South Yorkshire PTE's crass incompetence knows no bounds. At the Sheffield interchange, posters are displayed showing which departure stand to find in order to catch your bus.
56 Eastbound to Wybourn )
56 South-east to Herdings ) nowhere
41 South-east to Crystal Peaks ) near
18 South to Meersbrook and Graves Park ) Hillsborough
19 South to Meersbrook and Chancet Wood )
218 South-west to Totley and Bakewell )
Beyond belief - AND - why do the operators tolerate this nonsense?
The very slightly positive news is that 35, 57 and 135 DO go via Hillsbrough.
Even if this poster were correct it is pretty-near useless as it only shows buses that depart from the interchange. It ignores the more frequent buses and trams from elsewhere in the city centre.
Millions Take Advantage of Vantage
Despite the woes of First Bus in Manchester, there would appear to be some encouragements. Although nothing has been said about pr*f*t (not a permitted work, politically!), a Transport for Greater Manchester press release is profuse in its enthusiasm for First Bus services using the Leigh Busway.
Here is an expurgated version of the news item.
Multi-million milestone for busy busway.
Latest figures have revealed that over three million passenger journeys have been made on services using the Leigh to Ellenbrook Guided Busway over the past year.
The figure includes a growing number of commuters who have made the switch from car to busway. This equates to around 580,000 fewer** car journeys across the regional highway network each year.
The service launched in April 2016 and has clocked up 7.8 million journeys in its first three years.
There are currently 32 buses scheduled to arrive in Manchester city centre between the peak hours of 7am and 9am ...
... providing more people with even greater access to retail, leisure and employment opportunities.
Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, said: “It is clear that, by providing a combination of segregated infrastructure, high quality vehicles and reliable services, buses can deliver a positive solution to changing the way people travel, tackling congestion and improve air quality. I’m committed to investing in the bus market so we can continue to improve the customer experience and encourage people to leave the car at home.”
** Figure is based on a survey of busway passengers, undertaken in July 2016, which showed that 20% of those asked had switched mode since the start of the busway services.
32 buses, eh?
Actually 16 according to TfGM's timetable library (timetable dated October 2017!) ...
... and 24 according to First's current published timetable.
Maybe there are lots of "dupes" - or are we being duped by the press release?
A Saint From Prue Leith
Yesterday the celebrated Gastronome Personality and Bake-Off judge performed the ceremoney at the Didcot Railway Centre.
The Great Western Railway Saint Class incorporated several series of 2-cylinder passenger steam locomotives designed by George Jackson Churchward and built between 1902 and 1913 with differences in the dimensions. The majority of these were built as 4-6-0 locomotives; but thirteen examples were built as 4-4-2 (but converted to 4-6-0 during 1912/13). They proved to be a successful class which established the design principles for GWR 2-cylinder classes over the next fifty years.
The last Saints were withdrawn in 1953 and none was preserved.
So the lads and lasses at Didcot have built one. The project was not quite the same as Tornado but impressive none the less. They used, as a basis, a Hall class locomotive which they had in stock - awaiting restoration.
The Halls and Saints had many similarities. fbb is not knowledgeable enough to explain (or understand) exactly what was done.
The new "Saint", named Lady of Legend, first appeared in black ...
... but has now gained traditional GWR green and seen here with a blue liveried "King".
Should you wish to indulge in a little sanctified GWR worship, the loco is on display at Didcot today and tomorrow.
The Lady Saint certainly looks the part!
Shock News From The Retail Trade!
Tesco Stores to Advertise Sainsburys Food!
Well, not really! But you would think that the Tesco bosses were off their tiny nuts to do so. Yet bus companies often do something similar; they provide advertising space for their biggest competitor.
This is T M Travel at Sheffield Interchange.
The bus FJ03 VWB first saw the light of day with Trentbarton for the i4 ...
... before being downgraded to a Villager vehicle.
But what an ignominious end, advertising cars - and cheap ones to boot.
Courageous Competition with Confusion
Today Stagecoach replaces its occasional 737 between Sheffield and Doncaster Airport ...
... seen here unhelpfully disguised as an X22, with a bus every hour numbered X6. Similar pain liveries vehicles also appear as here photographed on Thursday last by Roy.
Local Sheffield bus watchers report that buses are being "refurbished" for the X6 but no livery has yet been revealed. And, again courtesy of Roy ...
... the very last 737 leaves Sheffield Interchange at 2150 yesterday evening
Several buses have been carrying rear end adverts and leraflets have been available.
Local reports suggest that the 737 was rarely well loaded, so this developments may well be thought of as "Courageous".
There is some "public money" funding involved, but the service is enhanced by an hourly short working to Bramley on the road to Maltby.
Here it is in direct Competition with Powells X7, also half hourly and also running fast into Sheffield. It would certainly be more attractive than First's X1/X10 which runs frequently to Sheffield but via Rotherham.
Unlike Powells, however, the X6 diverts via the non-lucrative but developing Waverley ...
... where it joins a farrago of baffling bus routes. Confusion indeed!
But don't let the Confusion confuse you. All the First bus services (plus the tendered A1 operated by Powells), having changed significantly on 3rd March ...
... are all changing AGAIN at the end of this month!
As a Sheffield correspondent opined, "and they wonder why passenger numbers are declining"!
And so say all of us.
More bits tomorrow plus a checklist of fbb's April 1st news items (read again!).
And the first X6 earlier today!
Millions Take Advantage of Vantage
Despite the woes of First Bus in Manchester, there would appear to be some encouragements. Although nothing has been said about pr*f*t (not a permitted work, politically!), a Transport for Greater Manchester press release is profuse in its enthusiasm for First Bus services using the Leigh Busway.
Multi-million milestone for busy busway.
Latest figures have revealed that over three million passenger journeys have been made on services using the Leigh to Ellenbrook Guided Busway over the past year.
The service launched in April 2016 and has clocked up 7.8 million journeys in its first three years.
There are currently 32 buses scheduled to arrive in Manchester city centre between the peak hours of 7am and 9am ...
... providing more people with even greater access to retail, leisure and employment opportunities.
** Figure is based on a survey of busway passengers, undertaken in July 2016, which showed that 20% of those asked had switched mode since the start of the busway services.
32 buses, eh?
Actually 16 according to TfGM's timetable library (timetable dated October 2017!) ...
A Saint From Prue Leith
The Great Western Railway Saint Class incorporated several series of 2-cylinder passenger steam locomotives designed by George Jackson Churchward and built between 1902 and 1913 with differences in the dimensions. The majority of these were built as 4-6-0 locomotives; but thirteen examples were built as 4-4-2 (but converted to 4-6-0 during 1912/13). They proved to be a successful class which established the design principles for GWR 2-cylinder classes over the next fifty years.
So the lads and lasses at Didcot have built one. The project was not quite the same as Tornado but impressive none the less. They used, as a basis, a Hall class locomotive which they had in stock - awaiting restoration.
The new "Saint", named Lady of Legend, first appeared in black ...
The Lady Saint certainly looks the part!
Shock News From The Retail Trade!
Tesco Stores to Advertise Sainsburys Food!
Well, not really! But you would think that the Tesco bosses were off their tiny nuts to do so. Yet bus companies often do something similar; they provide advertising space for their biggest competitor.
The bus FJ03 VWB first saw the light of day with Trentbarton for the i4 ...
Courageous Competition with Confusion
Today Stagecoach replaces its occasional 737 between Sheffield and Doncaster Airport ...
Several buses have been carrying rear end adverts and leraflets have been available.
Here it is in direct Competition with Powells X7, also half hourly and also running fast into Sheffield. It would certainly be more attractive than First's X1/X10 which runs frequently to Sheffield but via Rotherham.
Unlike Powells, however, the X6 diverts via the non-lucrative but developing Waverley ...
But don't let the Confusion confuse you. All the First bus services (plus the tendered A1 operated by Powells), having changed significantly on 3rd March ...
As a Sheffield correspondent opined, "and they wonder why passenger numbers are declining"!
And so say all of us.
More bits tomorrow plus a checklist of fbb's April 1st news items (read again!).
And the first X6 earlier today!
Next bits and bobs blog : Sunday 7th April
The Trent Barton bus was not "downgraded to a Villager vehicle". In fact it is the i4 that received it as a cascade - the roller blinds in the villager pic and the LED display in the i4 livery give the game away.
ReplyDeleteThat Sheffield Interchange destination listing takes some beating! It's not just Hillbsorough that's wrong; the 18 goes nowhere remotely near High Green, ditto the 29 at High Moor, the 275 at Holmes, and there have been no buses at all to Holmesfield for many years. Bear in mind all these errors are in just a small section of the 'H's.
ReplyDelete