----------------------------------------------
but first i.e. Stagecoach's New Web Site
Dateline Tuesday 3rd November
No sign yet of the "exciting" new site; but we have this:-
We're sorry for the inconvenience, but our site is currently temporarily unavailable due to a systems outage.
Doesn't that mean the site is unavailable because it's, ahem, unavailable?
Rest assured that we are aware of this issue and are currently working on a solution.
Rest assured that we are aware of this issue and are currently working on a solution.
While we "rest assured" we have missed our bus.
Please try your request again shortly.
Please try your request again shortly.
Too late then.
Thank you for your patience,
Thank you for your patience,
A bit presumptuous, innit?
Stagecoachbus Team
Stagecoachbus Team
The outage became an inage later on on Tuesday but still no sign of the super new site. But there was yet another outage yesterday (Thursday).
----------------------------------------------
Back to Bradway
1967
The 38 service to Low Edges was withdrawn and replaced by diverting and extending the existing service 53 (previously terminating at Abbey Lane roundabout) from Woodseats to Low Edges.
1970
Service 75, then running to Meadowhead and Cloonmore Drive Norton was diverted and extended via Greenhill Parkway to Bradway through from Sheffield Lane Top.
Service 76 was the new number (invented by fbb and still going strong) for a replacement for most of the 59 but turning back to Low Edges.
199?
This pattern largely escaped thr ravages of privatisation and loony competition with the minor change that 75s became Stagecoach 25 ...
... and First Bus 25A.
The 75 veered off piste to Jordanthorpe and Batemoor where it still resides. To add to the mix, and in competitive fervour, Stagecoach introduced they 87 to Low Edges, ironically running via Archer Road and Hutcliffe Wood Road, the route of the withdrawn 59!
Evening and Sunday buses to Bradway were extended 53s
fbb should record (although he doesn't know the dates) that a casualty of privatisation was buses from Sheffield to Holmesfield, probably because the PTE ouldn't subsidise them as they went into the dark and mysterious world of D*rbysh*r*.
As fas as Bradway was concerned there were persistent rumours that it would be served by an extension of service 53 all day every day thus taking customers away from the city centre stops and giving them a longer journey. There were vociferous complaints about this suggestion and nothing we heard of it until the Partnership published its proposals earlier this year.
fbb should record (although he doesn't know the dates) that a casualty of privatisation was buses from Sheffield to Holmesfield, probably because the PTE ouldn't subsidise them as they went into the dark and mysterious world of D*rbysh*r*.
As fas as Bradway was concerned there were persistent rumours that it would be served by an extension of service 53 all day every day thus taking customers away from the city centre stops and giving them a longer journey. There were vociferous complaints about this suggestion and nothing we heard of it until the Partnership published its proposals earlier this year.
And, guess what.
The 76 was to become the 8; the 53 and 25/25A were to be merged and re-routed as 4 and 4A and the 87 would become a 2A.
When the Partnership proposals finally appeared, the 8 became the 76, The 4 became the 24, the 4A became the 25 and the 2A became ... wait for it ...
The 87?
Don't be silly; it was now the 86. What great and perceptive minds the partners have? Or haven't!
So, after a visit to their psychtherapist, have the residents of Bradway (Bank?) gained or lost with the Partners schedules?
In the heady pre-partnership days of 2010, Stagecoach and First provided six buses and hour to Bradway. This compares with every 20 minutes by Corporation 75 and every 30 minutes by the original 59. fbb does wonder where the extra people have come from. Under the new partnership this has become every 12 on Monday to Friday, every 15 on Saturday but a ludicrous every 15 on Sunday.
As reported in the partnership press release, services ave been "speeded up" as follows:-
Bradway to City Monday to Saturday
Old 25 timetable - 34 minutes
New 24 timetable - 37 minutes
Bradway to City Sunday
Old 53 timetable - 27 minutes
New 24/5 timetable - 37 minutes.
But fbb did promise some gorgeous photos sent in by correspondent Roy Wilson. And here they are:
The last 53 to Bradway on Saturday 31st October
The first service 24 to Bradway on Sunday 1st November at 0624.
A Stagecoach bus using the "Old Mother Redcap" terminus turning circle previously only used by First. Another stunning benefit if the partnership!
In summary, then. Overall a reduced service taking longer to get to City and missing out the main shopper stops at Moorfoot and Moorhead.
Thanks a bunch partnership.
I just thought I would inform you today that it seems the partnership have paid for some airtime on Radio Hallam. There was no mention of any changes and the advert merely was for the new multi-operator tickets.
The general consensus I have noticed over the last few days is that regular "commuters" are aware of the changes, but generally displeased with them. Whereas most people who are only occasional users of buses are un-aware.
Good use of the local media, eh? And an expected result for printed publicity.
In the heady pre-partnership days of 2010, Stagecoach and First provided six buses and hour to Bradway. This compares with every 20 minutes by Corporation 75 and every 30 minutes by the original 59. fbb does wonder where the extra people have come from. Under the new partnership this has become every 12 on Monday to Friday, every 15 on Saturday but a ludicrous every 15 on Sunday.
As reported in the partnership press release, services ave been "speeded up" as follows:-
Old 25 timetable - 34 minutes
New 24 timetable - 37 minutes
Old 53 timetable - 27 minutes
New 24/5 timetable - 37 minutes.
But fbb did promise some gorgeous photos sent in by correspondent Roy Wilson. And here they are:
The last 53 to Bradway on Saturday 31st October
Thanks a bunch partnership.
------------------------------------------------------------
Sheffield Update
5 DAYS GONE
The partnership promised "advertisements on local radio"as part of ite publicity campaign for the big change on November 1st. A Sheffield resident, Alex, writes:-
The general consensus I have noticed over the last few days is that regular "commuters" are aware of the changes, but generally displeased with them. Whereas most people who are only occasional users of buses are un-aware.
Good use of the local media, eh? And an expected result for printed publicity.
------------------------------------------------------------
Next model railway blog Saturday 7th November
Broadway was also served , briefly in 2011 by Stagecoach service 293. Sheffield to Dronfield Hilltop. This service reached Brafway via Abbeydale Road South & Twentuwell Lane much to the discuss of the residents. Bradway residents especially computers used this service to avoid the Woodseats bottleneck. .
ReplyDeleteThe Holmesfield service had various route changes including using the chesterfield road corridor and missing out Broadway all together.
Re. the meaningless "service outage" comment. I was once on a train when the conductor announced, "We are now approaching Carnforth station. We are running approximately 10 minutes late. This is due to delays which occurred before reaching Carnforth".
ReplyDeleteTo complete the 1990s bit, after deregulation a new company, Yorkshire Terrier (founded by a bloke called Terry - Terrier, geddit?) launched the service 25, in competition with SYT's long established 75. The 25 was slightly quicker running via Heeley rather than Woodseats Road/Abbeydale Road and was also cheaper. It launched with a fleet of second hand Leyland Nationals. Later in that decade, First (as SYT had become) reorganised their South Sheffield network and the 75 was diverted to Batemoor (replacing the 501 from Meadowhall) and the 25a was extended beyond the City Centre to Bradway.
ReplyDeleteThe other Bradway service that ran throughout the 1990s and up to about 2010/11 was service 293. The core service was Sheffield-Dronfield via Abbeydale Road, Archer Road, Hutcliffe Wood, Greenhill and Bradway, although there were some extensions to Meadowhall, Rawmarsh, Chesterfield and Chesterfied Royal Hospital. The 293 was generally operated by old coaches, over the years it was run by a variety of firms including Sid's Coaches, Ladyline and Thompsons Travel before finishing with TM Travel. TM Travel axed the route due to plummeting passenger numbers after Stagecoach launched the 87 to Lowedges and improved the 43 to Dronfield. Stagecoach resurrected a variation of the 293 for one season but it didn't last long.
Finally also during this period and still running today is the M17 minibus service, tendered by SYPTE, linking Jordanthorpe, Greenhill, Lowedges, Bradway, Totley, Totley Brook and Dore. This has seen many operators over the years since SYT Little Nippers ran it - Chesterfield Transport, Aston Express Coaches, Stagecoach Chesterfield, TM Travel, Sheffield Community Transport and now Hulleys of Baslow.
Meanwhile back on the 25, of course Yorkshire Terrier became Stagecoach in Sheffield.
The Holmesfield service in the 1990s ran via Hutcliffe Wood, Chancet Wood, Meadowhead and Dronfield (286 I think?), it ran hourly operated by First.
ReplyDeleteFirst initially axed the evening service and Derbyshire County Council offered a tender to provide an evening service to Holmesfield. This initially was provided by the Sheffield Omnibus 153 - routed as a 53 Sheffield Interchange to Lowedges then on via Bradway to Holmesfield. This was after about a year replaced by extending the 89 Chesterfield-Holmesfield-Dronfield through to Sheffield in an evening.
First then axed the daytime service and there were no funds to provide a tendered replacement, leaving Holmesfield with an evening only service which died a death and got withdrawn!
Holmesfield is now catered for with a Chesterfield-Barlow-Holmesfield-Dronfield-Apperknowle-Chesterfield circle with connections in Dronfield for Sheffield.
Looking at the new partnership bus service, Bradway hasn't come off to bad. There are negative comments about the changes to the route of the 25 and those who bought long term First tickets are feeling a bit ripped off. On the more positive front, the evening and sunday service is now consistent with the daytime service.
ReplyDeleteThe real bafflement with the new version of the 25 is the Wollaton/Longford loop. Initially it was proposed to remove it from the 25 and add it to the M17, the consultation saw much protest and it has been kept to daytime services on the 25, but the strange things is the bus arrives in Bradway, does the loop then terminates at the Old Mother Redcap turning circle, taking the next trip Woodhouse/City bound from there.
Thanks various anons for filling the gaps. I stayed fairly clear of Holmesfield in its latter guises because it was difficult to unravel.
ReplyDelete