Stagecoach West - Fleet News & Discussion

[padbus]

I think I see where you are coming from but my understanding is that the new S2 won't serve Carterton. I don't know if the new S2 will include Eynsham to continue the link to Burford though.

Dave

It seems a shame to miss out Carterton. It is a big town these days with a major airbase and would surely be a source of passengers on a route which, west of Burford, goes through very few other settlements.

 

[RELL6L]

It seems a shame to miss out Carterton. It is a big town these days with a major airbase and would surely be a source of passengers on a route which, west of Burford, goes through very few other settlements.

Carterton has a bus every 15 minutes to Witney and they all extend to Oxford. That is the main flow.
Half of the 233s from Witney to Burford go via Carterton, half don't. It takes 13 minutes more via Carterton. This provides an hourly service from Carterton to Burford.
To divert the Cheltenham bus via Carterton would delay it quite a bit and affect most passengers on the through route who will not want the diversion. I can't believe there is much demand from Carterton to places west of Burford.

 

[ValleyLines142]

I did have a nose at the 853 on BusTimes.org and noticed that it now appears to be double decker based, using E400MMCs. Must say I do fancy doing it now!

 

[smckane]

Not seen the latest position but are certain of the Swindon e400mmc from the 55 and S6 heading for Commonwealth Games work?

Commonwealth Games shuttle buses are being sourced from quite a wide area across multiple companies. I spotted Stagecoach buses from Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire (could well have been the e400mmcs, I wasn't paying full attention at the time, sorry), others from Newport (South Wales), Reading Buses, various First Group buses, Go Ahead from London, ...; I was on a Gloucester MMC to the opening ceremony and an older Oxfordshire "gold" double decker on the way back.

With schools out, is there flexibility nationally in the volume and size of buses needed to operate services? I may not like taking single decker to work, but I'll survive for a couple of weeks with my regular bus in Brum. This doesn't excuse the constant cancellations or the lies the app tells (the difference between what's running and what the app say is running is more than annoying; I'm very very glad of bustimes.org !).

 

[CharlesR]

With schools out, is there flexibility nationally in the volume and size of buses needed to operate services? I may not like taking single decker to work, but I'll survive for a couple of weeks with my regular bus in Brum. This doesn't excuse the constant cancellations or the lies the app tells (the difference between what's running and what the app say is running is more than annoying; I'm very very glad of bustimes.org !).

You answer your own question. I am not bothered about whether a single decker or a double decker turns up if there is a seat on there. But there simply isn't. If you put a single decker on service 10, which is persistently operating at around 60% of its PVR (being generous), with a reduced frequency as it is compared to its earlier life, it's going to get really busy.

Same applies for city routes, if you cancel 2/3 buses in an hour then the 3rd is going to want to be a decker. But the wizards of logic that are Gloucester allocators tend to put them on routes that don't need them out of school term, for example the 25 or 36.


Changes are pending now for service 94 which will be interesting to see..

 

[GoneSouth]

Changes are pending now for service 94 which will be interesting to see..

I’ve tried to use the 94 recently and had a 45 minute wait for a service that used to have 8 buses per hour. I’ve given up, possibly permanently, and I can’t be alone…

Unless that is the changes you mention are going to immediately improve things? What are the changes?

 

[CharlesR]

I’ve tried to use the 94 recently and had a 45 minute wait for a service that used to have 8 buses per hour. I’ve given up, possibly permanently, and I can’t be alone…

Unless that is the changes you mention are going to immediately improve things? What are the changes?

I tend to get the 10 these days... although nearly as bad, you generally don't have someone sitting on your lap and the gaps never seem quite as long as that on the 94.

 

[LordCreed]

I tend to get the 10 these days... although nearly as bad, you generally don't have someone sitting on your lap and the gaps never seem quite as long as that on the 94.

I also avoid the 94 where possible. Unless there happens to be one looking moderately empty at the right time.

The 97 is by far the most reliable, but slower option.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

IMO the quickest route from Gloucester to Cheltenham is the 94X, however it only runs Monday to Fridays.

Additionally, as for Oxford & Oxfordshire changes, surprised that the changes are not yet on Stagecoach's website however I wouldn't be surprised if the 10 Blackbird Leys journeys get completely withdrawn due to Oxford Bus Company route 100 replacing them (starting from 4th of September), not to mention it will run all day too.

Surprised to hear 14A being withdrawn too - wouldn't that leave Marston without any bus?

As for the 853/S2, the new S2 appears to basically be a renumbered 853.

 

[CharlesR]

IMO the quickest route from Gloucester to Cheltenham is the 94X, however it only runs Monday to Fridays.

You're right, but it's often cancelled leaving just 1 an hour, and by the time it does turn up and needs to stop every place along the way, it's probably quicker to seek alternative routes

 

[Parebunks]

IMO the quickest route from Gloucester to Cheltenham is the 94X, however it only runs Monday to Fridays.

Additionally, as for Oxford & Oxfordshire changes, surprised that the changes are not yet on Stagecoach's website however I wouldn't be surprised if the 10 Blackbird Leys journeys get completely withdrawn due to Oxford Bus Company route 100 replacing them (starting from 4th of September), not to mention it will run all day too.

Surprised to hear 14A being withdrawn too - wouldn't that leave Marston without any bus?

As for the 853/S2, the new S2 appears to basically be a renumbered 853.

No 14A would leave Marston without a bus - it's a route with very narrow roads, and the only one left in the SmartZone that has to use single deckers - could it be related to the ZEBRA bid? Possibly easier for Stagecoach to order all deckers for that.
I don't think the new S2 is exactly the same as the 853 - it looks like at least some journeys will go to Curbridge.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

No 14A would leave Marston without a bus - it's a route with very narrow roads, and the only one left in the SmartZone that has to use single deckers - could it be related to the ZEBRA bid? Possibly easier for Stagecoach to order all deckers for that.
I don't think the new S2 is exactly the same as the 853 - it looks like at least some journeys will go to Curbridge.

14A can get double deckers actually (I've been on 10675 doing the 14A), the reason why it's rare for a DD to do the 14A is because, being a quietly used route, there is no need for them

 

[Parebunks]

14A can get double deckers actually (I've been on 10675 doing the 14A), the reason why it's rare for a DD to do the 14A is because, being a quietly used routes, there is no need for them

Huh, I would have thought the bit through Marston would be too tight for them.

 

[goldisgood]

New timetables (and route changes) for Witney from 28/8/22 seem to be up on Traveline SW now.

S1
Revised route, now running via the new development in West Witney (Centenary Way), A40 and Shilton Park
Most buses extended to Carterton, giving buses every 15 minutes.
Slightly earlier reduction to 2bph in the evening, and nightbuses reduced to 2bph

S2
Revised route, now running via Curbridge then to Burford and Cheltenham replacing route 853 - no longer serving Carterton.
Buses run hourly Oxford to Curbridge, continuing to Burford and Cheltenham every 2 hours

233
Revised route, with buses via Carterton now running via Brize Norton village instead of Shilton Park

The 14/14A, B9, H2, H4 and S2X don't seem to have any new timetables from this date, with their current timetables expiring. I'd assume the S2X is withdrawn with these changes, and maybe the H2, but I'm unsure about the others?

 

[Parebunks]

New timetables (and route changes) for Witney from 28/8/22 seem to be up on Traveline SW now.

S1
Revised route, now running via the new development in West Witney (Centenary Way), A40 and Shilton Park
Most buses extended to Carterton, giving buses every 15 minutes.
Slightly earlier reduction to 2bph in the evening, and nightbuses reduced to 2bph

S2
Revised route, now running via Curbridge then to Burford and Cheltenham replacing route 853 - no longer serving Carterton.
Buses run hourly Oxford to Curbridge, continuing to Burford and Cheltenham every 2 hours

233
Revised route, with buses via Carterton now running via Brize Norton village instead of Shilton Park

The 14/14A, B9, H2, H4 and S2X don't seem to have any new timetables from this date, with their current timetables expiring. I'd assume the S2X is withdrawn with these changes, and maybe the H2, but I'm unsure about the others?

That's a really nice clock-face timetable for the S1, particularly from Oxford. Can't see anyone west of Witney being too happy about these changes - Carterton loses all of its fast buses, and Curbridge gets a drastic drop in frequency.

The H4 will might return in revised form when Connecting Oxford starts next year, with better links from outlying areas to the hospitals being a priority there, but neither route is particularly well-used right now.

In Banbury, the Banbury Gateway section of the B9 seems to be being supplemented by a diversion of the 500.

 

[goldisgood]

Further to my postearlier, official changes have now been released for Banbury and Witney.

Banbury

We’re changing some of our services in Banbury from Sunday 28th August 2022 to ensure the Banbury town network is sustainable. Changes include route revisions and changes to the timetables.


A summary of changes can be found below. A map of the Banbury network from 28th August can be viewed here.





B3 – We will be splitting the northern and southern sections of B3 route and running them as two separate services; B3 and B4.


The B3 will run from Bodicote, Longford Park and Cherwell Heights to Banbury Town Centre, running every 30 minutes Monday to Saturdays.


B4 - The B4 will run from Hardwick Hill and Tesco off peak to Banbury Town Centre, running every 30 minutes Mondays to Saturdays. Departures for the new B4 have moved to Bridge Street Bay 5.


Services B3 and B4 will now connect to B5, offering direct connections and tickets, without needing to switch buses.


View B3 timetable from 28th August


View B4 timetable from 28th August





B5 – We’re running extra early morning and evening journeys on the B5 with the service continuing to run every 15 minutes Monday to Saturdays and every 20 minutes on Sundays.


Through fares will be available for connections onto the B3 and B4.


View B5 timetable from 28th August





B9 – An extra morning journey will be added Monday to Fridays from Banbury Town Centre at 0550.


We’re pleased to announce that due to Oxfordshire County Council funding, we’ll also be doubling the frequency on Sundays to every 30 minutes.


View B9 timetable from 28th August





H4 – We will be withdrawing the two daily journeys which operate as the H4. This is due to poor passenger numbers and rising operating costs.





500 – Due to low passenger usage, we will be reducing the frequency to hourly on Mondays to Saturdays and the Sunday service will no longer run. However, you will now be able to travel directly to Banbury Gateway and we will also be running all journeys via Chacombe.


View 500 timetable from 28th August





200 - West Northamptonshire Council have confirmed that they are able to continue funding this service until 14th January 2023. We will be working with the team to support their network review and consider the future of the service beyond January.


There has been no change to the present timetable.

Witney

We’re tweaking some of our services in Witney from Sunday 28th August 2022. Changes include route revisions and changes to the timetables.


A summary of changes can be found below. A map of the Witney services from 28th August can be viewed here.





S1 - The S1 will continue to run every 15 minutes between Witney and Oxford but will now operate through the Windrush Place development via Centenary Way meaning new connections for residents.


We’ll also serve more of Carterton, running via Upavon Way and Alvescot Road (previously served by the S2). Buses will run the full route from Oxford to Carterton every 15 minutes Monday to Saturdays and every 20 minutes on Sundays.


We’ll no longer serve Curbridge or Brize Norton on S1 but alternative connections are available on S2 and 233.


View S1 timetable from 28 August





S2 - The S2 will now run from Oxford to Witney and Curbridge every hour and extend to Cheltenham every 2 hours.


We’ll no longer serve Carterton on the S2 but alternative connections are available on the S1 and 233.


This revised S2 replaces services 853 and S2X which will be withdrawn.


View S2 timetable from 28th August





233 – There will be no changes to the current timetable but the service will now go via Brize Norton, replacing the S1.


View the 233 timetable from 28th August





H2 - No route changes but journeys will only extend from Witney to Carterton at peak times. School day journeys to Burford School will continue to run.


View the H2 timetable from 28th August

Looks like a lot more padding in the timetable for the S1, with around 8 minutes extra from Carterton to Witney and another 5 minutes from Witney to Oxford which is not necessarily required? I tend to find buses regularly waiting at Botley for 5 minutes on the current timetable, but there also are some issues with bunching at times.

 

[smckane]

Death of the 94U between Cheltenham (Pittville) and Gloucester confirmed - going from a regular service to a post-covid morning/afternoon link, unsurprisingly very few used it. The website promises more 94X's in exchange...

ServiceUpdatesArticle

www.stagecoachbus.com

We're making a few changes to our services in Cheltenham from 4th September 2022. View a summary of the changes and your new timetable below.



94 / 94X/ 94U – Cheltenham – Gloucester

We’ll be removing the majority of 94U journeys and instead introducing extra fast 94X journeys between Gloucester Transport Hub and Cheltenham Promenade.

Service N will link the University of Gloucestershire’s campuses in Cheltenham. Passengers travelling between Cheltenham and Gloucester will need to change onto the Service 94 or the Service 10 which diverts via Park Campus.

 

[CharlesR]

Death of the 94U between Cheltenham (Pittville) and Gloucester confirmed - going from a regular service to a post-covid morning/afternoon link, unsurprisingly very few used it. The website promises more 94X's in exchange...

ServiceUpdatesArticle

www.stagecoachbus.com

It's regular service went one year ago

 

[stait.john]

So the big question is will Bristol Depot take on the tenders currently operated by Bristol Community Transport? They close after service on Friday.

Metrobus will go to First.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

233
Revised route, with buses via Carterton now running via Brize Norton village instead of Shilton Park

This makes sense given that the S2 changes would otherwise have left Brize without a bus service.

Interestingly this means there's now no buses on the Curbridge–Brize Norton road, which potentially opens it up to being repurposed for bikes and local access only (with through motor traffic sent via the A40).

 

[FRATF]

So the big question is will Bristol Depot take on the tenders currently operated by Bristol Community Transport? They close after service on Friday.

Metrobus will go to First.

Their Twitter seems to contradict this https://twitter.com/Bris_CT/status/1562085757220802561

This doesn’t affect any normal scheduled bus routes so the m1, 53, 54, 55, 62, 505, 506, 511, 515 and 516 all continue as normal

 

[Callum15632]

Does anybody know if there was a swap of buses between Cheltenham, Stroud, Gloucester and Swindon last night as a few different buses are tracking in Bristol?

 

[LordCreed]

Does anybody know if there was a swap of buses between Cheltenham, Stroud, Gloucester and Swindon last night as a few different buses are tracking in Bristol?

I suspect that the data is incorrect. I caught what was supposed to be 18415 this morning, however was actually 18447.

 

[Callum15632]

I suspect that the data is incorrect. I caught what was supposed to be 18415 this morning, however was actually 18447.

It says 19575 is at Bristol and 15527,15529,15530 are at Bristol from Stroud. I don't know if this is real. Also 37246 apparently is at Bristol but that's Cheltenhams special livery bus.

 

[LordCreed]

It says 19575 is at Bristol and 15527,15529,15530 are at Bristol from Stroud. I don't know if this is real. Also 37246 apparently is at Bristol but that's Cheltenhams special livery bus.

There's a load of buses from different depots tracking for Stagecoach Swindon today.

From the Bustimes map:

18085 / 18090 / 18349 / 35193 - Haven't tracked in six months but have reappeared
15765 / 15766 / 18156 / 18420 / 18421 / 18422 /36095 / 36139 / 36383 / 36384 from Bristol
15854 from Preston
10904 / 28685 / 28686 / 36385 from Cheltenham
15522 from Northampton
15365 from Gloucester
15850 / 15853 from Liverpool
18415 from Stroud - However this is definitely 18447

To me this feels like the data is wrong. Especially as the likes of 34666 is tracking in Stroud, a bus I believe was disposed of in August last year.

 

[gka472l]

There's a load of buses from different depots tracking for Stagecoach Swindon today.

From the Bustimes map:

18085 / 18090 / 18349 / 35193 - Haven't tracked in six months but have reappeared
15765 / 15766 / 18156 / 18420 / 18421 / 18422 /36095 / 36139 / 36383 / 36384 from Bristol
15854 from Preston
10904 / 28685 / 28686 / 36385 from Cheltenham
15522 from Northampton
15365 from Gloucester
15850 / 15853 from Liverpool
18415 from Stroud - However this is definitely 18447

To me this feels like the data is wrong. Especially as the likes of 34666 is tracking in Stroud, a bus I believe was disposed of in August last year.

15850/3 also tracking here in Merseyside so I'll say they haven't gone anywhere near the Stagecoach West area.....

 

[RELL6L]

There's a load of buses from different depots tracking for Stagecoach Swindon today.

From the Bustimes map:

18085 / 18090 / 18349 / 35193 - Haven't tracked in six months but have reappeared
15765 / 15766 / 18156 / 18420 / 18421 / 18422 /36095 / 36139 / 36383 / 36384 from Bristol
15854 from Preston
10904 / 28685 / 28686 / 36385 from Cheltenham
15522 from Northampton
15365 from Gloucester
15850 / 15853 from Liverpool
18415 from Stroud - However this is definitely 18447

To me this feels like the data is wrong. Especially as the likes of 34666 is tracking in Stroud, a bus I believe was disposed of in August last year.

I am on 18422 on the Bristol 12 right now, it’s tracking as 18315!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I am on 18422 on the Bristol 12 right now, it’s tracking as 18315!

Let me guess... Has a trip to Wells been enjoyed?

 

[Callum15632]

I am on 18422 on the Bristol 12 right now, it’s tracking as 18315!

37239 is tracking as 37240.

 

[RELL6L]

Let me guess... Has a trip to Wells been enjoyed?

Indeed, as you have now seen and commented on the First WoE thread. Report to follow!