Bus cuts - the state of the country

[Sandy Lane]

The Bbc have looked at a 16 Perth - Dundee service in Scotland saying the whole Uk System is in crisis. Not good.
Bus cuts: The UK's hidden transport crisis – seen from the number 16 bus
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-63345158

[Ginger66]

A lot of companies are not back in the office full most are still hybrid working for the foreseeable future.

I'm only in the office in my job three days a week was two days in the office the rest of the time is home working.

I could see more routes merging to form one route as scrapping routes will leave people isolated.

NX/Rotala should hold meet and greets and talk to customer before making major changes

[Budgie]

Firrivapress Retrenchment continues...

I believe today is First's last day in Southampton.  Not exactly happening in a storm but still follows Arriva pulling out of Guildford and Cannock in recent times and National Express from Dundee. 

From an enthusiasts point of view rather than someone in the business, I can't work out whether these withdrawals should be seen as part of the/a general malaise in the bus industry or simply what businesses do everyday, i.e. buy sell, merge and diverge.

NX and First pulled out of London sometime ago now - I think 10-14 years ago. That made good commercial sense from what I can tell. When First pulled out from Kidderminster and Redditch (10 years ago now- wow) I think most people said "good riddance". The people of Hereford agreeing with that sentiment a few years later.  Arriva have become past masters at it. Burton, Wednesfield, Yorkshire Tiger, Aberystwyth to name but a few.

Of course, as with the closure of Arriva Guildford, it means 50 or so mid life buses that First can cascade in lieu of buying new buses reducing further the size of the aggregate bus fleet in the long run.  Unless the replacements Bluestar (or the Go-Ahead as a whole to allow cascades) buy new buses to fill the needs of the replacement services.

[Tony]

Firrivapress Retrenchment continues...

I believe today is First's last day in Southampton.  Not exactly happening in a storm but still follows Arriva pulling out of Guildford and Cannock in recent times and National Express from Dundee. 

From an enthusiasts point of view rather than someone in the business, I can't work out whether these withdrawals should be seen as part of the/a general malaise in the bus industry or simply what businesses do everyday, i.e. buy sell, merge and diverge.

NX and First pulled out of London sometime ago now - I think 10-14 years ago. That made good commercial sense from what I can tell. When First pulled out from Kidderminster and Redditch (10 years ago now- wow) I think most people said "good riddance". The people of Hereford agreeing with that sentiment a few years later.  Arriva have become past masters at it. Burton, Wednesfield, Yorkshire Tiger, Aberystwyth to name but a few.

Of course, as with the closure of Arriva Guildford, it means 50 or so mid life buses that First can cascade in lieu of buying new buses reducing further the size of the aggregate bus fleet in the long run.  Unless the replacements Bluestar (or the Go-Ahead as a whole to allow cascades) buy new buses to fill the needs of the replacement services.

There's a massive difference with Guildford & Southampton to the others. All the others were sold on to run as they were.

[j789]

Firrivapress Retrenchment continues...

NX and First pulled out of London sometime ago now - I think 10-14 years ago. That made good commercial sense from what I can tell. When First pulled out from Kidderminster and Redditch (10 years ago now- wow) I think most people said "good riddance". The people of Hereford agreeing with that sentiment a few years later.  

I think you'll find the general bus using population of Redditch and Kidderminster severely regretted First's withdrawal from those areas and the subsequent level of service that was provided by the current operator there, particularly in the early years after takeover (it has improved since then although the route network has contracted a lot). I think you may find though if you asked those same people now they'd very happily say 'First - please come back!'

[markcf83]

Firrivapress Retrenchment continues...

I believe today is First's last day in Southampton.  Not exactly happening in a storm but still follows Arriva pulling out of Guildford and Cannock in recent times and National Express from Dundee. 

From an enthusiasts point of view rather than someone in the business, I can't work out whether these withdrawals should be seen as part of the/a general malaise in the bus industry or simply what businesses do everyday, i.e. buy sell, merge and diverge.

NX and First pulled out of London sometime ago now - I think 10-14 years ago. That made good commercial sense from what I can tell. When First pulled out from Kidderminster and Redditch (10 years ago now- wow) I think most people said "good riddance". The people of Hereford agreeing with that sentiment a few years later.  Arriva have become past masters at it. Burton, Wednesfield, Yorkshire Tiger, Aberystwyth to name but a few.

Of course, as with the closure of Arriva Guildford, it means 50 or so mid life buses that First can cascade in lieu of buying new buses reducing further the size of the aggregate bus fleet in the long run.  Unless the replacements Bluestar (or the Go-Ahead as a whole to allow cascades) buy new buses to fill the needs of the replacement services.

Bluestar are taking in all the 06 reg Volvos form Go North East that they took from London a few years ago. They are also planning to use the Versas made spare at Thamesdown.

It was ten years ago First pulled out of London.

As for the buses available at Southampton,they will all need to be repainted first before they enter service elsewhere.

To add to this,28 new double deckers are due at Poole alter this year and I suspect some of them might move up the A31 to Southampton.   

[Budgie]

I think you'll find the general bus using population of Redditch and Kidderminster severely regretted First's withdrawal from those areas and the subsequent level of service that was provided by the current operator there, particularly in the early years after takeover (it has improved since then although the route network has contracted a lot). I think you may find though if you asked those same people now they'd very happily say 'First - please come back!'

Well my sister and her family would agree with part of that I think. They live next to the Wyre Forest Visitors Center at the top of Callow Hill (a bus breaker as the whole 292 route is).  Mention "Diamond" to my nephew and niece they talk of returning home from school with a Diamond Bus ablaze.  They try and use the 291 wherever possible.

[don]

Bluestar are taking in all the 06 reg Volvos form Go North East that they took from London a few years ago. They are also planning to use the Versas made spare at Thamesdown.

It was ten years ago First pulled out of London.

As for the buses available at Southampton,they will all need to be repainted first before they enter service elsewhere.

To add to this,28 new double deckers are due at Poole alter this year and I suspect some of them might move up the A31 to Southampton. 

Not to forget that More Bus (Go Ahead) took over from the now defunct Bournemouth Yellow Buses a few months back - buses from various associated fleets appearing (including Blue Star). 

[Rachvince53]

I think buses will be pressed into service in whatever livery they are currently in with Bluestar vinyls stuck over fleetnames in the short term. 

[ellspurs]

Arriva closed down their Aberystwyth depot, and outstations in Dolgellau, Lampeter and New Quay in 2013. They didn't sell them on, and the local authorities were left scrambling for other operators to cover.

Their old depot was knocked down in 2021 and replaced with a farmers' market.

[markcf83]

Not to forget that More Bus (Go Ahead) took over from the now defunct Bournemouth Yellow Buses a few months back - buses from various associated fleets appearing (including Blue Star).

I know. I was down there shortly after the takeover and the number of buses drafted in was reasonably large.