Peak District Public Transport

[harry42]

Hey,

Personally I think bus services are poor in the peak district, and the fact that there are limited rail services means car usage is very high here.

What could be done to improve?

My point would be:

The main operators are TM Travel (Wellglade) Hulleys (Indp) and High Peak (C**P) Surely the could at least co-operate.

 

[brompton rail]

Given that many of the key routes are supported (in whole or part) this should be a key role for Derbyshire County Council.

As an example the hourly Sheffield to Bakewell service doesn't connect with the two hourly Trans Peak service in either direction. Mind you, given that TP is regularly late (including 10 minute late departure from Derby on my last trip-it starts there after a long lay-over!) perhaps the current long waits at Bakewell are "connections".

 

[AndyHudds]

Re-open the Woodhead Line?

 

[harry42]

Given that many of the key routes are supported (in whole or part) this should be a key role for Derbyshire County Council.

As an example the hourly Sheffield to Bakewell service doesn't connect with the two hourly Trans Peak service in either direction. Mind you, given that TP is regularly late (including 10 minute late departure from Derby on my last trip-it starts there after a long lay-over!) perhaps the current long waits at Bakewell are "connections".

TP is now run by High Peak and for some reason no longer stops at Nottingham Broamarsh and is always late!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Re-open the Woodhead Line?

NR say the civilization places aren't to the desired size to have a station.

I think: PEAK RAIL
should have funding to give Bakewell a station and line!

 

[AndyHudds]

It was said tongue in cheek in all honesty about the opening of the Woodhead Line. As someone who mountain bikes, it would be good to have a route into that part of the Peaks, but I use the Penistone Line to Penistone and cycle in along the Trans Pennine Trail.

 

[harry42]

I do walking a lot in the peak district and frequently use the hope valley line for linear walks

E.g. last week I did Chinley to Hope via Kinder Scout (16 miles!!!) using the train.

Want to do the monsal trail but have sworn to myself never to use high peak again due to various reasons!!! !!!!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I used five different operators on Saturday as part of my scenic travelogue by omnibus of the area:-

Service 108...Macclesfield to Ashbourne....Taxibus (a new operator).
Service 111...Ashbourne to Matlock..........YourBus
Service 6.1....Matlock to Bakewell.............Trent Barton
Service 275.. Bakewell to Sheffield............Henry Hulley and Sone Ltd
Service 65....Sheffield to Buxton...............TM Travel
Service 61....Buxton to Glossop................High Peak

There was a wide variation on the quality of vehicles used, but the visual enjoyment of the type of countryside traversed was well worth the effort.

I only used rail from Glossop onwards.

 

[harry42]

I used five different operators on Saturday as part of my scenic travelogue by omnibus of the area:-

Service 108...Macclesfield to Ashbourne....Taxibus (a new operator).
Service 111...Ashbourne to Matlock..........YourBus
Service 6.1....Matlock to Bakewell.............Trent Barton
Service 275.. Bakewell to Sheffield............Henry Hulley and Sone Ltd
Service 65....Sheffield to Buxton...............TM Travel
Service 61....Buxton to Glossop................High Peak

There was a wide variation on the quality of vehicles used, but the visual enjoyment of the type of countryside traversed was well worth the effort.

I only used rail from Glossop onwards.

Thanks for sharing, were any of these services busy? What livery was taxibus in?

 

[tbone]

Thanks for sharing, were any of these services busy? What livery was taxibus in?

Taxibus trade as Aimee's, they use an all over white Enviro 200 on the 108, though when u saw it it was being ran with a Mercedes sprinter minibus.

 

[Wyvern]

That Ashbourne to Matlock - you'd really have to have a love of the scenery. It goes all over the shop. I also went for a day out, but was just about climbing up the wall after the first half hour. Also he forgot to call at Wirksworth which where I actually wanted to go (I was going to go home on the Ecclesbourne Valley Flyer)

Another one you could try if you have the nerve is Ashbourne to Belper. I dont think the buses have any springs so keep your tongue well away from your teeth.

 

[tbone]

That Ashbourne to Matlock - you'd really have to have a love of the scenery. It goes all over the shop. I also went for a day out, but was just about climbing up the wall after the first half hour. Also he forgot to call at Wirksworth which where I actually wanted to go (I was going to go home on the Ecclesbourne Valley Flyer)

Another one you could try if you have the nerve is Ashbourne to Belper. I dont think the buses have any springs so keep your tongue well away from your teeth.

The Ashbourne to Belper is changing hands so will be run by yourbus soon, so the primos will be swapped for streetlites, I presume.

 

[34D]

Re-open the Woodhead Line?

Don't you mean the peak line from Manchester to Derby?

 

[yorksrob]

Don't you mean the peak line from Manchester to Derby?

That‘s what‘s really needed.

All else is fiddling with the deckchairs while Rome burns.

 

[tbtc]

What great unmet demands are there in the Peak District? That's the question I'd be asking.

I reckon I could see Sheffield to Buxton being capable of an hourly service (alternate services via Eyam or Bakewell).

Castleton to Buxton could be similar. Chesterfield to Baslow/ Bakewell always seems underprovided (compared to other similar links).

The old 257 shuttle from Bamford Station to Derwent (and Howden) was a really useful Sunday service, but a lot of the routes on most people's "wish lists" are more about a handy service for a handful of summer Sundays, rather than a regular weekday service.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I was sure by now that someone would have suggested reopening the Buxton to Uttoxeter rail route, via Ashbourne.

 

[AndyHudds]

Don't you mean the peak line from Manchester to Derby?

No, I actually meant the Woodhead line between Sheffield and Manchester!! But why not both lines be re-opened?

 

[martinsh]

I used five different operators on Saturday as part of my scenic travelogue by omnibus of the area:-

Service 108...Macclesfield to Ashbourne....Taxibus (a new operator).
Service 111...Ashbourne to Matlock..........YourBus
Service 6.1....Matlock to Bakewell.............Trent Barton
Service 275.. Bakewell to Sheffield............Henry Hulley and Sone Ltd
Service 65....Sheffield to Buxton...............TM Travel
Service 61....Buxton to Glossop................High Peak

There was a wide variation on the quality of vehicles used, but the visual enjoyment of the type of countryside traversed was well worth the effort.

I only used rail from Glossop onwards.

Real diehards take the 172 between Matlock & Bakewell !

(more scenic than all the other routes - as is the 158 between Cromford and Matlock)

PS how long did this trip take Paul ?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Real diehards take the 172 between Matlock & Bakewell !

(more scenic than all the other routes - as is the 158 between Cromford and Matlock)

PS how long did this trip take Paul ?

Started out on the 0910 service 108 from Macclesfield that arrived at Ashbourne at 1010, then on the 1040 service 111 from Ashbourne (via Carsington Water) that arrived at Matlock railway station at 1125.

My ticket on the 275 service from Bakewell to Sheffield Interchange shows a time of issue at 1231 and the ticket on the 65 from Sheffield Interchange to Buxton shows a time of issue at 1420 (this was said to be a late-running service) Matters of the inner-man needing to be fed plus a viewing of the diesel-hauled heritage train at Matlock station plus a viewing of some interesting antique shops also played their part.

I was lucky with the service 61 from Buxton to Glossop as that late afternoon bus only runs on a Saturday and the ticket shows a time of issue at 1557 (1600 departure). When the train from Glossop arrived at Manchester Piccadilly, I met up with one of my sons and we spent a period of time in the city before he drove me home to our most rural part of Prestbury.

 

[34D]

No, I actually meant the Woodhead line between Sheffield and Manchester!! But why not both lines be re-opened?

How does a line between Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire benefit Derbyshire? Yes there's a brief dip-in but that's it.

 

[Wyvern]

If you want a really hairy ride try the last bus out of Matlock over the A632 to Chesterfield hock:

 

[neilmc]

My father-in-law travels to see us from Chesterfield to Stockport by bus and I have to say I think that the transport links are quite good considering that the Peak District is a largely rural area, and Derbyshire CC seem better than most "shire" counties at promoting public transport.

My main beef is that the National Express service from Sheffield to Manchester is no longer free for pensioners and thus Crowden is one place in Derbyshire which is impossible to reach without paying!

 

[tom1649]

If you want a really hairy ride try the last bus out of Matlock over the A632 to Chesterfield hock:

Had some 'lively' rides on that service back in the days when the evening services were covered by Mercedes/Alexander 711D buses. On one particularly dark night we helped the bus driver push someone's car back onto the road which had landed in a ditch on the A632 after we nearly collided with it!

Those who suggest that Derbyshire County Council need to spend more on bus subsidy might want to investigate the budget cuts that the council is facing. They've always been a pro public transport authority but there's only so much they can do with an ever decreasing pot of cash.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

My father-in-law travels to see us from Chesterfield to Stockport by bus and I have to say I think that the transport links are quite good considering that the Peak District is a largely rural area, and Derbyshire CC seem better than most "shire" counties at promoting public transport.

There was once an X67 direct service from Chesterfield to Stockport/Manchester at one time, which was subsequently cut back to being the 67 service from Tideswell to Stockport/Manchester. However, that too was withdrawn completely in the last couple of years.

 

[tbtc]

There was once an X67 direct service from Chesterfield to Stockport/Manchester at one time, which was subsequently cut back to being the 67 service from Tideswell to Stockport/Manchester. However, that too was withdrawn completely in the last couple of years.

I think it started in Lincoln, once upon a time, before being gradually cut back to Chesterfield - could be wrong though.

Another long distance route gone, like the old SYT X48/ X49 from Sheffield to Manchester/ Manchester Airport (every hour over the Woodhead pass, at one stage).

 

[radamfi]

I think it started in Lincoln, once upon a time, before being gradually cut back to Chesterfield - could be wrong though.

The X67 ran between Lincoln and Manchester in the 80s, branded 'Lincman'. Apparently it got extended to Liverpool at some point, although I don't remember that.

http://www.focustransport.org.uk/xmanchhist.aspx

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

http://www.focustransport.org.uk/xmanchhist.aspx

A most informative link.

 

[34D]

There was also a PMT service that went to sheffield (from Stoke perhaps)?

I must say, that the 30 mile route length concession seems to have hit Derbyshire hard, in terms of all these useful links that have gone. Does the TP nottingham-manchester still get worked on one bus throughout these days or does one need to change.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

My main beef is that the National Express service from Sheffield to Manchester is no longer free for pensioners and thus Crowden is one place in Derbyshire which is impossible to reach without paying!

This is interesting. Are there any other such places in England (whose only service is an express coach)?

I mean proper places, and not for example Woolley Edge services.

Is there any value in the residents of Crowden petitioning for an easement to the ENCTS rules on the coaches that call there (say to allow free travel to the next village north and south thereof)?

 

[brompton rail]

The PMT Hanley to Sheffield through bus went some years ago. Then there was a connecting service 118/218 at Buxton, but that ended a couple of years ago when the 218 was cut back to Sheffield - Bakewell ( now 214).

We have the strange situation that Buxton - Leek -Hanley now has twice as many buses with Wardle (Arriva) running similar times to High Peak.

High Peak's Trans Peak now only runs Derby to Buxton hourly (some are deckers) with about 4 a day continuing to Stockport and Manchester. As said earlier, they are always late! However this is the only bus route over the Pennines south of Halifax - Rochdale and Huddersfield - Oldham.
The next one south of TP is really Wardles' two hourly X50 Derby - Uttoxeter -Hanley. You can't count the Ashbourne - Macclesfield route as it now says "connections not guaranteed".

 

[johnnychips]

Is there any value in the residents of Crowden petitioning for an easement to the ENCTS rules on the coaches that call there (say to allow free travel to the next village north and south thereof)?

It really is a small place - perhaps 15 houses. It's main attraction is access to the Pennine Way and the moors Bleaklow and Black Hill. I should think everybody has a car.

I do think Derbyshire has a very good bus service compared with, say, North Yorkshire, but a lot of buses seem to be carrying fresh air.

The TP is late a lot, but much of this can be put down to the unpredictability of traffic in Matlock Bath, especially at weekends.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Another long distance route gone, like the old SYT X48/ X49 from Sheffield to Manchester/ Manchester Airport (every hour over the Woodhead pass, at one stage).

There was an hourly service run by Richardsons Travel from Sheffield to Manchester Airport in the late 80s. It just wasn't used enough and expired after a few years. The Ribble/SYT service was never more than three a day.

 

[radamfi]

I must say, that the 30 mile route length concession seems to have hit Derbyshire hard, in terms of all these useful links that have gone. Does the TP nottingham-manchester still get worked on one bus throughout these days or does one need to change.

It runs the whole route from Manchester to Derby but is split into 3 routes officially. It no longer runs to Nottingham. It is possible to run such a long route without splitting as long as a tachograph is used. I guess as the service has been run by a coach for years I wouldn't be surprised if it had a tacho even before the rule came in.