Stagecoach Manchester

[Raawwwrrr!]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

(07/03/2016 20:59)Dentonian Wrote:  The 141 is a mystery service, which on both its inception last Academic year and change this year, was a closely guarded secret, and then Students wonder why they were left stranded between East & West Didsbury last September! Anyway, that change meant that 17452/99/500 were released last Summer, initially to cover Rail Replacements on Merseyside. They then returned here to be repainted and converted alongside 17484/504. 17500 has yet to make an appearance in their new guise, whilst 17484 appeared briefly at Wigan late last year, broke down, was returned to HE and has not been seen on the road since! 17504 is at Middleton.

As regards these older Tridents going into the main fleet, whilst Enviro400s become Magics, this is to rid Oxford Road and other parts of the Quality Bus Corridor of Euro 3 and older buses. As such, it is highly likely 17484/500 will be needed at Ashton, especially with the MMC order being reduced to 25.

The 141 only operated as far as East Didsbury the previous academic year as MMU anticipated that students that attended the old East Didsbury Campus (Which was home to Health and Education faculties) might have found housing in the area of the old Didsbury Halls of Residents (which closed as of July 2014 following the opening of Birley Fields).

However a year later, this was found not to be the case, with most students living in Withington, Fallowfield, Rusholme or Queens Park. There was consultation between the MMU and Stagecoach (and also some students from the faculty with MMU) and the service was shortened to West Didsbury serving most of the areas the current students are living, reducing the cost to the University who subsidies the service.