(10/05/2013 11:26)polarbear Wrote: [ -> ]That said, I would like to see a faster service between Chester and Liverpool, even if this were only hourly & am hoping Stagecoach may consider that at some future point?
Not particularly likely I'm afraid as the Merseytravel head of QPs when interviewed in one of the trade mags last year stated that they accept that the majority of public transport users between Chester and Liverpool make their way by train, hence the rather convoluted routes of the 1 and 2.
Either Arriva or Stagecoach are unlikely to introduce what you suggest, as it would probably generate most of its revenue by abstracting it from the current 1 and 2. I would suggest the demise of what was the X8 in favour of the original 1 during First's stewardship should give an indication of the market for bus travel between Chester and Liverpool.
I suspect if you segmented travel on the service 1 it would be
Chester - Chester Zoo
Chester - Cheshire Oaks
Chester - Great Sutton
Cheshire Oaks - Liverpool
Cheshire Oaks - Birkenhead
Cheshire Oaks - New Ferry / Bromborough / Eastham .
Chester Zoo traffic seems to come mainly from Bache , basically due to the add on ticket to the train.
sightseeing trident out today with sticker in window. plain red. according to the driver they are getting another y reg and an 05 reg. the green olympian was in use yesterday as the bus to escort the chester football team round the city. bit of suprise as normally its mikes heritage bus. apparently this is on loan and also it doesnt have a PA system which is why it hasnt been in use on sightseeing route to date.
(12/05/2013 16:43)clarkethomas94 Wrote: [ -> ]sightseeing trident out today with sticker in window. plain red. according to the driver they are getting another y reg and an 05 reg. the green olympian was in use yesterday as the bus to escort the chester football team round the city. bit of suprise as normally its mikes heritage bus. apparently this is on loan and also it doesnt have a PA system which is why it hasnt been in use on sightseeing route to date.
Sightseeing Tridents are:
17455 Y526 NHK
17470 Y531 NHK
17479 LX51 FLR
17502 LX51 FNE
Considering Peak Season Vehicle requirements for Open Top vehicles what is the PVR of the open top fleet ?
(10/05/2013 11:37)wirralbus Wrote: [ -> ]think the problem that both Arriva and First have now is that most passengers have got used to the present routes of both services and to change them now may be detrimental to there profitability.
Its not the end to end journey time that is the problem now but the links between certain areas of routes that may be demolished if you went for a direct service , like Great Sutton to Cheshire Oaks.
Looking at the route of a more direct service there doesnt really look like there is any potential revenue generators after Great Sutton Village Centre.
You only need a set of return express journeys in each direction.
Leave Liverpool at 07:45 - Arrive Chester 08:45
Leave Liverpool at 17:15 - Arrive Chester 18:15
Leave Chester at 07:45 - Arrive Liverpool 08:45
Leave Chester at 17:15 - Arrive Liverpool 18:15
Send it via Birkenhead Bus Station, New Ferry Bypass, Eastham avoiding Bromborough village, M53, Chester.
Could easily be done in 60 minutes.
(13/05/2013 08:33)wirralbus Wrote: [ -> ]Considering Peak Season Vehicle requirements for Open Top vehicles what is the PVR of the open top fleet ?
Could be wrong, but I think it is 2 Monday to Friday, 3 on a Saturday, and 3 daily over school holidays.
(13/05/2013 09:55)First Class Wrote: [ -> ] (10/05/2013 11:37)wirralbus Wrote: [ -> ]think the problem that both Arriva and First have now is that most passengers have got used to the present routes of both services and to change them now may be detrimental to there profitability.
Its not the end to end journey time that is the problem now but the links between certain areas of routes that may be demolished if you went for a direct service , like Great Sutton to Cheshire Oaks.
Looking at the route of a more direct service there doesnt really look like there is any potential revenue generators after Great Sutton Village Centre.
You only need a set of return express journeys in each direction.
Leave Liverpool at 07:45 - Arrive Chester 08:45
Leave Liverpool at 17:15 - Arrive Chester 18:15
Leave Chester at 07:45 - Arrive Liverpool 08:45
Leave Chester at 17:15 - Arrive Liverpool 18:15
Send it via Birkenhead Bus Station, New Ferry Bypass, Eastham avoiding Bromborough village, M53, Chester.
Could easily be done in 60 minutes.
A peak service missing the major traffic generators on the route of New Ferry and Bromborough would financial suicide.
Thanks to all who have replied to my earlier comment regarding a form of express service between Chester & Liverpool.
At the time the X8 was replaced with the 1, I was a member of the public transport liasion committee with the former Cheshire CC & was at the meeting when First announced the changeover. At the time, I said that I felt there was still a market for a "fast" service between the two point, though I acknowledged that Cheshire Oaks was a big revenue generator.
At that time, the train service between Chester & Liverpool was every 30 minutes. It's now every 15 minutes & loading well so the demand IS there, it's just that the bus companies have given up on it & left it to the trains.
Not everyone who travels between Chester & Liverpool finds the train is necessarily convenient. Certainly, there are large areas of Ellesmere Port that aren't particularly close to the railway.
My idea would be to extend some of the present X2's from Ellesmere Port to Liverpool, (say hourly). From E'Port, I would operate this by running over Westminster Bridge & then up the M53 to Hooton. From there, all stops to Port Sunlight, then New Ferry by-pass, Birkenhead bus station & on to Liverpool. The running time between E'port & Liverpool would be around 45 minutes so would require an additional two vehicles.
This would increase the number of services running up the A41 but from what I have seen, the loadings are becoming quite healthy up there & an extra bus each hour would help matters.
I agree such a service may abstract some revenue from the existing services 1 & 2, but I think this would be short term as overall, I would expect passenger numbers to rise as people like myself, attracted by both price & convenience, would opt for the bus rather than the train, (which is NOT cheap in the peak hours, unlike the bus).