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

[freetoview33]

Oh my god and a new service 72 Centre-UWE service as well!. Quite a different route though, via Redland and Lockleaze! Good stuff!

Romney Ave bus link?

 

[baza585]

But traveline does say the 70 is also changing from the end of August! looks like it is going to every 15mins (so deckers must be on the cards)
BIG NEWS

Also shows the X74 stopping at U.W.E hourly
and a 71 and 72 towards the cente!!! from U.W.E Yes!

X74: Centre - U.W.E - Bradley Stoke (Willow Brook Centre) - Hourly
70: Temple Meads - U.W.E - 15 mins
71: Temple Meads - U.W.E - 15 mins
72: Centre - U.W.E - 20 mins

Given the new 71 making a combined 8 bph with the 70, against the current 5 bph, I suspect deckers are fairly unlikely, given First's current fleet.

 

[DaveHarries]

On another note, seen heading up the M32 this afternoon on a tow truck was damaged Marshall Dart 41389. Never been a fan of them: good riddance.

Dave

 

[freetoview33]

Given the new 71 making a combined 8 bph with the 70, against the current 5 bph, I suspect deckers are fairly unlikely, given First's current fleet.

I said that before I found the 71 and 72

 

[Private Baxter]

Long may 46603 continue. It sometimes strays off the 161 onto the X75 and has been to Yeovil at least twice this year on 377.
It is certainly much more comfortable to ride on than Alexander Darts 42730/31/38 which have no legroom.

I agree, I actually quite like it. Has a bit of charm to it, although its longevity has something to do with it.

Would like to see marshall darts go soon. Whenever it looks like they've nearly all gone, more get cascaded in. Even that one at Wells has been withdrawn once already. Hopefully most will be gone by the end of this year.

Now that the majority of MH's streetlites have arrived, any idea what is moving/being withdrawn?

 

[freetoview33]

And still no news of a 20 replacement

 

[DaveHarries]

With services 1, 2, 8, 9, 38, 39, X39, 50 & 51 already linking the Centre with Temple Meads I question if adding 3 more services between City Centre and Temple Meads can be justified. Hope the new services do not damage the use of the trains from Montpelier to Bristol TM and back.

Also, ran a TT lookup for 70 - 73 on Traveline SW: no new timetable came up in the results.

Dave

 

[freetoview33]

With services 1, 2, 8, 9, 38, 39, X39, 50 & 51 already linking the Centre with Temple Meads I question if adding 3 more services between City Centre and Temple Meads can be justified. Hope the new services do not damage the use of the trains from Montpelier to Bristol TM and back.

Also, ran a TT lookup for 70 - 73 on Traveline SW: no new timetable came up in the results.

Dave

You need to search for departures in september from specific stops

 

[Class 33]

With services 1, 2, 8, 9, 38, 39, X39, 50 & 51 already linking the Centre with Temple Meads I question if adding 3 more services between City Centre and Temple Meads can be justified.

Dave

Which 3 more services will be operating between Centre and Temple Meads? Just the new service 71 isn't it?

Not sure I really see the point of 70(and new 71) serving Temple Meads to be honest as I said before. BUT never mind now as far as I'm concerned, as the new 71, 72 and X74(running the fast route between UWE and Centre) will really improve the situation with the over-crowded single deckers on the 70.

Also the new 71 means a better frequency of service between Centre, Gloucester Road, and Filton Avenue. And will help ease passenger congestion a little on the 73, 75, & 76. And the new X74 to Bradley Stoke will also help ease more congestion too. As anyone wanting to travel between Bradley Stoke, Aztec West, Patchway(Gloucester Road), North Filton and the Centre will be able to get this new service.

The new 72 is interesting. As it goes a completely different route to any of the other services in the 70 series!

I can't wait to see all this! Really surprising news all this!

Now all we need is the old 77 to Henbury brought back next April! Hehe!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

With services 1, 2, 8, 9, 38, 39, X39, 50 & 51 already linking the Centre with Temple Meads I question if adding 3 more services between City Centre and Temple Meads can be justified. Hope the new services do not damage the use of the trains from Montpelier to Bristol TM and back.

Also, ran a TT lookup for 70 - 73 on Traveline SW: no new timetable came up in the results.

Dave

It's not the link from the centre to TM that's the important bit but creating links from North Bristol to TM.

It's excellent news and another sign of how First are looking to reverse the ill effects of the Lockhead era. I agree that they'll be single decks. With extra capacity and the canopy issue, deckers shouldn't be needed. It'll be interesting how this affects the PVR, as you say, and what kit will appear on there. With the Bath changes and the 20 going (and assuming nothing else appears to replace that), that reduces things but perhaps some of older fleet will survive longer?

It also explains why they've been very cagey in explaining what was going to happen with the 70. Now....they've created a lot of new routes with this and the earlier South Glos stuff. Will 2015 see South Bristol get some changes....though perhaps digest these first!

 

[freetoview33]

Well First really have uped the game around here, now putting even more pressure on Webber and Wessex. Maybe they might start on abus or faresaver next!

 

[Class 33]

Also shows the X74 stopping at U.W.E hourly
X74: Centre - U.W.E - Bradley Stoke (Willow Brook Centre) - Hourly

X74 is actually half hourly! Mondays-Saturdays. I expect it will actually be limited stop(unlike some other X services which stop at all stops enroute). Calling Centre, The Haymarket, UWE, Filton Church(Gloucester Road North), then all stops to Bradley Stoke.

Much better journey times between Centre and Bradley Stoke. Ranging from 33 minutes to 48 minutes depending on times of day and traffic conditions. Interestingly after 6:30pm both the 73 and X74 both depart the Centre at the same times xx:35 and xx:05(though last X74 from the Centre is 2005.

The 70, 71, & 72 will be single deckers allmost certainly. But that will actually be sufficient enough.

We'll have to wait and see if the X74 will be single deckers or double deckers, or a mix of both. But I actually think single deckers on the X74 could well be sufficient enough.

As I said, this should be very interesting!

I'm going to start planning a bit of day out on Monday 1st September. Taking several journeys on the new 71, 72, and X74 services! Will post my report soon after!

 

[freetoview33]

Looks like we got our wish of more buses to Ashley Down and U.W.E plus a bit more! Going on at First does seem to work
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Looks like the X74 is a part replacement for the 13 U.W.E - Bradley Stoke section that is being withdrawn

 

[ValleyLines142]

Amazing news about the new services for UWE! So exciting.

 

[Class 33]

Looks like we got our wish of more buses to Ashley Down and U.W.E plus a bit more! Going on at First does seem to work

Actually a bit of a decrease in buses/frequency to Ashley Down to be fair. The 70(the only service that serves this area) being reduced from every 12 minutes to every 15 minutes. But it doesn't matter, as the new 71 via Filton Avenue to UWE and the 72 and X74 also to/via UWE will help ease the over-crowding on the 70.

The X74 is interesting for me. As I did suggest on here a new Centre-Bradley Stoke service via Filton Avenue, Gloucester Road, and Aztec West. Another alternative suggestion which I didn't get round to mentioning would have been a service which took the exact same route as the new X74!

Good on you for your comments and suggestions you sent to First Freetoview33. Some other people may have sent their comments to them as well, including some residents in Bradley Stoke asking for a regular faster service to the Centre instead of the 73 which takes ages. I'm really impressed and pleased the actions First have taken on this with their changes/new services they are introducing.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Actually a bit of a decrease in buses/frequency to Ashley Down to be fair. The 70(the only service that serves this area) being reduced from every 12 minutes to every 15 minutes. But it doesn't matter, as the new 71 via Filton Avenue to UWE and the 72 and X74 also to/via UWE will help ease the over-crowding on the 70.

The X74 is interesting for me. As I did suggest on here a new Centre-Bradley Stoke service via Filton Avenue, Gloucester Road, and Aztec West. Another alternative suggestion which I didn't get round to mentioning would have been a service which took the exact same route as the new X74!

Good on you for your comments and suggestions you sent to First Freetoview33. Some other people may have sent their comments to them as well, including some residents in Bradley Stoke asking for a regular faster service to the Centre instead of the 73 which takes ages. I'm really impressed and pleased the actions First have taken on this with their changes/new services they are introducing.

Whilst First are doubtless are responding to customer feedback, it is also probably a response to:

• The various new housing and commercial developments across North Bristol
• Exerting more pressure on Wessex
• A defensive move to ensure that Wessex don't try introduce similar new services

As well as positive motives, it does look like a canny move to keep Wessex out of Bristol as much as they can.

Talking of which, I don't think they'll look to compete against Abus. They have bigger fights to engage in, such as Faresaver and Crosville

 

[henairs]

Hi All,
Can anybody confirm that 67600 is still based at WSM and is there any particular route it gets used on as heading down that area this Saturday and was hoping to see it.
Thanks, Mike Russell [henairs]

 

[Class 33]

Anyone able to work out the PVR increase the revised 70 & 73, and the new 71, 72, & X74 will require compared to the current PVR requirement for the 70 & 73?


The new 72 will operate via Whiteladies Road and Blackboy Hill. From there the exact route isn't known. It runs though to Redland, Kersteman Road, then onto Lockleaze Road, then onto UWE via the Romney Avenue bus link. Will be a bit weird seeing a bus in the 70 series going up Whiteladies Road! And like I said, the 72 goes a completely different route to any of the other services in the 70 series! I guess they numbered it as such to group it in with the 70 & 71 for services between UWE and Centre.

Bring on 1st September!

 

[freetoview33]

Then again the 99 was totally different from the services that went up to the downs so
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
And the 72 rings true when first said they would introduce an additional service via Redland, but I thought it would be more of a rerouted 20!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Hi All,
Can anybody confirm that 67600 is still based at WSM and is there any particular route it gets used on as heading down that area this Saturday and was hoping to see it.
Thanks, Mike Russell [henairs]

AFAIK, it's still there. Think it does 7 and X4

 

[ValleyLines142]

AFAIK, it's still there. Think it does 7 and X4

It was on the W1 on Tuesday.

With regards to the new UWE services (I'm still so thrilled at this!), it looks as if the 71 and the 72 are more or less identical to Wessex's 11 and 19! Brilliant - think most people will switch to First when they see they have other options available! I can see quite a few people getting First bus passes as opposed to Wessex's when they see how rubbish they are!

And some of these services will HAVE to be double deckers, as (presuming Hengrove will run them) there won't be enough singles!

 

[baza585]

It was on the W1 on Tuesday.

With regards to the new UWE services (I'm still so thrilled at this!), it looks as if the 71 and the 72 are more or less identical to Wessex's 11 and 19! Brilliant - think most people will switch to First when they see they have other options available! I can see quite a few people getting First bus passes as opposed to Wessex's when they see how rubbish they are!

And some of these services will HAVE to be double deckers, as (presuming Hengrove will run them) there won't be enough singles!

If the overall PVR has gone up, then buses will need to be drafted in from elsewhere or from reserve. They are quite likely to be single deckers - most First opcos don't want to release deckers (Hampshire may possibly be an exception but I suspect what they release may be Olympians from Hoeford and Weymouth rather than anything low floor, unless you want those awful W reg. ELC bodied Tridents back that Bristol dumped on us, that spend more time off the road than on it!!)

 

[freetoview33]

Maybe the Streetlites at Hengrove are for these new U.W.E services?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Maybe the Streetlites at Hengrove are for these new U.W.E services?

Had a go at establishing the PVR now and in future. Apologies if it might be a little out but here we go...

• 70 - 7 Single Decks (usually Eclipses) from HE
• 73 - 11 Double Decks (usually Geminis) from LH
• 20 - 4 Single Decks (usually Darts) from HE

The new requirement is....

• 70/71 - 13 Single Decks from HE
• 73 - 11 Double Decks from LH
• 72 - 4
• X74 - 3

So that makes an increase from 22 to 31

You could crudely say that the 72 is a swap for the 20, so 4 x SD from HE? The X74 is perhaps a bit trickier but assuming that it's a new route, you might just see some of the 2006 Darts on there, at least at the beginning? Who knows?

What we probably do know is that the 70/71 will be single deckers. Aside from the canopy issue, the increase in capacity negates the need for deckers. Note that the PVR is 13 and HE is getting 13 new Streetlites - mind you, that could almost be too perfect!!

I'm with baza585 - I can't see who'll be wanting to release decent deckers. Even Taunton has had to deal with getting hammered W reg Tridents. Fine in the flatlands but not in Bristol, and again, there are a number of areas that are looking for newer deckers to replace their ageing Olympians. Given the fact that singles appear on the 1 and 2 semi regularly, I can't see deckers appearing on these new routes, if any route might then it could be the X74!!

 

[freetoview33]

So the pvr on the 73 will remain the same even though one less bus an hour? Well seems Hengrove have enough buses for the new services, maybe the 20 got axed just due to lack of buses and it not being profitable. Will the extension to the 82 increase the pvr? An improvement but still means old stuff has to carry on another year at least. And at this rate of First introducing lots of new services probably will be a few years, although what about what was being displayed on the X2 and X3 where are they going? Or they might be for X74?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

So the pvr on the 73 will remain the same even though one less bus an hour? Well seems Hengrove have enough buses for the new services, maybe the 20 got axed just due to lack of buses and it not being profitable. Will the extension to the 82 increase the pvr? An improvement but still means old stuff has to carry on another year at least. And at this rate of First introducing lots of new services probably will be a few years, although what about what was being displayed on the X2 and X3 where are they going? Or they might be for X74?

Well, you might see the cascaded Darts from the X2/X3 heading to the X8 or something? It'll be a cascade but yes, some fleet may well be working for a year longer. IF, and it's a big if, that the Streetlites head to the 70/71 then the HE Eclipses will be available to reallocate. We also need to factor in that there could be other services cut elsewhere so that could reduce the overall fleet requirement and lose kit that way. The 82 might increase the PVR marginally but then again, the Bath changes will release a vehicle or two?

As for the 73 PVR, that's the most complex timetable but I simply picked 0800 and counted the number of vehicles timed (plus ones that might be stood at a terminus) and it was the same. There may be additionals that don't appear but are dupes, but the off peak changes whilst peak doesn't. I might have missed the odd one but it's generally right.

 

[freetoview33]

Well the streetlites might well end up on the 5 and 36 with whays currently on it going to the 71 and 72. Although with the recent issues in bath and bristol an additional few spare buses won't go a miss, considering that solo was on the 1 the other day.

 

[Class 33]

X74 is actually half hourly! Mondays-Saturdays. I expect it will actually be limited stop(unlike some other X services which stop at all stops enroute). Calling Centre, The Haymarket, UWE, Filton Church(Gloucester Road North), then all stops to Bradley Stoke.

Some additional info about the X74. The service will also call at the McDonalds Filton stop. Which is a good convenient stop for anyone living around that area of Filton, as well as for anyone commuting to work in that little retail park or Sainsbury's over the road.

Also the X74 goes a slightly different route to what I thought it would. From Gloucester Road North I thought it would run right along to Aztec West and then into Bradley Stoke. But it turns it out it's routed from Gloucester Road North via Gloucester Road, Stoke Lane, Braydon Avenue, Brook Way, Savages Wood Road, and into the Willow Brook Centre. Still a good route though, giving also the people in Stoke Lodge a faster more direct service to the Centre.

Also I wonder if maybe the new X74 might mean a mix of single and double deckers on both the X74 and the 73? As the new 71 via Gloucester Road and Filton Avenue and the X74 to Bradley Stoke will help ease passenger volumes on the 73. So some single deckers on the 73 along with some double deckers might actually be then sufficient enough when you think about it.

And the full route info of the new 72. And this might be a bit of a surprise to you. Centre, Park Street, Whiteladies Road, Blackboy Hill, Redland Hill, Redland Road, Coldharbour Road, Dundonald Road, Greendale Road, Branksome Road, Harcourt Road, Harcourt Hill, Cranbrook Road, Zetland Road, Gloucester Road, Filton Avenue, Lockleaze Road, Constable Road, Gainsborough Square, Cameron Walk, Romney Avenue, Romney Avenue Bus Link, Danby Street, Wallshut Wood, Long Mead, and into UWE.

So the 72 will run via Gloucester Road after all! Albeit going via Whiteladies Road and Redland first so would take a little longer to get there!

---------

Interesting observation about the timetables in the evenings after 6:30pm too for the 71, 73, and X74 from the Centre(though last X74 departs at 2005 as mentioned). They all depart at xx:05 and xx:35! So the 71 and 73 will be literally running at the same time all up Gloucester Road, along Filton Avenue and as far as Filton McDonalds. At these particular times I imagine most people travelling to Bradley Stoke would board the faster X74 rather than the 73. So the loadings on the 73 at these times will be a little lighter than what they are now.

 

[THarris123]

Had a go at establishing the PVR now and in future. Apologies if it might be a little out but here we go...

• 70 - 7 Single Decks (usually Eclipses) from HE
• 73 - 11 Double Decks (usually Geminis) from LH
• 20 - 4 Single Decks (usually Darts) from HE

The new requirement is....

• 70/71 - 13 Single Decks from HE
• 73 - 11 Double Decks from LH
• 72 - 4
• X74 - 3

So that makes an increase from 22 to 31

You could crudely say that the 72 is a swap for the 20, so 4 x SD from HE? The X74 is perhaps a bit trickier but assuming that it's a new route, you might just see some of the 2006 Darts on there, at least at the beginning? Who knows?

What we probably do know is that the 70/71 will be single deckers. Aside from the canopy issue, the increase in capacity negates the need for deckers. Note that the PVR is 13 and HE is getting 13 new Streetlites - mind you, that could almost be too perfect!!

I'm with baza585 - I can't see who'll be wanting to release decent deckers. Even Taunton has had to deal with getting hammered W reg Tridents. Fine in the flatlands but not in Bristol, and again, there are a number of areas that are looking for newer deckers to replace their ageing Olympians. Given the fact that singles appear on the 1 and 2 semi regularly, I can't see deckers appearing on these new routes, if any route might then it could be the X74!!

I think the overall increase in PVR is correct, but I think 70/71 will be 12 and 72 will be 5. Not sure though. This, I think will be an overall increase of 9 buses (from 22 to 31 as above). So if we get the intended Streetlites (47551-47572) for Hengrove, the Marshalls should still go!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I think the overall increase in PVR is correct, but I think 70/71 will be 12 and 72 will be 5. Not sure though. This, I think will be an overall increase of 9 buses (from 22 to 31 as above). So if we get the intended Streetlites (47551-47572) for Hengrove, the Marshalls should still go!

I thought the Streetlites were 47551-8 (MH) and 47559-71 (HE)?

I don't know if the 5 and 36 will lose their current kit; they tend to be home for the oldest fleet. This time last year, they still had step Darts!!