Whole network recasts - the good, bad and ugly

[PTR 444]

Entire recasts of operators’ networks seem to be less common now than they were a decade or so ago, and I believe this is down to the fact that the travelling public are less willing to accept change. Habits develop over time and after five or so years of consistency, passengers become used to their route number. Therefore it’s no wonder that Bournemouth locals expressed so much outrage at the Yellow Buses 2017 network recast, to then be reversed after just one year.

That is an example of a bad recast, but there have been some good ones such as Salisbury Reds which eliminated the double-digit town routes in favour of the r prefix system, and Southern Vectis which removed its suffixed routes to create a very simple, easy to understand network with mostly single digit routes based around its Newport hub. Both are still going strong to this day which shows just how customer-friendly these recasts were.

As for the “ugly”, these are the network recasts which were good at the time but ended up becoming really disjointed due to constant withdrawals and reroutings. First in Southampton recast in 2012 to coincide with a new X2 route to Millbrook estate and the renumbering of the 17/17A as 2/2A, but just a year later all of these were withdrawn and replaced with a separate route 2 which ran in direct competition with Bluestar’s long-established 18 route. That was just the beginning of Firstgroup’s rationalisiation strategy though, since now the only First Southampton routes which still exist in the same form as they did 10 years ago are the 3 (Lordshill - Thornhill), 6 (City - Hamble) and 7 (City - Townhill).

What are your experiences of whole network recasts in your local area?

 

[Simon75]

First Potteries did a recast c2015, but within 2 years practically reversed it, with a lot a of withdrawals.

 

[Andyh82]

First Bradford and First Leeds both did major network recasts around 2000 and to be fair, besides a few tweaks it’s mostly still intact now

First York as well, it was when First rolled out the Overground concept so you’d have one frequent route rather than umpteen numbers all doing slightly different variations

As suggested above, people were less against change back then, or more importantly there were less ways to complain and make a big song a dance about an isolated case

 

[Simon75]

When D&G (Chaserider) took over the former Arriva Cannock operations, they did some route swaps with Select buses, with many Select buses doing most of the Stafford locals (as near to their garage in Penkridge, about 5 miles away).

 

[markymark2000]

When D&G (Chaserider) took over the former Arriva Cannock operations, they did some route swaps with Select buses, with many Select buses doing most of the Stafford locals (as near to their garage in Penkridge, about 5 miles away).

Chaserider has had more recasts in the past few years than most of the rest of the country has had combined. Them lot can't make up how they want to run a bus service (or based off their dismal reliability, if they want to run a bus service at all)

 

[Flange Squeal]

Stagecoach's Blackwater Valley network centred on the Hampshire/Surrey border towns of Aldershot (depot location), Farnborough, Farnham, Frimley, Camberley and Yateley had a large restructure in 2003. This saw some routes merged (for example routes 21/22/32/36 ran along a main corridor and then split, instead becoming a much simpler 2 but still taking in most places along the way with not much difference to end-to-end journey times over the overall route). In the years since there has been some tweaking and variations, for example the northern Camberley to Yateley section of the 1 was swapped to the 3), but overall if you compared a map showing the then-new network with what we have today then you'd see a very good likeness. Frequencies on the 2 and combined 4/5 have admittedly reduced from what were high-frequency breadvan replacement routes (particularly since COVID), but others such as the 1 have improved dramatically and saloons replaced by high specification deckers. I don't personally believe the network review had much adverse effect at all (particularly when you look at the impressive growth of the 1), indeed it simplified a complex amount of route numbers while still maintaining (and creating) links without major frequency reduction.

The Fleet area routes acquired when Stagecoach bough local independent Fleet Buzz in 2011 (Fleet being a town nearby that had 4 routes running into the Stagecoach Blackwater Valley network area at time of acquisition) were admittedly decimated in 2015 - primarily due to Hampshire County Council funding withdrawal - are now a shadow of their former selves, but the overall 2003 Stagecoach network itself is still largely intact and running recognisably.

 

[RELL6L]

I recall Kentish Bus, formerly the South East corner of London Country, had a major network recast sweeping away all the 4xx numbers and replacing with two digit routes. Not sure when, late 1980s?? Anyway it was a disaster and soon reversed.

 

[Busaholic]

I recall Kentish Bus, formerly the South East corner of London Country, had a major network recast sweeping away all the 4xx numbers and replacing with two digit routes. Not sure when, late 1980s?? Anyway it was a disaster and soon reversed.

They'd already restored the iconic 480 number at least by August 1989. Best thing about Kentish Bus was the livery!

 

[Tetchytyke]

As suggested above, people were less against change back then, or more importantly there were less ways to complain and make a big song a dance about an isolated case

The Overground changes in Bradford a) made sense and b) were accompanied by a load of new buses. People don't complain if the changes make sense.

It's when the changes are made by some new manager who doesn't understand the local area and just looks at a map that the problems arise.

 

[Statto]

The Overground changes in Bradford a) made sense and b) were accompanied by a load of new buses. People don't complain if the changes make sense.

It's when the changes are made by some new manager who doesn't understand the local area and just looks at a map that the problems arise.

Yeah, the First changes in Yorkshire early 2000s, went in hand with the launch of the overground network, which was a bus at least every 10 minutes on the main routes, people didn't complain as the changes as it benefited them.

The Yellow Bus changes in Bournemouth on the other hand, seemed to be new MD trying to put a stamp on the network but didn't understand the area & made things worse, seems like everyone complained about the changes & the changes were soon reversed soon after the MD left, but didn't stop Yellow Buses decline, now they've gone altogether

 

[Deerfold]

Yeah, the First changes in Yorkshire early 2000s, went in hand with the launch of the overground network, which was a bus at least every 10 minutes on the main routes, people didn't complain as the changes as it benefited them.

However, many of the routes in Bradford and Halifax are now only every 20 or 30 minutes as well as no longer getting as close to some people as they did before the recast.

 

[aliceh]

Conversely, Yellow Buses had a largely popular recast when they were sold to Transdev, making routes much easier to use. There were a few things that weren't that popular (removal of the 31 from Southbourne to the Hospital for one), but overall that recast was a success.

 

[JD2168]

Sheffield service changes to many routes in October 2015 were particularly badly received, doing away with routes that had run for a number of years, also too many deckers transferred out & swapped with singles causing overcrowding & passengers not using buses as often. To me the whole network in Sheffield has not recovered since this messy episode.

 

[Tetchytyke]

However, many of the routes in Bradford and Halifax are now only every 20 or 30 minutes as well as no longer getting as close to some people as they did before the recast.

That's definitely the situation now, but when the Overground recast happened it wasn't. First have gradually snipped away at so much of their network, even getting from Shipley to Bradford is a PITA in an evening now.

Having visited recently for the first time in ages, I can't believe how bad First have got.

 

[Roger1973]

I recall Kentish Bus, formerly the South East corner of London Country, had a major network recast sweeping away all the 4xx numbers and replacing with two digit routes. Not sure when, late 1980s?? Anyway it was a disaster and soon reversed.

I'm not sure it was so much of a network re-cast (many of the routes stayed the same) just changing the numbers. And the livery and the brand name. This (not mine) suggests 1987 was the launch of 'Kentish Bus' and I think the route re-numbering was at the same time. (Some routes that crossed in to the Bexleyheath patch kept their 4xx numbers until they became part of the major tendering scheme that brought Bexleybus about (some 4xx numbers were retained under that scheme) in January 1988.

And then Transcity happily ran their green buses on the old route numbers in competition with them (example - not my photo - here)


As a more general answer to this question, if it's done with real data (and that's not easy as with many passengers even the current generation of ticket machines don't record where people are getting off buses - and not all 'inward' passenger flows are just to the nearest town centre - the larger the town, the more complicated it gets) to meet real needs then it can be a good thing.

If it's just some manager wanting to change everything just to make their mark on their new patch, then it tends not to be, however entertaining it is for the manager or for enthusiasts.

On the one hand, there's the 'change nothing / managed decline' approach to business which is not a route to long term success (and before deregulation at least, there were operators out there who found they were still running journeys to factories that had closed some time ago.)

But if you lose as many (or more) existing passengers than you gain from a change (in proportion to the resources you put in) then it hasn't really done anyone much good - and there's the cost of making the change (service variation fees to the traffic commissioner, staff time dealing with it, printing new duty cards for the drivers even if you don't bother with timetables for passengers any more.)

And the passengers who lose their journey options will be the ones who get their letters in the local rag, and get on to their councillors and MP, not the ones who might get a new journey option.

When you consider how much the Potteries operation has shrunk in recent decades, and while recognising that there are all manner of factors in influencing demand for bus services, I'm not convinced that the frequent network reviews there have all been an entirely good idea.

 

[Simon75]

After privatisation of the National Bus Company (NBC), most ex NBC areas had a recast, with the introduction of mini buses.

 

[CAF397]

Blackpool Transport created the hideous 'Metro Coastlines' network in 2001. Whilst this also coincided with investment in buses, the attempt to run colour branded buses on the same route is never easy, and requires extra spare buses over a generic fleet.

There was also renumbering and route changes.

It lasted 9 years before it was abandoned.

 

[buslad1988]

Blackpool Transport created the hideous 'Metro Coastlines' network in 2001. Whilst this also coincided with investment in buses, the attempt to run colour branded buses on the same route is never easy, and requires extra spare buses over a generic fleet.

There was also renumbering and route changes.

It lasted 9 years before it was abandoned.

To be fair to last 9 years is a fairly good innings! If I’m correct the main reason it was ditched was to allow more inter-working between routes at terminus points. The network was certainly simplified upon its introduction in 2001.

 

[tomuk]

Arriva did a recast in Shrewsbury probably around 2000. They paired up routes either side of town and ran them through so as to save some resource, i.e saving layover time from each pair of routes. A number of the traditional route numbers were changed to 2x numbers. It was sold as improving connectivity.

It soon fell apart as they couldn't keep to time due to delays either side of town adding up. They split most routes again but It seemed to save face they didn't go back to the old route numbers.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

After privatisation of the National Bus Company (NBC), most ex NBC areas had a recast, with the introduction of mini buses.

Most were done before privatisation - it was deregulation (or preparation for it) that was the driver for minibuses, such as the Exeter introduction (1984), with Weston super Mare (1985) and possibly Worcester in '85 too.