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In the index it says that TWM 2633 is presumably scrapped. However, I have a found a photo of it living a new life in France so not quite finished yet.

Ok, I understand you. I saw a double decker on the 585 in Rugby a few weeks back presumably on the school run (I didn't catch the blind). It's a shame that they are renumbering the 585 to 85 as it is a very old route number but it makes logical sense, not that I agree with it.

Sorry, I don't understand. Are they putting double deckers on the 85. Kind regards.

https://nxbus.co.uk/coventry/information/service-changes/service-changes-from-2nd-november-2020

They appear to just be renumbering the 585/A/B to 85/A/B. Same route as before, except the off-peak journeys will also nip up to Tesco on Leicester Road in Rugby.

As far as we can see there is no changes to the Stagecoach Sunday service.

Timetables are available at the above link.

Thanks. I saw this as well just now. It is a shame that they are renumbering it to the 85 although it does make sense as the 586 has been the 86 for ages but the 585 is an old Midland Red number.

Hi. I heard on the local brinklow Facebook page that the 585 will now be rerouted via Elliots Field shopping park in Rugby but more importantly, it seems that it is changing to the 85. Does anyone know any more info and I have screenshots of this but I am unsure how to post them. Will it affect Stagecoachs sunday service? Also, will these be separate routes and will the 585 still run?

Too far away to see the reg but I'm pretty sure one of them is now an Arriva driver training bus in new livery. Saw it in Coventry today not far from the old MDC depot.

If that is the case then it is good I guess. I don't think they are too old to be sent off for scrap

Does anyone know what happened to the evolutions?

Using rattly e200s I bet. Those poor MAN vehicles were some of the last ones left in the country weren't they?

Do you think they will put deckers on the 585 school days

Using rattly e200s I bet. Those poor MAN vehicles were some of the last ones left in the country weren't they?

I imagine they were, I think a lot of them will be scrapped due to their age. They need to be preserved in my opinion

Johnsons Coaches proposes major jobs cull as chill winds sweep travel industry.
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/johnsons-coaches-proposes-major-jobs-18814120

Looks like the Coventry paper was struggling to find a topical photo (as usual!)

Seeing as what has happened to DeCourcey, I hope Johnson's isn't forced to go the same way!

On behalf of the news of DeCourcey sadly going into administration, it made me wonder what are the longest running routes in the West Mids/Warwickshire area. I know the 585 is very old which is has its near enough original number as well as other routes like the 86.

They aren't National Express Coventry are

Yes but I thought Stagecoach ran the Sunday service

Stagecoach aren't running the X6, Arriva are

Sorry, I meant about Stagecoach running the 585.

Whilst this might be 'good' news for the regular users etc. I think it would be a more sensible and natural arrangement, as well as selfishly prefer, to have Stagecoach operate the 585 and NXC operate the 60/703.  I suppose TfWM wanted to get their foot in just in time with the re-tendering of the 60/703 to avoid a chance of service being abruptly stopped - that said did anyone see the 60 run on Saturday? .. as I noticed the Traveline timetable was suggesting De Courcey's last day as the 21st (Friday).

I didn't see any 585 running on Saturday so I assume the 60 wasn't running but I saw the X6 on Friday not knowing that it would sadly be the last day. I guess it would make sense that Stagecoach were to run it as they already run the Sunday service but then it does make sense a bit that NX takes over as they took over 580 which also runs into Rugby. Slightly off topic but do you think the 585 may get changed to the 85 eventually ending a long-running number?

I take an interest in Warwickshire and have done some historical research.  Most information has come from Omnibus Magazines of the period.  These were and still are produced by the Omnibus Society, which records bus service changes nationwide (its Midland Branch Bulletin covers the Midlands - see https://www.omnibus-society.org/branches/midland/).

You are correct - what used to be the 586 is now the 86.  I don't know why there were some 586 journeys to Brinklow - there were Coventry - Wolston short workings for many years, and I can only guess that perhaps extending a few of these was considered more viable than running short journeys on the much quieter 585.

It's worth saying that routes in the 600 series (and now the 500 series) are/were schools services.  The only "normal" route on the Coventry - Wolston - Rugby corridor in recent times has been the 86 and occasional variants - talking of which the X86 was used (for a few years) for journeys that kept to the A428 instead of serving Long Lawford village).

There is an excellent colour photo of a BMMO S21 on the 545 in Market Harborough in the book "Midland Red Style" (Roger Torode and Malcolm Keeley).  Otherwise the best bet for X62/545 photos is bus museums and rally stands.

Finally, when the 545 was withdrawn, independent operators tried one-day-a-week services from the Pailton area to Lutterworth, but these disappeared in the 1980s.  As Brinklow and Pailton are in Warwickshire and Lutterworth is in Leicestershire, and as Coventry and Rugby are better draws for shopping, neither County Council has been tempted to fund such a service.

Thank you so much for this information. It would make sense then not to run from Coventry to Lutterworth even though I would probably end up using it but I would imagine being one of the only ones. If councils didn't tender lots of services, I very much imagine there would be very few routes left.