First West of England (Bristol, Bath & The West)

[TheGrandWazoo]

Not a good picture, but 37564 just now heading towards Oldmixon on a 7 in Worle High Street.

A couple of weeks ago Bristol Airport posted on Facebook that the A3 would be back then. 67107 and 67108 should be heading back to Weston to get them fit for Airport service.

I did see an A1 Scania heading south on the M5 yesterday morning around 11:00 between Clevedon and Weston with 'Route Test' on the destination.

Thank you for that - be interesting to see how luxurious these are inside?

 

[Callum15632]

Thank you for that - be interesting to see how luxurious these are inside?

They look nice inside. The streetdecks have leather seats but the nice kind. I saw the interior on a post on Facebook. They have USB Chargers inside and they have pink bars inside.

So at the moment one driver is saying April for the Streetdecks and another is saying tomorrow with all by the end of the week. My guess is that they wont all be out this week but most will be out sometime this month*.
They do look very nice, however still waiting on how they'll cope with Rownham Hill.

* p.s. I am a driver, however with no connection to any credible sources of information!

Are you on First West Of England Enthusiast Facebook Group? And are you a driver for First West Of England?

 

[DaveLondon]

Thank you for that - be interesting to see how luxurious these are inside?

37564 is not at Weston. I think this is 35674 which entered service today with 35668.

 

[150249]

Thank you for that - be interesting to see how luxurious these are inside?

Well done for starting the 1000th page

 

[D2007wsm]

Thank you for that - be interesting to see how luxurious these are inside?

From what I could see walking past to a shop, it just looked like a standard First interior like on the Streetlites and newer E400s, just with seats in the grey leather like are on the Scanias.

 

[Class 33]

Some drastic cuts coming at the end of April....

The T2 and Y2 are being axed.

And also....

• Service 1, Broomhill to Cribbs Causeway via Bristol City Centre: Monday to Friday off-peak and all day Saturday frequency will reduce from every 15 to every 20 minutes

• Services 2 and 2a between Cribbs Causeway (Brentry for Service 2a) and Stockwood via Bristol City Centre:Monday to Friday off-peak and all day Saturday frequency on both services will reduce from every 30 to every 40 minutes, resulting in a 20 minute frequency on the common sections of route
• Services 44 and 45, Bristol City Centre to Cadbury Heath/Cherry Gardens: Monday to Friday off-peak frequency will be reduced from every 20 to every 30 minutes and some poorly used early morning and weekend journeys will be withdrawn
  • Services 48 and 49, Bristol City Centre to Emersons Green/Lyde Green: Sunday frequency will be reduced from every 20 to every 30 minutes and some early poorly used morning and weekend journeys will be withdrawn
  • Service 70, Bristol City Centre to UWE Frenchay Campus: Monday to Friday off-peak frequency will reduced from every 20 to every 30 minutes
  • Services 75 and 76, Hengrove to Henbury/Cribbs Causeway: Saturday frequency will reduce from every 15 to every 20 minutes, whilst Sunday frequency will reduce from every 20 to every 30 minutes
  • Service 90, Bristol City Centre to Hengrove: Monday to Friday off-peak frequency will be reduced from every 15 to every 20 minutes.
  • Services 6 and 7, Bristol city centre to Kingswood/Staple Hill: Due to low customer demand, some early morning and weekend journeys will be withdrawn
  • Service 43, Bristol City Centre to Cadbury Heath: Some short journeys to Kingswood and some early morning and weekend journeys will be withdrawn due to low customer demand
  • Service 48a, Bristol City Centre to UWE Frenchay Campus: Monday to Friday frequency during the main part of the day will be reduced from every 10 to every 20 minutes. This is a normal seasonal change to reflect lower demand for travel to and from UWE over the summer months
  • Service 71, Parson Street to UWE Frenchay Campus: The route of Service 71 will be extended between Parson Street and Hengrove Depot, resulting in a much-improved service along Hartcliffe Way to and from Bristol City Centre. In addition, a new Saturday service running every 20 minutes to Horfield Common will be introduced. This change will also give customers a more frequent Saturday service along Bedminster Road
  • Service 73, Bristol Temple Meads to Cribbs Causeway: Due to low customer demand and to ensure that service levels meet available driver resources, Service 73 Monday to Friday off-peak short journeys from Bristol City Centre to Bristol Parkway will be withdrawn. This change will not disrupt customers travelling to and from Bradley Stoke/Cribbs Causeway
  • Service 91, Bristol City to Hengrove: In response to customer demand, Service 91 will operate a slightly different route, running directly between Broad Walk Square and Melvin Square via Daventry Way and Leinster Avenue every 65 minutes, rather than along Ilminster Avenue. It will no longer extend to Hengrove Depot, instead terminating at Imperial Park. This route change provides customers with a new direct route between Bristol City Centre and Imperial Park via Totterdown
  • Service A1, Bristol Temple Meads to Bristol Airport: Due to increase passenger volumes at Bristol Airport, Sunday frequency will be increased from every 30 to every 20 minutes. Stopping arrangements will also be revised to return the service to its previous express service level, with limited stops through Bedminster. Concessions passes will also no longer be valid
  • Service m1, Hengrove Park to Cribbs Causeway: From 24 th April 2022: Monday to Friday frequency will decrease from every 10 to every 12 minutes, Saturday frequency will decrease from every 10 to every 12 minutes, Sunday frequency will decrease from every 15 to every 20 minutes. From 24 th July 2022: Monday to Friday off-peak frequency will decrease from every 12 to every 15 minutes. Saturday frequency will decrease from every 12 to every 15 minutes
  • Service m2, Long Ashton Park & Ride to Bristol City Centre via Bristol Temple Meads: After consultation with the BRI, the m2 will be operating later evening journeys to better reflect staff shift patterns
  • Service m3, Emersons Green to Bristol City Centre: Journeys after 21:00 will be withdrawn due to lower demand for travel to and from UWE over the summer months
  • Service Y4, Bristol Bus Station to Yate: To ensure the service is financially viable and can be operated within available resources, Service Y4 will operate between Bristol and Yate Park and Ride only, rather than extending to Yate town centre, with Monday to Saturday frequency reduced from every 60 to every 90 minutes. Customers travelling to/from Yate town centre can change to Service Y1 at Yate Park and Ride. Service Y1, Y3 and Y6 between Yate and Bristol will have minor timetable changes to improve punctuality

 

[carlberry]

Some drastic cuts coming at the end of April....

The T2 and Y2 are being axed.

Is this published anywhere yet? It certainly result in even more spare liveried buses!

 

[Whiteway215]

Carl I read it in a publication called ‘Bristol World’

 

[Class 33]

It's on the Bristol Post website

Full list of First Bus services being axed or cut back

"Unfortunately there are a number of services that are not commercially viable even at pre-pandemic passenger levels"

www.bristolpost.co.uk

 

[carlberry]

It's on the Bristol Post website

Full list of First Bus services being axed or cut back

"Unfortunately there are a number of services that are not commercially viable even at pre-pandemic passenger levels"

www.bristolpost.co.uk

I think we can assume from the response from the various politicians that Bristol/Avon wasn't one of the 16 areas that have been given the 'Boris better buses' funding!

 

[-Colly405-]

I'm presuming the 24 July changes to the m1 are student-related?

Interestingly, for the few months immediately before Covid hit, the m1 was every 15 mins M-F (supplemented in the peaks with an additional 15 min frequency City-Bradley Stoke) and was every 20 mins Sat, Sun and all evenings.
These changes still make the weekend service better than pre-Covid, and put the weekday off-peak service back at pre-Covid levels.

The report mentions the T2 and Y2 going. We knew that the T2 cancellation had been proposed, with it offset by an increase in the T1 to 3ph. There is no mention of the T1 in the article, so maybe that increase isn't happening...?

 

[D2007wsm]

There are also service changes in Weston & North Somerset with the 2, 4, 5, 6 & X8 being withdrawn and other frequency changes.

The X2 is being curtailed and only running between Bristol and Yatton.

The X5 is also being rerouted after the Worle terminus over Summer Lane bridge and through Locking Castle and Weston Village instead of the X2.

The X7 after Long Ashton is operating via Flax Bourton and Backwell instead of the X8.

Presumably the excess Badgerline Streetlites will be used on the X2 and X7. With the Streetdecks on the 7 and other X services.

First Bus will remove FOUR Weston services

Bus operator First West of England has announced it will withdraw four of its bus routes in and around Weston next month.

www.thewestonmercury.co.uk

 

[Citistar]

There are also service changes in Weston & North Somerset with the 2, 4, 5, 6 & X8 being withdrawn and other frequency changes.

The X2 is being curtailed and only running between Bristol and Yatton.

The X5 is also being rerouted after the Worle terminus over Summer Lane bridge and through Locking Castle and Weston Village instead of the X2.

The X7 after Long Ashton is operating via Flax Bourton and Backwell instead of the X8.

Presumably the excess Badgerline Streetlites will be used on the X2 and X7. With the Streetdecks on the 7 and other X services.

First Bus will remove FOUR Weston services

Bus operator First West of England has announced it will withdraw four of its bus routes in and around Weston next month.

www.thewestonmercury.co.uk

Speaking of single and double deck allocations in Weston, is the 20 expected to return be single or double deck this summer when it returns to half hourly?

 

[DaveHarries]

There are also service changes in Weston & North Somerset with the 2, 4, 5, 6 & X8 being withdrawn and other frequency changes.

The X2 is being curtailed and only running between Bristol and Yatton.

The X5 is also being rerouted after the Worle terminus over Summer Lane bridge and through Locking Castle and Weston Village instead of the X2.

The X7 after Long Ashton is operating via Flax Bourton and Backwell instead of the X8.

Presumably the excess Badgerline Streetlites will be used on the X2 and X7. With the Streetdecks on the 7 and other X services.

First Bus will remove FOUR Weston services

Bus operator First West of England has announced it will withdraw four of its bus routes in and around Weston next month.

www.thewestonmercury.co.uk

I think it not wide of the mark to say that most of these changes, particularly the Weston ones, will go down like a lead balloon and at a time when attempts are being made to get people to use buses instead of cars these changes are probably going to take those efforts in completely the wrong direction. I don't know for sure but I can only guess that drivers are leaving by the shedload in search of better money elsewhere.

As for the X2 if they are going to curtail that to Yatton they may as well drop it entirely: the train service is quicker (albeit not cheaper) and there are 2 per hour. If the X2 was dropped then the X1 could be rerouted via. Claverham but miss Yatton.

On another note if the Weston ones that are being withdrawn get put out to tender then I reckon that either First would put in for the tenders and win them or Stagecoach might have a pot at them but a third idea would be to continue to run the X2 to Weston on the same route as the old Service 350. Otherwise it is bad luck for residents on the part of Service 5 between Worle, Upper Bristol Road and the Town Centre who, for the most part, will have no bus service at all: I am not aware of any other routes on the UBR.

Dave

 

[Citistar]

As for the X2 if they are going to curtail that to Yatton they may as well drop it entirely: the train service is quicker (albeit not cheaper) and there are 2 per hour. If the X2 was dropped then the X1 could be rerouted via. Claverham but miss Yatton.

I don't know if it is still the case, but there used to be a substantial number of student passes issued for travel on the X2 between Yatton, Claverham and Backwell School, which i'm sure First would be keen to retain.

On another note if the Weston ones that are being withdrawn get put out to tender then I reckon that either First would put in for the tenders and win them or Stagecoach might have a pot at them but a third idea would be to continue to run the X2 to Weston on the same route as the old Service 350. Otherwise it is bad luck for residents on the part of Service 5 between Worle, Upper Bristol Road and the Town Centre who, for the most part, will have no bus service at all: I am not aware of any other routes on the UBR.

I did mention in post 29898 that North Somerset are tendering a single combined replacement service with the possibility to cover the scope of all the withdrawn sections of 2, 4, 5, 6 and the X2 at West Wick.

 

[D2007wsm]

Speaking of single and double deck allocations in Weston, is the 20 expected to return be single or double deck this summer when it returns to half hourly?

I would presume the 20 will be deckers of some sort, when it was singles in the summer the other year it struggled. Deckers do appear on it now at times. I haven't heard anything definitive. Though I dont think using the new Streetdecks is wise. Perhaps a home for 39005 and some of the older ex Sheffield Streetdecks?

I think it not wide of the mark to say that most of these changes, particularly the Weston ones, will go down like a lead balloon and at a time when attempts are being made to get people to use buses instead of cars these changes are probably going to take those efforts in completely the wrong direction. I don't know for sure but I can only guess that drivers are leaving by the shedload in search of better money elsewhere.

As for the X2 if they are going to curtail that to Yatton they may as well drop it entirely: the train service is quicker (albeit not cheaper) and there are 2 per hour. If the X2 was dropped then the X1 could be rerouted via. Claverham but miss Yatton.

On another note if the Weston ones that are being withdrawn get put out to tender then I reckon that either First would put in for the tenders and win them or Stagecoach might have a pot at them but a third idea would be to continue to run the X2 to Weston on the same route as the old Service 350. Otherwise it is bad luck for residents on the part of Service 5 between Worle, Upper Bristol Road and the Town Centre who, for the most part, will have no bus service at all: I am not aware of any other routes on the UBR.

Dave

They tried that before with the X1a then renumbered to the X2. It wasn't populat delaying the time between Weston and Bristol. It didn't really pick that many up in Claverham.

One of the A3 E200MMC looks to be at home tonight, presumably on Rail Replacement. It was parked at about 21:45 at Weston Railway Station at a similar time to when it would be there on an A3.

 

[Dai Corner]

I would presume the 20 will be deckers of some sort, when it was singles in the summer the other year it struggled. Deckers do appear on it now at times. I haven't heard anything definitive. Though I dont think using the new Streetdecks is wise. Perhaps a home for 39005 and some of the older ex Sheffield Streetdecks?

Or maybe they'll get the open toppers back from First Cymru? I seem to remember they were only lent because the lack of tree pruning prevented them being used on the 20?

 

[D2007wsm]

Or maybe they'll get the open toppers back from First Cymru? I seem to remember they were only lent because the lack of tree pruning prevented them being used on the 20?

I don't think they will as they are B7TLS which have been eradicated in the area. If they wanted them back, why bother converting the 2 B9 Geminis? Also, all of the flags on the stops last year were rebranded from Coaster to Badgerline.

The ALX400 open toppers were knackered and were no good if it rained, even with the half roof they leaked like hell.

 

[carlberry]

I think it not wide of the mark to say that most of these changes, particularly the Weston ones, will go down like a lead balloon and at a time when attempts are being made to get people to use buses instead of cars these changes are probably going to take those efforts in completely the wrong direction. I don't know for sure but I can only guess that drivers are leaving by the shedload in search of better money elsewhere.

As for the X2 if they are going to curtail that to Yatton they may as well drop it entirely: the train service is quicker (albeit not cheaper) and there are 2 per hour. If the X2 was dropped then the X1 could be rerouted via. Claverham but miss Yatton.

The reality is that people have been told for the last two years that public transport isn't safe and they should use their cars, the result of that is the reduced loadings that are likely to be behind a lot of this (i.e. don't expect most of it to come back if the number of drivers suddenly gets better). The governments recent bus announcements have been watered down and now appear to only apply in a few areas so, if you not in a favored area, it depends on how much the local rate payers want to stump up.

I don't understand why the availability of a train service would effect retaining the X2; using the same logic the train is quicker to Weston so you should withdraw the X1 as well. However any passengers in Yatton who want the train will already be using it and the only common stopping point is Backwell.

 

[freetoview33]

I would presume the 20 will be deckers of some sort, when it was singles in the summer the other year it struggled. Deckers do appear on it now at times. I haven't heard anything definitive. Though I dont think using the new Streetdecks is wise. Perhaps a home for 39005 and some of the older ex Sheffield Streetdecks?

They tried that before with the X1a then renumbered to the X2. It wasn't populat delaying the time between Weston and Bristol. It didn't really pick that many up in Claverham.

One of the A3 E200MMC looks to be at home tonight, presumably on Rail Replacement. It was parked at about 21:45 at Weston Railway Station at a similar time to when it would be there on an A3.

I saw the other one at Lyde Green earlier!

 

[Dai Corner]

I don't think they will as they are B7TLS which have been eradicated in the area. If they wanted them back, why bother converting the 2 B9 Geminis? Also, all of the flags on the stops last year were rebranded from Coaster to Badgerline.

The ALX400 open toppers were knackered and were no good if it rained, even with the half roof they leaked like hell.

Fair comment. I hadn't heard about the Gemini's or the stops being rebranded. Hooefullt they'll be out in Swansea and Porthcawl again this year.

 

[Callum15632]

The new Badgerline Streetdecks are on the 7 in their first days of service because they are gently being introduced on town service 7, instead of being on excel routes first.

 

[DaveLondon]

The new Badgerline Streetdecks are on the 7 in their first days of service because they are gently being introduced on town service 7, instead of being on excel routes first.

I think one is on the X5 today

 

[Marcus Fryer]

I think one is on the X5 today

There are eight in service now (according to bus times) and the PVR of route 7 is seven buses - the 7 is 100% StreetDecks today, although one circuit appears to be not covered. So they should be venturing onto the 'X' routes as more enter service (at a rate of 2 more each day it seems).

 

[Martin2013]

I do think the reductions in Yate and Thornbury are clearly a negative move which will impact negatively on those that rely on the services.

I no longer live in Yate but I get the impression that most Bristol passengers prefer to use the Y1. That said there is definitley a place for the Y2-5 routes and I totally disagree with the decision to truncate the Y4 at the Yate Park and Ride. The requirement to change buses will inconvenience passengers massively and what happens if a Y1 gets cancelled or a Y4 runs late and passengers miss their connections?

In terms of the T2 I do feel that at the very least the Thornbury to Cribbs section should be retained, with maybe an extension to SGS Filton at certain times of the day to assist college students.
Those from Thornbury and Almondsbury who need to travel to Filton or Gloucester Road could then change to a 75 at Cribbs..

 

[Citistar]

In terms of the T2 I do feel that at the very least the Thornbury to Cribbs section should be retained, with maybe an extension to SGS Filton at certain times of the day to assist college students.
Those from Thornbury and Almondsbury who need to travel to Filton or Gloucester Road could then change to a 75 at Cribbs..

622 is already more frequent than the T2 between Thornbury and Cribbs off peak. Perhaps extensions to relevant journeys on this to serve SGS would make more sense.

 

[stait.john]

The problem you’ve got and will always have in Bristol is the crew relief, Thornbury to Cribbs…….where would the break be?

 

[NorthernSpirit]

I did mention in post 29898 that North Somerset are tendering a single combined replacement service with the possibility to cover the scope of all the withdrawn sections of 2, 4, 5, 6 and the X2 at West Wick.

I'm suprised First haven't merged the two most obvious routes, thus being the 1 and the 20 meaning that one could go from Burnham-on-Sea to Sand Bay on one bus.

The problem you’ve got and will always have in Bristol is the crew relief, Thornbury to Cribbs…….where would the break be?

It could alway be pencilled in to make it self contained.

 

[Snow1964]

A Streetlite in normal First livery was on the D1 discover service to Warminster yesterday, quite rare since ending of D1X to be shortage of Discover fleet buses, so wonder what is happening.

Didn’t see fleet number clearly but think it was 47571

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

A Streetlite in normal First livery was on the D1 discover service to Warminster yesterday, quite rare since ending of D1X to be shortage of Discover fleet buses, so wonder what is happening.

Didn’t see fleet number clearly but think it was 47571

There were a few not working (Rail Replacement??) but blue 69458 worked in the morning, then a full missing return journey to Warminster that would have been worked by it with 69458 redeployed to the 4s, and then needing one at 1445 and probably 47571 being spare in the bus station