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Guys, has there been any more info recently about diverting the 1 away from Bache? It was mentioned recently but has gone a little quiet. Nothing on the SGC website.

(28/02/2018 09:31)SandyDrew Wrote: [ -> ]Guys, has there been any more info recently about diverting the 1 away from Bache? It was mentioned recently but has gone a little quiet. Nothing on the SGC website.

Yes, it is confirmed by Cheshire West and Chester that the 1 will no longer serve Mill Lane from 22 April 2018. This is from the last item on:
https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.u...-2018.aspx

(28/02/2018 13:00)Valandil Wrote: [ -> ]Yes, it is confirmed by Cheshire West and Chester that the 1 will no longer serve Mill Lane from 22 April 2018. This is from the last item on:
https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.u...-2018.aspx

So what will the 1 do then ?

What bus will operate down that road to replace it ?

Is there a plan for deckers on the 1 then with diverting it away from Bache. I notice the gold deckers keep making regular appearances on the 2, could they move onto the 1? Personally I would be looking to extend the 1 into Chester Rail Stn use deckers (and move the X8 summer dupes onto the 1) and then make the X8 go fast again to Cheshire Oaks reducing journey times by upto 10 minutes. That then means all round improvements.

I believe there has been talk of using deckers on the 1.

I would like to add at this point that I am not looking for an argument so I apologise in advance if this point causes an argument but in my opinion and I think this may have been mentioned before but the 1 seems to be ridiculously long with it going via Cheshire Oaks and Chester Zoo.

Maybe if a connecting service was introduced ( if it hasn't happened already ) to meet the 1 & 2 at Ellesmere Port bus stn to take passengers to Cheshire Oaks and Chester Zoo the 1 & 2 might be better timed and also place less pressure on the drivers to maintain the schedule especially on the 2 with the way that goes.

With the route of the 1 & 2 in there current form it would seriously put me off driving them.

What really gets me about the 1 is that it calls at both of the major congestion generators for the route .

In the summer it can get stuck in the queue for the car parks at Chester Zoo and in the winter especially on the run up to Christmas and just after at Cheshire Oaks.

Now what is the 1 doing that the X8 cant do thats a good question to answer

The answer to that is providing a central Birkenhead - Cheshire Oaks link which the X8 doesn't and shouldn't really provide and I'm unsure of what the solution would be.

(28/02/2018 19:59)St Helens Rider Wrote: [ -> ]The answer to that is providing a central Birkenhead - Cheshire Oaks link which the X8 doesn't and shouldn't really provide and I'm unsure of what the solution would be.

While we're on this subject, here is my own personal take:
I think that the X8 should call at Birkenhead (it goes so close that it might as well), but then operate fast as currently to Ellesmere Port, then Cheshire Oaks if it has to, but otherwise fast or even non-stop to Chester.

(28/02/2018 19:59)St Helens Rider Wrote: [ -> ]The answer to that is providing a central Birkenhead - Cheshire Oaks link which the X8 doesn't and shouldn't really provide and I'm unsure of what the solution would be.

The other answer is that the 1 provides a local cross-county stopping service, allowing people to get to the large centres of cong... employment, and local shopping and entertainment facilities. Unlike the 1 which caters to more of a tourist and day tripper crowd.

Personally I wouldn't divert the X8 away from Cheshire Oaks or Chester Zoo, I'd replace the Ellesmere Port Station stop with one at Birkenhead Bus Station (Either stand 11 or Opp Conway Park - avoiding bus Stn queues), leaving the X2 to cater for Cheshire Oaks (with no direct replacement to the Zoo).

If you are travelling from Liverpool and beyond to Cheshire Oaks or the Zoo, it is much more convenient to get the direct X8 service than the 1. Cheshire Oaks is very popular with students, particularly UoL international students. In recent years also, Merseytravel and Stagecoach/(First?) have also changed the terms and conditions of the 'Chester Zoo Ticket Offer' so passengers can no longer alight at Bache and catch the 1 Liverpool bound to the the Zoo, they now have to travel to Chester and back again on the X8 or Park&Ride service, which actually takes longer. (This has also reduced the amount of passengers boarding on Mill Lane).

The 1 takes around an hour from Birkenhead to Cheshire Oaks, my solution would be the 1 no longer serves Cheshire Oaks diverted via the X2 Ellesmere Port-Chester to speed the journey time up, a new 1B introduced Chester-Ellesmere Port every 30 minutes, via the current 1.