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Waiting at Haddenham & Thame Parkway yesterday morning (Wednesday 31/01/24) for the 07:30 London Marylebone (none stop service from Haddenham), the driver completely overshot the platform with all 8 carriages ending up outside the platform. The train remained stationary for a few minutes (as can be testified by looking at Real Train Times) and then carried on regardless. I didn't expect it would or could reverse although the line was used as bidirectional during the landslip issues further north a few weeks back.

For the very many of us on the cold platform, we had to wait for the 08:03. Not too shocking but slightly problematic when you are welcoming guests to your office (an easily solved issue). What is worse is for those planning to get off at Haddenham.  Real Train times isn't clear but it suggests the train didn't stop further down the line meaning those getting off would have needed to take the 08:35 back from London arriving approx 110 minutes later that they should at 09:19. The 08:11 from Marylebone appearing not to be held for those returning passengers (which isn't a massive surprise).

The 08:03 was 5 cars rather than 6 which at first sounds bad but I believe the normal service starts at Stourbridge and is loco hauled. We had a pair of 168s starting in Birmingham. Very cramped in the vestibule area but not sure the loco hauled service would have been better

Has anyone else had this issues before where the train driver fails to stop in time.  You could smell the brakes but could also see he was heading into and through the station far too fast, again not a surprise. 

I 100% understand where you are coming from AlexS, it isn't great to see newer buses shipped out to be replaced by older ones. Here's the thing. I don't think an 09 plated DD would be considered "life expired wrecks".  Just look at almost any bus fleet and they will have plenty older. NX has many a bus that are over 5 years or more older than 4433 and 4434. I think 4432-34 etc probably have many years service left in them. 
I'm pretty sure when the council(s) brought in that rule, they didn't envisage 15 year old buses being replaced by 7-11 year old hand me downs either. 

Be interesting to see if anything is announced about the interim, whilst the takeover is going through. Arriva have sold their operations in other countries and I-squared are used to doing these deals so the lawyers might not need too long to complete the sale.  However, DB surely aren't going to invest in any new buses other than those already on order and I-squared can't be ordering buses either in case the sale falls through. Plus a mention of them buying electric buses presents the infrastructure challenges Arriva had and NX are seeing. So it might be a fair way into the future before any new buses are ordered, let alone delivered. Given the age profile of Arriva's fleet and their recent fleet withdrawal policies, I struggle to see how all the Depots can keep on running as now whilst waiting for new orders. I would argue in the Midlands, Aylesbury (especially given events in September 23), Tamworth, Shrewsbury and Telford are very vulnerable. Potentially depends on the size of existing orders DB has placed, that are part of the deal.

All in all though, a very positive announcement.

Looking at the Notices and Proceedings for the 16/06, I note page 12 shows the cancellation of the 36 on the 22 July. The 381 is another of those services I used to use in times gone by... It was never well populated when I caught it

Are we sure all the cuts are for the summer only (but the 45 after 9pm) ? I'm sure most are. The day time reductions I do get being summer only, that makes sense. Does a Sunday evening service see that much reduction over the summer compared to the standard? Not all the changes seem to be showing on the changes page on Bus Times so it is hard to tell what is for 8-9 weeks and what might be more permanent.

Normally I agree with everything that is said by the admin on here. I'm not sure I do in this case. I stand by my comment that the cuts to the 4 are brutal.  I accept they are not if you travel within the core section where it interworks with the 4A. However, the independent running part of the 4 is only slightly less the time frame as the whole of the WA31. When I used to use the Birmingham end of the 4 route, I'm sure it went up to a 5 minute frequency throughout when a rival pulled off it. I don't think there was any splitting at Olton in those days.  I'm getting old and maybe forgetting what actually happened.  I did look at the map before making that comment and didn't think the 4 and 4A necessarily ran that close together after the split, if they do the cuts are not so brutal.

I am not a fan of the cuts to extremities of routes on the grounds that the core parts keep a decent service (whilst respecting NX Management will be doing what they need to).  The reduction to a 40 minutes service on the 37 and 39 on a Saturday for example. Yes the core is still every 10 minutes but not everyone uses only the core sections. Didn't the 39 used to run every 20 minutes in the near past?

Apologies, I meant the 39 not the 37. Schoolboy error. Sorry

Bob, as I have said before, I bought a car exactly because that was what was happening on NX routes. Admittedly it was 10 years ago. Premier 997 using 57 plated buses forever breaking down, the favoured spot being the James Watt college Birmingham bound stop to break down. Sunday hourly's to Walsall frequently not turning up. The final straw for me was the Sunday the 997 short to Pheasey turned up at exactly the time the Walsall bus was due and then waiting forever for the Walsall one to show having been on said breakdown buses during the week.  Alternative from Rushall was to go into Walsall and get X51 but the one due approx 08:20 was often a no show, this being the days before the Platinum's started a 10 minute service. I got the impression that was either the last or nearest to last bus from the garage so if they didn't have a driver, that bus got dumped but we didn't have Bus Times to check maps in those days.

My point is I had exactly that experience with NX and with what was relatively new "Premier" buses and the now esteemed X51

Looking at some of the changes from start of July and they are absolutely horrific. That isn't passing judgement of whether they should be made, we have to accept NXs judgement on that. They are massive though.  Look at the 29 Walsall which will have a higher Sunday frequency (for the part trip) than the Mon-Sat when buses run through. Every 20 minutes down from every 7-8 on the shorts section. OUCH.

There are clear errors on some of the timetables such as the 11/11A Dudley to Walsall on a Saturday. The timetable says no service between 0920 and 1707 in the Walsall direction but a reduction to 30 minutes/combined 15 in the opposite.  If the timetables are right, the 39 loses its Sunday service completely- could be an error if the reduction to 20 minutes from 15 is the 34 shorts going rather than the 39 going. I assume it is right though.

However, the end is nigh for the 10. One of the few non Brum bound services to get a 30 minute in the evening for 7 days a weeks until recently. Sunday's hourly service starting super early now and other days losing their 30 minutes too.

The favoured 4 in Brum, down to every 15 minutes from every 6-12 minutes. Pretty brutal. As I say, no saying it shouldn't happen only wow that it is.

[be proud of]

I've just gone back to Tony's list of movements for when D&G bought Chaserider. That points to 46 buses being transferred as part of the sale, indeed including a few 09 plates but also an 02 plates, 54 plates etc. I think the transformation to what they have now is pretty staggering. It is something to be proud of, not something worthy of serious continuous criticism.  

Having done the very quick analysis I have this evening, I feel very sorry that those running Chaserider have to put up with the comments they do on this forum given the transformation, and it is a transformation, of the fleet.... and yes the massive improvement they have made to the fleet in the very short time they have owned it. Especially given most of the time we have had Covid and the after effects since they bought it

[Age of bus]

Well said Contains Nuts in #1440. I think there needs to be a serious reality check. Chaserider took over Cannock in Jan 2021 I believe.  Am I right to think the newest buses they were left with were a couple of 09 plates. Everything else Arriva had shipped out to live their final years in other depots. Bus Times has the fleet as 48 buses at the moment with the following breakdown. If you take into account the amount of investment say Arriva has made since then or indeed NX in its Black Country routes and compare that to Chaserider, I'd take Chaserider's investment any day. Sure, buses are often not new but they are better than what was inherited. What more do people demand, especially given the current climate, and how unreasonable are those demands (ask the people of Kent!):

 

Age of bus	Count of Age	Reg of bus
0.1	1	23
0.5	1	72
1	2	22
4.5	1	68
6	2	17
7	1	16
7.5	2	65
8.5	3	64
9	1	14
9.5	4	63
10	1	13
10.5	2	62
12	2	11
12.5	1	60
14	6	09
14.5	10	58
15	3	08
15.5	2	57
17	2	06
18	1	05
Grand Total	48	72

I really hope that all those electric buses for Coventry will be reflected in a significant increase in passenger numbers.  What future for buses if not?

So of the 4 none Brum garages, Bus Times reckons approx 614 buses, a fair number of approx 266 are 14 plates or newer and at least 61 of those were new for none Birmingham routes with up to 10 more Wolverhampton platinum's that appear on both X8 and other routes. Newest of those past 6 years ago..... not sure that will prove a major attraction for passengers who don't travel into Birmingham back onto the bus network but it could be worse.

If only Walsall could get more of those Hydrogen's out on a daily basis. I know good reasons why there isn't but it seems such a waste such valuable assets aren't in more regular use.

With the discussion on the Pensnett thread comparing that garage to West Bromwich, age of comparative fleets etc and profitability of routes etc, it made me wonder an old recurring question. How many routes have been allocated new buses that don't serve Birmingham City Centre in the last 10 years?  I can think of only 1, the 529 Walsall-Wolverhampton but there must be more?

Normally this question is asked in terms of garages, I'm asking it in terms of routes. Wolverhampton had massive investment what 11-12 years ago now? You could argue merging the 376 with the 934 means the former was allocated new buses in 2015, I also get that the 11A and 11C have hand me downs that are newer than 10 years old and there are a few examples of that. I also recognise that my own ex routes in Walsall (10, 9, 35) got new Platinums on Sundays but I'm meaning regular Mon-Sat boards getting new buses. Assuming it is more than the 529, there are not many are there?

Thanks for those maps. Really really interesting, especially the 1984 one. The (unobserved) bus stop on West Bromwich Road near the Fullbrook had the 404 on it well into the 2000's and even into the 2010s even though it has served Weston Street ever since I remember.  I moved onto Weston St in 1990 (in the 1990s, initially the 404 was a 12 minute service and I caught the 401/402 to school in the Yew Tree from the top of Weston St). I had no idea why until now.

Is it too much to ask for you to share the reverse of the 1984 map as well?  Apparently it shows the Cannock and Lichfield routes on it.  Thanks in advance Syran188 if you will.

I'm looking at using the 292 from Callow Hill to Ludlow and back on Easter Saturday. Does anyone know the fare price for that journey and can I ask for a return? I will use it I know the fare in advance, I won't if I don't.

Incidentally, look at the website and it is not an easy route to find. It has been like that for some months now.  Go to the Worcestershire page and you can see the 292S but not the 292. Same if you use the Find a Service on that page too.
https://www.diamondbuses.com/bus-services/?region=Worcestershire

You can find it if you select from the home page."Find Bus Services" and type it in there. Where it promptly tells you about Easter Services in the North West. If you go to the North West timetables, it doesn't show there either

https://www.diamondbuses.com/bus-services/ww/ww292-kidderminster/