New Sunday Interworking Arrangements At Walsall(NX & Arriva) from 24/7/2016

[Westy]

Don't suppose anyone knows them yet, do they?

Wasn't Arriva's 35/41 /77 & 8A /335, for example?

Now NX has the daytime 41, has anything been added?

[Sh4318]

Don't suppose anyone knows them yet, do they?

Wasn't Arriva's 35/41 /77 & 8A /335, for example?

Now NX has the daytime 41, has anything been added?

Looking at the timetables, the 37 and 41 inter work at Willenhall on Sundays

[Dom]

Looking at the timetables, the 37 and 41 inter work at Willenhall on Sundays

Correct and in the evenings.

[GeminiFan1991]

I've been wanting to ask this question for a while now and I didn't want to create a thread just for it so here goes. Exactly why do routes interwork ? I know what it is and routes that do it (e.g. X51/ 997 etc...) but I've just never understood from an operational perspective. My hunch is that if boards/ timetables are worked out correctly, it can reduce the Vehicle Requirement.

[Dom]

The X51 mainly interworks with the 997E's in Birmingham although do have some interworking with full 997's.

The 243/244 interworks which then interworks with the 276 on evenings.

West brom have the 82 and 87, 42 and 43, 45 and 46 interworks on nights, 47 and 49 interwork on nights, 74 and 75 interwork at times in Birmingham, 83 and 89 and the 127 and 128.

Wolverhampton have the 3, 4 and 6s on Sundays and 54 and 154.

Not sure on other garages. Obviously some running boards have journeys on other routes for example iirc X96/07 has/had a 256 on it(?) and 9/23(?) does the 3pm 205 followed by 9's

[2206]

The X51 mainly interworks with the 997E's in Birmingham although do have some interworking with full 997's.

The 243/244 interworks which then interworks with the 276 on evenings.

West brom have the 82 and 87, 42 and 43, 45 and 46 interworks on nights, 47 and 49 interwork on nights, 74 and 75 interwork at times in Birmingham, 83 and 89 and the 127 and 128.

Wolverhampton have the 3, 4 and 6s on Sundays and 54 and 154.

Not sure on other garages. Obviously some running boards have journeys on other routes for example iirc X96/07 has/had a 256 on it(?) and 9/23(?) does the 3pm 205 followed by 9's

BC -
70 and 73 interwork in the day.
70 and 56 interwork in the evening and on Sundays.
22 and 23 interwork.
24 and 29 interwork evenings and Sundays.
58 and 59 interwork.

BY 55 and 55A interwork.
PB 52 and 52A interwork .
AG 71 and 72 interwork Monday - Saturday daytime
YW 76 and 49 intwework on Sundays.

[MW]

I've been wanting to ask this question for a while now and I didn't want to create a thread just for it so here goes. Exactly why do routes interwork ? I know what it is and routes that do it (e.g. X51/ 997 etc...) but I've just never understood from an operational perspective. My hunch is that if boards/ timetables are worked out correctly, it can reduce the Vehicle Requirement.

The reason routes inter work is this.

Imagine a route, we'll call it the number 10 (Birmingham to Narnia). The number 10 takes 90 minutes to do a round trip. The 10 runs every 60 minutes, so requires 2 vehicles. That means that after every round trip, the bus will be sitting for 30 minutes.

Now imagine there's another route, we'll call it the 11 (Birmingham to Timbucktoo). This route also runs every 60 minutes, and takes 90 minutes for a round trip. This route will need 2 buses. This route also has a 30 minute gap.

Now both routes 10 & 11 require 2 buses each giving a total of 4. Both of these routes have a 30 minute gap, so 60 minutes in total a bus is sitting at the terminus. The reason for inter working is to eliminate the bus parked up doing nothing and instead working another route. It basically saves the company wasting a bus for 30 minutes and paying a driver. They'd rather it be working somewhere else. By working out the timetable, we can interwork these two routes. So rather than having 60 minutes of sitting around, we can get rid of one bus. The new PVR for routes 10 & 11 is 3.

[GeminiFan1991]

The reason routes inter work is this.

Imagine a route, we'll call it the number 10 (Birmingham to Narnia). The number 10 takes 90 minutes to do a round trip. The 10 runs every 60 minutes, so requires 2 vehicles. That means that after every round trip, the bus will be sitting for 30 minutes.

Now imagine there's another route, we'll call it the 11 (Birmingham to Timbucktoo). This route also runs every 60 minutes, and takes 90 minutes for a round trip. This route will need 2 buses. This route also has a 30 minute gap.

Now both routes 10 & 11 require 2 buses each giving a total of 4. Both of these routes have a 30 minute gap, so 60 minutes in total a bus is sitting at the terminus. The reason for inter working is to eliminate the bus parked up doing nothing and instead working another route. It basically saves the company wasting a bus for 30 minutes and paying a driver. They'd rather it be working somewhere else. By working out the timetable, we can interwork these two routes. So rather than having 60 minutes of sitting around, we can get rid of one bus. The new PVR for routes 10 & 11 is 3.

A nice, clear and concise explanation and exactly I was after.

Does that mean in theory if 2 routes sharing the same terminus (In or outbound) can be made to interwork ?

(If you ever done a lap on the 11 you'd feel as though you just went to Timbuktu :D ) 

[Dom]

Does that mean in theory if 2 routes sharing the same terminus (In or outbound) can be made to interwork ?

Could but only if it helps the company run the service better.

[GeminiFan1991]

Could but only if it helps the company run the service better.

I get it, I suppose the routes may require rescheduling but if it helps cut down on vehicles used (i.e. operational costs) no harm in trying I suppose,

Thanks Mate,

[AndrewLee]

BC -
70 and 73 interwork in the day.
70 and 56 interwork in the evening and on Sundays.
22 and 23 interwork.
24 and 29 interwork evenings and Sundays.
58 and 59 interwork.

BC 61 and 63
45 and 47
Some evening journeys on the 98 and 99
Some evening journeys on the 98 and X64

I think it's changed now but a short while ago there was one evening board that saw the 99 become an X64 for one journey in the evening.

[Stuharris 6360]

I get it, I suppose the routes may require rescheduling but if it helps cut down on vehicles used (i.e. operational costs) no harm in trying I suppose,

Thanks Mate,

@GeminiFan1991 certainly that is the plan although not always.

Interworking is not new, when the Dudley bus review took place in 1976, it was around then.

for instance, the 294 with a PVR of 3 and a half hourly frequency and the 298 with a PVR of 1 and 1/2 hour frequency were initially run as seperate routes, however the 294 with a round trip time of 1 hour 27 minutes and the 298 with a round trip time of 27 minutes struggled for reliability.

So they interworked,

eg: 09:02 294 Stourbridge to Dudley & return 10:29
then 10:50 Stoubridge & Pedmore circular return 11:17
then 11:32 Stourbridge to Dudley.

However to do this the combined PVR had to be increased by 1 bus to 5!

[Dom]

Did the old 206 and 207 interwork?

[Stuharris 6360]

Did the old 206 and 207 interwork?

No I don't think they did, but am willing to be proved wrong on this one.

[MW]

I get it, I suppose the routes may require rescheduling but if it helps cut down on vehicles used (i.e. operational costs) no harm in trying I suppose,

Thanks Mate,

With inter working, there's always the problem of traffic. In my example earlier of the 10 & 11 routes. Say there was heavy traffic on the number 10, that would mean that the number 11 would get delayed despite having no traffic on that route.