First Manchester

[motormayhem1]

RE: First Manchester

(29/10/2018 13:21)Brickmill Wrote:  Hardly booming. Wythenshawe services slashed due to Metrolink. Reddish Road halved and sporadic cuts across Stockport and Tameside due to captive market ethos.

I mean as in bus investment etc.
When you look at outside of manchester there expanding but in greater manchester it seems like there holding out to see what happens with the franchise plans.

[Brickmill]

RE: First Manchester

(29/10/2018 20:29)motormayhem1 Wrote:  I mean as in bus investment etc.
When you look at outside of manchester there expanding but in greater manchester it seems like there holding out to see what happens with the franchise plans.

OIC. I assume they are doing more than just "holding out", as isn't there a saying that the greatest enemy of business is uncertainty. Grayling refuses to sign the relevant orders to allow GMCA to even *consider* Franchising, and as he has openly said he disagrees with the Devolution Deal signed by George Osborne, one assumes Stagecoach are lobbying him to continue fillibustering the whole process in the hope that the Government either scrap the 2017 Act or Jeremy Clarkson wins the 2020 GM Mayoral elections.

As for First, I don't think even they know what they want. Word is the entire company worldwide has been one step from collapsing for 5 or 6 years - but it ain't happened yet.

[WhiteVanMan]

RE: First Manchester
Does anybody why Stagecoach buses have been seen at Bury depot for lately.

One such bus was 19400

[M60lad]

RE: First Manchester
One thing I do know is that from what I've been told all Admin now for First Manchester is under West Yorkshire Control and there's no admin offices at Oldham Depot anymore.

As for Stagecoach Buses being seen at Bury was this Bury Depot or Bury Interchange as I know Stagecoach still have the contract for Tram Replacement services whenever they operate.

[Conbus]

RE: First Manchester

(30/10/2018 06:45)M60lad Wrote:  One thing I do know is that from what I've been told all Admin now for First Manchester is under West Yorkshire Control and there's no admin offices at Oldham Depot anymore.

As for Stagecoach Buses being seen at Bury was this Bury Depot or Bury Interchange as I know Stagecoach still have the contract for Tram Replacement services whenever they operate.

I have seen stagecoach buses in the depot. I have told first Manchester is going under Yorkshire next year but it's probably just rumours

[Brickmill]

RE: First Manchester

(29/10/2018 14:39)T42 PVM Wrote:  I agree Stagecoach wont be allowed anymore First Depots as they only just got away with Bluebird, I think with Stagecoach we will just see them expand from their current Depots

As for Stagecoach making cuts in Tameside that will be because there is no money down there, You can only run a service if its profitable

And ther Bluebird acquisition could hardly have been described as "hostile". Mike Dunstan was always clear that if and when he sold up he wanted to do so to Stagecoach.

I might have worded the bit about Stagecoach cuts in Tameside a bit better, as they have been moderate compared to First over the years. More generally, what a damning indictment of both Deregulation and Council policies that there is seen to be "no money down there". Before Whitelands Road was closed (an utterly stupid decision), it was consistently in the top 5 performing depots and the 347 alone was (in terms of percentage if not £) regularly amongst the Top 3 performing services in the entire county - and the best of those now run by Stagecoach.

[Mayneway]

RE: First Manchester

(30/10/2018 21:29)Brickmill Wrote:  And ther Bluebird acquisition could hardly have been described as "hostile". Mike Dunstan was always clear that if and when he sold up he wanted to do so to Stagecoach.

Funnily enough Mike Dunstan is on several enthusiast sites on Facebook and quite recently he suggested quite the opposite. I won't go into detail but he made some very interesting comments regarding GMPTE/tfgm and hinted that Stagecoach were the ONLY interested party and had another operator shown any interest the sale would have gone to them. Money talks and Stagecoach clearly paid a bit for the company but I don't think he went to them and begged them to buy....

[Brickmill]

RE: First Manchester

(30/10/2018 23:28)Mayneway Wrote:  Funnily enough Mike Dunstan is on several enthusiast sites on Facebook and quite recently he suggested quite the opposite. I won't go into detail but he made some very interesting comments regarding GMPTE/tfgm and hinted that Stagecoach were the ONLY interested party and had another operator shown any interest the sale would have gone to them. Money talks and Stagecoach clearly paid a bit for the company but I don't think he went to them and begged them to buy....

I'm a little surprised as I understood from (then) contacts st Stagecoach that relations between Stagecoach and the Dunstan family were always good after Mike's dad retired from GMT/GMB - he was Stockport depot manager for many years. No idea about relations with GMPTE/TFGM but wouldn't have thought they would be anywhere near as bad as with certain Operators in that area. Notwithstanding all that, Stagecoach would logically be the only interested party allowed to bid as Bluebird ops were deep in First territory.

[Mrboo]

RE: First Manchester

(30/10/2018 06:45)M60lad Wrote:  One thing I do know is that from what I've been told all Admin now for First Manchester is under West Yorkshire Control and there's no admin offices at Oldham Depot anymore.

As for Stagecoach Buses being seen at Bury was this Bury Depot or Bury Interchange as I know Stagecoach still have the contract for Tram Replacement services whenever they operate.

Yes the Metrolink is covered by Stagecoach Rail Replacement ( Midland Red South)
Who then use Stagecoach Manchester to supply and Manage the replacement

[M60lad]

RE: First Manchester
Not to sure which ones but since the withdrawl of 42 Piccadilly-East Didsbury service Rusholme Depot have now lost some of the 14 plate Enviro400s which have now transferred and are now in service from Oldham Depot