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Is there a set date for when Oswestry closes?

2nd July is the proposed date at the moment driving staff have been informed, which may mean after operations complete on 1st July.

The plan is:

Contracts (mainly schools) pass to new operators 8th May, i.e. 54/71/79A and 405 to Tanat Valley. 449 should have passed on this date but already passed to Lakeside 17th April.

X5/10, 53 all move to Shrewsbuey depot on 8th May.

Wrexham 2/2A/2C services to pass to Arriva Cymru, Wrexham depot on 2nd July onwards its mentioned. 

Oswestry was transferred from Crosville Wales and operated as "Cambrian Midland Red" for a number of years. There are 5 services handed back to Shropshire CC for  retendering if deemed appropriate.

Time to add some local related comments to Oswestry. 3 of the services are actually only school contracts (54/71/405). The 449 is a AM and PM peak only service, Monday to Friday, the 79A is a once a day short run which comes back dead and operated off the back of other routes.

Shropshire Council have given funding for the 53, alongside a number of other Shropshire routes, the 53 is planned to move to Shrewsbury depot. The 53 has suffered badly after the timetable was hacked back in April 2022, no longer catering for all the existing passenger needs and silly instances of following the 2 around Gobowen at certain times of the day, rather than the previous 30 minute ish headway there.

Despite all the PR on the closure, the 2/2A/2C are good money making services, the X5 was increasing revenue after seeing numbers returning, despite the X4 cuts in April 2022. The issue is Oswestry garage rent has been increasing with subsequent increases over the last five years. The loss of the 576 wasn't ideal either late 2022.

There is a common member of management now between Midlands and North West, i.e. the engineering director title on internal notice for possible closure 'Engineering Director (ANW&W & Midlands)'. Many of the staff I've spoken to believe they feel there is an opportunity to now for Arriva to cut the overhead of Oswestry's premises, make Wrexham more profitable with the 2/2A/2C and Shrewsbury with the X5 and 53. 

And despite Shrewsbury depot managing decline more than Oswestry in recent years it continues, helped with dedicated and modern premises unlike the makeshift rented premises at Oswestry.       

With the arrival of 4111 at Oswestry, it has not yet seen off 4806, this remains on fleet strength and expected until after the New Year to coincide with its MoT expiry in January. The reason for this is understood to be with 4106 having more work been done on it, this time over at Shrewsbury, having not seen service for a few weeks now.

Oswestry is getting 4106, 4111 & 4112.

3785 will go to Telford

Yes indeed, was aware of the plans, trying to be discreet until they actually physically happen. 4106 is not in use yet, undergoing quite a bit of work to get it ready. 4803/6 are still active for the moment.

Quick Oswestry update.

Scanias 3511/12 were removed from service by mid October and stored, noted at Shrewsbury depot, 3511 did return for a week and then departed again. No idea where they are now.

Scanias 3508/10 have been removed from service at Oswestry, after use on 4th November and 3508/10 have departed Oswestry now. 3509 is the last one standing I understand for the moment.

Versa wise, 2944 is now in service at Oswestry after moving from Shrewsbury, tracking as 2945 (oops!) on the 576 today. 2985 has returned to Oswestry after a retrim and repaint at MRC, on X4/X5 today and also tracking as 2945 (oops again!).

On loan from Wigston and now Thurmaston, E400 MMC 4545 has departed Oswestry today, B9TL, Olympus, 4106 was seen in the Salop Road yard this evening on passing by, understood as a replacement and understood to be permanent for the X5 loading issues. Due to 4106, there is a strong doubt Pulsar 3785 will be ever returning to Oswestry now.

ADL E400MMC, 4545 YY67 HDL having arrived from Wigston by Saturday morning (probably Friday) on loan, with Pulsar 2, 3785 FL63 DXT going the other way, 4545 has entered use in Oswestry today. I gather its arrived to provide extra capacity on the X5 for some Shrewsbury College related workings from the due to heavy student numbers from Telford.

Today it was doing the following and will assume will be its booked trips:

06:32 X5 Oswestry to Shrewsbury, onwards as 07:35 to Telford.
08:10 X5 Telford to Shrewsbury, onwards as 09:05 to Oswestry

13:37 X5 Oswestry to Shrewsbury, onwards as 14:40 to Telford.
15:20 X5 Telford to Shrewsbury, onwards as 16:05 to Oswestry

17:07 X5 Oswestry to Shrewsbury
18:10 X5 Shrewsbury to Oswestry

Sampled a number of trips myself, was doing X4/X5 for a long planned trips on some Pulsars but obviously had a late afternoon focus on 4545. Note it currently tracks on BusTimes.org as 2987 YJ09 LBN due to ticket machine setup, also note that the real 2987 YJ09 LBN also correctly tracks!

In other Oswestry Depot news, the Oswestry Town 40x routes will be ran by someone else. The 70/70A are being replaced by the X4/X5. There isn't a timetable yet that I can see but this will certainly be interesting.

Tanat Valley have gained the Town Services I gather. Arriva will continue the 401 commercially.

They look wrong

Quite a bit wrong from other details I have seen and a quite bit missing, format is a mess. Oswestry depot will have a PVR of 2 on it (previously had 4 on the 70/70A) and route will also have input from Shrewsbury and Telford depots.

It's a result of a landslide at the side of Newbridge that damaged the road, awaiting repairs.

So on the X14 today theyve stuck FD52 GGU....The oldest bus currently in service....in old Arriva livery....and one thats broke down a few times recently too. Great marketing  Not like there were a dozen red buses they couldve used.....

Probably missing its former home of Telford  :) Although wonder what Arriva may think over in Telford.

When I had a visit of the Chaserider network in Stafford and Cannock areas, it was one of the newer E200's that failed to start on the 74 and the journey was dropped as a result at Cannock and I didn't get to return back to Stafford. The 54 plate SPDs were good I sampled and did a few and even did one of the 52 plate Commanders and that was ok.

Judging by the 875A registration, it looks like it's a replacement for the 6 as the registration details it runs from Stafford-Stafford via Rickerscote

Yes indeed, the 875A appears to replace the 6, the 875 is here:

https://www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk/search/find-registered-local-bus-services/details/574756/

Are Select going to take on some of the Stafford routes from Chaserider?

VOSA Bus Service registrations are in:

https://www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk/search/find-registered-local-bus-services/details/574755/

https://www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk/search/find-registered-local-bus-services/details/574758/

3701 was never "disgusting."  It was a perfectly decent vehicle.

Always found 3701-4 to be nice vehicles to travel on at both Telford an Cannock, even did a few of them on the Park & Ride in Leicester back in the day.

Following on from 3791 reporting as operating as 'SP SY' on BusTimes yesterday (having physically seen it covering on a Shrewsbury depot turn), 3788 is doing the same today on the 13:02 70 ex Oswestry, crewed by a Oswestry driver too and noted as tracking as 'SP SY'.

I understand the above could be related to Shrewsbury depot dropping some services today due to driver absence (reported on the Arriva Midlands West Facebook Profile).

Not much rattles either on the centros that came from Watford via Cannock and and 3742 pulsar which in effect has come home to Telford is in very good condition as well

Sampled them all at Cannock over time, 3740-2 were always very tidy vehicles, inside and out. The Centros, 3841/4/6 I actually sampled down Hemel Hempstead and Watford and again a good few times when at Cannock, if anything they were improved over time at Cannock, particularly the repainted one.