Diamond Bus - Unusual Workings

[Ash]

Vx54mxy on 16,.

Do you mean 30934 'VX54 MSY'?

Must have been the one I saw in town this morning, saw the first livery and thought it was a bit lost, then saw 16 on the back and completely threw me

I have been sticking up for Rotala's Diamond buses but now I think I've been a plank to. Have Long Acre lost the plot?
The three 54 plate Enviro 300s need to be in Redditch so they don't get hit hard by the OFT becuase if they get hit there is one company that I think will come sniffing because they can stiff into Worcester and Hereford at the same time and thats National Express as First are in such a unbalaced place.
And if it did come to that I think NX should offer Rotala £1.6 Million for Kidder and Redditch (Plymouth Road) and then with First try £15 - £17.5million for WR and HR.

Won't that give national express they exactly same problem that Rotala have with the OFT just even worse as they will be the dominate operator in Redditch, Kidderminster, Worcester and Hereford with little competition?. It's likely its just on loan to Long Acre like the enviro 200 was from Tividale or had just had some work done to it and is being used short term and will return back to Redditch very soon.

30827 on the 4 (Second day running a centro has been on the 4 which is unusual to see these days)

[winston]

I have been sticking up for Rotala's Diamond buses but now I think I've been a plank to. Have Long Acre lost the plot?
The three 54 plate Enviro 300s need to be in Redditch so they don't get hit hard by the OFT becuase if they get hit there is one company that I think will come sniffing because they can stiff into Worcester and Hereford at the same time and thats National Express as First are in such a unbalaced place.
And if it did come to that I think NX should offer Rotala £1.6 Million for Kidder and Redditch (Plymouth Road) and then with First try £15 - £17.5million for WR and HR.

I like your thinking Dan  ;)

I'd love to see NX expand its UK bus business, its pity the original deal with First for KR & RH never came off

[winston]

Won't that give national express they exactly same problem that Rotala have with the OFT just even worse as they will be the dominate operator in Redditch, Kidderminster, Worcester and Hereford with little competition?. It's likely its just on loan to Long Acre like the enviro 200 was from Tividale or had just had some work done to it and is being used short term and will return back to Redditch very soon.

No because you'd still have Diamond which its original Church Road operation in Redditch, Whittle's in Kidderminster, there is Aston's & DRM  in Worcester & Yeomans / Sargeants in Hereford,

It would basically be First Wyvern re-formed,

[the trainbasher]

Radical idea if ever it happened and NX buy First, they could call Worcester "National Express Midland Red"!

[tank90]

Won't that give national express they exactly same problem that Rotala have with the OFT just even worse as they will be the dominate operator in Redditch, Kidderminster, Worcester and Hereford with little competition?. It's likely its just on loan to Long Acre like the enviro 200 was from Tividale or had just had some work done to it and is being used short term and will return back to Redditch very soon.

Suprisingly no, as Worcester has LMS Travel Whoosh and Astons Hereford has Lugg Valley and Stagecoach Redditch would still have Rotala Kidderminster would still have Whittles (and Kidder wasn't the problem but I would think would get the same treatment as Redditch tho it might not). Its a shame because its not any operators fault its Herefordshire & Worcestershire County Councils fault for looking at FMR in the same light as MRW. Tho as one of the 54 plate Darts is now Blue Kidderminster might have got off scott free from the oft so it might just only be Redditch that needs to be sold off and the Ex FMR chunck at that with the the Redditch buses that they bought or in the case of NxxxSOS one of the of the Blue Presidents to replace it.

[winston]

Radical idea if ever it happened and NX buy First, they could call Worcester "National Express Midland Red"!

Its not actually that radical as First Groups Market Cap is currently £609 Million (126p/share), however I doubt NX have the finances to pull off a deal of that size as it would be classed as a reverse takeover, a merger between the two may more be plausible.....

There is still the possibility that a private equity group could come in with a takeover bid for First Group, then break it up & sell off the bits to various UK & European transport groups, the parts of First are worth more than as a group, similar to what nearly happened with NX & the joint CVC/Cosmens bid with Stagecoach lined up in the background to buy NX UK interests

[John]

Vx54mxy on 16,.

Thanks to 37351ml, here is 30934
http://www.flickr.com/photos/john-s-91/8891652160/

[tank90]

It would basically be First Wyvern re-formed,

Noooo Winston, it would be First Midland Red as some plank decided the Midland Red West Wyvern was a Reason to nickname the area covered Wyvern rather than Midland Red West or Midland Red.

[winston]

It would basically be First Wyvern re-formed,

Noooo Winston, it would be First Midland Red as some plank decided the Midland Red West Wyvern was a Reason to nickname the area covered Wyvern rather than Midland Red West or Midland Red.

Judging by the state of First Group at present, they are all planks.....

[tank90]

It would basically be First Wyvern re-formed,

Noooo Winston, it would be First Midland Red as some plank decided the Midland Red West Wyvern was a Reason to nickname the area covered Wyvern rather than Midland Red West or Midland Red.

Judging by the state of First Group at present, they are all planks.....

I'll second that.

[ilovetea4370]

Vx54mxy on 16,.

Thanks to 37351ml, here is 30934
http://www.flickr.com/photos/john-s-91/8891652160/

Nice shot! It was on the 50 yesterday too but only managed a crap phone pic :(

[Cedric]

30013 was on the 3 in Kidderminster today

[nitromatt1]

MPD 20202 is on a rare working of the 002 today! Photo to follow.

Meanwhile, Royal Centro 30822 is on the 4...

[PM]

I got 30822 on the 4 today-brilliant bus tho it still had original notices for the 9 service and looked a bit uncared for

[nitromatt1]

As promised: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nitromatt1/8952113172/