First South West (Kernow & Buses of Somerset)

[Goldfish62]

The service update for the 27 is now online:

Changes to the 27 from 1 November | Cornwall | First Bus

From Monday 1 November we are making some changes to the 27. GoCornwall Bus will be picking up the route between Carclaze and Bodmin on their 26 & 26A. Our 27 will focus on the route between Treliske, Truro, St Austell and Carclaze. Some morning and evening journeys will extend to/from...

www.firstbus.co.uk

Interestingly the PDF timetable is in TfC style with the Kernow logo located where you'd find the GCB, OTS etc logo. All-operator timetable books on the way?

From Monday 1 November we are making some changes to the 27.

GoCornwall Bus will be picking up the route between Carclaze and Bodmin on their 26 & 26A.

Our 27 will focus on the route between Treliske, Truro, St Austell and Carclaze. Some morning and evening journeys will extend to/from Penwithick, Bugle, Stenalees, Roche, Cornwall Services and Bodmin.

We are pleased to announce that the 27 will be enhanced to run every 30 minutes on Monday to Saturdays between Treliske and Carclaze.

27 Web October 2021.pdf

 

[83G/84D]

I saw Gemini 32677 in Penzance this afternoon on service 17, It's in the base new Uni livery.

 

[CornwallBus]

The service update for the 27 is now online:

Changes to the 27 from 1 November | Cornwall | First Bus

From Monday 1 November we are making some changes to the 27. GoCornwall Bus will be picking up the route between Carclaze and Bodmin on their 26 & 26A. Our 27 will focus on the route between Treliske, Truro, St Austell and Carclaze. Some morning and evening journeys will extend to/from...

www.firstbus.co.uk

Interestingly the PDF timetable is in TfC style with the Kernow logo located where you'd find the GCB, OTS etc logo. All-operator timetable books on the way?

Interesting to see the busy services extending to Cornwall Services and Bodmin, couple that to the College services, its not going to see passenger numbers fall that much! I think a sound commercial decision to be fair. Interesting to see how TfC do on a 30 min headway.

 

[vla50]

Are the 8 short Solos in due course all going to be repainted into Mousehole livery or will a few not be?

 

[S.Jacket]

Are the 8 short Solos in due course all going to be repainted into Mousehole livery or will a few not be?

I believe that is the plan to repaint them all into Mousehole livery

Now that First South West fully own SPS is there any immediate plans to renumber the SPS fleet into First's 5 digit numbering system? @On the Buses

 

[Goldfish62]

I believe that is the plan to repaint them all into Mousehole livery

Yes, @OntheBuses stated that's the intention a while back. 53503 the St Erth shuttle one looks to be getting its seats reinstalled currently, so maybe wollte the first repaint. I certainly look forward to seeing what the refreshed Mousehole livery looks like.

 

[vla50]

I believe that is the plan to repaint them all into Mousehole livery

5 spares for it seems interesting unless there's an increase in frequency. But it will be cool to see the new Mousehole livery I agree.

 

[Goldfish62]

5 spares for it seems interesting unless there's an increase in frequency. But it will be cool to see the new Mousehole livery I agree.

Given their unreliability a 167% spares ratio seems appropriate.

 

[Busaholic]

5 spares for it seems interesting unless there's an increase in frequency. But it will be cool to see the new Mousehole livery I agree.

There's always the possibility of extending it a little at the Penzance end, though not at the Mousehole end. If Marazion were ever to get a decent regularly-spaced bus service throughout the year, then the smallest vehicles would probably need to be used. I'm not a fool, I know and see for myself the problems of operating through Mousehole, and specifically turning round buses there. Now there's the Cornwall Council created westbound traffic jams on Chyandour Cliff which have replaced the Market Jew Street ones. Marazion to Mousehole would be a good route to market, I would think. 'From St Michael's Mount to ...' I'm not suggesting it's likely to happen, by the way.

 

[vla50]

There's always the possibility of extending it a little at the Penzance end, though not at the Mousehole end. If Marazion were ever to get a decent regularly-spaced bus service throughout the year, then the smallest vehicles would probably need to be used. I'm not a fool, I know and see for myself the problems of operating through Mousehole, and specifically turning round buses there. Now there's the Cornwall Council created westbound traffic jams on Chyandour Cliff which have replaced the Market Jew Street ones. Marazion to Mousehole would be a good route to market, I would think. 'From St Michael's Mount to ...' I'm not suggesting it's likely to happen, by the way.

Is Marazion a particular place of demand?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Is Marazion a particular place of demand?

Er yeah - it's where St Michaels Mount is

 

[Whiteway215]

Is Marazion a particular place of demand?

It’s also a place that demands a lot of skill to get a bus through!

 

[83G/84D]

Where would you turn a bus around in Marazion?
Nowhere springs to mind.

 

[iantherev]

Where would you turn a bus around in Marazion?
Nowhere springs to mind.

Run it down through and then return via the bypass?

 

[vla50]

Er yeah - it's where St Michaels Mount is

Oh yes!

 

[Busaholic]

Where would you turn a bus around in Marazion?
Nowhere springs to mind.

It would take some pro-active work by Cornwall Council, but it would not be an insuperable problem for the Solos after that. Turning at the roundabout a quarter mile after Marazion Cemetery would not be ideal long term, I'd think. Up the by-pass, back down through Marazion might be a possibility, but gives extra possibilities of traffic disruption. It wouldn't be easy and might impact a little on St Aubyn Estates car parks' income (hopefully!) but anything to take a few cars off the roads there.

 

[carlberry]

Er yeah - it's where St Michaels Mount is

Other than taking St Michael to his horse, is there any other demand?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Other than taking St Michael to his horse, is there any other demand?

Bedum tish Seems like plenty of tourists are intrigued by the equine exploits of the patron saint of Mark’s & Spencer

 

[Busaholic]

Other than taking St Michael to his horse, is there any other demand?

In the summer in good weather the car parks, including the overflow grassed ones, must see several hundred vehicles parked at a time, each paying probably an average of £4 - £5 a time (no concessions for anyone.) The two miniscule public car parks, adjacent to one another, could easily be converted into a small bus station, perhaps with a small taxi rank nearby and WCs ( lack of, another bugbear.)

 

[83G/84D]

Run it down through and then return via the bypass?

It would take too long especially negotiating the narrow road through Marazion, with oncoming traffic especially in the summer months.

Bedum tish Seems like plenty of tourists are intrigued by the equine exploits of the patron saint of Mark’s & Spencer

You now have to pay just to look around the Mount even without going on a tour of the castle or gardens.

That might put a few people off visiting.

 

[Lizard1324]

Where would you turn a bus around in Marazion?
Nowhere springs to mind.

If they did use the spare Mousehole buses, I think going down the one way street and coming back down the main road by the arms pub would be the ideal way.
Image shows potential route.


(Or even an express trip over to St Michael Mount by bus.)

 

[richw]

Doesn’t marazion have a pretty decent service for a town of that size?
Kernow U4,
TfC 2,
And I’m sure there are others?

 

[Lizard1324]

Doesn’t marazion have a pretty decent service for a town of that size?
Kernow U4,
TfC 2,
And I’m sure there are others?

Also Tfc 515.
First kernows lands end coasters and the U4x

 

[Busaholic]

Doesn’t marazion have a pretty decent service for a town of that size?
Kernow U4,
TfC 2,
And I’m sure there are others?

No, not considering the number of visitors and the lack of co-ordination of timetables. There are timetabled gaps of up to an hour in one or other direction for much of the year. The Land's End Coaster is a useful addition when it's running, but can be full with St Ives passengers in peak season. Unlike Mousehole, which can be devoid of homeowners for large parts of the year, whereas Marazion is (yet) to be taken over by the SUV types completely.

The cognoscenti may know about the 2, but I doubt that running it even covers the hourly wages of its drivers!

 

[Goldfish62]

No, not considering the number of visitors and the lack of co-ordination of timetables. There are timetabled gaps of up to an hour in one or other direction for much of the year. The Land's End Coaster is a useful addition when it's running, but can be full with St Ives passengers in peak season. Unlike Mousehole, which can be devoid of homeowners for large parts of the year, whereas Marazion is (yet) to be taken over by the SUV types completely.

The cognoscenti may know about the 2, but I doubt that running it even covers the hourly wages of its drivers!

When the 2 is running on an even hourly headway before the PM schools traffic the 2bph service combined with the U4 isn't at all bad. You're looking at 25-35 min intervals rather than an even 30 min. It goes to pieces weekdays afternoons and would need an extra bus to address.

 

[Busaholic]

When the 2 is running on an even hourly headway before the PM schools traffic the 2bph service combined with the U4 isn't at all bad. You're looking at 25-35 min intervals rather than an even 30 min. It goes to pieces weekdays afternoons and would need an extra bus to address.

I admit I hadn't consulted the 2 timetable before saying my bit, partly because I can't believe it will be around too long unless loadings improve. Go-Ahead probably deliberately chose to try to interwork with the U4, for which credit due, but why they don't operate via Goldsithney is a mystery. I know Goldsithney can be almost as difficult as Marazion in the summer months, but it does and would provide passengers. I can only imagine the extra minutes would impede the interworking with the U4 or cause an extra bus to be needed? Would be grateful for anyone's thoughts on that.

 

[Goldfish62]

I admit I hadn't consulted the 2 timetable before saying my bit, partly because I can't believe it will be around too long unless loadings improve. Go-Ahead probably deliberately chose to try to interwork with the U4, for which credit due, but why they don't operate via Goldsithney is a mystery. I know Goldsithney can be almost as difficult as Marazion in the summer months, but it does and would provide passengers. I can only imagine the extra minutes would impede the interworking with the U4 or cause an extra bus to be needed? Would be grateful for anyone's thoughts on that.

There's no layover at Praa Sands - it operates as a loop. Just looking at the timetable the arrival at Penzance appears to be two minutes after the next departure so it appears to already be 2 PVR with a massively inefficient schedule.

In reality I suspect the duties interwork with the 16, while the two buses that appear to be required are not a cost because they're already there for schools work.

On that basis diverting via Goldsithney would not on the face of it cost any resource.

 

[Busaholic]

There's no layover at Praa Sands - it operates as a loop. Just looking at the timetable the arrival at Penzance appears to be two minutes after the next departure so it appears to already be 2 PVR with a massively inefficient schedule.

In reality I suspect the duties interwork with the 16, while the two buses that appear to be required are not a cost because they're already there for schools work.

On that basis diverting via Goldsithney would not on the face of it cost any resource.

Interesting - thanks for that. I realised the buses themselves were not being included in the cost base, so just the fuel used and drivers' hourly wages to (hopefully) be recovered. From what you say, though, depending on the basis on which the 16 service is contracted by TfL, it could be that the entirety of the 2 drivers' hours don't have to be recovered through the farebox on that route. Only say could be, maybe I'm too much of a cynic!

 

[83G/84D]

First West of England Volvo B7RLE 66941 is in Camborne today. I believe it is a training bus as it was in a yellow colour scheme.

 

[On the Buses]

First West of England Volvo B7RLE 66941 is in Camborne today. I believe it is a training bus as it was in a yellow colour scheme.

First South West’s. One of a pair. Been converted at Thornton’s