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

[-Colly405-]

Could have something to do with the flow splitting in two there - to Gloucester Road and Filton Ave...

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

There is precedent - the 71 on Saturdays only came out as far asuller Rd Top, and there was a time when it was the 24 (or 25) terminus...

Also, some 75s turned round there when they put on extras during COVID. From observation, passenger numbers certainly do fall off north of Horfield Common.

Ok - probably deserving of a more in-depth response. There are plenty of instances where a service does turn around at a point that is operationally convenient - arguably, that's why buses stop at Cherry Gardens rather than go into Bitton or stop short in Cadbury Heath. We have seen it with the 24 at Muller Road Top in the past but when Southmead was rebuilt and Frenchay closed, it made Southmead Hospital a more important traffic objective.

As @Citistar said, it seems odd not run into one of the single biggest traffic generators in Bristol. Even more odd would be to extend from Muller Road Top to run to Gypsy Patch Lane. Yes, you've the SGS Filton College but that seems adequately served already, and there's not much else.

As for capacity at Southmead, as I say, you had 6 buses per hour on the 24 at one point, and the 76 had 5 buses per hour when they were being sent through. Given how frequencies have fallen on the commercial routes (but are largely the same on the tendered stuff even if routes have changed), you'd think there should be space. However, even having it as a circular and not diverting off the main road would be more logical.

 

[freetoview33]

Ok - probably deserving of a more in-depth response. There are plenty of instances where a service does turn around at a point that is operationally convenient - arguably, that's why buses stop at Cherry Gardens rather than go into Bitton or stop short in Cadbury Heath. We have seen it with the 24 at Muller Road Top in the past but when Southmead was rebuilt and Frenchay closed, it made Southmead Hospital a more important traffic objective.

As @Citistar said, it seems odd not run into one of the single biggest traffic generators in Bristol. Even more odd would be to extend from Muller Road Top to run to Gypsy Patch Lane. Yes, you've the SGS Filton College but that seems adequately served already, and there's not much else.

As for capacity at Southmead, as I say, you had 6 buses per hour on the 24 at one point, and the 76 had 5 buses per hour when they were being sent through. Given how frequencies have fallen on the commercial routes (but are largely the same on the tendered stuff even if routes have changed), you'd think there should be space. However, even having it as a circular and not diverting off the main road would be more logical.

It's the layover times at Southmead as stop use isn't co ordinated. So often buses are waiting for another to move on then you get periods of nothing there.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

It's the layover times at Southmead as stop use isn't co ordinated. So often buses are waiting for another to move on then you get periods of nothing there.

Hasn't that always been the case - remember it in Wessex days where you'd have a 505, a 507 etc. Perhaps it operating as a circular means it won't have to layover itself?

 

[Markk1990]

Are we forgetting that a circular defeats the apparent objectives? Up to Muller Rd Top will hardly give any extra capacity to the centre in addition to the 75/76?

 

[LeylandLynx]

We don't really have that much info to go on yet. There's probably some last minute changes we don't know about, too.

 

[AllanMacF]

Also, some 75s turned round there when they put on extras during COVID. From observation, passenger numbers certainly do fall off north of Horfield Common.

An easy enough job to turn the forthcoming 77 at Horfield Common/Muller Road Top, but if the other end is to be at "Henleaze Lake", where on earth is there a suitable place to turn a bus around? Yes, they used to do a full turn at the end of Wellington Hill West in the long-gone days of the 145, but that was with somewhat shorter buses and a lot less traffic.
And what's all this concern about extra capacity for Henleaze to relieve the 2/2a? What about the 1 in the Westbury and Henbury area? That's the route I use quite a lot and the buses are often pretty full, yet on only a 20-minute headway. I certainly hope from April it'll be back to 15 or even 12, to take the waiting out of wanting.

 

[-Colly405-]

An easy enough job to turn the forthcoming 77 at Horfield Common/Muller Road Top, but if the other end is to be at "Henleaze Lake", where on earth is there a suitable place to turn a bus around? Yes, they used to do a full turn at the end of Wellington Hill West in the long-gone days of the 145, but that was with somewhat shorter buses and a lot less traffic.

I was envisaging the west end of Wellington Hill West to be honest.

They could always run not in service from Henleaze Lake via Wellington Hill West and Wellington Hill to Muller Rd Top, or vice versa.

 

[DaveHarries]

An easy enough job to turn the forthcoming 77 at Horfield Common/Muller Road Top, but if the other end is to be at "Henleaze Lake", where on earth is there a suitable place to turn a bus around?

Easy enough - there are two roundabouts at Henleaze Lake: one where Eastfield Road meets Henleaze Road and Lake Road and the other where Henleaze Road meets Southmead Road and Wellington Hill West.

Dave

 

[Callum15632]

Easy enough - there are two roundabouts at Henleaze Lake: one where Eastfield Road meets Henleaze Road and Lake Road and the other where Henleaze Road meets Southmead Road and Wellington Hill West.

Dave

The roundabout by where wellington hill west is tight to fit a bus around.

 

[Will1am]

The roundabout by where wellington hill west is tight to fit a bus around.

To be fair, just that little bit further towards Filton there is plenty of space to terminate at Golf Course Lane or Springfields, with a roundabout big enough to turn around, which would also help with the 75 and the Y6 which always run full in the Filton area.

 

[-Colly405-]

To be fair, just that little bit further towards Filton there is plenty of space to terminate at Golf Course Lane or Springfields, with a roundabout big enough to turn around, which would also help with the 75 and the Y6 which always run full in the Filton area.

Yes, but have you seen the near-permanent congestion on all approached to the double-mini-roundabouts at the bottom of Pen Park?

If the Henleaze Lake stop is the terminus (i.e. the stop on Southmead Road between the Henleaze Rd/Lake Rd/Eastfield/Southmead Rd roundabout and the Wellington Hill West/Southmead Rd one) then if the latter really isn't feasible the next closest place to turn a bus around would the in the Hospital itself!

 

[freetoview33]

They have turned buses around at Henleaze Lake before, so although it's tight it is possible.

 

[Snow1964]

Saw a 66reg Bath E400 in both Bradford on Avon (with route test in destination display) driver and 2 staff members on board (diverted via Market Street, as water Co have closed and dug up Silver Street)

Then saw same bus parked up in Castle Street, Trowbridge about hour later, with 3 staff in hi-vis jackets standing by it.

Not sure what double deck route test to BoA and Trowbridge is about, anyone know.

The service buses on D1 are the ex-Cymru E200s which recently replaced the Discover branded long Volvos

 

[matt_splat]

Saw a 66reg Bath E400 in both Bradford on Avon (with route test in destination display) driver and 2 staff members on board (diverted via Market Street, as water Co have closed and dug up Silver Street)

Then saw same bus parked up in Castle Street, Trowbridge about hour later, with 3 staff in hi-vis jackets standing by it.

Not sure what double deck route test to BoA and Trowbridge is about, anyone know.

The service buses on D1 are the ex-Cymru E200s which recently replaced the Discover branded long Volvos

Sounds like a return of the D1X

 

[wiltshirebloke]

Sounds like a return of the D1X

Yes, reports of this also, apparently display said something like D1X test or trial. A photographer and Wiltshire Council staff present at Trowbridge Town Hall around said bus, so maybe a press release is due shortly. E400 sounds like it was one of the ex Bristol P&R ones as it was reported to have central doors also.

Can't think of any other route with the restraints on the normal D1 route at Winsley, Yarnbrook and Slag Lane Westbury

 

[kei.8532]

Might be slightly out of topic but anyone knows if there's any proposed changes to 70 or 74?
Found out another bus company is reinstalling the previous 90 from first in April but with a lower frequency and earlier finishing time

Can't think of any reasons why they want two similar routes running in South Bristol

 

[Callum15632]

Might be slightly out of topic but anyone knows if there's any proposed changes to 70 or 74?
Found out another bus company is reinstalling the previous 90 from first in April but with a lower frequency and earlier finishing time

Can't think of any reasons why they want two similar routes running in South Bristol

The 90 is by Transpora and its starting point is Hengrove Park Hospital and goes via Imperial park and up Novers Lane so not really like the old 90. The old 90 technically is still there but just renumbered the 70 and extended to UWE Frenchay to provide cross city links from Knowle to UWE. So there shouldn't be any change to the 70. Sorry if this is slightly off topic regarding the Transpora bit of information. Apologies.

Yes, reports of this also, apparently display said something like D1X test or trial. A photographer and Wiltshire Council staff present at Trowbridge Town Hall around said bus, so maybe a press release is due shortly. E400 sounds like it was one of the ex Bristol P&R ones as it was reported to have central doors also.

Can't think of any other route with the restraints on the normal D1 route at Winsley, Yarnbrook and Slag Lane Westbury

It was 33931 YX66 WDT as it was tracking on bustimes but for like less than 5 minutes in Trowbridge.

 

[Citistar]

Yes, reports of this also, apparently display said something like D1X test or trial.

When i passed it in Bradford on Avon earlier on, it was displaying "(f) Route Test (f)". There was another one out doing the same a few weeks ago.

The 90 is by Transpora and its starting point is Hengrove Park Hospital and goes via Imperial park and up Novers Lane so not really like the old 90. The old 90 technically is still there but just renumbered the 70 and extended to UWE Frenchay to provide cross city links from Knowle to UWE. So there shouldn't be any change to the 70. Sorry if this is slightly off topic regarding the Transpora bit of information. Apologies.

From my reading of the timetable on their website, the Transpora 90 appears to be doing the 70/old 90 route to St Johns Lane, then Redcatch, Broadwalk Square, Daventry Rd, Melvin Square, Leinster Ave, Novers, Imperial Park to Hengrove Park. If this is a correct interpretation, it's doing an excellent job of covering things around there that First/WECA have abandoned recently.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

Saw a 66reg Bath E400 in both Bradford on Avon (with route test in destination display) driver and 2 staff members on board (diverted via Market Street, as water Co have closed and dug up Silver Street)

Then saw same bus parked up in Castle Street, Trowbridge about hour later, with 3 staff in hi-vis jackets standing by it.

Not sure what double deck route test to BoA and Trowbridge is about, anyone know.

The service buses on D1 are the ex-Cymru E200s which recently replaced the Discover branded long Volvos

Isn't there a low bridge somewhere around Westbury? as if First are looking at adding in a new route, they're going to have to reroute it to avoid said low bridge. I'd be very suprised to see deckers being used as far as Warminster on the D1 unless its going be revert to the 265.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Isn't there a low bridge somewhere around Westbury? as if First are looking at adding in a new route, they're going to have to reroute it to avoid said low bridge. I'd be very suprised to see deckers being used as far as Warminster on the D1 unless its going be revert to the 265.

Eh? What will the number have to do with it?

The low bridge is at Limpley Stoke between Bath and Bradford on Avon which is why the D1x took the route it did. The bridges around Westbury/Yarnbrook are fine.

 

[Snow1964]

Eh? What will the number have to do with it?

The low bridge is at Limpley Stoke between Bath and Bradford on Avon which is why the D1x took the route it did. The bridges around Westbury/Yarnbrook are fine.

B3108 at Limpley Stoke bridge is 4.1m (13'9")

B3097 Station Road bridge at Westbury has 7.5t weight restriction
A363 river bridge in Bradford on Avon is max 18t (probably will only affect electric double deck buses, but aren't any in Bath yet)

The A363 bridge at Yarnbrook and A350 bridge at Westbury don't have height restrictions

The only other common problem is the B3108 Winsley Hill (like number of roads in area) is prone to field run off water which can freeze as ice on the road in winter, which is why so many locals near Avon valley now use all season tyres.

 

[Citistar]

If i were a gambling man, i'd guess that the resurrected D1X (or whatever number it's given this time) will turn at North Bradley and sit between D1 journeys, much like the revised D2/D2X timetable is from April. There are currently a lot of grumbles regarding how crowded the morning journeys to Bath and afternoon journeys from Bath are on D1, so some strengthening of this corridor is definitely required.

 

[wiltshirebloke]

If i were a gambling man, i'd guess that the resurrected D1X (or whatever number it's given this time) will turn at North Bradley and sit between D1 journeys, much like the revised D2/D2X timetable is from April. There are currently a lot of grumbles regarding how crowded the morning journeys to Bath and afternoon journeys from Bath are on D1, so some strengthening of this corridor is definitely required.

Yeh, I think it will be a resurrection of the later covid D1X with peaks running to Manor Farm, North Bradley.
The commerical service is only run to Trowbridge anyway daytimes with the rest of the route to Warminster, and evenings of the whole route subsidised by Wiltshire Council.

The bridge in Yarnbrook just by Platinum Motors is unmarked, the ones on the Hawkridge Rd and Slag Lane Westbury being 15ft. I don't suppose the bridge over the station at Westbury will ever get replaced until it's in danger of crumbling onto the tracks like the one at Bradford!

 

[Callum15632]

Yeh, I think it will be a resurrection of the later covid D1X with peaks running to Manor Farm, North Bradley.
The commerical service is only run to Trowbridge anyway daytimes with the rest of the route to Warminster, and evenings of the whole route subsidised by Wiltshire Council.

The bridge in Yarnbrook just by Platinum Motors is unmarked, the ones on the Hawkridge Rd and Slag Lane Westbury being 15ft. I don't suppose the bridge over the station at Westbury will ever get replaced until it's in danger of crumbling onto the tracks like the one at Bradford!

Wonder why they got rid of it in the first place? I think it was a silly decision to get rid of it when they did.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

B3108 at Limpley Stoke bridge is 4.1m (13'9")

Indeed - for many years, it was operated by Bristol VRs as services 264/5

Wonder why they got rid of it in the first place? I think it was a silly decision to get rid of it when they did.

Because passenger figures had fallen post Covid.

 

[Callum15632]

Does anybody know which B9s we are getting from Manchester?

 

[Whiteway215]

Does anybody know which B9s we are getting from Manchester?

According to FirstBus Manchester Enthusiast Group Facebook those planned for West of England are 37383/412/17/18/19/22/25/26 and 37676/7/8/9.

 

[Callum15632]

Does anyone know when the bus changes will be available?

 

[Will1am]

Does anyone know when the bus changes will be available?

Soon as WECA have posted 1 possible new route on X.