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(03/06/2020 05:59)M60lad Wrote: [ -> ]Not sure whether I've asked this before but if I have can someone remind me whereabouts was Halewood Tutt and Shive which was listed as a timing point/terminus on timetables in the past?

It’s the terminus and lay-by where Baileys Lane meets Church Road.
The pub was renamed Derby Arms and now is housing called Derby Court.

As has been reported on the Runcorn thread, the 500 is returning to Speke from the 30th August timetable change. Will the 500 continue to be a stopping service given its the only bus along Riverside Drive or will it go back to being an express service with something else put in place for Riverside Drive?

(10/08/2020 08:45)Walton 46 Wrote: [ -> ]As has been reported on the Runcorn thread, the 500 is returning to Speke from the 30th August timetable change. Will the 500 continue to be a stopping service given its the only bus along Riverside Drive or will it go back to being an express service with something else put in place for Riverside Drive?

Having a little nose round in the Arriva app, I’ve noticed they’ve now added the new routes into the Journey Planner. And there’s a few points I can now clear up on about the new 500.

Firstly this will in fact be an express service taking just 28 minutes from the Airport to get to Liverpool One. It’s also interesting to note that both inward and outward journeys are considered as one journey, with a two minute break at Liverpool One.

The journey to Liverpool One sees stops at Leeward Drive, Windward Drive, New Mersey (Speke Retail), Whitehedge Road and then all stops after the turn onto Jericho Lane, so all stops in the Otterspool and Brunswick areas (including Brunswick station) will not be left out.

The return journey will briefly follow the 82 route, taking in stops at Great Charlotte Street, Brownlow Hill, Benson Street, Bold Place, Upper Duke Street, down Parliament Street then via the reverse of the above route. The return journey also sees additional stops at Lisburn Road and Milner Road in Aigburth which are not observed going towards the City Centre.

This time around the 500 will not be serving Liverpool South Parkway, seemingly a time-saving move so it does in fact seem more express. This isn’t much of a blow, though, as people can use the existing 80A and 86A which still get to South Parkway in relative quickness.

In terms of timetabling, the service will continue to be half-hourly from start to finish. The first bus of the day leaves the Airport at 03:59 and then at 29 and 59 minutes past each hour until the last bus at 23:59, so not quite 24 hours unfortunately. The first bus from Liverpool One to the Airport is at 04:29 then at 59 and 29 minutes past each hour until 00:29. The buses being at Speke now allows these extra journeys, which is great.

What I now wonder is if they’re going to repaint some of the double deck fleet to differentiate the route from the rest, like they did last time. I guess we will have to wait and see.

Apologies for sounding like a journalist but I hope this is of help to some of you guys :P

(13/08/2020 21:43)Liamkennedy2231 Wrote: [ -> ]What I now wonder is if they’re going to repaint some of the double deck fleet to differentiate the route from the rest, like they did last time. I guess we will have to wait and see.

Great summary - and yes it'll have dedicated specially painted buses for the service as in previous incarnations.

(14/08/2020 07:51)R557 ABA Wrote: [ -> ]Great summary - and yes it'll have dedicated specially painted buses for the service as in previous incarnations.

Thank you! That’s good news - makes it a lot easier for visitors to identify the service. No more confused tourists attempting to board a bus to Runcorn to get to Liverpool One!

I’ve always wished the routing was more clear. The only information they are probably told is to get the 500, but unbeknown to them there are two directions - it’s not (currently) just a Liverpool One service.

Glad it’s all being resolved now though!

I’ll keep an eye out for the new livery. Do you happen to know if it’ll be a handful of Gemini 2s again or is it another vehicle of choice such as the Enviro400s this time round?

(13/08/2020 21:43)Liamkennedy2231 Wrote: [ -> ]Having a little nose round in the Arriva app, I’ve noticed they’ve now added the new routes into the Journey Planner. And there’s a few points I can now clear up on about the new 500.

Firstly this will in fact be an express service taking just 28 minutes from the Airport to get to Liverpool One. It’s also interesting to note that both inward and outward journeys are considered as one journey, with a two minute break at Liverpool One.

The journey to Liverpool One sees stops at Leeward Drive, Windward Drive, New Mersey (Speke Retail), Whitehedge Road and then all stops after the turn onto Jericho Lane, so all stops in the Otterspool and Brunswick areas (including Brunswick station) will not be left out.

The return journey will briefly follow the 82 route, taking in stops at Great Charlotte Street, Brownlow Hill, Benson Str is eet, Bold Place, Upper Duke Street, down Parliament Street then via the reverse of the above route. The return journey also sees additional stops at Lisburn Road and Milner Road in Aigburth which are not observed going towards the City Centre.

This time around the 500 will not be serving Liverpool South Parkway, seemingly a time-saving move so it does in fact seem more express. This isn’t much of a blow, though, as people can use the existing 80A and 86A which still get to South Parkway in relative quickness.

In terms of timetabling, the service will continue to be half-hourly from start to finish. The first bus of the day leaves the Airport at 03:59 and then at 29 and 59 minutes past each hour until the last bus at 23:59, so not quite 24 hours unfortunately. The first bus from Liverpool One to the Airport is at 04:29 then at 59 and 29 minutes past each hour until 00:29. The buses being at Speke now allows these extra journeys, which is great.

What I now wonder is if they’re going to repaint some of the double deck fleet to differentiate the route from the rest, like they did last time. I guess we will have to wait and see.

Apologies for sounding like a journalist but I hope this is of help to some of you guys :P

This isn’t a time saving move as it now takes 40 minutes from L1 to JLA instead of 33 on the current 500. One has to wonder what goes on in Aintree. Reversing the decision about the 500 and putting the express bus back on in the current climate seem a bit outrageous.

(14/08/2020 08:55)DVG526 Wrote: [ -> ]This isn’t a time saving move as it now takes 40 minutes from L1 to JLA instead of 33 on the current 500. One has to wonder what goes on in Aintree. Reversing the decision about the 500 and putting the express bus back on in the current climate seem a bit outrageous.

According to the timetable it’s 28 minutes from the Airport to L1 on the new 500.

(14/08/2020 08:05)Liamkennedy2231 Wrote: [ -> ]Thank you! That’s good news - makes it a lot easier for visitors to identify the service. No more confused tourists attempting to board a bus to Runcorn to get to Liverpool One!

I’ve always wished the routing was more clear. The only information they are probably told is to get the 500, but unbeknown to them there are two directions - it’s not (currently) just a Liverpool One service.

Glad it’s all being resolved now though!

I’ll keep an eye out for the new livery. Do you happen to know if it’ll be a handful of Gemini 2s again or is it another vehicle of choice such as the Enviro400s this time round?

I reckon route 500 will use current route 79 Enviro 400s. Then EcoCities would run routes 79 & 82a, shared with Pulsars as appropriate.

(15/08/2020 08:31)Metroline1511 Wrote: [ -> ]I reckon route 500 will use current route 79 Enviro 400s. Then EcoCities would run routes 79 & 82a, shared with Pulsars as appropriate.

The 500 is getting Gemini 2s branded, I don't think there will be enough Pulsars and Man's for the 61, 79C and 82A

(15/08/2020 10:37)T42 PVM Wrote: [ -> ]The 500 is getting Gemini 2s branded, I don't think there will be enough Pulsars and Man's for the 61, 79C and 82A

I thought it would be Gemini 2s. The ones originally branded for 500 still have the 500 interiors so all they need is a new lick of paint and they’re back in action.

Also, I sense there will be a lot more Cadets on the 82A as the 79C will now become their ‘main’ route.