Service Changes - 26th Jan 2014

[Valandil]

I think that deckers were put on particular workings due to the volume of school pupils.
Because of the circular nature of the 360, these deckers would then stay on the route.

[JoNi]

The double deckers appear on the journeys that go via Cardinal Wiseman school in Keresley on Monday to Friday. I'm not certain but think this replaced a school bus. Certainly the part between Eastern Green and Allesley Park in my experience has few passengers and previously only had a bus link on Sundays (23C).

[the trainbasher]

The stops on the route say diamond with times 5 minutes earlier than the current DeCourcey times.

Also the 54 plate Citaro was on the anticlockwise 360 today (seen in Keresley at 1610ish)

[Valandil]

Hi the trainbasher,

Is it definitely 5 minutes earlier all the way through?
The online timetable seems to suggest that they are/were trying to shorten the time the route takes by about 15 minutes so that the 360a go onto a 360c at University Hospital, and vice versa.

I bet Centro employees will be grumbling if they have to re-do all the stops if it really isn't Diamond that has it when the official announcement is made!
Either way though, it really is getting a bit close now, and I hope that more concrete details start emerging very soon.


To JoNi,

I agree that the Eastern Green section seems to be the 'weakest link', and had imagined before the current sketchy details were released that they would skip it, operate along the main road and run up to Allesley Park terminus instead with this set of changes.

[the trainbasher]

Hi the trainbasher,

Is it definitely 5 minutes earlier all the way through?
The online timetable seems to suggest that they are/were trying to shorten the time the route takes by about 15 minutes so that the 360a go onto a 360c at University Hospital, and vice versa.

I bet Centro employees will be grumbling if they have to re-do all the stops if it really isn't Diamond that has it when the official announcement is made!
Either way though, it really is getting a bit close now, and I hope that more concrete details start emerging very soon.


To JoNi,

I agree that the Eastern Green section seems to be the 'weakest link', and had imagined before the current sketchy details were released that they would skip it, operate along the main road and run up to Allesley Park terminus instead with this set of changes.

All the way from keresley to Tesco comparing the NWM app to the stop Diamonds times show it as 5 minutes earlier than De courecey (eg the Wallace Hotel shows as xx01/xx31 on the current app times but diamond are xx25/xx55

[Kevin]

So let's get this straight, DeC are scrapping the 360 and don't seem to be replacing the constituent parts, and Diamond are not taking it over despite them having a timetable for it and their buses have been seen on the route...

Eh?

[JPC]

Yes, this is sort of turning into a repeat of the A-Line Travel fiasco, I agree the western arc (west of the A45) is rather convoluted resulting in it's weakness.  The 360 is apparently put out to tender yet again due to something being changed, perhaps we'll see an emergency tender for 11 weeks then something more concrete for the 52 weeks thereafter.

[:D]

This is quite confusing due to lack of information... If Diamond and Decourcey isn't bidding for the tender, I'd guess NXC will be getting this tender.

Yes, this is sort of turning into a repeat of the A-Line Travel fiasco, I agree the western arc (west of the A45) is rather convoluted resulting in it's weakness.  The 360 is apparently put out to tender yet again due to something being changed, perhaps we'll see an emergency tender for 11 weeks then something more concrete for the 52 weeks thereafter.

What happened in the A-Line Travel fiasco?

[Valandil]

A-Line got the 801, and tried* to run it for about two days, before NXC had to step back in and operate it.
They didn't have adequate vehicles and the reliability was dreadful: I don't think they seriously expected to get the route, so mustn't have made proper plans for operating it. It was a bit of an oversight of Centro's to hand it to them when they were unfit to do the work.

*I use the term loosely!

[Kevin]

If it's a tendered service, does that mean the circle thing was actually Centro's doing in the first place? Or is it just because the various routes that made it up were tendered?

[JoNi]

The impression given at the time was that the 360 was De Courceys idea after they won tenders for all the parts.
New Centro timetables for 26th January have appeared at bus stops on the 360/A stating Diamond is the operator.
Times are slightly different but what happens remains to be seen.

[gc802002]

NXC may be able to source the required buses for the outer  circle, but would they have the staff? I suspect looking at the timetables there are 18-20 duties worth of work weekdays!? Factoring in rest days etc probably 25-28 drivers would be required?

I suspect the existing operator may well be extended on a temporary basis?

[Valandil]

I didn't seriously expect it to happen, but it seems that it's definitely not going to happen that "Timetables will be on this site

• Monday 20th January."
  
  * http://www.traveldecourcey.com/service_updates/20/new_timetables

[Stu]

Network West Midlands have informed me that DeCourcey have been re-awarded the 360A/C contract, and will be operating it to the revised timetable that Diamond intended to run.

[mikestone]

earlier today the other link to the other changes changes was scrolling at the top of the page, but the website has been updated and the new 360A/C has a link there now
;
http://www.traveldecourcey.com/_userfiles/pages/files/360%20latest%2026th%20Jan%20v1.pdf