We Interrupt The St Helens Blog ...

More Momentous Merseyside Matters

MV Royal Daffodil is a former Mersey ferry, built in 1962 to provide passenger ferry service across the River Mersey in England. Until a major refit in 1998 /1999, she was named MV Overchurch, she began service for Birkenhead Corporation Ferries in 1962 and was in regular service on the river until her withdrawal in December 2012.

The last new ferry across the Mersey was built 60 years ago and the vessels, despite renovation, have been looking rather tired. Before the opening of the Mersey Tunnel, the ferries were the No 1 choice for fluvial traverse.

There were trains in tunnel as well.

But yesterday was the naming if a brand new boat. Called, repetitively, Royal Daffodil. It has coast a modest £29 million.

Yesterday was a misty moisty morning ...

... when big cheese Steve Rotheram was on hand with the inevitable collection of sound bites ...

... with the vessel somewhat eclipsed by the meteorological murk. The ferry looks better in sunlight!

There was a display of daffodil yellow stuff ...

... and a formal naming by Claire Sweeney.

Claire Sweeney?

She is an actress and singer of some repute whom fbb has never experienced.

Claire Jayne Sweeney (born 17 April 1971) is an English actress, singer, and television personality. Known for her portrayal of Lindsey Corkhill on Channel 4's Brookside (1991–1992, 1995–2003), she also played Roxie Hart in Chicago (West End, 2001–2002) and starred in touring productions of Guys and Dolls (2006), Tell Me on a Sunday (2011), Legally Blonde (2011), and Educating Rita (2012). She was a panellist on ITV's Loose Women between 2003 and 2005, and presented 60 Minute Makeover from 2004 to 2006.

So now fbb knows.

Route 10 and 10A, A P. S.

In yesterday's blog, fbb forgot to include pictures of these franchised routes fully yellowed. Herewith 10 ...

... and 10A.

And a 10A before F-day en route to Liverpool ONE.

Note that ONE is in all caps!

That is because it is not just a bus station ...

... it is what's known in "urban development speak" as a "Destination" packed full with shops, offices, flats and hospitality.

It also has a green bit in the middle.

It is no longer served by the 10 and 10A

We return to the St Helens franchise tomorrow.

 Next New Network blog : Thurs 24 Sept 

Missed The Bus Part 2

 Remember Z Cars?

The series happened in Newtown which was, appropriately, the new town of Kirkby. Occasional reference was made on-screen to nearby Seaport (Liverpool) with many reports coming in about escapees from justice along the East Lancs Road. That is the A580 which just by passes St Helens.

Can you name the first four PCs who drove the Z Cars?

Today's blog offers an overview if the busiest route from St Helens, franchised to Stagecoach from 6th September.

Nothing much has changed in route description so fbb can provide a map from a leaflet dating from ten years ago in 2016.

We begin in Liverpool city centre ...

... with buses serving Liverpool One bus station ...

... and the massive Queen Square interchange.

fbb has visited Queen Square and is feeling better now! It is very busy and quite scary.

Queen Square is close to the gloriously beautified Lime Street railway station. It used to look like this ...

... but now looks like this, by day ...

... and this by night.

There is a bit more alongside the section above!

This was the prestgious North Western Hotel, now a Radisson RED "branch:.

Buses to St Helens strike off eastbound ...

... passing the turn to Huyton, where we lose a 10B.

The 10 and 10A continue in tandem ...

... until the 10A diverts via Rainhill - and, yes, that is the Rainhill of early steam loco trials where Rocket trounced the rest.

In 2016 Arriva service 10, NOT via Rainhill, ran at a respectable every 15 minutes.

The 10A, however, joint between Arriva and Stagecoach, offered a bus every 6 minutes.

Which leaves the 10B to Huyton. Oddly, this is presented as a sort if "circular" service - which it isn't.

We have a bus every 10 min to Huyton.

If fbb's grasp of "the new math" is correct, that gives 22 buses an hour between Liverpool and Page Moss!

Steve's Super Scheme

We can now look at the franchised operation, which, for the 10 and 10A is in the sole hands of Stagecoach. This is what the Metro web site tells us about the "new" 10 and 10A

10 No change of route or number

Was Arriva.

Stagecoach Franchise

Town Centre St Helens – Liverpool 

every 15 Mon to Sat daytime

No change of timetable

10A route curtailment

Was joint, Arriva ...

... and Stagecoach.

No longer runs through to Liverpool ONE

Stagecoach Franchise 

Town Centre St Helens – Liverpool

every 10 min Mon to Sat daytime

Timetable reduction

fbb does not know whether the 10A still ran every 6 minutes prior to F-Day; but both routes now go no further than Queen Square. Sadly the PTE's list of timetables says the 10A still runs to Liverpool One.

But, we hear you cry, what has happened to the 10B to Huyton?

Here we experience one of the consequences of the current style of franchising. The 10B is not part of the St Helens scheme, despite sharing a route number and a common set of roads for most of its length.

So the 10B now has its own non-franchise leaflet ...

... which includes the few 10S journeys.

Note that the 10B is no longer shown as a "circular".

fbb guesses that, between Queen Square and Page Moss, there may be some fare and ticket anomalies until the franchise scheme is complete.

There are now only 16 buses an hour from Liverpool to Page Moss!

The 10 group is relatively little changed: passengers will have no difficulty in finding their bus stops or their buses.

It might not be so simple with some other St Helens routes.

 Next St Helens blog : Weds 23 Sept 

Missed The Bus Part 1

Steve, Stagecoach and St Helens

St Helens Chapel appears [upper left, above) on a 1610 map, But the development of coal mining and glass production characterised the town during The Industrial Revolution. The borough's Town Hall gives some idea of the industrial status of the community ...

... wealthy and proud!

Its municipal transport followed a normal pattern, starting with horse trams ...

... then electric trams ...

... followed by trolleybuses.

The town's motor buses ...

... were later absorbed by Merseyside PTE.

The PTE was privatized on its sale to Arriva. Until recently, the main operator in the town has been the blue of Arriva.

But, earlier this month St Helens became the first Merseyside area to become a "franchise".

From Day 1, Arriva buses disappeared ...

... replaced by buses in "Metro" livery and operated by Stagecoach - although you would never know! The transfiguration is almost 100% complete.

An occasional bus from Stagecoach North West has been spotted ...

... dating from before this first contract was awarded.

Mostly, the new St Helens network was in the hands of "Metro" owned vehicles devoid of an operator fleet name.

There has been much hype to accompany the change ...

... with some prominence given to big cheese Steve Rotheram. That's him on the right, below.

At least he has no aspirations to be Prime Minister - as far as we know!

St Helens also gained a temporary enquiry office to ensure that folk were fully aware of the changes.

And many, many changes there were! There was, of course, a bright yellow gazebo as well.

There were plenty of headlines for the press to promulgate.

Real people have been around to help!

So why has this effort been more obvious, more "in yer face" that down the East Lancs Road at Manchester?

Quite simply, there have been significant changes in routes, route numbers and timetables throughout St Helens.

In Manchester there has been little change, except Bees and yellow paint.

Unfortunately, lacking a correspondent in the area, fbb mussed the September 6th launch. Not only that, and thanks to Mr Rotheram's efficient team, all activity before 6th inst has vanished from the interwebnet!

fbb cannot do his usual contrast and compare when big changes happen. He really missed the bus.

But at least your incompetent blogger has the "Metro" list of changes to peruse.

So, tomorrow, the old bloke will begin with trunk route 10. Sadly, his historical knowledge of route 10 is slightly less than nil. One thing we do know is that the road between Liverpool and St Helens was the subject of substantial competition.

 Next St Helens blog : Tues 22 Sept