I think the 685 deserves its own thread. Admittedly, what's about to happen is significant, but we're in danger of veering off-topic.Did they ever travel far enough between breakdowns to be uncomfortable?
I think the 685 deserves its own thread. Admittedly, what's about to happen is significant, but we're in danger of veering off-topic.Did they ever travel far enough between breakdowns to be uncomfortable?
The chassis was reliable enough but the bodywork....Did they ever travel far enough between breakdowns to be uncomfortable?
This is about the rerouting of the Arriva 800 between Shiplake and Reading.According to Google maps it saves about 4 minutes - but just looking at the road through the villages it's not particularly wide and I wonder if they've had a few 'near misses' or damage to vehicles along there ?
Add in I doubt there are many passengers using it - Binfield Heath's population is 700, Dunsden Green's even smaller.
If it had passengers using it, I doubt they'd be making this change - but looking at it, I suspect it's another of those where the bus simply picks nobody up.
Good news to hear that 12 brand new buses are being allocated to Bangor for the popular route 5/5D between Caernarfon-Bangor-LlandudnoNew vehicle news and Arriva Merseyside & Arriva Cymru are currently receiving 21 Volvo B8RLE/MCV Evora at the moment, 12 for Wales at Bangor ('5' group of routes) and 9 to Bootle depot in Merseyside....3192 BV72KLA is the first to arrive at Bangor. Entry to service will be sometime in January.
HTH
I think you can rest assured that the usual Arriva standards will be upheld!Good news to hear that 12 brand new buses are being allocated to Bangor for the popular route 5/5D between Caernarfon-Bangor-Llandudno
I wonder if Arriva will:
Launch the new buses with a press release with photos
Design strong route branding on the new buses
Initiate a major social media marketing campaign
Freshen up bus stop plates en-route with timetables on display
Produce flashy leaflets promoting the new buses
Reinstate the 15 minute pre Covid frequency
Reinstate the last buses at night
Surely a multi million £££ investment in new vehicles is worth shouting about?
Not holding my breadth though!
I wonder what Transdev would do…!
None of the above I think you can be certain!Good news to hear that 12 brand new buses are being allocated to Bangor for the popular route 5/5D between Caernarfon-Bangor-Llandudno
I wonder if Arriva will:
Launch the new buses with a press release with photos
Design strong route branding on the new buses
Initiate a major social media marketing campaign
Freshen up bus stop plates en-route with timetables on display
Produce flashy leaflets promoting the new buses
Reinstate the 15 minute pre Covid frequency
Reinstate the last buses at night
Surely a multi million £££ investment in new vehicles is worth shouting about?
Not holding my breath though!
That is utterly bonkers. So you have a 20 min headway from Llandudno to Caernarfon except for random gaps at 1005 and 1125, 1345 and 1500/1505 and then 1725. I do try to rationalise the decisions some firms make but that makes no sense at all.None of the above I think you can be certain!
It’s worse than this, the 20 minute service would need 11 boards but they only run 9, with 40 minute gaps throughout the day. Utterly pathetic!
Welcome to Arriva Wales.That is utterly bonkers. So you have a 20 min headway from Llandudno to Caernarfon except for random gaps at 1005 and 1125, 1345 and 1500/1505 and then 1725. I do try to rationalise the decisions some firms make but that makes no sense at all.
I know...but even by their standardsWelcome to Arriva Wales.
Absolutely ludicrous, I think it’s been like this since 2020. Would be better if it was every 24 minutes or even every 30. Why bother to put new buses on it when they clearly care so little about it?I know...but even by their standards
I thought the garage was going to be redeveloped?The former Arriva South Wigston garage, has been taken over by National Express subsidiary Woods coaches
(Source Traffic commissioner Notice and proceedings)
it was for housing but apparently fell through because of contaminated land.I thought the garage was going to be redeveloped?
Further to this, 3193 was out on test / driver familiarisation in Bootle yesterday. Apologies for the quality of the shot - I was on a bus that stopped just short of the junction to set down a passenger, so got no closer.New vehicle news and Arriva Merseyside & Arriva Cymru are currently receiving 21 Volvo B8RLE/MCV Evora at the moment, 12 for Wales at Bangor ('5' group of routes) and 9 to Bootle depot in Merseyside....3192 BV72KLA is the first to arrive at Bangor. Entry to service will be sometime in January.
HTH
I was about to ask why does it look straight out of 2009 and then remembered who built it.Further to this, 3193 was out on test / driver familiarisation in Bootle yesterday. Apologies for the quality of the shot - I was on a bus that stopped just short of the junction to set down a passenger, so got no closer.
View attachment 126192
(Image shows Arriva Merseyside 3193 with the rear destination display showing 'Driver Training', turning into Hawthorne Road Bootle yesterday - 29/12/22).
I think you can rest assured that the usual Arriva standards will be upheld!
Incidentally, Arriva North East received 14 brand new e200mmc (short 30 seaters) that were allocated to Ashington (5) and Jesmond (7), entering service from Sep 1st.... all now in Darlington. Ashington has been lucky to receive 5 59 plate Solos in exchange.
I was about to ask why does it look straight out of 2009 and then remembered who built it.
The E400s at Leicester have also begun entry to service.I’ve managed to bring together a list of new vehicles coming into Arriva currently…
Kent (Gillingham): 5x E200
Midlands (Leicester): 8x E200, 28x E400
North West (Bootle) : 9x B8RLE Evora
Wales (Bangor): 12x B8RLE Evora
Only the Leicester E200s have currently entered service, displacing 8x Optare Versa to Wycombe, presumably replacing old Darts etc down there.
Already delivered of course are the 15 E200 & 19 E400 to North East
At least 4552 of the Leicester batch of deckers has entered service with another (believe it was 4555) spending some of last week parked up at St Margaret's Bus StationI’ve managed to bring together a list of new vehicles coming into Arriva currently…
Kent (Gillingham): 5x E200
Midlands (Leicester): 8x E200, 28x E400
North West (Bootle) : 9x B8RLE Evora
Wales (Bangor): 12x B8RLE Evora
Only the Leicester E200s have currently entered service, displacing 8x Optare Versa to Wycombe, presumably replacing old Darts etc down there.
Already delivered of course are the 15 E200 & 19 E400 to North East
It would make sense to send the E200s for Gillingham to Maidstone or somewhere already with a fleet to swap for some Streetlites as that what Gillingham already has. Still will be nice to have some more variety in the fleet!I’ve managed to bring together a list of new vehicles coming into Arriva currently…
Kent (Gillingham): 5x E200
Midlands (Leicester): 8x E200, 28x E400
North West (Bootle) : 9x B8RLE Evora
Wales (Bangor): 12x B8RLE Evora
Only the Leicester E200s have currently entered service, displacing 8x Optare Versa to Wycombe, presumably replacing old Darts etc down there.
Already delivered of course are the 15 E200 & 19 E400 to North East
At least 4 have been delivered to Merseyside. Due to enter service this month I believe. Reportedly replacing 29xx Pulsars.I’ve managed to bring together a list of new vehicles coming into Arriva currently…
Kent (Gillingham): 5x E200
Midlands (Leicester): 8x E200, 28x E400
North West (Bootle) : 9x B8RLE Evora
Wales (Bangor): 12x B8RLE Evora
Only the Leicester E200s have currently entered service, displacing 8x Optare Versa to Wycombe, presumably replacing old Darts etc down there.
Already delivered of course are the 15 E200 & 19 E400 to North East
They have been deliberately purchased for a restricted route.It would make sense to send the E200s for Gillingham to Maidstone or somewhere already with a fleet to swap for some Streetlites as that what Gillingham already has. Still will be nice to have some more variety in the fleet!
Aah fair enough - is it a new route? As the current routes are a mixture of buses!They have been deliberately purchased for a restricted route.
Aah fair enough - is it a new route? As the current routes are a mixture of buses!
The restricted route is the 145. Part of it cannot be traversed with longer vehicles (and is already difficult to serve outside of the pure off-peak because of parking, hence it isn't), and indeed when longer vehicles are allocated during the day, it has to omit this section (i.e. as the evening).My guess would be that the E200s are for the 145 and maybe the 164 as well. Some of the drivers assert that they can't get anything bigger around those two routes, although the company must not fully accept this because larger vehicles are sometimes allocated.
The 164 is rarely especially busy, but the 145 can be. E200s on a 12 minute interval can get uncomfortably full, so I'm now wondering if the company wants to go back to a 10 minute interval and needs more short buses in order to do it.
That's correct, 4555 was being used for driver familiarisation as all drivers need to be trained before driving any of this new intake of single/double deckers.At least 4552 of the Leicester batch of deckers has entered service with another (believe it was 4555) spending some of last week parked up at St Margaret's Bus Station