Forum | Merseyside Dennis Dart Website

I've just been shown a transport document for Winstanley College within which it lists Arriva St Helens' 352 service as a method of travel to the college. Interestingly, it also states that Wigan Coachways will be starting their own version of the 352 service which would enter the college grounds and operate afternoon only (and I'd assume only during the college term). Just wondering whether anyone else has heard anything about this?

Actually just managed to find the following information on the TfGM website:

Quote:352 02/09/2012
St Helens – Wigan
Run by Arriva North West/Wigan Coachways. Times changed. Additional journeys are also introduced from 5 September by Wigan Coachways on college days between Winstanley College and Wigan.

If it's just to run between the college and Wigan, I'm not particularly sure why they've gone with the 352 number!

From the VOSA thread:

(26/08/2012 17:11)SF07 Wrote: [ -> ]Looking on the school services for Wigan area on the TfGM website (page 44) has the times for Wigan Coachways 352 service and it would seem that they're providing journeys during the college day rather than at the start and end of the day.

Winstanley College's hours are 0910 to 1600. 352 leaves Wigan at 0905, 0950, 1035, 1120, 1250, 1410 to Winstanley College and 1450 to Orrell Post. From Winstanley College to Wigan (although timetable says Winstanley College), buses leave at 0926, 1011, 1056, 1226 and 1431. Journey times approx. 20 mins.

http://www.tfgm.com/Corporate/Documents/...300712.pdf

Thanks for that Nicholas, completely missed it! That makes more sense as to why they're running the service, people are more likely to get on that bus than walk down the road for the Arriva 352, but I'm still not sure why they didn't just go for a unique service number considering it's not the full 352 service!

I would imagine its to try and get a little bit of trade off Arriva. If people see the number, they'll know its going the same way as the main service (at least between Wigan and Orrell).

(28/08/2012 17:02)Nicholas Wrote: [ -> ]I would imagine its to try and get a little bit of trade off Arriva. If people see the number, they'll know its going the same way as the main service (at least between Wigan and Orrell).

That'll be the reason. Rather than starting a new service with a new number, just use an established service number and run a slightly altered route in the hope that on the common section of the route (Orrell Post-Wigan), people will see '352' and think 'I know that route, I'll get on that' and get more non-student customers on the service. If it becomes successful, then it could see more journeys on the route.

Might the same thinking with the 600, which also runs journeys from Winstanley College and Leigh/Tyldesley but only runs on the same section of route as First's 600 service between Ashton and Leigh.

Another option could have been to taken a leaf out of K-Line's book in Huddersfield, which is have similar routes to First but then have a letter suffix (301A, 302A, 324B).

Seen this coming only id have done it to SH as well as there is a large crowd that comes from that direction to its a much in demand service and should do further damage to SLT and Arriva

Do Wigan coachways have a decker now as i saw a Yellow Liveried decker parked sideways in his yard.

Yes, ex-Plymouth Volvo Citybus F600 GVO. It is in a yellow livery with Wigan Coachways vinyls plastered over the sides, front and rear (I assume this may only be here short-term)

it was parked up near his "posher coaches" today