(05/10/2022 18:46)33109 Wrote: [ -> ]In northwich on monday saw that the cat service was run with an optare versa rather than the usual Enviro200.
Suppose versas are the only thing big enough to cover those duties.
Two Versas made an appearance on Monday, as well as an Eclipse and an Enviro 400.
The X5 generally seems to be sticking to time well so far, often running a little early.
The Cat5 seems to be struggling a little more to stick to time though, so perhaps extra running time will be given in the future, as vehicles often sit around for 25 minutes between trips.
The 17 seems to be seeing a lot of deckers since the recent timetable change.
More info about the upcoming changes from 31st October starting to appear:
https://www.warringtonsownbuses.co.uk/network-changes
I would have thought they'd have taken the opportunity to increase the running time of the Cat5 more because it often seems to get behind time, say at least giving a couple of minutes in Lymm and/or Partington to try and catch up if that's possible.
(29/09/2022 19:39)Citibus Wrote: [ -> ]However Warrington gain the 594 from Tyrers, whilst existing evening and new Sunday & Bank holiday journeys switch from Diamond to Vision Bus.
The 594 includes an afternoon school journey which led to Tyrers always using deckers on the route so I wonder what Warrington will use?
Deckers do seem to be appearing on the 594/596 Leigh services, decker 306 on both services and decker 316 on one trip today.
It seems deckers might be sometimes getting out onto lates, including Cat5 shorts to Lymm, can anyone confirm?
The impression I've had, with regards to deckers, is generally WOB use them in the same way coach hire companies use them. They aren't there for their core work but for school/college contracts, event shuttles and RRBs. With WOB having service work they are able to interwork services to prevent running deckers used on school/college contracts empty to and from the depot. Maybe that's changing for one reason or another? Possibly to prevent the saloons needing servicing as frequently?
I do think their allocations of Enviros are a bit erratic. Yesterday at 12pm 205 was on the CAT9, 206 was on the CAT7, while the other 6 x Cheshire Cat branded vehicles were either not in service on on non-CAT routes. 204 was in service from 07:30 until 23:55 but it only did one CAT journey all day.
Speaking of Enviros. I travelled on 220 the other day and was surprised by how tatty it looked inside. I don't think the Ensign branded seat covers help either - it makes it look like it's a loaned vehicle that's covering a temporary shortage and why they haven't bothered to tart it up.
One thing I have noticed that since the recent timetable change is that most Cat5 Mon-Sat journey's are now being operated by Enviro200s and not the MMC200s with the new X5 getting the branded and non branded MMC200s.
Even the first Cat 5 from Warrington-Altrincham on a Saturday morning seems to be booked to be a Enviro200 more often than not.
(20/11/2022 06:32)M60lad Wrote: [ -> ]with the new X5 getting the branded and non branded MMC200s.
I would say overall the X5 would be a good route for the non branded MMCs. As a longer route that some people will use end-to-end it makes sense to use comfortable vehicles. While the Stockton Heath branding on the CAT vehicles isn't relevant for the X5 and could even result in some Lymm passengers wrongly presuming an X5 goes via Stockton Heath.
Enviro200 GX07 FXD is now here
I don't know if the 47 ran to Knutsford this morning. The vehicle from the 08:25 CAT6, that normally runs the first 47, hasn't tracked since it completed the CAT6 journey. 303 tracked on the 47 from Lymm to Warrington running on time. However, it tracked at Wilderspool at 09:13, so it's doubtful whether it could have got to Knutsford and back up to Lymm in 50 minutes, even if the tracking stopped working.
I notice 303 is now tracking on the 9A.