Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

[Scania1996]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan
Ex Newcastle 19199 has transferred to Hyde Road from Wigan

[M60lad]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan
Are Stagecoach short of standard vehicles at the moment? As I keep regularly seeing Magicbuses at the moment on various services and they seem to be regularly turning up on 76s at the moment as well, infact it seems a daily occurance that at least one Magicbus is on 76s now.

[acocker96]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

(16/07/2019 06:28)M60lad Wrote:  Are Stagecoach short of standard vehicles at the moment? As I keep regularly seeing Magicbuses at the moment on various services and they seem to be regularly turning up on 76s at the moment as well, infact it seems a daily occurance that at least one Magicbus is on 76s now.

I’ve been going home on a lot of Magic 76’s lately, a magic 74 turned up last week and then the Madlho 76 after it was a magic.

[gilesbus1]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

(16/07/2019 06:28)M60lad Wrote:  Are Stagecoach short of standard vehicles at the moment? As I keep regularly seeing Magicbuses at the moment on various services and they seem to be regularly turning up on 76s at the moment as well, infact it seems a daily occurance that at least one Magicbus is on 76s now.

Lets not forget that the Universities are closed for the Summer, so would make sense to utilise them on other work while long term repairs and repaints can be undertaken on other stock and general refreshes. So they would just be using resources in a better way so to speak. In any case its likely the MagicBus brand will be abandoned next year and rolled out into on new corporate livery next year 2020, and that MagicBuses will not survive the role out of Electric and other new Enviro400's at Sharston depot next year.

[gilbert]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

(16/07/2019 11:22)gilesbus1 Wrote:  Lets not forget that the Universities are closed for the Summer, so would make sense to utilise them on other work while long term repairs and repaints can be undertaken on other stock and general refreshes. So they would just be using resources in a better way so to speak. In any case its likely the MagicBus brand will be abandoned next year and rolled out into on new corporate livery next year 2020, and that MagicBuses will not survive the role out of Electric and other new Enviro400's at Sharston depot next year.

So what will replace them on their current routes?

[johnluke]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan
Was down at worsley court house today and saw a number 34 stagecoach bus behind a go ahead 33 when did this route start ?

[gilesbus1]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

(16/07/2019 12:37)gilbert Wrote:  So what will replace them on their current routes?

Standard spec vehicles will replace them, MagicBus is being phased out as an identity within Stagecoach, as is Stagecoach Gold.

What will probably happen is a cascade effect where Hybrid's will move to 38's etc, then that will free up 09 plate examples for Oxford Road. Really there is no longer a need for MagicBus as all the competition off Oxford Road has been defeated over the past 20 years or so, bar a little bit of Go North West and Vantage that's hardly worth them getting upset about.

[SF07]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

(16/07/2019 15:18)johnluke Wrote:  Was down at worsley court house today and saw a number 34 stagecoach bus behind a go ahead 33 when did this route start ?

The 34 has been running for since October 2015 (about 6 months before Vantage started), replacing Stagecoach journeys on the X34. First Manchester journeys on service X34 were replaced by the V1 in April 2016.

The 34 was re-routed in January 2019 to run via Monton Green and Salford Royal Hospital instead of via East Lancs Road and Irlams o'th' Heights and then extra journeys introduced between Worsley and Manchester in April 2019. Presumably as an attempt to gain some passengers from First's/GNW's 33 service.

[johnluke]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan
Many thanks for the info on the 34 they seem regular as one passed me when I parked up then 5 minutes later another one ..I take it that they are giving go ahead a reduced earnings on the route

[gilesbus1]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

(16/07/2019 20:31)johnluke Wrote:  Many thanks for the info on the 34 they seem regular as one passed me when I parked up then 5 minutes later another one ..I take it that they are giving go ahead a reduced earnings on the route

The competition started after FirstGroup cut services on the 33 and reduced the frequency to half hourly. Diamond North West also compete over it in part as well between Worsley and Weaste. Whether Diamond's recent take over of Bolton and the need to be in the First Day scheme might lead to there competition ceasing, in favour of GoAhead remains to be seen. The 34 in its original form has run since 1984, the route was reduced to more or less closure bar a few Peak Time Workings by FirstGroup between 1996 and an Urban Bus Grant in which year currently escapes me, but a GMPTE Route map might give further details. The increased route by Stagecoach is what started in October 2015, not FirstGroup's original operation on the route. Incidentally parallel to all this services 12 and 25 have been withdrawn as a result of Vantage they also duplicated part of the original route prior to Vantage starting.