First Manchester

[SF07]

RE: First Manchester
Confirmation in the documents for the GMCA Bus Committee meeting that the 42 between East Didsbury and Manchester will be withdrawn from end of October.

Some other reductions are reduction of frequency for service 33 due to the Inner Ring Road roadworks, plus a reduction of the 415 to an hourly service, which is extended to/from Oldham Mumps. A couple of journeys are also withdrawn on service 24.

The other First changes mentioned are the re-routing of the 100 via the Port Salford bridge plus more journeys on the V3 from 8 October and late Saturday journey on the V1 from Manchester to Leigh at 2350 from end of October.

https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/...ork_part_a

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: First Manchester
Latest Fleet Changes:

60188 V136 DND Driver Trainer - Withdrawn
60405 X699 ADK Reserve - Preserved

[Solo40336]

RE: First Manchester

(27/09/2018 20:06)SF07 Wrote:  Confirmation in the documents for the GMCA Bus Committee meeting that the 42 between East Didsbury and Manchester will be withdrawn from end of October.

Some other reductions are reduction of frequency for service 33 due to the Inner Ring Road roadworks, plus a reduction of the 415 to an hourly service, which is extended to/from Oldham Mumps. A couple of journeys are also withdrawn on service 24.

The other First changes mentioned are the re-routing of the 100 via the Port Salford bridge plus more journeys on the V3 from 8 October and late Saturday journey on the V1 from Manchester to Leigh at 2350 from end of October.

https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/...ork_part_a

Disgusting move with the 415, just another case like the 438, cutting people off over profit. Having lived on the 415 route and remembering when it was a 15 minute service, taking 7 buses to run, as it ran for years, it was very well used during the daytime. Then it got cut and cut and now nobody uses it because it hardly runs. Makes me think this is the final push to alienate passengers away and scrap there part of the route full stop..

[M60lad]

RE: First Manchester
The 415 hardly runs sometimes due to the elderly Darts/Solos that are used on the route which keep breaking down, now if First Manchester had invested in new stock for the route it wouldn't be losing passengers.

While some journies might not make money there are some peak journies in morning/evening that cater for School and College kids and commuters that can head to and leave Oldham pretty full.

I myself have lived on 415 route all my life and find it a shame how First have treated the route, I remember not so long ago (I think it was last year) there was talk of rerouting 415 so it missed out the railway bridge on Foxdenton Lane and instead went normal route down Foxdenton Lane then left onto Broadgate, Right onto Broadway, Right Victoria Avenue, Right Greengate and Left back onto route at Mainway East only surprise surprise it wasn't followed up and came to nothing.

[EDB325]

RE: First Manchester
First Bus have made no significant stock improvements in Manchester for the past 4 years. Closing Bury and Dukinfield, and running down services elsewhere, makes me suspect that they're considering pulling out, as they've done in many other areas - notably London and Eastern Scotland.

[Mayneway]

RE: First Manchester

(02/10/2018 08:49)EDB325 Wrote:  First Bus have made no significant stock improvements in Manchester for the past 4 years. Closing Bury and Dukinfield, and running down services elsewhere, makes me suspect that they're considering pulling out, as they've done in many other areas - notably London and Eastern Scotland.

I think in places like Tameside they would actually be doing punters a favour if they did pull out. Sadly there's a massive difference between the quality of service as well as punctuality between First and Stagecoach. You only have to look at the investment Stagecoach have made at each depot to see how it should be done!

[M60lad]

RE: First Manchester
Also another thing I've noticed with First and keep forgetting to mention is that the tracking system that they use for the buses seems a bit hit and miss for exampe a bus will show on the tracker as not tracking and you would think that that bus isn't running but it actually is some of the time.

Another thing with First Manchester is why are they cascading older double deckers (ALX400s) to other First subsidies and replacing them with Solos? At the moment I come out of work and I know for a fact that if it's running (if it is its normally late) the 18:09 182 to Shaw is normally a Streetlite which can at times be unsuitable for the route as it can be full and sometimes standing even before it leaves Manchester depending whch sort is being used, the longer ones aren't so bad but putting the shorter ones on isn't a good idea, in the past before First Manchester started getting rid of the ALX400s the 18:09 182 from Manchester used to be a double decker and worked pretty well, now to me it seems Manchester in particular Oldham Depot are going back down to the mainly single deckers for town services, I might be wrong though.

[33109]

RE: First Manchester
37400 put in an appearance yesterday for some reason on metroshuttle 1.

[Mrboo]

RE: First Manchester

(04/10/2018 11:06)33109 Wrote:  37400 put in an appearance yesterday for some reason on metroshuttle 1.

Be down to there branding buses. but it still a bit fishy it not been confirmed that First will still be running the new routes. as MCT has gone for more op discs there maybe a shock on the way.

[33109]

RE: First Manchester
Who knows yet, was just a shock seeing a decker on metroshuttle duties.

Had the electric optare the other day 49921 I think it was. Nice bus & quite nippy acceleration, a touch jerky in stop start traffic but otherwise good.