Pensnett Garage

[Keith]

I reckon the Dudley Road services may be moving there as 4506 has been debranded.

[MW]

I reckon the Dudley Road services may be moving there as 4506 has been debranded.

I don't think thats strictly relevant. That's likely just been repainted like any other bus.

[Ash]

If transferred to DY the 82 will have to interchange with the 87 in Birmingham to allow driver changes in Dudley I would think, also why would WB have to lose any services anyway if they keep the outer parking area and garage then no service transfers would have to happen as i would think PVR will decrease after the review not increase or just remain the same or very similar. The 688 would not transfer as DY dont operate any solo's or minibuses to operate the service and 2 darts i doubt will transfer there due to type training and if off road a b6le or merc would be used as a replacement. How about the 311/313 services? doubt it as the omnilinks are used and therefore more vehicle type training.

[winston]

If you look at the pdf site plan, the extra land is a fair old size adding 77,155 sq ft of additional parking space, although it's a narrower plot, it's long and it may not be that far off the current area of parking space, therefore doubling the size of the parking area. However, I suspect some of the additional land will be required to provide additional staff parking, as that's already an issue with the current allocation 

Using the ruler function of Google Earth, the current site is about 99,500 sq ft, with the current yard about 82,500 sq ft.  Therefore, the extra land will increase the current area by over 90%.  The current allocation at Pensnett is about 111.

Thanks Roy, I didn't go to that much trouble, the new plot isn't as wide, but it goes back along way. I wasn't actually far away in saying the new land will double the size of the parking area. Who'd have thought that Pensnett could potentially become a super garage in the future with a 200 vehicle allocation. Interesting times ahead me thinks and on the doorstep too..........

[karl724223]

work on the main yard being dug up today in front of despatch office and bottom gate. parking for cars and buses on new top yard now and top of the bottom yard by the shed fenced off for contractors use

[richie]

dudley services or merry hill/stourbridge services theres a clue

Maybe the 87/82, 255/255E and 257 ?

Richie, would the 256 not be included in those as that is interworked with the above.

That would then beg the question as to what double deckers could be transferred in to Pensnett, 82/87 is currently Volvo B7TL/Wright Gemini while the 255/6 & 257 are Trident/ALX400, all of which are currently non standard to Pensnett. Surely you wouldn't want to consider introducing two additional types of double deckers due to having to carry spares/train the fitters etc

I can understand WB loosing routes if they decide to close the former Stevensons overflow bus park, but WN's fleet strength is already quite a bit below what is has been in the past, what we be the benefit of WN loosing further Pvr/routes?

Maybe the 256 but i wouldn't be surprised if it didn't move to Pensnett and as for the deckers i have no idea of any changes up coming on this but it would make sense to transfer the b7tl to PB and the older enviros from PB to Pensnett.

[winston]

dudley services or merry hill/stourbridge services theres a clue

Maybe the 87/82, 255/255E and 257 ?

Richie, would the 256 not be included in those as that is interworked with the above.

That would then beg the question as to what double deckers could be transferred in to Pensnett, 82/87 is currently Volvo B7TL/Wright Gemini while the 255/6 & 257 are Trident/ALX400, all of which are currently non standard to Pensnett. Surely you wouldn't want to consider introducing two additional types of double deckers due to having to carry spares/train the fitters etc

I can understand WB loosing routes if they decide to close the former Stevensons overflow bus park, but WN's fleet strength is already quite a bit below what is has been in the past, what we be the benefit of WN loosing further Pvr/routes?

Maybe the 256 but i wouldn't be surprised if it didn't move to Pensnett and as for the deckers i have no idea of any changes up coming on this but it would make sense to transfer the b7tl to PB and the older enviros from PB to Pensnett.

Thanks Richie, The swap of B7TL's & early Enviros make sense. Do you know when any builders works at Pensnett have to be complete by?

[Discodave]

Im guessing routes 27/27A, 81, 82, 255, 256 and 257 would possibly be moved or some of those anyway

257 yes but what work would woverhampton do if all these went they have no problem running the 255/6

[winston]

Im guessing routes 27/27A, 81, 82, 255, 256 and 257 would possibly be moved or some of those anyway

257 yes but what work would woverhampton do if all these went they have no problem running the 255/6

I've thought the same, as WN garage is currently under capacity as it is

[Discodave]

Pennsnett cant do everything seems like people want them to do wolverhampton,dudley,west bromwich,brimingham routes why not put walsall in as well it might be being extended but they are not buying up all of pensnet trading estate get real some people please and be a little more realistic PL is under capasity, WA now does a lot of wolverhampton services espically in the wednesfield area as well as the 404 Pensnett is either a black country/sandwell garage or a birmingham area garage it cant do both

[D10]

Pennsnett cant do everything seems like people want them to do wolverhampton,dudley,west bromwich,brimingham routes why not put walsall in as well it might be being extended but they are not buying up all of pensnet trading estate get real some people please and be a little more realistic PL is under capasity, WA now does a lot of wolverhampton services espically in the wednesfield area as well as the 404 Pensnett is either a black country/sandwell garage or a birmingham area garage it cant do both

Well said, I too thought this topic was getting a little bit far fetched. At the moment this is only to create a bit more space at the garage, there is no grand plan to expand the operations of Pensnett to be a kind of super garage.

[winston]

Pennsnett cant do everything seems like people want them to do wolverhampton,dudley,west bromwich,brimingham routes why not put walsall in as well it might be being extended but they are not buying up all of pensnet trading estate get real some people please and be a little more realistic PL is under capasity, WA now does a lot of wolverhampton services espically in the wednesfield area as well as the 404 Pensnett is either a black country/sandwell garage or a birmingham area garage it cant do both

Well said, I too thought this topic was getting a little bit far fetched. At the moment this is only to create a bit more space at the garage, there is no grand plan to expand the operations of Pensnett to be a kind of super garage.

Have you seen the size of the plot of additional land? It doesn't create a bit more space, it virtually doubles the size of the parking area. If the intention was to snap the plot of land up while it was available to allow for future expansion that's fine, but why are they also taking on an additional unit to go with it. I know some of the functions currently have to work out of portacabins etc, but surely a plot of land that size / additional unit will drastically increase the operating costs of Pensnett, without an increase in work, surely profits from the garage would be reduced 

[D10]

Good points Winston, but if they transfer work form other garages it would have the same effect there, as the operating costs would still be the same, but another garage would have less work.

Hopefully we got a good deal on the rental costs from London & Cambridge properties to take over an otherwise unused piece of land

[winston]

Good points Winston, but if they transfer work form other garages it would have the same effect there, as the operating costs would still be the same, but another garage would have less work.

Hopefully we got a good deal on the rental costs from London & Cambridge properties to take over an otherwise unused piece of land

Fair point D10, I can't any reason why WN would need to lose any more routes, as I've previously said they are about 10%+ under capacity on their highest ever allocation. I still think loosing the overflow bus park at WB may be an option.

There could be increased requirements due to Brierley Hill / Merry Hill network improvements, but I can't see that increasing PE's Pvr that much. Then there are the Sandwell Review changes, again I'd be very surprised if that led to any significant increase in WB / PE Pvr's. Generally in the past bus reviews have seen Pvr cuts or with Coventry unchanged. Time will tell I guess!
Another possible scenario is that the additional land at Pensnett could be used in the interim to store part of the reserve fleet. With LH no longer available, MS is pretty full & the car park only seems to be being used to store vehicles for sale with Volant

[karl724223]

we have a winner with the correct answer