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Diamond East Midlands (formerly Midland Classic)

Started by bahumbug, May 14, 2012, 08:09:51 PM

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the trainbasher

@mikestone as mentioned in the Buses on TV thread it was HIGNFY


All opinions and onions mentioned on here are mine and not those of any employer, current, past, present or future, or presented as fact, unless I prove it otherwise.

mikestone

#121
83 (FX55 VKG - note is duplicated as VKH in fleetlist) seen today running towards Tamworth station on the 16.04 X13 a few minutes late with about a dozen passengers.
;

Dutsey

What has the patronage been like on the X13?

PM

Quote from: Dutsey on May 08, 2015, 10:33:27 AM
What has the patronage been like on the X13?

Obviously not sufficient as it's withdrawn from 5/7/15

Cheese

Quote from: DiamondDart on June 05, 2015, 04:30:40 PM
Obviously not sufficient as it's withdrawn from 5/7/15

Not totally withdrawn, 3 return journeys still registered from then.

Dutsey

That's a shame, I think new routes should have to be run for a year to give people the chance to use it and rely on it

Cheese

Quote from: Dutsey on June 15, 2015, 09:49:13 AM
That's a shame, I think new routes should have to be run for a year to give people the chance to use it and rely on it

But if the operator is losing money on it, why should they continue to run it? Arriva tried running Burton to Tamworth but that didn't last long.  If it is only carrying passes with a few fare payers which I suspect is probably the case, hardly worth continuing with it.  Train by far and away the quickest way between Burton and Tamworth.

Dutsey

I understand that but surely a route needs time to become established, 3 months is hardly a long time and they should advertise the route with offers etc.

I think they could link with the hospital which may give more usage.

646

Quote from: Dutsey on June 15, 2015, 01:13:24 PM
I understand that but surely a route needs time to become established, 3 months is hardly a long time and they should advertise the route with offers etc.

I think they could link with the hospital which may give more usage.

I agree that this isn't a long time from a passenger perspective but if you are taking all of the commercial risk, three months is a long time!

Dennis

Quote from: Dutsey on June 15, 2015, 01:13:24 PM
I understand that but surely a route needs time to become established, 3 months is hardly a long time and they should advertise the route with offers etc.

I think they could link with the hospital which may give more usage.

Three months sounds ample time to assess whether it's commercially viable or not. The only way to tell is to try it.

If there's been patronage growth in that period you might keep at it, but if it's been flat for two of the three months it's probably not going to work and you're best to scale it back.

Tony

Quote from: Dennis on June 15, 2015, 08:34:07 PM
Three months sounds ample time to assess whether it's commercially viable or not. The only way to tell is to try it.

If there's been patronage growth in that period you might keep at it, but if it's been flat for two of the three months it's probably not going to work and you're best to scale it back.

Any 'new' route takes a lot longer than three months to know if it is going to be viable. Most genuine 'new' routes as opposed to ones aimed at either taking existing passengers, or mostly replacing another route are generally tendered for the first year to give them chance to grow and become viable.

Nobody just changes their travelling habits just because a new route appears.

MrBevan2000

I know I'm going to seem like an idiot for asking but is TOJ 592S still with Midland Classic?

Ashley 60171

Quote from: Michael Bevan on June 15, 2015, 11:39:22 PM
I know I'm going to seem like an idiot for asking but is TOJ 592S still with Midland Classic?

It is.

Bob

Quote from: Tony on June 15, 2015, 08:39:19 PM
Any 'new' route takes a lot longer than three months to know if it is going to be viable. Most genuine 'new' routes as opposed to ones aimed at either taking existing passengers, or mostly replacing another route are generally tendered for the first year to give them chance to grow and become viable.

Nobody just changes their travelling habits just because a new route appears.

Do you think this will be the case with the 154 Tony? Because despite smart new buses wi fi etc its doing absolutely dismally at the moment.  Yet the 54 has taken off.

Tony

Quote from: Bob on June 16, 2015, 10:15:25 AM
Do you think this will be the case with the 154 Tony? Because despite smart new buses wi fi etc its doing absolutely dismally at the moment.  Yet the 54 has taken off.

Yes, when people look for jobs, they have to be able to get there, so people along the 154 route can now apply for jobs at JLR, but may not have done before, that is why it takes so long for routes to build up.

Not enough people in Hednesford will see a bus with Wolverhampton on the front and think 'let's go to Wolverhampton for the day' to make the service financially viable.

Whereas Stafford, Penkridge, Wolverhampton already has established links, not just Arriva, but the train as well

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