Riding Refined - Transdev Harrogate 36

[SCH117X]

Transdev Harrogate are relauching the 36 which 12 years ago first brought about leather seats with a number of new features.

To accompany the launch this video is on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-7QqCIDJJs

while this evening a launch event was covered in this blog
http://transportdesigned.com/live-blog-transdev-in-harrogates-the36-launch/

 

[ag51ruk]

Interesting... I think Alex Hornby is being sorely missed at his ex-employer in the East Midlands

 

[theblackwatch]

I had an afternoon travelling on the 'old' 36 buses (ie the ones which are about to be replaced), and I have to say that despite being 12 years old, I was highly impressed with them. They were clearly way ahead of their time... Leather seats, 2+1 seating upstairs and plenty of legroom (must be twice as much as modern trains).

 

[Robertj21a]

Interesting... I think Alex Hornby is being sorely missed at his ex-employer in the East Midlands

I'd rather doubt that !!

 

[ag51ruk]

I'd rather doubt that !!

I'm a big fan of TB but they don't seem to have been as innovative over the last couple of years, and have been attracting more negative attention.

Just my opinion though

 

[Bletchleyite]

That bus looks superb. That is a real premium service, precisely what is needed to attract drivers of good quality modern cars onto public transport - particularly the wide single seats. Not just painting it blue and adding LED lighting and plastic seats.

Who said it couldn't be done again?

 

[Deerfold]

Transdev are being very innovative recently. I've lived in 3 of their routes for the last 9 years and only seen a couple of major changes. In the last few months they've made my last bus home from Leeds to Keighley an hour later, increased the frequency of service on one of my routes by 50% during the day, with an extra evening bus and a last bus 20 minutes later each way, made my last bus home from Bradford to Keighley an hour later on Fridays and Saturdays (2 extra buses), put nightbuses on on a Saturday night from Manchester to Burnley, introduced a network-wide travel ticket (with group options), and doubled the length of one of my routes during the day, with extra early and mid-evening journeys.

Whilst I've plenty more suggestions, these are all things to get me travelling more with them.

 

[Robertj21a]

I'm a big fan of TB but they don't seem to have been as innovative over the last couple of years, and have been attracting more negative attention.

Just my opinion though

I think it was time for Trent to calm down a bit and get their act in much better order. Alex might have been very good with hype, innovation and all the media issues but he/the management in general also needed to pay attention to what was happening out on the road. It's certainly quietened down a bit more recently but there's still a backlog of vehicles to be (re)painted for the umpteeth time and the Red Arrow was getting in a terrible state until the new coaches arrived.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Alex makes a superb marketing manager/director - but to go with that a solid operations side is required. That might be where Trent fell down.

 

[Bungle965]

Wow they really are some quality buses.
I like that wrightbus confess that they have never built anything like this before!.
Sam

 

[E-Rail]

Some of the current batch of 36 Gemini rebuilds are moving to York shortly and after a refresh and repaint will launch CityZap, an unregistered express service between Leeds and York every 30 mins.

Being unregistered will also mean CityZap will be exempt from ENCTS passes.

https://twitter.com/cityzapbus

 

[Stan Drews]

Some of the current batch of 36 Gemini rebuilds are moving to York shortly and after a refresh and repaint will launch CityZap, an unregistered express service between Leeds and York every 30 mins.

Being unregistered will also mean CityZap will be exempt from ENCTS passes.

https://twitter.com/cityzapbus

It won't be unregistered!

 

[E-Rail]

It won't be unregistered!

If it is being operated as express, it will be. If, as also rumoured, drivers will have discretion to select the best route for the traffic conditions, then it is definitely not being registered as a local bus service.

 

[GaryMcEwan]

If it is being operated as express, it will be. If, as also rumoured, drivers will have discretion to select the best route for the traffic conditions, then it is definitely not being registered as a local bus service.

Might not be registered as a local bus service, but it will definitely be registered as an express service.

 

[E-Rail]

Might not be registered as a local bus service, but it will definitely be registered as an express service.

Express services aren't registered. If I had an O licence at the moment, I could start running Leeds To York tomorrow morning if I wanted, or tonight, or right now in fact.

Express services, however, must carry passengers at least 15 miles from boarding to alighting, it does not need to be the same 15 miles for every passenger and passengers do not need to board or alight at the same points.

Express services are not eligible for BSOG nor are they within the scope of ENCTS. Local Authorities have no powers over express services either. There exists no formal mechanism to register a wholly express service.

They also attract higher insurance premiums compared to stage carriage cover but for the avoidance of any doubt, they can still be operated under Domestic Drivers Hours Regulations as they qualify as a 'regular service' providing the route is under 50km. The Drivers Hours Regulations and Local Bus Service Registration rules are independent of each other.

 

[winston270twm]

Express services aren't registered. If I had an O licence at the moment, I could start running Leeds To York tomorrow morning if I wanted, or tonight, or right now in fact.

Express services, however, must carry passengers at least 15 miles from boarding to alighting, it does not need to be the same 15 miles for every passenger and passengers do not need to board or alight at the same points.

Express services are not eligible for BSOG nor are they within the scope of ENCTS. Local Authorities have no powers over express services either. There exists no formal mechanism to register a wholly express service.

They also attract higher insurance premiums compared to stage carriage cover but for the avoidance of any doubt, they can still be operated under Domestic Drivers Hours Regulations as they qualify as a 'regular service' providing the route is under 50km. The Drivers Hours Regulations and Local Bus Service Registration rules are independent of each other.

Even National Express routes have to be registered with VOSA & have to give the usual 56 days notice of change.

 

[E-Rail]

Even National Express routes have to be registered with VOSA & have to give the usual 56 days notice of change.

That's because most NX routes have registered sections. For eg, the 007 is a local bus service between Dover and Canterbury.

No notice is required for purely express services. Trust me.

 

[GaryMcEwan]

That's because most NX routes have registered sections. For eg, the 007 is a local bus service between Dover and Canterbury.

No notice is required for purely express services. Trust me.

I beg to differ on that one.

This is taken from the GOV website...

1. Overview
A local bus service uses public service vehicles (PSVs) to carry passengers who pay separate fares over short distances.

The route can be any length, as long as passengers can get off within 15 miles (measured in a straight line) of where they got on.

Example
An express service runs from Bristol to Chepstow. You may think it doesn’t need to be registered as your passenger will travel more than 15 miles between where they get on and off. However, it does need to be registered because it’s less than 15 miles in a straight line.

 

[E-Rail]

I beg to differ on that one.

This is taken from the GOV website...

15 miles 'as the crow flies' do not have to registered, which incidentally is the term used in Transport Manager CPC syllabus and exams. U bends have never counted as 15 miles. In this case Leeds to York is well over 15 miles.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

I had an afternoon travelling on the 'old' 36 buses (ie the ones which are about to be replaced), and I have to say that despite being 12 years old, I was highly impressed with them. They were clearly way ahead of their time... Leather seats, 2+1 seating upstairs and plenty of legroom (must be twice as much as modern trains).

Those rebuilds are already falling to bits, the problems started one year into service and most pannels and grab poles were rattling. At least with these new vehicles there shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Even National Express routes have to be registered with VOSA & have to give the usual 56 days notice of change.

Only if they are also local bus services legally. Often stops are inserted to make routes local bus services - there is a benefit - BSOG!

 

[johnw]

Alex makes a superb marketing manager/director - but to go with that a solid operations side is required. That might be where Trent fell down.

I follow Alex on Twitter and he comes across as a likeable and able guy. However it does seem that most of his marketing initiatives lies on the back of the great work of Best Impressions.

Interesting that since he left Trent vehicle policy has shifted from ghastly over long light weight single deckers and back to heavy weight ones.

 

[ChrisPJ]

In all fairness to Mr Hornby he was hardly the key person determining vehicle policy at Tb.

 

[theblackwatch]

The 'Riding Redefined' buses entered service yesterday and there seemed to be a lot of people of for them. I managed a short trip on 3615 from Harrogate to Starbeck - first time I've done a double decker on that route for many years, this is due to a sensible policy of running some of them in service from/to Starbeck on their runs from and to the depot, giving through trips between Starbeck/Knaresborough Road and Ripon/Leeds in the morning and evening. It also means that I can get home on a bus from Leeds at 03.15 on a Saturday or Sunday morning!

I was impressed with the bus - comfy, USB points at each seat, automated announcement to say the bus was at its terminating point. The future of bus travel and a benchmark for others to aspire to perhaps. One for a forum outing maybe? Finally, it smelled of new leather although I guess that won't last long!

 

[96tommy]

Hopefully Transdev will do something about the Coastliner route next (although it will probably have to wait until Taddy bridge is sorted.) A late bus between Leeds, Tadcaster and York at like 03:15 would be well used, especially on Friday and Saturday nights.

I can't see the CityZap introduction being a huge success but time will tell. Missing out on Tadcaster altogether will lose a lot of passengers as many passengers board/alight there. An "X" service should have been introduced omitting the likes of Copmanthorpe and Seacroft.

 

[E-Rail]

Hopefully Transdev will do something about the Coastliner route next (although it will probably have to wait until Taddy bridge is sorted.) A late bus between Leeds, Tadcaster and York at like 03:15 would be well used, especially on Friday and Saturday nights.

I can't see the CityZap introduction being a huge success but time will tell. Missing out on Tadcaster altogether will lose a lot of passengers as many passengers board/alight there. An "X" service should have been introduced omitting the likes of Copmanthorpe and Seacroft.

Alex Hornby has mentioned in the trade press this week that Coastliner will benefit from " a major investment in new vehicles" during 2016. There are another 11 double deckers on order for 2016 therefore these are presumably for Malton.

 

[nerd]

Why does the 36 service not use the Leeds Superbusway along the A61? Might it not save several minutes on the peak period timetable?

 

[SCH117X]

Why does the 36 service not use the Leeds Superbusway along the A61? Might it not save several minutes on the peak period timetable?

Would need to be guide wheel fitted and there would be no way of passing a stationary First bus picking up / setting down.

 

[nerd]

Would need to be guide wheel fitted and there would be no way of passing a stationary First bus picking up / setting down.

Do they regularly pass the First busway vehicles at peak now?

 

[Bayum]

Do they regularly pass the First busway vehicles at peak now?

Yes.

They do.

I must admit, I'm quite looking forward to having a ride on these new buses!

With regards to the 'Cityzap' service starting, is anyone yet any more familiar over the use of ENCTS passes?