Diamond Bus - Discussion

[Ash]

Such a shame blue diamond will not be operating the 82 after they have lost the service. The citaro's are the best in the group in my opinion, the buses are always on time and the drivers very friendly with most passengers that seem to use the service daily having a good rapport with them I think Central buses will have to live up to the high precedent set by diamond on the service. I hope the citaro's don't get sold off as they would be nicely suited to be used on the 56 or 301 with black diamond. Surely Long Acre can't stay open for much longer after losing all these services.

I don't think Central Buses will have any issues stepping up to the mantel on the Signature services, Central Buses appear to offer a consistently high standard across the board, not just just on certain routes. I presume Rotala have lost the tenders on price alone?

I agree I think Central buses are very professional and do a brilliant job on the services they operate. With Rotala could it be the fact they want to make there bus operation specific to the Black Country and Redditch and Kidderminster and losing signature services is one way to streamline the operations to allow them to do this. I can't see the point in keeping Long Acre open transfer the 16 back to Tividale and the 50 to Redditch and any subsidiary services move to Tividale. May be rent out the arriva Hill Top garage to provide more space for black diamond. What will happen to all the drivers that drive the signature services will they move to Tividale or will Long Acre take on more services possibly the 56 as that enters Birmingham from Black diamond, just a thought.

[Dylan4579]

Such a shame blue diamond will not be operating the 82 after they have lost the service. The citaro's are the best in the group in my opinion, the buses are always on time and the drivers very friendly with most passengers that seem to use the service daily having a good rapport with them I think Central buses will have to live up to the high precedent set by diamond on the service. I hope the citaro's don't get sold off as they would be nicely suited to be used on the 56 or 301 with black diamond. Surely Long Acre can't stay open for much longer after losing all these services.

I agree with you, but i am starting to think that blue diamond are cooking something big,which is why they have made withdrawls on the 123, 37, 97,82 to free up more recources, such for something big, or give up Blue diamond fully, just keeping signiture.

[PM]

Such a shame blue diamond will not be operating the 82 after they have lost the service. The citaro's are the best in the group in my opinion, the buses are always on time and the drivers very friendly with most passengers that seem to use the service daily having a good rapport with them I think Central buses will have to live up to the high precedent set by diamond on the service. I hope the citaro's don't get sold off as they would be nicely suited to be used on the 56 or 301 with black diamond. Surely Long Acre can't stay open for much longer after losing all these services.

I agree with you, but i am starting to think that blue diamond are cooking something big,which is why they have made withdrawls on the 123, 37, 97,82 to free up more recources, such for something big, or give up Blue diamond fully, just keeping signiture.

Well it looks like signature is all to go so I wonder what will happen to the current buses on their routes. I bet the solo srs, versas and mercs all go to preston as they operate all these types already

[winston]

Such a shame blue diamond will not be operating the 82 after they have lost the service. The citaro's are the best in the group in my opinion, the buses are always on time and the drivers very friendly with most passengers that seem to use the service daily having a good rapport with them I think Central buses will have to live up to the high precedent set by diamond on the service. I hope the citaro's don't get sold off as they would be nicely suited to be used on the 56 or 301 with black diamond. Surely Long Acre can't stay open for much longer after losing all these services.

I don't think Central Buses will have any issues stepping up to the mantel on the Signature services, Central Buses appear to offer a consistently high standard across the board, not just just on certain routes. I presume Rotala have lost the tenders on price alone?

I agree I think Central buses are very professional and do a brilliant job on the services they operate. With Rotala could it be the fact they want to make there bus operation specific to the Black Country and Redditch and Kidderminster and losing signature services is one way to streamline the operations to allow them to do this. I can't see the point in keeping Long Acre open transfer the 16 back to Tividale and the 50 to Redditch and any subsidiary services move to Tividale. May be rent out the arriva Hill Top garage to provide more space for black diamond. What will happen to all the drivers that drive the signature services will they move to Tividale or will Long Acre take on more services possibly the 56 as that enters Birmingham from Black diamond, just a thought.

With the loss of the Signature services Rotala may as well cut overheads & close Long Acre, move all that remains to Tividale. Tividale can accommodate 200+ buses as they have the overflow site opposite the main depot, this just needs emptying of all the withdrawn/for sale stuff, Tividale housed the entire Go West Midlands fleet when hill Top was closed with I think was around 228? Should be nay need for any other sites to be sourced. There can't be much left in the way of coaching activities at Long Acre either, I thought that the NX 210 & 777 work should have transferred to DeCourcey by now unless plans have changed?

[winston]

Such a shame blue diamond will not be operating the 82 after they have lost the service. The citaro's are the best in the group in my opinion, the buses are always on time and the drivers very friendly with most passengers that seem to use the service daily having a good rapport with them I think Central buses will have to live up to the high precedent set by diamond on the service. I hope the citaro's don't get sold off as they would be nicely suited to be used on the 56 or 301 with black diamond. Surely Long Acre can't stay open for much longer after losing all these services.

I agree with you, but i am starting to think that blue diamond are cooking something big,which is why they have made withdrawls on the 123, 37, 97,82 to free up more recources, such for something big, or give up Blue diamond fully, just keeping signiture.

Well it looks like signature is all to go so I wonder what will happen to the current buses on their routes. I bet the solo srs, versas and mercs all go to preston as they operate all these types already

I agree, I think that stands a very good chance of happening

[CRP2012]

Such a shame blue diamond will not be operating the 82 after they have lost the service. The citaro's are the best in the group in my opinion, the buses are always on time and the drivers very friendly with most passengers that seem to use the service daily having a good rapport with them I think Central buses will have to live up to the high precedent set by diamond on the service. I hope the citaro's don't get sold off as they would be nicely suited to be used on the 56 or 301 with black diamond. Surely Long Acre can't stay open for much longer after losing all these services.

I agree with you, but i am starting to think that blue diamond are cooking something big,which is why they have made withdrawls on the 123, 37, 97,82 to free up more recources, such for something big, or give up Blue diamond fully, just keeping signiture.

Well it looks like signature is all to go so I wonder what will happen to the current buses on their routes. I bet the solo srs, versas and mercs all go to preston as they operate all these types already

Preston get ex-signature buses & Diamond gets standerd solos?  8)

[PM]

Such a shame blue diamond will not be operating the 82 after they have lost the service. The citaro's are the best in the group in my opinion, the buses are always on time and the drivers very friendly with most passengers that seem to use the service daily having a good rapport with them I think Central buses will have to live up to the high precedent set by diamond on the service. I hope the citaro's don't get sold off as they would be nicely suited to be used on the 56 or 301 with black diamond. Surely Long Acre can't stay open for much longer after losing all these services.

I don't think Central Buses will have any issues stepping up to the mantel on the Signature services, Central Buses appear to offer a consistently high standard across the board, not just just on certain routes. I presume Rotala have lost the tenders on price alone?

I agree I think Central buses are very professional and do a brilliant job on the services they operate. With Rotala could it be the fact they want to make there bus operation specific to the Black Country and Redditch and Kidderminster and losing signature services is one way to streamline the operations to allow them to do this. I can't see the point in keeping Long Acre open transfer the 16 back to Tividale and the 50 to Redditch and any subsidiary services move to Tividale. May be rent out the arriva Hill Top garage to provide more space for black diamond. What will happen to all the drivers that drive the signature services will they move to Tividale or will Long Acre take on more services possibly the 56 as that enters Birmingham from Black diamond, just a thought.

With the loss of the Signature services Rotala may as well cut overheads & close Long Acre, move all that remains to Tividale. Tividale can accommodate 200+ buses as they have the overflow site opposite the main depot, this just needs emptying of all the withdrawn/for sale stuff, Tividale housed the entire Go West Midlands fleet when hill Top was closed with I think was around 228? Should be nay need for any other sites to be sourced. There can't be much left in the way of coaching activities at Long Acre either, I thought that the NX 210 & 777 work should have transferred to DeCourcey by now unless plans have changed?

It would make sense to shut long acre and transfer drivers to tividale or redditch if that is possible and to be honest the singature work would have involved considerable dead mileage although central seem to be popping up everywhere at the moment! And as much as I would like to think that rotala have something big planned using Long Acre I distinctly doubt it. They can't really be running much can they? The 10's being cancelled along with 17 and signature stuff, the nifty fifty which would appear to be going to redditch-it must only be the X30, a few coaches, bit of tendered work and the 119 and another sutton route. I would place quite a bit of money on them shutting long acre and running everything from tividale, kidderminster, redditch x2 for the moment as they will be reluctant to change anything in case the oft intervene and they have to sell it off again.

[PM]

Does anyone know what buses are on the 50 at the moment? Are the MANs for driver training in worcestershire or are they back on-just interested as deciding whether to go a ride on this tomorrow or to Chelmsley wood on claribels. Cheers  ;)

[Stu]

It appears Rotala may have now have lost some/all of the Signature work in Solihull to Central Buses, these registrations have appeared on VOSA today. As I understand it all the Signature work is Centro tendered, so I wouldn't have thought that they would be competing services, can anyone confirm?

PD1021409/58 - CEN GROUP LIMITED, UNIT 14A, TAMEBRIDGE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, ALDRIDGE ROAD, PERRY BARR, BIRMINGHAM, B42 2TX
        Registration Accepted
        Starting Point: Solihull Railway Station
        Finish Point: Coventry
        Via:
        Service Number: 82
        Service Type: Normal Stopping
        Effective Date: 09-JUN-2013
        Other Details: Mondays to Saturdays.

PD1021409/59 - CEN GROUP LIMITED, UNIT 14A, TAMEBRIDGE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, ALDRIDGE ROAD, PERRY BARR, BIRMINGHAM, B42 2TX
        Registration Accepted
        Starting Point: Solihull, Poplar Road
        Finish Point: Dorridge (S2)/Hockley Heath (S3)
        Via:
        Service Number: S2
        Service Type: Normal Stopping
        Effective Date: 09-JUN-2013
        Other Details: Mondays to Saturdays.

Worth noting that this registration has the S2 as finishing at Dorridge, so presumably there will be some new service to serve Balsall Common?

Also the registration is for Monday to Saturday only, so who will operate the S3 on Sundays?

[Ash]

There is a double decker parked up at Tividale at the moment it might be a Preston one but couldn't see as it was too dark. The citaro's and singature solo's might go to Preston but not sure why they need anymore more buses there are badly needed at Tividale reliability of the older darts is not great R530YRP has broke down at least twice in the last 3 days this time on the 42/3 in West Bromwich bus station and on Wednesday it was the 40.

[Dylan4579]

There is a double decker parked up at Tividale at the moment it might be a Preston one but couldn't see as it was too dark. The citaro's and singature solo's might go to Preston but not sure why they need anymore more buses there are badly needed at Tividale reliability of the older darts is not great R530YRP has broke down at least twice in the last 3 days this time on the 42/3 in West Bromwich bus station and on Wednesday it was the 40.

I know this suggestion is ridicouls but the 56 comes to mind for the double decker

[PM]

There is a double decker parked up at Tividale at the moment it might be a Preston one but couldn't see as it was too dark. The citaro's and singature solo's might go to Preston but not sure why they need anymore more buses there are badly needed at Tividale reliability of the older darts is not great R530YRP has broke down at least twice in the last 3 days this time on the 42/3 in West Bromwich bus station and on Wednesday it was the 40.

To be fair R530 YRP is a great bus-good interior and absolutely no rattles whatsoever

[JackC]

There is a double decker parked up at Tividale at the moment it might be a Preston one but couldn't see as it was too dark. The citaro's and singature solo's might go to Preston but not sure why they need anymore more buses there are badly needed at Tividale reliability of the older darts is not great R530YRP has broke down at least twice in the last 3 days this time on the 42/3 in West Bromwich bus station and on Wednesday it was the 40.

I know this suggestion is ridicouls but the 56 comes to mind for the double decker

Maybe they actually did go and buy that E400 from Ensign!  ;D

(fat chance  ::))

[Ash]

There is a double decker parked up at Tividale at the moment it might be a Preston one but couldn't see as it was too dark. The citaro's and singature solo's might go to Preston but not sure why they need anymore more buses there are badly needed at Tividale reliability of the older darts is not great R530YRP has broke down at least twice in the last 3 days this time on the 42/3 in West Bromwich bus station and on Wednesday it was the 40.

To be fair R530 YRP is a great bus-good interior and absolutely no rattles whatsoever

Yeah R530YRP is normally quite a reliable bus and quite powerful and like you said the interior is quite good but just having a bad week. Although the bus has been sold for a long time now but is still with diamond similar to R532YRP.

[PM]

There is a double decker parked up at Tividale at the moment it might be a Preston one but couldn't see as it was too dark. The citaro's and singature solo's might go to Preston but not sure why they need anymore more buses there are badly needed at Tividale reliability of the older darts is not great R530YRP has broke down at least twice in the last 3 days this time on the 42/3 in West Bromwich bus station and on Wednesday it was the 40.

I know this suggestion is ridicouls but the 56 comes to mind for the double decker

Maybe they actually did go and buy that E400 from Ensign!  ;D

(fat chance  ::))

I imagine at long acre it was one of the presidents rotala are trying to sell