Stagecoach in Coventry & Warwickshire

[Valandil]

We could do with a general thread for Stagecoach.

Here is some more on the takeover of PRS later this month:
http://www.coventryobserver.co.uk/2014/04/03/news-Stagecoach-takes-over-city-park-and-ride-102782.html

[JoNi]

Stagecoach buses in Coventry seen sporting little orange stickers in windscreen saying fares are going to be revised this weekend.

[Valandil]

Stagecoach buses in Coventry seen sporting little orange stickers in windscreen saying fares are going to be revised this weekend.

I'm particularly sad that the DayRider Gold is going up again, now to £8.25 (£4.15 on Sundays).
The service and investment from this company is absolutely great on the whole, but travelling any distance is rather expensive to say the least!

[stuartn]

this new route registration from VOSA today seems an odd one to me but it's really good to see Stagecoach expanding further into Leicestershire.

PD0000479/288 - MIDLAND RED (SOUTH) LTD T/A STAGECOACH MIDLANDS, MAIN ROAD, FAR COTTON, NORTHAMPTON, NN4 8ES
Registration Accepted
Starting Point: Nuneaton
Finish Point: Fosse Park
Via:
Service Number: 10
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 02-JUN-2014
Other Details: Monday-Saturday approx every 20 minutes Nuneaton - Hinckley with hourly extension to Fosee Park

[James4368]

had a look around stagecoach midlands leamington spa depot today really enjoyed it pictures will be on flickr

[Valandil]

had a look around stagecoach midlands leamington spa depot today really enjoyed it pictures will be on flickr

Some good pictures there!
I especially like the old Olly displaying 'Leamington X17'.

[James4368]

part and part 2 are on youtube

[jc]

16617 Unibus Liveried Olympian was on the X17 today.

[nitromatt1]

16617 Unibus Liveried Olympian was on the X17 today.

Cracking spot, quite a contrast with the Enviro200s normally on there.

[poolmeadow]

There are a couple of X17 workings in the evening which are double deck as they work off other running cards. At least one on a Saturday is a Unibus E400.

[Valandil]

SERVICE U17

COVENTRY – UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK – LEAMINGTON - SYDENHAM

Stagecoach - Revised timetable and route

Service U17 on Sundays is revised to operate via Coventry Park & Ride. The frequency is now every 20 minutes throughout the year. Mondays to Saturdays unchanged. Please contact Stagecoach on 0845 600 1314 for further details.

SERVICES X15/X18

COVENTRY – KENILWORTH – LEAMINGTON – WARWICK/BISHOPS TACHBROOK – WELLESBOURNE - STRATFORD

Stagecoach - Revised timetable and route

These services are revised and operate via Coventry Park & Ride, there are timetable changes as a result of this route change. Please contact Stagecoach on 0845 600 1314 for further details.


SERVICE X16

COVENTRY – KENILWORTH – LEEK WOOTTON – WARWICK - STRATFORD

Stagecoach - Revised timetable , route and service number

This service is revised and operates via Coventry Park & Ride. Service 16 is renumbered to Service X16 and there are timetable changes as a result of this route change. The additional journeys between Kenilworth and Coventry are withdrawn, please see Service 86 for a replacement. Please contact Stagecoach on 0845 600 1314 for further details.


SERVICES X17/X19

COVENTRY – KENILWORTH – LEAMINGTON – WARWICK HOSPITAL - WARWICK

Stagecoach - Revised timetable and route

Most journeys now operate as Service X17 and via Coventry Park & Ride with resultant timetable changes. Please contact Stagecoach on 0845 600 1314 for further details.


SERVICE 86

RUGBY – WOLSTON – BINLEY WOODS - COVENTRY – KENILWORTH

Stagecoach - Revised timetable  and route

This service is revised and is extended from Coventry to Kenilworth every 30 minutes via Whitley and replace the journeys withdrawn on Service 16. There are timetable changes as a result of this route change. Please contact Stagecoach on 0845 600 1314 for further details.

I certainly didn't see the last of these coming!

Okay so it seems that the X16 will be running from Stratford to Willenhall and Binley!
So this must be the replacement for the 27.
The journey one way is just under two hours in length.
Let's hope that passengers around the Binley area don't get confused between the 16, 16A and X16 ... far from being an express service, the X16 will by far be the slowest of them to the city!

EDIT: The full timetables for these services have now been published on Stagecoach website.

[Valandil]

Yeah, Midland Red South "Metro" introduced a service T to Rowley Drive around 1993 then added a variant service R (peak direct journeys) some time later. The T initially covered The Mount, Abbey Road, Middle Ride and Yarningale Rd.  Chace and Stonehouse were added to the route at a later stage. (Was the T and R subsidised in any part?)

Before service T Rowley Drive had a 9B service ran by Vanguard (a company also mopped up by Stagecoach) running via Hillfields, Binley Road, Ernesford Grange and Chace Ave, shorter service 9 journeys terminated at Chace Ave.
Services 9/9B and T "rubbed shoulders" for a while around 1993/4 but Chace was seemingly added to service T when the 9/9B was dropped and Stonehouse Estate got a new bus service.

The T and R may have lasted into Stagecoach days briefly, but ended up being morphed into supported service A1 then 11 then 3A then 27 ;)

EDIT:
The outcome of this is rather disappointing considering the idea I had (no grudge against Stagecoach).

Stagecoach service X16 (renumbered from 16) is now confirmed as being extended to Toll Bar End Willenhall (seemingly not serving Toll Bar End) to replace the 27 creating a direct link to Corporation St and Warwick Road so... it's nearly as good as I had hoped for. :)
And finally... potential confusion for London Road where journeys towards Stratford will be heading towards Coventry. ;)

Buses towards Rugby will also be heading in roughly the opposite direction on the 86 around the London Road area!
Imagine seeing an 86 and a 580 both towards Rugby heading in almost opposite directions around the island near JLR Whitley.
The 86 may also confuse Kenilworthers if they aren't aware that it goes through Coventry first as well.
I really hope that they do the displays well: imagine seeing an X16 leaving Stratford displaying just 'Binley' or 'Willenhall', perhaps thinking the latter is the one in Birmingham!

One thing I have to wonder about is why the Stonehouse Estate is deemed to need a bus service when other places, just as far away from the nearest 'main bus route' (in this case the 21) do not have a service.
NB: I'm not complaining about this, just curious as to why certain areas are supported and others are not.

I'm not sure about the etiquette of replying on a different thread, but figured that this post would belong here most since it is mainly about Stagecoach.

[F37 XOF]

I found the Stagey network more & more confusing after all those recent changes...
Now it seems like the Coventry-Stratford link exists with loads of different numbers which will need some time to be identified. And I agree that it'll be a great surprise to see a 86 running into Kenilworth, while it's been the Coventry-Rugby link for years. Yet at the end of the day it's nice to see a more complete network between the different towns around Warwickshire.

[paulb1973]

I found the Stagey network more & more confusing after all those recent changes...
Now it seems like the Coventry-Stratford link exists with loads of different numbers which will need some time to be identified. And I agree that it'll be a great surprise to see a 86 running into Kenilworth, while it's been the Coventry-Rugby link for years. Yet at the end of the day it's nice to see a more complete network between the different towns around Warwickshire.

I agree - the Stagecoach group of services out of Coventry are threatening to get very confusing for passengers. The extension of the 86 to Kenilworth is going to create a sort of "^" (i.e. an up-side-down v-shaped) route as Rugby - Coventry - Kenilworth and the reverse direction.

The NXC 16/16a at its eastern end runs through Stoke Aldermoor, Ernesford Grange, Binley towards the Hospital - while the Stagecoach X16 will traverse more Whitley & Willenhall at one end of its route, not forgetting its run to Stratford, that's quite a lot services using the number '16' heading south/south-east from Coventry city-centre! Certainly the X16 won't be much of an express service despite the prefix. I had originally thought the extension to cover for the loss of the NXC 27 might go outbound Coventry - Willenhall - Stratford, with the inbound journeys the reverse. In-fact it is; Willenhall - Coventry - Stratford/Stratford - Coventry - Willenhall, like two routes cross-linked together NXC style. As mentioned, passengers could potentially see "Willenhall via Coventry & Whitley" on this X16 service in the middle of Stratford town centre!

[Valandil]

I agree that these changes are largely for the better: looking forwards!

One thing I don't like though is that the number X19 is being retained just for journeys which go via Leyes Lane.
Some of the times given have to be wrong as well (Kenilworth Clock to JLR Whitley in 4 minutes?)
It will also be interesting to see the route that the 86 takes between JLR Whitley and Wyandotte in the peaks, since in some cases it takes 20 minutes or more!