First Bus - Leicester

[xmj-signal]

An interesting change (or rather lack of) in the up-coming revisions next Sunday: while the list of changes on the First website shows that 54 Beaumont Leys will revert to running along Abbey Park Road, there is no similar information for the 25/26 routes. So, I asked the question via the website contact form and have received the following reply:

Good Afternoon,
...
I can confirm there are no current plans for the 25/26 to return along Abbey Park Road. Only the 53 (they mean 54) will use Abbey Park Road
...

I was also told the same last week at the Travel Shop, after the person behind the counter phoned someone to ask. So apparently the 25 inward and 26 outward are going to continue operating via Ravensbridge Drive, which seems a little strange.

[SSmith09]

An interesting change (or rather lack of) in the up-coming revisions next Sunday: while the list of changes on the First website shows that 54 Beaumont Leys will revert to running along Abbey Park Road, there is no similar information for the 25/26 routes. So, I asked the question via the website contact form and have received the following reply:

Good Afternoon,
...
I can confirm there are no current plans for the 25/26 to return along Abbey Park Road. Only the 53 (they mean 54) will use Abbey Park Road
...

I was also told the same last week at the Travel Shop, after the person behind the counter phoned someone to ask. So apparently the 25 inward and 26 outward are going to continue operating via Ravensbridge Drive, which seems a little strange.

Maybe its been kept that way to avoid Abbey Park Road being over bussed and to keep it simple.

[Fin W]

2 more GB kites have arrived

[SSmith09]

streetlites 63109 and 63110 have reportedly turned up at Abbey Lane.

I'd hazard a guess they'll be for the service revisions on Sunday which requires extra buses

[Fin W]

63109/10 were parked up at Weymouth with ticket machines removed the other day

[Glenfieldmathk1]

An interesting change (or rather lack of) in the up-coming revisions next Sunday: while the list of changes on the First website shows that 54 Beaumont Leys will revert to running along Abbey Park Road, there is no similar information for the 25/26 routes. So, I asked the question via the website contact form and have received the following reply:

Good Afternoon,
...
I can confirm there are no current plans for the 25/26 to return along Abbey Park Road. Only the 53 (they mean 54) will use Abbey Park Road
...

I was also told the same last week at the Travel Shop, after the person behind the counter phoned someone to ask. So apparently the 25 inward and 26 outward are going to continue operating via Ravensbridge Drive, which seems a little strange.

I asked the same on Twitter but didn't really get a response other than "I'll ask the depot"!
But I did notice.. blackbird Road now has the new bus stops & flags at Devonshire Road both directions. Which indeed would mean the 25/26 will stay on that route.
I'd say they've likely done it so that there's a service on Blackbird Road and a service on Abbey Park Road rather than both services running on Abbey Park Road and none in the area of blackbird Road?

I believe it will also be the only service from First to now use the Abbey Street bus stop. As all other services that use that stop will leave from St.Margaret's. (And 54 back to leaving via Belgrave gate)

[xmj-signal]

....
I'd say they've likely done it so that there's a service on Blackbird Road and a service on Abbey Park Road rather than both services running on Abbey Park Road and none in the area of blackbird Road?
....

That's possible, though why it's needed now when it apparently wasn't before is puzzling.

I wonder what effect the diversion away from Groby Road junction of all traffic from Woodgate for Blackbird Road (now being routed along Abbey Gate and Ravensbridge Drive) will have on the queues at the Blackbird Road/Ravensbridge Drive traffic lights.

[Glenfieldmathk1]

Updated route map now available:
https://www.firstbus.co.uk/sites/default/files/public/maps/Leicester%20network%20map%20apr23.pdf

Interestingly.. they've added the bus stop stands for city & Beaumont centre to this. Before they had a separate guide so I guess they will be getting rid of the guide?

Also noted: 54 is now blue! 15 is now bright green. 16 is a shade darker in green than before. Also noted Ravensbridge drive & blackbird Road for 25/26 (before it still showed abbey park road). They've also recoloured that from Mauve to indigo..
I know they don't use the colours anymore as such but it's nice to identify the routes in such a way. (Timetables at stops seem to be pink & blue regardless of route).
Eventually they could be brought back as it's still one of the aims of the Leicester bus plan.

1 error.. see if you spot it! (Clue bus stop guide for city).

[xmj-signal]

Ideally I'd have diverted the outbound 16 right onto Broad Avenue through the General Hospital (same as HH and 40 do) then left onto Coleman Road, right onto Green Lane Road/Wicklow Drive to do the Gamel road loop then back into General Hospital the same way via Coleman Road.

Would save doing a double loop of Coleman Road and no stops would be missed either too.

The new Network Map is now available on the First Leicester website:

https://www.firstbus.co.uk/leicester/routes-and-maps/network-maps

This shows that the outward route 16 WILL turn right at the end of St Saviours Road, climb up Broad Avenue and run through the General Hospital grounds towards Coleman Road. While this does seem logical, it does also mean that passengers FROM the City to the section of Coleman Road between Broad Avenue and General Hospital Drive will either have a bit of a walk or will need to travel right round the new Goodwood loop to get off on the inward journey.

[xmj-signal]

The new Network Map is now available on the First Leicester website:

https://www.firstbus.co.uk/leicester/routes-and-maps/network-maps

This shows that the outward route 16 WILL turn right at the end of St Saviours Road, climb up Broad Avenue and run through the General Hospital grounds towards Coleman Road. While this does seem logical, it does also mean that passengers FROM the City to the section of Coleman Road between Broad Avenue and General Hospital Drive will either have a bit of a walk or will need to travel right round the new Goodwood loop to get off on the inward journey.

Actually, having done a bit more investigating, I think the map is probably incorrect.

I've just been looking at the journey planner for an extended route 16 journey on Tuesday next week and, when showing 'all stops', it still shows calls at 'Crown Hills, adj Thorpewell', 'Crown Hills, adj Devon Way' and 'Crown Hills, opp Ambulance Station' which would suggest that the outward buses will still turn left down Broad Avenue then right onto Coleman Road - they presumably will then swing round on the dual-carriageway section of General Hospital Drive by the current terminal stop to head back towards Coleman Road and Goodwood.

It's not like First to get things like this wrong, I must say, but I think they must have in this case.

[Glenfieldmathk1]

Actually, having done a bit more investigating, I think the map is probably incorrect.

I've just been looking at the journey planner for an extended route 16 journey on Tuesday next week and, when showing 'all stops', it still shows calls at 'Crown Hills, adj Thorpewell', 'Crown Hills, adj Devon Way' and 'Crown Hills, opp Ambulance Station' which would suggest that the outward buses will still turn left down Broad Avenue then right onto Coleman Road - they presumably will then swing round on the dual-carriageway section of General Hospital Drive by the current terminal stop to head back towards Coleman Road and Goodwood.

It's not like First to get things like this wrong, I must say, but I think they must have in this case.

Well spotted.. I didn't notice that. Which means there's 2 mistakes.
My original post for the map, the error I mentioned was with the stops - 54 will not use BE but should say BF!

[Fin W]

Updated route map now available:
https://www.firstbus.co.uk/sites/default/files/public/maps/Leicester%20network%20map%20apr23.pdf

Interestingly.. they've added the bus stop stands for city & Beaumont centre to this. Before they had a separate guide so I guess they will be getting rid of the guide?

Also noted: 54 is now blue! 15 is now bright green. 16 is a shade darker in green than before. Also noted Ravensbridge drive & blackbird Road for 25/26 (before it still showed abbey park road). They've also recoloured that from Mauve to indigo..
I know they don't use the colours anymore as such but it's nice to identify the routes in such a way. (Timetables at stops seem to be pink & blue regardless of route).
Eventually they could be brought back as it's still one of the aims of the Leicester bus plan.

1 error.. see if you spot it! (Clue bus stop guide for city).

Do we know if they are still planning to have different coloured liveries/branding on the buses for each route?

[Glenfieldmathk1]

Do we know if they are still planning to have different coloured liveries/branding on the buses for each route?

It's still one of the "objectives" according to their Leicester buses website. Not sure though if it could literally mean one blue stripe or brown stripe etc on a green bus?

[Fin W]

It's still one of the "objectives" according to their Leicester buses website. Not sure though if it could literally mean one blue stripe or brown stripe etc on a green bus?

Any amount of colour is better than having them all green.

[Glenfieldmathk1]

33 double deckers we're in use during the main peak today.. 35 if you include the 2 on BHX services and 36 if you include a short running on 14 (for one E400).
If they've only ordered 18 electric double deckers.. it's not clear to me how this will be enough?
I guess could the orders be flexible? And more DD's arrive instead? Or is it certain 68 must be single deckers?

15 & 54 both ran fully double decker.. 14/A had 1 single the rest double deckers. 13 ran fully double decker except the extra peak single decker in AM.. plus 4 ran with the usual mixed board.
Interestingly no DD's on 16 or 74.. 1 DD did run on 38A for 1 early evening journey.
Perhaps 15 & 54 may become mixed boards once they work out where to best place them..

13W (DD) still becomes the first 54 from Beaumont centre.