Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

[wirralbus]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots
Neston to Chester needs to be accomodated some how whether via A540 or via Hooton Station/ Ellesmere Port.

Neston to Heswall another important link .

Beyond Heswall will be left to fend for itself again.

[L401CJF]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

(05/01/2020 13:46)wirralbus Wrote:  Neston to Chester needs to be accomodated some how whether via A540 or via Hooton Station/ Ellesmere Port.

Neston to Heswall another important link .

Beyond Heswall will be left to fend for itself again.

The old 272/273 from Arrowe Park - Heswall -Neston - Hooton was a good link and fairly well used until Helms hiked the prices up, my auntie along with others from Woodchurch area preferred to walk to Upton for the train rather than walk to the hospital for the bus as a return fare to Neston on the train was less than half that of the 272 at the time.

The 22 always has had an uncertain future, a guy who worked at Avon told me when stagecoach first took it over and ran it as the X22 it didn't make any difference to them (Avon) as it made no money, just broke even and it was only ran because it was a needed service. He said Stagecoach would soon jump off when they realised, and not long after he was right and Avon took it back. No matter what they do with this route, it'll never make profit but will always be relied on.

[PAUL2511]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

(05/01/2020 14:11)L401CJF Wrote:  The old 272/273 from Arrowe Park - Heswall -Neston - Hooton was a good link and fairly well used until Helms hiked the prices up, my auntie along with others from Woodchurch area preferred to walk to Upton for the train rather than walk to the hospital for the bus as a return fare to Neston on the train was less than half that of the 272 at the time.

The 22 always has had an uncertain future, a guy who worked at Avon told me when stagecoach first took it over and ran it as the X22 it didn't make any difference to them (Avon) as it made no money, just broke even and it was only ran because it was a needed service. He said Stagecoach would soon jump off when they realised, and not long after he was right and Avon took it back. No matter what they do with this route, it'll never make profit but will always be relied on.

So at the end off the day its poisoned chalice than so who will take it on

[wirralbus]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots
It maybe a case of the Neston - Chester service being bolted on to something , would Arriva potentially bolt on Ness Gardens - Chester onto the 487 .

[mrd97]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots
Hmm. Could Merseytravel and CWACC work together to find a solution? Or do they not really care about this. It’s a necessary route, and links up many communities. Heswall and West Kirby need to be connected via public transport, having lost a 2 per hour service and evening/Sunday service a few years ago. Neston also has very poor transport links. I say this as if it’s been withdrawn completely. But I do think stagecoach will get rid of it eventually

[iMarkeh]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

Quote:It maybe a case of the Neston - Chester service being bolted on to something , would Arriva potentially bolt on Ness Gardens - Chester onto the 487 .

That would be a nice route. IT would actually have a similar end to end time to the X1 but it would probably feel a heck of a lot quicker. I don't think Arriva would want to run it really but the route would be fantastic if it ran.

Quote:Hmm. Could Merseytravel and CWACC work together to find a solution? Or do they not really care about this. It’s a necessary route, and links up many communities. Heswall and West Kirby need to be connected via public transport, having lost a 2 per hour service and evening/Sunday service a few years ago. Neston also has very poor transport links. I say this as if it’s been withdrawn completely. But I do think stagecoach will get rid of it eventually

It will be cared about now more than ever. The Neston councillor Louise Gittins is now the head of Cheshire West Council. Merseytravel don't care about Neston or the links but Merseytravel don't care about anything which is even 1 metre outside of their boundary.

Neston is too much of a concessionary pass area and those trips where there is potential to grab some money, simply aren't being ran (School trips to Neston High or Bishops Chester I believe has a good number of students which live in Neston (the current advise being to get the X22 and then catch the 5 despite there being no way someone could get from the CBI to Bishops in 18 minutes). There are also Mollington students who would make use of such a service (some previously boarded the 605).

Surely it makes sense to run the X22 onto Bishops High to try and get the high school as then it's a guaranteed revenue stream. Though it means faffing around with the trips somehow to make it work, there will be a way to do it.

[313201]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots
Given the regulations regarding driving hours and breaks, I would hazard a guess that adding ness gardens to chester eould make the driving time too long or at the very least borderline.

[wirralbus]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

(06/01/2020 12:09)313201 Wrote:  Given the regulations regarding driving hours and breaks, I would hazard a guess that adding ness gardens to chester eould make the driving time too long or at the very least borderline.

I only suggested it as with some tinkering in the Neston and Little Neston end of the route all the roads covered by the 22 can be covered by the 487 , probably only a different way of entering the Chester high road (A540) , if they do not have to serve Willaston , which looks like there route to chester will now be via Hooton railway station instead.

Arriva have been though trying to resize there operations to be more profitable so Like stagecoach MCSL this probably isnt going to happen either.

Maybe another option would be to step on Helms toes and operate an extension off one of the 2 services that finishes at Neston and does a loop around Little Neston and Neston Greenfields before departing again from Neston cross back to Chester via Ellesmere Port , im sure this has been tried in First Group days , time for stagecoach to see if they can make a better fist of it .

[iMarkeh]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

Quote:Given the regulations regarding driving hours and breaks, I would hazard a guess that adding ness gardens to chester eould make the driving time too long or at the very least borderline.

That side of things should be fine. Trips in the region of 1h 30 are do-able on GB rules. If it's too long, Arriva would just split it. There would be plenty of time to complete the route within driving hours.

Quote:Maybe another option would be to step on Helms toes and operate an extension off one of the 2 services that finishes at Neston and does a loop around Little Neston and Neston Greenfields before departing again from Neston cross back to Chester via Ellesmere Port , im sure this has been tried in First Group days , time for stagecoach to see if they can make a better fist of it .

I don't think Stagecoach want to run EPort to Neston at all because the money is so low. Plus, the 2 works onto other local routes to accommodate the driver breaks in Chester.

[mrd97]

RE: Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots
I’ve also noticed that the new 22 timetable gives it 35 minutes from West Kirby to Heswall, but 23 minutes from Heswall to West Kirby. I can’t really understand this. I also am confused why the last bus from Chester terminates at Heswall in the week, but continues to West Kirby on Saturdays.