sensible that.

That chomping sound is me eating my words from the previous post.

I guess the 10 could do with a bit of a boost, having recently dropped from all deckers to a mixture of doubles and singles. But I'm not sure people living on the 3 route in Clifton will welcome an extra 10-15min on their journeys, or why NCT think they can make this work when TB are abandoning the exact same route.

This illustrates perfectly the problems of non-integration arising from deregulation. In most other countries there would be a cross-platform bus-tram interchange somewhere in Clifton with feeder buses at no extra fare from Ruddington and those parts of Clifton that aren't near the tram itself.

 

[Robertj21a]

That chomping sound is me eating my words from the previous post.

I guess the 10 could do with a bit of a boost, having recently dropped from all deckers to a mixture of doubles and singles. But I'm not sure people living on the 3 route in Clifton will welcome an extra 10-15min on their journeys, or why NCT think they can make this work when TB are abandoning the exact same route.

This illustrates perfectly the problems of non-integration arising from deregulation. In most other countries there would be a cross-platform bus-tram interchange somewhere in Clifton with feeder buses at no extra fare from Ruddington and those parts of Clifton that aren't near the tram itself.

Not really sure that de-regulation is all that relevant. Quite apart from it being nearly 30 years ago, are you suggesting that the trams, and all the Trent and NCT operations would have been in some enormous 'Nottingham Corporation' company ?

 

[kevjs]

Not really sure that de-regulation is all that relevant. Quite apart from it being nearly 30 years ago, are you suggesting that the trams, and all the Trent and NCT operations would have been in some enormous 'Nottingham Corporation' company ?

Or the London model, i.e. a load of private companies operate them, but TfN sets the fares, the timetables, and offers ticket integration...

I guess the 10 could do with a bit of a boost, having recently dropped from all deckers to a mixture of doubles and singles. But I'm not sure people living on the 3 route in Clifton will welcome an extra 10-15min on their journeys, or why NCT think they can make this work when TB are abandoning the exact same route.

The 10X - seeing as the 10 is already running more or less all the way, and has seen a drop in patronage since the college campus closed this is a rather short extension to a business park at peak times at the cost of what, 1 extra bus/driver? They've done something similar with the 48A and 44A(?) since they lost the City Link services.

The rest of it is probably pragmatic changes to keep a viable service to Clifton longer term, there twitter feed says "The 2 will revert to its pre tramworks frequency of every 30 min" so is possibly a further indication of post-tram reorganisation.

 

[edwin_m]

Not really sure that de-regulation is all that relevant. Quite apart from it being nearly 30 years ago, are you suggesting that the trams, and all the Trent and NCT operations would have been in some enormous 'Nottingham Corporation' company ?

No. But with an integrated and regulated system there would be through ticketing, no penalty for using several modes or operators, and buses and trams would each be doing what they do best. In this case the buses would be provdiing local journeys within Clifton/Ruddington and feeding city centre passengers into the tram.

 

[Robertj21a]

No. But with an integrated and regulated system there would be through ticketing, no penalty for using several modes or operators, and buses and trams would each be doing what they do best. In this case the buses would be provdiing local journeys within Clifton/Ruddington and feeding city centre passengers into the tram.

So, broadly speaking, what NEXUS is proposing for the North East ? - a regulatory authority that controls everything and puts services out to tender.

 

[WillPS]

Interesting. Wilford has always been an oddity, it being essentially an island on the side of Clifton within the City, surrounded by County. For people towards the end of the estate near Silverdale, it's a choice of a trek to Wilford Green, a trek through Compton Acres or a trek through Silverdale's subways. Having an isolated half hourly Trent service certainly didn't help things, I feel NCT's service is likely to do much better.