Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

[wirralbus]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots
Do the depots get an indication of any road closures on there route .

Twice this past week the 38 West kirby - mill park have found themselves doing a three point turn to avoid the road closure in Acre Lane.

I have to admit that at the junction of The Rake , Eccleston Avenue and Beechwood Road there seems to be a missing diversion sign , before Christmas the road was closed for 3 months on acre lane also due to major Sewer works , which have restarted following the break for the festive season.

[L401CJF]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

(11/01/2020 15:42)wirralbus Wrote:  Do the depots get an indication of any road closures on there route .

Twice this past week the 38 West kirby - mill park have found themselves doing a three point turn to avoid the road closure in Acre Lane.

I have to admit that at the junction of The Rake , Eccleston Avenue and Beechwood Road there seems to be a missing diversion sign , before Christmas the road was closed for 3 months on acre lane also due to major Sewer works , which have restarted following the break for the festive season.

On Merseyside Merseytravel are supposed to send notices of any diversions or stop closures to each depot, in Cheshire CWaC Council send the notices out. Whether the drivers read the notices is another thing, and whether they remember the closure by the time theyve spent 2hours going to West kirby and back is another thing also!

[anw2015]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots
36816 on the PR2. Very unusual for an enviro 200 to be on here.

[N271CKB]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots
Been mentioned on the Stagecoach MCSL facebook group that the 7 and 22, both operated by Chester garage, are to go out to tender in March.
Looking back over the operators history of the 22 in recent years, its seems the 22 just isnt commercially viable

[L401CJF]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

(28/01/2020 02:07)N271CKB Wrote:  Been mentioned on the Stagecoach MCSL facebook group that the 7 and 22, both operated by Chester garage, are to go out to tender in March.
Looking back over the operators history of the 22 in recent years, its seems the 22 just isnt commercially viable

I mentioned a while back that when avon ran it it was said by somebody who works there, it just about broke even and was ran as an essential service, not a money maker.

I believe it picked up when Stagecoach first took over when avon went bust, and ran it out of Rock Ferry, but all these late evening journeys and retimed services when it transferredto Chester seem to have have caused some issues.

I've not been able to use it since it transferred to Chester as the morning journey I often used was retimed meaning I would be too late. I've not actually looked at the latest timetable change, no point me getting used to it as it'll be changing again soon!

[iMarkeh]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

(28/01/2020 09:27)L401CJF Wrote:  I mentioned a while back that when avon ran it it was said by somebody who works there, it just about broke even and was ran as an essential service, not a money maker.

I believe it picked up when Stagecoach first took over when avon went bust, and ran it out of Rock Ferry, but all these late evening journeys and retimed services when it transferredto Chester seem to have have caused some issues.

I've not been able to use it since it transferred to Chester as the morning journey I often used was retimed meaning I would be too late. I've not actually looked at the latest timetable change, no point me getting used to it as it'll be changing again soon!

The tender which has gone out is the exact same timetable as the current one.

Rock Ferry was better from the perspective of dead millage and not having to to run dead millage trips. The buses were at the right end of the route for the general flow of passengers.
Chester however is on a lower wage and therefore cheaper to operate from and drivers can have their breaks at the bus station so no shunt vehicles needed.
Both have pros and cons.

[wirralbus]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

(28/01/2020 11:02)iMarkeh Wrote:  The tender which has gone out is the exact same timetable as the current one.

Rock Ferry was better from the perspective of dead millage and not having to to run dead millage trips. The buses were at the right end of the route for the general flow of passengers.
Chester however is on a lower wage and therefore cheaper to operate from and drivers can have their breaks at the bus station so no shunt vehicles needed.
Both have pros and cons.

Lets see if in the end some of the services at the edge of the timetable stay when the tendering authority start looking at the finances of the route . Maybe even a later start on saturdays than at present.

[mrd97]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots
Will Cwacc fund the Neston - West Kirby section? As good as it is to hear the route will be saved, I have to ask where the money has come from to do so. I thought their council were bust.
It’s a vital route, connecting communities other-what isolated from one another. The last buses between Heswall and West Kirby are too early though since the most recent change. Half 5 in the week from Heswall to West Kirby. If gone to tender, I’d like to see this service finish around 7.30.
In the distant future, perhaps we could see a West Kirby - Neston tendered service for Sunday daytimes. Although there would be considerable layover as this was only achieved on the 88 as it interworked with another route.

[L401CJF]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

(28/01/2020 12:10)mrd97 Wrote:  Will Cwacc fund the Neston - West Kirby section? As good as it is to hear the route will be saved, I have to ask where the money has come from to do so. I thought their council were bust.
It’s a vital route, connecting communities other-what isolated from one another. The last buses between Heswall and West Kirby are too early though since the most recent change. Half 5 in the week from Heswall to West Kirby. If gone to tender, I’d like to see this service finish around 7.30.
In the distant future, perhaps we could see a West Kirby - Neston tendered service for Sunday daytimes. Although there would be considerable layover as this was only achieved on the 88 as it interworked with another route.

I have caught the 1930ish service from West Kirby to Neston a couple of times before the latest timetable change, and I have been the only passenger on it each time, bar a couple which just travel between West Kirby and Greasby who have jumped on because it was there - they could have otherwise caught a 437. It certainly isn't viable, It probably would have been busier had it come on immediatley when the 88 was lost as it had a few passengers.

[mrd97]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

(28/01/2020 20:31)L401CJF Wrote:  I have caught the 1930ish service from West Kirby to Neston a couple of times before the latest timetable change, and I have been the only passenger on it each time, bar a couple which just travel between West Kirby and Greasby who have jumped on because it was there - they could have otherwise caught a 437. It certainly isn't viable, It probably would have been busier had it come on immediatley when the 88 was lost as it had a few passengers.

Exactly. To be fair, that later running timetable was only in operation for a few months. Takes time for word to spread ect. Not suitable for commercial profit but if it’s getting tendered then...