Pensnett Garage

[Roy]

Most garages do not get paid travelling time it just depends on union agreements  so moving routes to pensnett would not always save money.  What about dead milage if a lot of wn routes went to pn money is used on that in fuel same with other routes they would want the world does not revolve around pennsnett like I said get realistic and travel time may not be kept via wage agreements in the future

As other people have already said, there is no reason to transfer WN routes to PE as WN is not operating at capacity. 

Having said that, the argument about dead mileage cannot be applied to services 255-257.  Park Lane is about a mile and three quarters from Wolverhampton Bus Station.  On top of that, buses run light to or from Dudley, Merry Hill, Kingswinford, Blaze Park and Stourbridge, so there is a lot of dead mileage on these routes.

Only the 205 and 297 operate closer to Pensnett garage than the 255-257.  Kingswinford Cross and Moss Grove/Dudley Road are only just over a mile from PE, Blaze Park is less than 2 miles, while Standhills Road is less than three quarters of a mile. 

[wilmotm (Matt Wilmot)]

Most garages do not get paid travelling time it just depends on union agreements  so moving routes to pensnett would not always save money.  What about dead milage if a lot of wn routes went to pn money is used on that in fuel same with other routes they would want the world does not revolve around pennsnett like I said get realistic and travel time may not be kept via wage agreements in the future

As other people have already said, there is no reason to transfer WN routes to PE as WN is not operating at capacity. 

Having said that, the argument about dead mileage cannot be applied to services 255-257.  Park Lane is about a mile and three quarters from Wolverhampton Bus Station.  On top of that, buses run light to or from Dudley, Merry Hill, Kingswinford, Blaze Park and Stourbridge, so there is a lot of dead mileage on these routes.

Only the 205 and 297 operate closer to Pensnett garage than the 255-257.  Kingswinford Cross and Moss Grove/Dudley Road are only just over a mile from PE, Blaze Park is less than 2 miles, while Standhills Road is less than three quarters of a mile.

I cannot see any WN routes being moved to PE, but 255-257 all do operate far closer than PE than they do to WN. First buses of the day could start from Merry Hill, Blaze Park and Stourbridge easily, probably easier than their current start in Wolves

[winston]

Pensnett is over capacity at the moment. Many buses have to be parked in the roadway at night. So the additional land will be used to correct this and provide adequate car parking for staff. Also some of the reserve fleet I am told will be stored here. Makes sense. Good security provided by the trading estate. Plus I also hear that engineering support are also to have a base here. The Sandwell review could be used to alter the 127/8 82 and what have you in which case it wouldn't be difficult to close Oak Ln and redistribute the routes in much the way Karl has described.

Thanks for the update Matt, are engineering support the department that do major engineering work & refurbs?

[Tony]

Pensnett is over capacity at the moment. Many buses have to be parked in the roadway at night. So the additional land will be used to correct this and provide adequate car parking for staff. Also some of the reserve fleet I am told will be stored here. Makes sense. Good security provided by the trading estate. Plus I also hear that engineering support are also to have a base here. The Sandwell review could be used to alter the 127/8 82 and what have you in which case it wouldn't be difficult to close Oak Ln and redistribute the routes in much the way Karl has described.

Thanks for the update Matt, are engineering support the department that do major engineering work & refurbs?

Yes

[winston]

Pensnett is over capacity at the moment. Many buses have to be parked in the roadway at night. So the additional land will be used to correct this and provide adequate car parking for staff. Also some of the reserve fleet I am told will be stored here. Makes sense. Good security provided by the trading estate. Plus I also hear that engineering support are also to have a base here. The Sandwell review could be used to alter the 127/8 82 and what have you in which case it wouldn't be difficult to close Oak Ln and redistribute the routes in much the way Karl has described.

Thanks for the update Matt, are engineering support the department that do major engineering work & refurbs?

Yes

Thanks Tony, should see some interesting vehicles movements when that opens / part of the reserve fleet move in.

[winston]

So the midi buses could be shared between West Brom and Pensnett with 14 of them replacing the darts currently at WB. With the sandwell bus review it wouldnt suprise me if the services they operate get changed or ammended as there only allocated to services  414/444/644/688 on a permanent basis and also get used on the 428/9 which used to be fully b6le. The 'old mini link' service at WB have shrunk alot since the rebrand a number of years ago with diamond and midlands operating some of the services under a different numbered route.

Don't forget that the 636 (soon to be 98) will need something new to replace the Volvo B6LEs at BC prior to Jan 2013

[MW]

So the midi buses could be shared between West Brom and Pensnett with 14 of them replacing the darts currently at WB. With the sandwell bus review it wouldnt suprise me if the services they operate get changed or ammended as there only allocated to services  414/444/644/688 on a permanent basis and also get used on the 428/9 which used to be fully b6le. The 'old mini link' service at WB have shrunk alot since the rebrand a number of years ago with diamond and midlands operating some of the services under a different numbered route.

Don't forget that the 636 (soon to be 98) will need something new to replace the Volvo B6LEs at BC prior to Jan 2013

Is there a possibility of the 98 being rerouted so that 12m vehicles can fit, like when ther Mercs/Scanias ventured out on it, they missed a bit. I would think it's more fitting with it being joined with the X62 (99). They could be operated with Eclipses with some sort of branding perhaps?

[winston]

So the midi buses could be shared between West Brom and Pensnett with 14 of them replacing the darts currently at WB. With the sandwell bus review it wouldnt suprise me if the services they operate get changed or ammended as there only allocated to services  414/444/644/688 on a permanent basis and also get used on the 428/9 which used to be fully b6le. The 'old mini link' service at WB have shrunk alot since the rebrand a number of years ago with diamond and midlands operating some of the services under a different numbered route.

Don't forget that the 636 (soon to be 98) will need something new to replace the Volvo B6LEs at BC prior to Jan 2013

Is there a possibility of the 98 being rerouted so that 12m vehicles can fit, like when ther Mercs/Scanias ventured out on it, they missed a bit. I would think it's more fitting with it being joined with the X62 (99). They could be operated with Eclipses with some sort of branding perhaps?

Its always possible, but will there then be enough B7RLEs to replace all of the B6LEs @ BC ? (currently 10 are allocated).

The X64 is been reduced in frequency from 20 mins down to 30 mins between the peaks from the same time, but the 98 / 99 stay at similar /same frequencies as the previous 636 & X62

[D10]

So the midi buses could be shared between West Brom and Pensnett with 14 of them replacing the darts currently at WB. With the sandwell bus review it wouldnt suprise me if the services they operate get changed or ammended as there only allocated to services  414/444/644/688 on a permanent basis and also get used on the 428/9 which used to be fully b6le. The 'old mini link' service at WB have shrunk alot since the rebrand a number of years ago with diamond and midlands operating some of the services under a different numbered route.

Don't forget that the 636 (soon to be 98) will need something new to replace the Volvo B6LEs at BC prior to Jan 2013

Is there a possibility of the 98 being rerouted so that 12m vehicles can fit, like when ther Mercs/Scanias ventured out on it, they missed a bit. I would think it's more fitting with it being joined with the X62 (99). They could be operated with Eclipses with some sort of branding perhaps?

Its always possible, but will there then be enough B7RLEs to replace all of the B6LEs @ BC ? (currently 10 are allocated).

The X64 is been reduced in frequency from 20 mins down to 30 mins between the peaks from the same time, but the 98 / 99 stay at similar /same frequencies as the previous 636 & X62

After harrasing various HO managers, I understand that the 222 and 98 (636) will be two of the routes that are getting the new midis, no surprise really as NX are firmly committed to this as part of their side of the various partnership agreements. WB will get the rest for as yet undecided routes.

[winston]

So the midi buses could be shared between West Brom and Pensnett with 14 of them replacing the darts currently at WB. With the sandwell bus review it wouldnt suprise me if the services they operate get changed or ammended as there only allocated to services  414/444/644/688 on a permanent basis and also get used on the 428/9 which used to be fully b6le. The 'old mini link' service at WB have shrunk alot since the rebrand a number of years ago with diamond and midlands operating some of the services under a different numbered route.

Don't forget that the 636 (soon to be 98) will need something new to replace the Volvo B6LEs at BC prior to Jan 2013

Is there a possibility of the 98 being rerouted so that 12m vehicles can fit, like when ther Mercs/Scanias ventured out on it, they missed a bit. I would think it's more fitting with it being joined with the X62 (99). They could be operated with Eclipses with some sort of branding perhaps?

Its always possible, but will there then be enough B7RLEs to replace all of the B6LEs @ BC ? (currently 10 are allocated).

The X64 is been reduced in frequency from 20 mins down to 30 mins between the peaks from the same time, but the 98 / 99 stay at similar /same frequencies as the previous 636 & X62

After harrasing various HO managers, I understand that the 222 and 98 (636) will be two of the routes that are getting the new midis, no surprise really as NX are firmly committed to this as part of their side of the various partnership agreements. WB will get the rest for as yet undecided routes.

Thanks for the confirmation D10!

[Ash]

677 transferred from PE to BC seen working the 636 with full blinds

[BN]

Hi Guys,

Looking for info on Pensnett depot. Can someone give me a rough idea of fleet and size.

What are peoples general thoughts of this depot.

Thanks.

[winston]

Rob,

Fleet allocation is currently 112 vehicles, comprising 12 x Volvo B6LE, 47 x Merc 0405N, 23 x Volvo B7RLE & 30 x Enviro 400. Further new midi buses are due for route 222 in Dec, which may well see off the last remaining Volvo B6LE.

Pensnett garage is currently undergoing re-development work with an additional plot of land now acquired, a second unit is also been taken on to house part of service support (major re-build/ re-furb unit). I wouldn't be surprised if the allocation increases in due course, plus there are suggestions that part of the reserve fleet may be stored their,

Hope this helps,

[BN]

Thanks Winston,

A bit daunting from the 14, 1 year old coaches i look after.

Much appriciated.

[don]

Rob,

Fleet allocation is currently 112 vehicles, comprising 12 x Volvo B6LE, 47 x Merc 0405N, 23 x Volvo B7RLE & 30 x Enviro 400. Further new midi buses are due for route 222 in Dec, which may well see off the last remaining Volvo B6LE.

Pensnett garage is currently undergoing re-development work with an additional plot of land now acquired, a second unit is also been taken on to house part of service support (major re-build/ re-furb unit). I wouldn't be surprised if the allocation increases in due course, plus there are suggestions that part of the reserve fleet may be stored their,

Hope this helps,

Extraordinary - so it could replace part of West Brom and wherever the reserve fleet is currently held (Lea Hall presumably?)