Arriva take over Midland

[Discodave]

An old agreement I think with centro which chase agreed to when the 560 went through the hospital (NXWM)

[andyr]

The 89s reliabilty issues were sorted out when it became a 30 min frequency instead of every 20 mins. I use the 89 most days and it is always punctual.

[Badger]

The 89 often misses out Cleveland Street when I'm waiting there for the 3, much to the amusement of those waiting for it.

[Discodave]

The 89s reliabilty issues were sorted out when it became a 30 min frequency instead of every 20 mins. I use the 89 most days and it is always punctual.

really

The 89 often misses out Cleveland Street when I'm waiting there for the 3, much to the amusement of those waiting for it.

Proves my point if its so puntual it would run the full route and I have been one of those people plus running in 2's on a 30 min frequency does not help it serving every housing estate side road in Pelsall and High heath split the route always at least 10 mins late getting to Bloxwich from Walsall 

[andyr]

The 89 provides the people of High Heath with a regular and reliable bus service to both Walsall Bloxwich and Wolverhampton. Buses need to be routed were there is a demand for it hence the 89 serving these areas. I would of presumed that someone who worked in the industry would be aware of these basic ingrediants to make a succesful and profitable route

[Discodave]

Yes but if your going to serve every side street and be running along very busy sections of road give the drivers time to do it espically if your joining 2 routes together like the 89 is the 560 when NXWM ran it even though it ran through New cross unlike Arriva it still was on time plus it had time to catch up in Bloxwich if it was late.  Joining up routes may save money and help with driver changes etc but reliability suffers

[Bob]

Hopefully they wont paint many! The Midland Darts are worse Tat than their own!

[andy]

This has been covered in several threads now!

Arriva are unlikely to paint many of the Midland vehicles. Any day now the new Citaros are due to enter service at Tamworth which will release around 20 B6's for Midland.  This is on top of a number of vehicles being released from Burton by the refurbished London Geminis and other vehicle movements which are probably due to occur.

I would also anticipate that creating some 'spare' capacity to free up any Midland vehicles that are being retained in order to start a repainting cycle for them.

My guess though is that the vast majority of the most elderly Darts and many of the Solos will be withdrawn fairly quickly. I will be horrified if I'm wrong, we will see.

[Bob]

Are all of the Citaros at Tamworth ready to go?

[Bob]

Also 'a number of vehicles' from Burton? How many Gemini's are going there I thought it would only be 4? Cant understand why theyve even allocated Double Deckers there to be fair, they dont really have any services that warrant them! Ive seen MPDs cope ( just) on the 1 to Tutbury/Uttoxeter! They certainly dont have any more need for them than Cannock garage...

[andy]

Also 'a number of vehicles' from Burton? How many Gemini's are going there I thought it would only be 4? Cant understand why theyve even allocated Double Deckers there to be fair, they dont really have any services that warrant them! Ive seen MPDs cope ( just) on the 1 to Tutbury/Uttoxeter! They certainly dont have any more need for them than Cannock garage...

They are for the 1, which always used to be 100% decker and I can only imagine has grown somewhat recently, and the X38. To be fair I can't see the reasoning for that but there must be some. I passed one on the A38 at Littleover the other day that has been branded.

The MPD's can't continue on the 1, it is far too demanding for them. They should never have got on there in the first place, much like the Cannock routes.

I was amazed at how many full size SD's and Deckers Arriva replaced with MPD's at Burton, Stafford and Cannock a few years ago. The Burton town services are far too busy for MPD's at times. I think the powers that be are finally starting to realise these errors.

[Bob]

A lot of Cannocks services dont seem to be that busy these days, but certain journeys on the Stafford, and dare i say Lichfields ( ive been on single deckers at bursting point before now). The problem with MPDs is that even on lighter loaded services, theyre not suited to interurbsn routes, as they are horrendously noisy and uncomfortable. Even Solos sound better than them. Travelling to Walsall /Wolverhampton on them is horrible but Arriva still use them. The newer 08 pair of B9TLs borrowed from Derby are for the X38 arent they? or is  that just a temporary measure? The fact that most routes from Cannock are amply covered by single deckers doesnt say a lot does it :-(

[Discodave]

Most of cannock needs full size sd buses and rid of the mpds as you said about interurban routes just for comfort and yes some deckers but as I have said before the interworked stafford work needs to be shifted for lichfield and the 74/5

[Bob]

yea but no daytime 74/5s interwork i dont think somdeckers would be fine. its made today, its omnilink, full size Centros and a sb120 on 31/2/3 and bloody MPDs galore on the pye greens. Doesnt look like the Deckers out today :-(

[Discodave]

its peaks which interwork yes daytime does not but the way Cannock allocate you would land up with a decker on the 825