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D&G Buses

Simon75

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Traveled yesterday on the 11.23am 1A from Newcastle to Audley. Of the approximate 20 people that got most got off before Parksite, and 4 (including myself abd a Friend) left on the bus . By the the time we got to Audley 3 left (which included me and my friend,who were visiting Audley).
The loadings are no different to before First cut the 4
 
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SeanM1997

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D&G timetable changes from 4 September 2023 (https://dgbus.co.uk/)

7, 7A Hanley - Chell - Kidsgrove / Biddulph - https://dgbus.co.uk/assets/7,7a_2023-09-04.pdf
From 4th September some Monday to Saturday journeys will be renumbered from 7A to 7 and will serve Packmoor instead of Oxford.

38 Crewe - Sandbach - Congleton - Macclesfield - https://dgbus.co.uk/assets/38_2023-09-04.pdf
From 4th September buses towards Macclesfield will leave Arclid up to five minutes earlier. All other times remain unchanged.

42 Crewe - Leighton Hospital - Middlewich - Holmes Chapel - Congleton - https://dgbus.co.uk/assets/42_2023-09-04.pdf
From 4th September some journeys will be diverted to serve St Mary's Catholic Primary School in Middlewich.

48, 48A Frodsham - Kingsley - Acton Bridge / Delamere Park - Weaverham - Northwich - https://dgbus.co.uk/assets/48,48a_2023-09-04.pdf
This is a new service commencing 4th September which will replace journeys operated by Stagecoach. Some times are changed, and service 48A will operate on Thursdays instead of Wednesdays.

71, 72, 73 Nantwich - Wrenbury - Audlem - https://dgbus.co.uk/assets/71,72,73_2023-09-04.pdf
From 4th September the times of weekday afternoon service 71 journeys will change.

88, 188 Altrincham - Wilmslow - Mobberley - Knutsford - Macclesfield - https://dgbus.co.uk/assets/88,188_2023-09-04.pdf
From 4th September some journeys will operate via Morley Green.
 

33117

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Apparently D&G have ordered a small fleet of brand new buses.

No ideas what yet, could be E200mmcs. Apparently chaserider are rumoured to be getting evoras the jammy gits.
 

sonic2009

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Apparently D&G have ordered a small fleet of brand new buses.

No ideas what yet, could be E200mmcs. Apparently chaserider are rumoured to be getting evoras the jammy gits.

Interesting - hasn't been a very good day for D&G in the Crewe area. 5 drivers didn't turn up today, causing some routes to have gaps in service.

The 31 & 37 Winsford-Northwich were well loaded this afternoon and returning as there was a festival on in Northwich.
 

northwichcat

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Potentially the first order for enviro100 Evs?

The up to 25 seated would prove an issue for most of their tendered routes in Cheshire that require 27-35, depending on the route. I also doubt D&G would upgrade a depot for electric vehicles, unless it related to a government funding award.
 

SeanM1997

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Is there a source in public domain for the order?

I would like to see D&G grow - they've had a survey on their website now for 4 months about suggested improvements - but we haven't seen much movement on that front
 

northwichcat

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Is there a source in public domain for the order?

I would like to see D&G grow - they've had a survey on their website now for 4 months about suggested improvements - but we haven't seen much movement on that front

I think the recently added earlier 88 run into Macclesfield and the later 88 run out is in response to that. Arriva had a 6 journey from Broken Cross to Macclesfield at 07:08 and a Macclesfield to Broken Cross 5 journey at 19:05. D&G had buses running empty close to those times, so they now operate in service and run via the hospital.
 
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Apparently D&G have ordered a small fleet of brand new buses.

No ideas what yet, could be E200mmcs. Apparently chaserider are rumoured to be getting evoras the jammy gits.

This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of Chaserider getting some Evoras. They should be for the newly won West Midlands tendered services 35A and 36 in Walsall, currently using older MCV Evolution B8RLEs. It begs the question as to whether those will return to Grantham or be used to partly upgrade their trunk 826/828 services, to help prevent them from having to suffer old Solos and E200s at times!
 

Simon75

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Traveled on a 14 plate Solo (20/8/23) seats not as comfortable as older Solos
 

northwichcat

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Traveled on a 14 plate Solo (20/8/23) seats not as comfortable as older Solos

D&G have a very mixed fleet. They just have one 14 reg Solo - KX14 FJY. That vehicle was originally ordered by Malta Buses, so will have an interior matching the specification they requested. The 13 and 66 reg Solos have always been with D&G, as has DG64 BUS. Others have been cascaded from various other operators including Go Goodwins, Yorkshire Coastliner, Courtney Coaches, Centrebus and Stagecoach Devon.

The seating on D&G's oldest Solos (the ex-Stagecoach Devon 55 reg ones) is the same type as on the 64 reg Enviro 200s. While the seating on Enviro 200 reg KX57 FMD (ex-Webber Bus) is different to that on KX57 FMG (ex-Scarlet Band). If you've been on any of the 09 reg Enviro 200s you'll notice how the seat style and colour matches the old First Group specification, rather than matching D&G's other Enviros.
 

northwichcat

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A couple of weeks ago I noticed the bus times displayed at Wilmslow Bank Square were out-of-date. Today I noticed a D&G branded display at one of the 88 stops instead of a Cheshire East one. Have D&G decided to do their own bus stop timetable information, instead of paying the council every time they change their timetables? If so, how does it work at stops where multiple operators use the stop? Even though they run almost everything around Knutsford and Wilmslow, there are a couple of stops in Knutsford town centre where the Warrington's Own Buses' 47 also stops.
 

43055

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A couple of weeks ago I noticed the bus times displayed at Wilmslow Bank Square were out-of-date. Today I noticed a D&G branded display at one of the 88 stops instead of a Cheshire East one. Have D&G decided to do their own bus stop timetable information, instead of paying the council every time they change their timetables? If so, how does it work at stops where multiple operators use the stop? Even though they run almost everything around Knutsford and Wilmslow, there are a couple of stops in Knutsford town centre where the Warrington's Own Buses' 47 also stops.
Over in Derby each operator has there own timetable case if they put a timetable up at each stop.
 

markymark2000

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If so, how does it work at stops where multiple operators use the stop?
Every council does things differently in this respect. Some demand other operators services are shown, some councils take control of the timetables if stops are shared. Some don't care and just let operators put their own times up and have no care for other operators routes being included.

The way to know which one Cheshire East falls in to would be contacting them or seeing if/when more of these pop up, checking which category applies.
 

northwichcat

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Up until now the bus stop displays have been in Cheshire East branding and people in ANSA vans went around and cleaned bus stops and updated displays. The only time operators have put their own notices up they have been stick on the wrong side of the perspex and been done to advise passengers on a temporary route change due to roadworks, or to give advance warning of a route withdrawal. The latter sometimes causes unnecessary concern as an alternative operator picks up the route.
 

station_road

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Up until now the bus stop displays have been in Cheshire East branding and people in ANSA vans went around and cleaned bus stops and updated displays. The only time operators have put their own notices up they have been stick on the wrong side of the perspex and been done to advise passengers on a temporary route change due to roadworks, or to give advance warning of a route withdrawal. The latter sometimes causes unnecessary concern as an alternative operator picks up the route.
D&G have also put some timetable cases up at stops not on public roads - there used to be one at the stop in the Morrisons car park in Crewe. They also do roadside timetables outside Cheshire East (in Staffordshire for example), so have the capability to do it
 

northwichcat

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Looks like today the morning and afternoon 188s to/from Knutsford Academy were worked by the same vehicle, even though the 88 and 89 still interwork.

I also notice, so far, the 48 Northwich to Frodsham has been operated by a large Enviro 200 each day, which I guess meets the contract requirements to cater for the Weaverham High pupils.
 

Open top 80

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Looks like today the morning and afternoon 188s to/from Knutsford Academy were worked by the same vehicle, even though the 88 and 89 still interwork.

I also notice, so far, the 48 Northwich to Frodsham has been operated by a large Enviro 200 each day, which I guess meets the contract requirements to cater for the Weaverham High pupils.
I remember in the 80s it's was ran by a company called Walker's taking school children from the National children's home to Weaverham and Helsby high Schools
 

northwichcat

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I remember in the 80s it's was ran by a company called Walker's taking school children from the National children's home to Weaverham and Helsby high Schools

Walkers are part of Holmeswood Coaches and have been for over 20 years now. They still operate out of the depot in Anderton: https://www.holmeswoodcoaches.com/coach-depots.html

I remember them using old North Western and Crossville deckers painted in a livery advertising their coach holidays, but not as far back as this photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_hogwash_files/50629779368/in/photostream/



D&G getting criticism on Facebook for not finding a replacement vehicle when a bus failed on the 16:46 Rudheath to Weaverham 49 service on Thursday, meaning the last three runs to Weaverham and back were cancelled. The last bus that got to Weaverham being the bus that left Northwich at 16:07 from Northwich, when the last service is scheduled at 19:05. The 82 appeared to run as normal (ending with the 17:40 Northwich to Sandiway and 17:54 Chester to Northwich), so I don't know why one of those vehicles couldn't have been used to provide the last 49 service?

 
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sonic2009

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D&G getting criticism on Facebook for not finding a replacement vehicle when a bus failed on the 16:46 Rudheath to Weaverham 49 service on Thursday, meaning the last three runs to Weaverham and back were cancelled. The last bus that got to Weaverham being the bus that left Northwich at 16:07 from Northwich, when the last service is scheduled at 19:05. The 82 appeared to run as normal (ending with the 17:40 Northwich to Sandiway and 17:54 Chester to Northwich), so I don't know why one of those vehicles couldn't have been used to provide the last 49.

Possibly driver issues that they couldn't run the last 49.

A few services today haven't ran on the 31/37 either. A driver I spoke to who works out of Wincham, said that maybe D&G took too many routes on after Arriva left Winsford & Northwich.
 

northwichcat

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Possibly driver issues that they couldn't run the last 49.

A few services today haven't ran on the 31/37 either. A driver I spoke to who works out of Wincham, said that maybe D&G took too many routes on after Arriva left Winsford & Northwich.

Apparently some passengers were told it was a breakdown that caused the cancellations. However, I would agree there seems to be driver issues. I've noticed the tracking for some 88 journeys a few weeks back showed some Knutsford to Altrincham journeys ceasing to track at Ringway and later journeys not tracking at all, which may suggest no replacement driver and the driver already out did an additional Knutsford-Altrincham as far as the M56 junction and then returned back to the depot via the motorway.
 

Tim33160

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I hear that Crewe based D&G Enviro 200 : 504 YX63 LGG has been repainted in North Western Road Car Company livery. Anyone confirm??
 
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Jase_in_CW

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Do D&G have any actual lineage to North Western? Other than undercutting their successors and acquiring routes in the territory?
 

Jase_in_CW

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Well the bus is painted into the 1972 original so that’s the one I’m referring to. Their Northwich and Macclesfield ops haven’t been acquired by D&G through proper take-overs, mergers or purchases as far as I’m aware. As I said D&G were a competitor to North Western successor companies and they’ve come out on top.
 

Jase_in_CW

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This is the map of the original North Western company - I uploaded this map to Flickr on behalf of the Museum of Transport Greater Manchester. The link between the old company and the operating territory of D&G/High Peak is clear.

North Western Road Car map, 1968 by Paul Williams, on Flickr
Yes territory overlaps. I said that in my original post. I’m not sure operating in an area a previous company operated in gives you a right to that company’s image and heritage. Arriva for example could legitimately use a retro scheme because they acquired the new North Western that acquired Crosville Northwich territory that was theirs due to Nationalisation from the original North Western. D&G have no such claim. Or do they? That was my question
 

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