Staffordshire Bus News

[Simon75]

The future of First Potteries has been talked about for a good few years.
They have spent a lot of money refurbishing over 20 Streetlites, and with the Bus Service improvement plan happening, I can't see anything happen soon

 

[G760XRE]

First changes now listed. As reported above, Kingfisher, 72(A) & Saturday 8 withdrawals proceed, 3/4/25 service uplift proceed, other service reductions cancelled. I wonder if it was a ‘who blinks first’ scenario with the Local Authorities who may have finally stepped in?

No reference to the D&G replacements where provided which is poor. On D&G, while their replacement 32X/A is an improvement on their current offering, the timetable throws up some questions. Journeys are timed up to 8 minutes faster than Kingfisher on the like for like journeys via Kingsley and the existing 32X is similarly sped up somehow. I also wonder if there’ll be some vehicle swaps with Cannock as it may be hard graft for Longton’s motley collection of Optares.




Also of note is this fare announcement. Single fares are reduced ever so slightly. I find an odd as I would have thought there’s be incentive to raise fares ahead of the £2 cap to influence any repayment formula. Unless it’s BSIP money in which case it’s a truly pitiful waste.

In any case, increases to day, week and month tickets punish loyal customers. 3 month and annual passes are withdrawn from sale which I hope isn’t a reflection on First’s long term plans for Potteries.

Forgive me if I've calculated this incorrectly, but this seems to actually be an overall PVR increase for First Potteries for Monday to Friday daytimes.
Although KF is going (3 vehicles) and 72/A (1 vehicle), the increase of 11/A to every 20 mins each will require 3 extra vehicles, increase of 25 to every 12 minutes will require an extra 2 and the two extra 3A journeys every hour a further 3. So a net increase of 4 vehicles operating. Unless I've missed something from the information First have posted.

 

[Simon75]

Is there an update on the Stoke-on-Trent BSIP (bus service improvement plan) yet ?

 

[davehsug]

Is there an update on the Stoke-on-Trent BSIP (bus service improvement plan) yet ?

I don't think it's about the BSIP specifically, but there was a pretty depressing article in today's Sentinel.

Fears multi-million pound bus plan will leave Stoke-on-Trent estates 'isolated'

Stoke-Trent City Council has been allocated £29 million of Transforming Cities cash to boost public transport

www.stokesentinel.co.uk

A multi-million pound investment in bus transport in Stoke-on-Trent will still leave thousands of residents 'isolated', councillors fear. Stoke-on-Trent City Council has secured £29 million of Transforming Cities cash for a raft of public transport improvements, while the authority has also been allocated £31.7 million from the government's Bus Back Better fund to support services.

The plans include the reinstatement of major cross city bus services, supported by improvements to key routes, such as Station Road and College Road. But members of the housing, development and growth overview and scrutiny committee raised concerns that the spending would not benefit communities which have previously seen their bus services cut back.

This is due to government restrictions on how the Bus Back Better funding can be spent, as as well as rules preventing authorities such as the city council from running their own bus services.

Mod note: Quote added from article as required by forum rules. Please be aware that failure to adhere to this rule may result in your post being deleted. Thank you

 

[G760XRE]

If bustimes is accurate, it seems that First Potteries have decided to not bother operating Kingfisher at all today so far, despite today being the last official day of service. Feel sorry for those customers not covered by the current 32X D&G route waiting for a bus today.
Also, 67144 is finally back out in service today. Its been off the road since February following youths letting off the handbrake - article link below.

Bus stranded as Hanley rush-hour crash blocks Potteries Way

Traffic is now backing up in on the westbound carriageway following the collision

www.stokesentinel.co.uk

 

[43055]

If bustimes is accurate, it seems that First Potteries have decided to not bother operating Kingfisher at all today so far, despite today being the last official day of service. Feel sorry for those customers not covered by the current 32X D&G route waiting for a bus today.
Also, 67144 is finally back out in service today. Its been off the road since February following youths letting off the handbrake - article link below.

Bus stranded as Hanley rush-hour crash blocks Potteries Way

Traffic is now backing up in on the westbound carriageway following the collision

www.stokesentinel.co.uk

There was one of the 25 branded decker's at Uttoxeter Tesco about an hour ago so I would say the Kingfisher is running just not tracking.

 

[davehsug]

If bustimes is accurate, it seems that First Potteries have decided to not bother operating Kingfisher at all today so far, despite today being the last official day of service. Feel sorry for those customers not covered by the current 32X D&G route waiting for a bus today.
Also, 67144 is finally back out in service today. Its been off the road since February following youths letting off the handbrake - article link below.

Bus stranded as Hanley rush-hour crash blocks Potteries Way

Traffic is now backing up in on the westbound carriageway following the collision

www.stokesentinel.co.uk

No, it was definitely running. It passes my house & I've seen (& heard, it's the only double decker which does) it on occasion.

 

[G760XRE]

Anyone know what happened to Potteries streetlite 63098 SM13NBX? According to bus times its not been out since June. I've not seen it out and about physically since around then either, so I don't believe it's an issue with tracking.

63098 - SM13 NBX

Wright StreetLite DF

bustimes.org

 

[APT618S]

Bus Lists On The Web are listing some new Streetdecks for First Potteries. Currently listed are:
35939 BN72 TTX
35940 BN72 TTY
35941 BN72 TTZ
35942 BN72 TUA
35945 BN72 TUO

 

[G760XRE]

First Enviro 400 33828 SN63MYL has arrived at Potteries and is parked up in the yard. Freshly painted but yet to receive vinyls.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Bus Lists On The Web are listing some new Streetdecks for First Potteries. Currently listed are:
35939 BN72 TTX
35940 BN72 TTY
35941 BN72 TTZ
35942 BN72 TUA
35945 BN72 TUO

35939 and 35945 are listed against Potteries on bustimes.org. They took them out for a spin last Sunday according to the tracking data.

 

[43055]

Bustimes.org is showing 5 Streetdecks out on the 25 today and are branded as 'Constellation'. 2 of the E400s have regularly been out on the 25 or 101.

 

[Martin1988]

Random question, but are the new Streetdecks for the 25 able to be used on the 3 (Crewe-Hanley) route or are they restricted by their height same as the other deckers in the fleet? I understand that on a Sunday vehicles on the 3 and 25 are interworked resulting in the 25 getting Streetlites.

 

[sonic2009]

Random question, but are the new Streetdecks for the 25 able to be used on the 3 (Crewe-Hanley) route or are they restricted by their height same as the other deckers in the fleet? I understand that on a Sunday vehicles on the 3 and 25 are interworked resulting in the 25 getting Streetlites.

Wouldn't get under the low bridge at Kidsgrove - so i suspect either they won't run on the 25 on Sundays - or diagrams have been changed?

 

[Martin1988]

Thanks for explaining.

Based on my experiences of using Service 3 the service seems to get busier the nearer it gets to Hanley whereas traveling towards Crewe the opposite seems to occur. Last time I used the service from Crewe to Hanley (on a Friday morning back in February) the vehicle got packed out by the time we reached Hanley.

Does the use of Streetlites ever lead to a situation where passengers traveling towards Crewe struggle to get a seat due to the number of passengers traveling to destinations in the Potteries area or can it be said that First Potteries adequately cater for this by providing a sufficient level of service to destinations in the Stoke area?

Also, is there any logical reason as to why the 3 and 25 are interworked on a Sunday?

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Thanks for explaining.

Based on my experiences of using Service 3 the service seems to get busier the nearer it gets to Hanley whereas traveling towards Crewe the opposite seems to occur. Last time I used the service from Crewe to Hanley (on a Friday morning back in February) the vehicle got packed out by the time we reached Hanley.

Does the use of Streetlites ever lead to a situation where passengers traveling towards Crewe struggle to get a seat due to the number of passengers traveling to destinations in the Potteries area or can it be said that First Potteries adequately cater for this by providing a sufficient level of service to destinations in the Stoke area?

Also, is there any logical reason as to why the 3 and 25 are interworked on a Sunday?

First Potteries like to interwork services even when there is no obvious benefit in doing so. Such as the 101 (every 30 minutes) and the 18 (every 60 minutes). However you look at it there is no overall saving in buses required and it just means delays in Stafford get exported to Leek, rather than being self-contained within the one route. A few years ago, it was 'the planning software wot said to do it', thinking 1 minute connections between routes, with or without driver changeover, were maximising efficiency.

 

[43055]

Thanks for explaining.

Based on my experiences of using Service 3 the service seems to get busier the nearer it gets to Hanley whereas traveling towards Crewe the opposite seems to occur. Last time I used the service from Crewe to Hanley (on a Friday morning back in February) the vehicle got packed out by the time we reached Hanley.

Does the use of Streetlites ever lead to a situation where passengers traveling towards Crewe struggle to get a seat due to the number of passengers traveling to destinations in the Potteries area or can it be said that First Potteries adequately cater for this by providing a sufficient level of service to destinations in the Stoke area?

Also, is there any logical reason as to why the 3 and 25 are interworked on a Sunday?

Probably just to save a bus plus when the 25 was part of the 3 it would of worked through anyway. If the services were separate there would be a layover of 17 or 23 mins (depending on the route) but interworking reduces this to 5 mins each way.

 

[bussnapperwm]

Chaserider 71 to run Cannock to Essington only on Saturdays.

National Express West Midlands 937 to no longer serve Boney Hay

Both from the start of Jan

 

[WibbleWobble]

Chaserider 71 does that already. Timetable change is peak time changes only.

I wonder if Staffordshire County Council have said it is curtailed because that has officially been made permanent, rather than under the Covid registration system.

 

[Simon75]

First Potteries like to interwork services even when there is no obvious benefit in doing so. Such as the 101 (every 30 minutes) and the 18 (every 60 minutes). However you look at it there is no overall saving in buses required and it just means delays in Stafford get exported to Leek, rather than being self-contained within the one route. A few years ago, it was 'the planning software wot said to do it', thinking 1 minute connections between routes, with or without driver changeover, were maximising efficiency.

Double deckers used wander on the 3A Talke Pits/Butt Lane , but not that often.
Though I have caught the last 3A for Hanley at 21.30 and its been a double decker.
Often to the evening 3A/3 have interworked with the 101

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Double deckers used wander on the 3A Talke Pits/Butt Lane , but not that often.
Though I have caught the last 3A for Hanley at 21.30 and its been a double decker.
Often to the evening 3A/3 have interworked with the 101

They do seem to have the habit of keeping buses on a route / group of routes all day, then going off to another route for the last trip of the day (from about 1830 nowadays!), even though there are buses from that other group finishing service at the same time which could be used.

 

[bussnapperwm]

Could that be down to utilising the driving hours?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

They do seem to have the habit of keeping buses on a route / group of routes all day, then going off to another route for the last trip of the day (from about 1830 nowadays!), even though there are buses from that other group finishing service at the same time which could be used.

If it's the best way to utilise driving hours and keeping a driver on a bus (rather than having to exchange with each other), then that might be a sensible thing to do

 

[G760XRE]

Anyone know what happened to Potteries streetlite 63098 SM13NBX? According to bus times its not been out since June. I've not seen it out and about physically since around then either, so I don't believe it's an issue with tracking.

63098 - SM13 NBX

Wright StreetLite DF

bustimes.org

Answering my own question it was back out yesterday on 11's after more than 6 months absent. Difficult to tell in the fading light when I saw it, but it appears to have had rear bodywork repairs. Still wears Olympia livery.

 

[Martin1988]

Thanks to those who responded to my post about the 3/3a and services that interwork. Presumably the good people in charge of the allocations at First Potteries know what they are doing?

 

[G760XRE]

The First Potteries Omicities (including the refurbishment ones are due for withdrawal by November (source Facebook Post, by an employee )

Just thinking today that the withdrawal of the refurbished Omnicities in November never came to pass (apart from 65028/30/3). Although nothing new for plans to change of course. I wonder how long these still have left, and what will be drafted in to replace them?

I see all bar 4 of the Volvo deckers have now been withdrawn, with the majority still at the depot in the corner by the car wash. Are these all for scrap? I'd have thought the 371** lot would have some more life left in them. Any being retained as spares for the school contracts to cover the ex Weston E400's, which seem to have been allocated exclusively to these contracts since the New Year?

 

[SSmith2009]

Just thinking today that the withdrawal of the refurbished Omnicities in November never came to pass (apart from 65028/30/3). Although nothing new for plans to change of course. I wonder how long these still have left, and what will be drafted in to replace them?

I see all bar 4 of the Volvo deckers have now been withdrawn, with the majority still at the depot in the corner by the car wash. Are these all for scrap? I'd have thought the 371** lot would have some more life left in them. Any being retained as spares for the school contracts to cover the ex Weston E400's, which seem to have been allocated exclusively to these contracts since the New Year?

Leicester are due the first batch of their 68 electrics shortly so maybe these could release some buses up to Potteries?

 

[cnjb8]

Maybe the Omni's were retained while the StreetLites were being refurbished? Maybe they'll stay longer to cover E200MMC repaints if that ever happens

 

[43055]

Just thinking today that the withdrawal of the refurbished Omnicities in November never came to pass (apart from 65028/30/3). Although nothing new for plans to change of course. I wonder how long these still have left, and what will be drafted in to replace them?

I see all bar 4 of the Volvo deckers have now been withdrawn, with the majority still at the depot in the corner by the car wash. Are these all for scrap? I'd have thought the 371** lot would have some more life left in them. Any being retained as spares for the school contracts to cover the ex Weston E400's, which seem to have been allocated exclusively to these contracts since the New Year?

At one point I think the B7TL's were going to go to south Wales but that could of changed with the E400MMC's now in Swansea.

 

[G760XRE]

Leicester are due the first batch of their 68 electrics shortly so maybe these could release some buses up to Potteries?

Forgot about the big electric order for Leicester. I'd say thats a good shout, probably a number of the SM13N** examples I reckon.