Diamond West Midlands - Kidderminster

[winston]

Winston

We run hundreds of trips per day in Kidderminster, and there are a whole range of reasons for none operation.  Breakdown, Severe Traffic conditions, etc.  The most common cause is the severe Traffic conditions and delays created by unplanned roadworks.

Anyone who attended the recent PI, would know that our base realibility was 8% higher than the average West Midlands and TFL benchmarked bus reliability.  The difference is our delays seem to be very well highlighted on social media

If you are interested we run over a hundred thousand trips every month and have statistical information for over a million timing points.  I am sure this scale is nothing compared to NX, but we do have a lot of data to review performance to enable the creation of more robust timetables.

According to a West Midlands Bus Page last night National Express didn't operate a number of journeys on the 4. I don't see that mentioned anywhere.  The difference is for whatever reason we have a disproportionate amount of focus on us.

Simon

I know KR routes can suffer badly from traffic congestition which is also compounded by various routes networking. I think you've mentioned previously your looking at the interesting of various routes soon. Obviously you can't go adding additional buses Willy nilly due to cost. Have you considered stationing a spare bus/driver at the bus station to plug long gaps in service as/when they appear? Or having someone on standby?

Obviously with infrequent services, any gaps are more noticeable

I think NX are getting more than enough negative comment due to the lack of information release of SW B'ham changes & uploading of incomplete drafts / prompt removal...

[Cedric]

30938 was still like this when I last saw it parked in KR depot towards the end of May:
http://forum.midlandred.net/download/file.php?id=1349&mode=view

Bit of a half arsed attempt to de-brand it.

was on this bus monday and it has been repainted

[Simon Dunn]

I know KR routes can suffer badly from traffic congestition which is also compounded by various routes networking. I think you've mentioned previously your looking at the interesting of various routes soon. Obviously you can't go adding additional buses Willy nilly due to cost. Have you considered stationing a spare bus/driver at the bus station to plug long gaps in service as/when they appear? Or having someone on standby?

Obviously with infrequent services, any gaps are more noticeable

I think NX are getting more than enough negative comment due to the lack of information release of SW B'ham changes & uploading of incomplete drafts / prompt removal...

Winston,

Off peak the depot naturally has 3 less buses out.  The depot is forecasted to carry a stand by driver, and a Bus Station Supervisor.

There are revised timetables and routes which we are ironing problems out with Worcestershire before we look for public feedback.

The key thing is to isolate each route and to stop any interworking which is what we are looking to moving towards doing


Simon

[winston]

Kidderminster's B7RLE/Centro 30001 has been working out of Tividale today unless recently transferred?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ken_bladon/42313610325/

[mark114]

Seen 30001 this morning in Dudley at about 10am it came in NIS not sure what route if any it's on

[Trident 4194]

No metrocities on 125 today. 30974 was on 202

30932 crashed on 287 blocking the entrance to bus station at 4PM according to Stourbridge news

[andy41]

No metrocities on 125 today. 30974 was on 202

30932 crashed on 287 blocking the entrance to bus station at 4PM according to Stourbridge news

Possibly the worst local paper/clickbait I've ever encountered.

Fridays are extremely busy on the 125 and the Metrocities don't always cope with the loads.

[Solo1]

No metrocities on 125 today.

wonder if all 3 are at paint or off for work to be done on them

[andy41]

wonder if all 3 are at paint or off for work to be done on them

They were allocated elsewhere so that larger capacity vehicles could run the 125.

[Will]

They were allocated elsewhere so that larger capacity vehicles could run the 125.

Who's brain dead idea was that then those Metrocity's were originally bought by Central Buses exclusively for the 125 therefore they should be kept on that route!

[andy41]

Who's brain dead idea was that then those Metrocity's were originally bought by Central Buses exclusively for the 125 therefore they should be kept on that route!

Mine.

Thank you for your insightful advice on how to operate a bus service, I'll be sure to return and learn more.

[Trident 4194]

Mine.

Thank you for your insightful advice on how to operate a bus service, I'll be sure to return and learn more.

So you allocate buses at Kidderminster? Can you explain why your putting full sized buses on the 287 recently too, this seems stupid considering Kidderminster lack of full size buses. So from now 125 to be operated by B7RLE?

[andy41]

So you allocate buses at Kidderminster? Can you explain why your putting full sized buses on the 287 recently too, this seems stupid considering Kidderminster lack of full size buses. So from now 125 to be operated by B7RLE?

No I don't allocate the buses, the Traffic Office Supervisors do that.

On Friday we had an imbalance of small vehicles off the road for routine maintenance so not all services could keep their usual allocation. There are lots of reasons why allocations can vary, the main objective is to achieve a full service with the vehicles available.

The 125 was an assessment to see how those vehicles would perform. The condition of the roads on the route currently doesn't lend itself to the Metrocities very well, plus there are some overcrowding issues.

[Will]

No I don't allocate the buses, the Traffic Office Supervisors do that.

On Friday we had an imbalance of small vehicles off the road for routine maintenance so not all services could keep their usual allocation. There are lots of reasons why allocations can vary, the main objective is to achieve a full service with the vehicles available.

The 125 was an assessment to see how those vehicles would perform. The condition of the roads on the route currently doesn't lend itself to the Metrocities very well, plus there are some overcrowding issues.

"Overcrowding" that's funny there was never any of that when Central Buses were operating it (except on Saturdays when Bridgnorth has its market day) and even if there was the Metrocitys were used regardless as the former Central Buses operations manager YOU should know all this!

[Solo1]

Are any of the Kidderminster buses down for repaint thanks