Bus Link, Drakelow

[Tony]

A new operator in the West Midlands running the Boots contract from Walsall to Burton on Trent.

They were using former Midland Classic SN57 BKL today

[B61 ANDREW]

Any connection to Deluxe of Drakelow ??

[Tony]

Any connection to Deluxe of Drakelow ??

No, This is James Boddice from Midland Classic

[Michael Bevan]

A new operator in the West Midlands running the Boots contract from Walsall to Burton on Trent.

They were using former Midland Classic SN57 BKL today

Just seen SN57 BKL in Erdington on the X11 (Newtown to Burton Boots Contract).

[fleetline6477]

Can't find any reference to this operator. What else do you know about them Tony?

[the trainbasher]

Can't find any reference to this operator. What else do you know about them Tony?

It's owned by James Boddice, the ex Midland Classic MD. Their operating Centre is at Royal Farm Business Park in Drakelow

[hlliwmai]

So James Boddice has set up his own company fair play to him, I wonder if he can make it as successful as Midland Classic and yes before anyone says I know he didn't own Midland I'm just saying that when he was in charge of Midland it always seemed to run like clockwork and never suffered many problems and was always ran well by him and his staff. Good luck to him hopefully he can strive and hopefully he'll be able to expand in time. 

On a separate note I've often wondered why so far Geoff Cross has never ventured back into operating buses again, although I guess it's probably because he's happy the way he is still operating the Centrad side of the business. 

[Vulcan]

James did own Classic along with Julian Peddle around a 70/30 split to him as far I recall 

[EK40]

Looks like they have a new VDL gemini 2 reg LJ59 LWV looks mint tbh with the refurbished interior

[the trainbasher]

• Chaserider service 31 / 32 (peak journeys on Lichfield circulars) will be operated by Bus Link Midlands with the same route and timetable, except the 0945 journey on service 31 and the 0930 journey on service 32 (replacing the current 0915 journey) will be operated by Diamond Bus.

[Westy]

• Chaserider service 31 / 32 (peak journeys on Lichfield circulars) will be operated by Bus Link Midlands with the same route and timetable, except the 0945 journey on service 31 and the 0930 journey on service 32 (replacing the current 0915 journey) will be operated by Diamond Bus.

Chaserider havent been on there that long surely?

[EK40]

New service X66 now on bustimes:
https://bustimes.org/services/x66-lichfield-tamworth

Lichfield - Tamworth every 30 mins
same route as the hourly X65 service by arriva although taking the quick route out of lichfield instead of going through boley park.

edit:
looking at departure times from tamworth, looks like they are going head to head with the arriva X65/765 with departures 5 mins before the arriva services instead of being between them for a combined 15 min frequency between tamworth and lichfield. (BL services leaving at 10/40 when ARV services leave 15/45)

[Straightlines]

New service X66 now on bustimes:
https://bustimes.org/services/x66-lichfield-tamworth

Lichfield - Tamworth every 30 mins
same route as the hourly X65 service by arriva although taking the quick route out of lichfield instead of going through boley park.

edit:
looking at departure times from tamworth, looks like they are going head to head with the arriva X65/765 with departures 5 mins before the arriva services instead of being between them for a combined 15 min frequency between tamworth and lichfield. (BL services leaving at 10/40 when ARV services leave 15/45)

The clocks in Burton-upon-Trent must be set to 1986...

[Wba_lad]

Looks like today was the first day with BusLink on the X66 Lichfield to Tamworth I can imagine arriva are hating it at the moment. 

Former Chaserider 998 which was on loan from BusLink along with 996 and 997, 998 is now repainted and allocated fleet number 79 with bus link and apparently was out on the 63 Cannock to uttoxeter today. 

[EK40]

Looks like today was the first day with BusLink on the X66 Lichfield to Tamworth I can imagine arriva are hating it at the moment.

Former Chaserider 998 which was on loan from BusLink along with 996 and 997, 998 is now repainted and allocated fleet number 79 with bus link and apparently was out on the 63 Cannock to uttoxeter today.

was on 71 earlier on the X66, got to say compared to the citaros that arriva use on the competing routes, the solars are a massive upgrade with clean and refurbished interiors. also that they have fully working audio and visual next stop systems.