Cannock Garage

[Pat]

Id imagine Telford has a much lower age profile?

Their youngest are 6 years old and oldest are 18.

[Depotosw]

You could say its a 'basket case', yes.  Arriva obviously still have the passenger numbers to warrant some form of a service, so that's why they haven't pulled out of Cannock.
It could be said that the period of decline has already happened and that this has been the 'new normal', so I wouldn't have said the current fleet is accelerating the decline.  Telford operate the same vehicles in their fleet and they run perfectly.  Perhaps it is Cannock's maintenance that causes the poor quality of the vehicles that you describe?

Having used the Cannock operated services quite a bit pre lockdown, most of the fleet sampled was fine, vehicles well presented generally too. One that stood out was 3841 which internally could do with some retrims of some seats but in fairness it arrived like that and Cannock have improved sisters 3845/6 from when they first arrived. I have found all the Commanders tidy and yes done most of them over the winter, they are good vehicles, would rather travel on them over Versas and Scanias. 3742/3 were ok when did them both on the 2 Walsall run, 3742 was still a good example as it was when based at Oswestry, 3743 did have a issue with the gearbox and sadly the USB charge points were not working as they had been vandalised. SPDs 2367-70 are still excellent vehicles, despite their age, I'm sure Oswestry (where they were highly regarded) would have them back in a heartbeat and happily send the Scanias the other way :). I couldn't comment too much on the B7RLEs, I avoid them!

Does anyone know if the Southern Counties 3742/3/4 YJ57 BWB/C/E are likely to come to Midlands to become 3842/3/4? I understood they were expected but didn't come due to Wrights not having delivered all the Streetlites due to the administration / production delays last year.

[Bob]

Very poorly sounding FJ06 ZTL on the 60

[l.murphy123]

FYI for anyone using Google maps for bus times like I do, it's incorrectly showing the 2A as running and number 2 serving Blakenall again. It's usually accurate and shows live data but obviously not in this case.

[Bob]

3907 broken down in Lichfield blocking stand, 3740 was broken down in Cannock last fri with its back end sticking out of bus stn

[l.murphy123]

Passed a 62 in Hednesford today it looked very busy. Is it still not making enough revenue for an hourly service? They get financial support for each journey from SCC for the Wimblebury stops too.

[Bob]

Passed a 62 in Hednesford today it looked very busy. Is it still not making enough revenue for an hourly service? They get financial support for each journey from SCC for the Wimblebury stops too.

Was it a Solo lol?

[Bob]

Passed a 62 in Hednesford today it looked very busy. Is it still not making enough revenue for an hourly service? They get financial support for each journey from SCC for the Wimblebury stops too.

As the 862 it had a half hourly service one continued to Lichfield one terminating at Hazel Slade, often using deckers

[Tony]

Passed a 62 in Hednesford today it looked very busy. Is it still not making enough revenue for an hourly service? They get financial support for each journey from SCC for the Wimblebury stops too.

You do realise that there is a pandamic on and passenger numbers are  currently around 50% or less on any route? The government is providing support to operators to compensate this.

[l.murphy123]

You do realise that there is a pandamic on and passenger numbers are  currently around 50% or less on any route? The government is providing support to operators to compensate this.

Really, nobody mentioned a pandemic??

Im speaking in general and if that was indicative of half the usual passager numbers it would have been full today. They only get £53.66 per day for Wimblebury though.

@Bob Half hourly would be too far the opposite lol I don't think people realised the 60 61 62 took the same amount of time for the full length.

[l.murphy123]

Number 1 no longer showing on most the Bloxwich and Leamore bus stop flags...

[Bus Man K2]

Number 1 no longer showing on most the Bloxwich and Leamore bus stop flags...

Is that the same for the 2A?

[l.murphy123]

Is that the same for the 2A?

Sorry forgot, yes 2A included. Currently though the number 2 runs similar time to the 2A so those two evening journeys aren't lost unless you're not on route.

[Westy]

Wonder how long they'll give the current 2 route around Leamore before they decide to change it again?

(Still think they ought to turn right at KFC & send it through Beechdale personally. They were on a hiding to nothing sending it round Blakenall, as NX had that route sewn up, as Diamond found out, when they ran 29's over there, or alternatively send it to Blakenall again, but have it come down Blakenall Lane into Leamore, & into Walsall that way!)

As for the 2a, keep the current daytime 2 route, until Turnberry, then as current 2a route.

[Bob]

Simon said he "would like to think" or "would hope" that the 1 would be coming back? Did he think or hope wrong? Lol