Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

[KX03 KYY]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

(06/03/2023 14:57)knutstransport Wrote:  D&G say they are registering a replacement 84. Stagecoach have submitted a registration for a replacement 84. It'll be interesting to see what actually happens now.

On vosa it shows Ribble Motors service AKA Stagecoach MCSL ESBR (Emergency Service Bus Registration) on behalf of Cheshire West & Cheshire East

Attached a screenshot but anyone can search registration it mentions the ESBR on the bit below what I have uploaded

I would suspect if Stagecoach have registered this ESBR on behalf of council it be them


There no sign of a D&G bus alternative

[knutstransport]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

(07/03/2023 09:00)CX06 BHE Wrote:  On vosa it shows Ribble Motors service AKA Stagecoach MCSL ESBR (Emergency Service Bus Registration) on behalf of Cheshire West & Cheshire East

The screenshot doesn't show it's on behalf of Cheshire West council. It shows an emergency commercial registration operating in the Cheshire Council areas, even including the name of a council that hasn't existed since 2009!

It seems it's a registration for an hourly Crewe-Chester, with additional hourly Nantwich-Crewe journeys Mon-Fri only. Unless D&G are only interested in providing additional journeys between Nantwich and Crewe then I don't think a rival service would be viable. But then D&G don't seem keen on providing more than a basic service level on Saturdays.

[KX03 KYY]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

(07/03/2023 13:02)knutstransport Wrote:  The screenshot doesn't show it's on behalf of Cheshire West council. It shows an emergency commercial registration operating in the Cheshire Council areas, even including the name of a council that hasn't existed since 2009!

It seems it's a registration for an hourly Crewe-Chester, with additional hourly Nantwich-Crewe journeys Mon-Fri only. Unless D&G are only interested in providing additional journeys between Nantwich and Crewe then I don't think a rival service would be viable. But then D&G don't seem keen on providing more than a basic service level on Saturdays.

Surly stagecoach would do a saturday and sunday service as well unless its only profitable monday to friday, cant see a timetable so where did you get the hourly timetable from?

[knutstransport]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

(07/03/2023 16:38)CX06 BHE Wrote:  Surly stagecoach would do a saturday and sunday service

I meant Nantwich-Crewe extras are Mon-Fri only. On Saturday it's Crewe-Chester hourly only. No Sunday or Bank Holiday service mentioned.

Last service from Crewe 19:35, last service from Chester 19:05

A full Stagecoach branded timetable has been posted on another forum. You can only view it if you're signed up: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/che...st-6106464

[Metroline1511]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

(28/02/2023 16:44)wirralbus Wrote:  Arriva are consolidating back to basically towards Merseyside , you can see it when they started closing depots down .

I wonder if the operations could be sold , its an area that will need some form of public transport.

I wonder whether this is shot across the bows of the councillors of both Cheshire councils .

Yes, it seems that Arriva inherited North Western when they purchased British Bus, then purchased MTL and have subsequently closed most of North Western.

Apart from depots in Bootle and Runcorn, and routes either to Warrington from the west or to Skelmersdale or Wigan, Arriva North West will just be a glorified MTL.

This admittedly is also due to Bolton definitely and Wythenshawe likely lost by Arriva due to franchising.

[knutstransport]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

(12/03/2023 20:04)Metroline1511 Wrote:  Yes, it seems that Arriva inherited North Western when they purchased British Bus, then purchased MTL and have subsequently closed most of North Western.

Arriva were just a rebrand. British Bus was owned by Cowie and had many different operating subsidiaries. They changed it to a uniform Arriva name.

Worth remembering North Western acquired additional Cheshire operations by buying Nova Scotia (Winsford) and Starline Travel (Knutsford & Wythenshawe). Starline had a sister company coach division, which Bullocks part owned. North Western didn't want that so it ended up being split between Bullocks and Selwyn's.

I think at one point Winsford was transferred to Arriva Midlands North, following their acquisition of Stevensons (who had a depot in Macclesfield).

So many small depots have gone over the years. GHA acquired a few including Dobson's (Lostock Gralam).

[K10K11]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

(12/03/2023 21:06)knutstransport Wrote:  Arriva were just a rebrand. British Bus was owned by Cowie and had many different operating subsidiaries. They changed it to a uniform Arriva name.

Worth remembering North Western acquired additional Cheshire operations by buying Nova Scotia (Winsford) and Starline Travel (Knutsford & Wythenshawe). Starline had a sister company coach division, which Bullocks part owned. North Western didn't want that so it ended up being split between Bullocks and Selwyn's.

I think at one point Winsford was transferred to Arriva Midlands North, following their acquisition of Stevensons (who had a depot in Macclesfield).

So many small depots have gone over the years. GHA acquired a few including Dobson's (Lostock Gralam).

North Western also acquired Loftys in Chester, so they had quite a spread of services across Cheshire for a while.

It was under British Bus that Stevensons were acquired, although it's always seemed odd that they ended up running Macclesfield. Stevensons and Midland Red North ended up with common management, and even had the same yellow/red/white livery prior to the re branding as Arriva.

I'm pretty sure Winsford was never Arriva Midlands North - Crewe and Macc were Midlands North as it was simply a continuation of the previous Midland Red North/Stevensons management but under the Arriva branding. I assume it all came under Arriva North West when the depot at Crewe shut.

[knutstransport]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

(13/03/2023 12:38)K10K11 Wrote:  I'm pretty sure Winsford was never Arriva Midlands North - Crewe and Macc were Midlands North as it was simply a continuation of the previous Midland Red North/Stevensons management but under the Arriva branding. I assume it all came under Arriva North West when the depot at Crewe shut.

I don't still have a copy but at one point a Cheshire County Council bus timetable booklet had the 300 Knutsford circular being shown as operated by Arriva Midlands North and 288 Knutsford to Altrincham via Wilmslow shown as operated by Arriva North West. The 300 was operated from Winsford after the Knutsford depot was closed as the regular driver for the morning and early afternoon 300s under Starline transferred to Winsford. I used to see him taking the bus back along the A556 in the afternoons. He was also the one who liked to decorate a bus in Christmas decorations and Arriva allowed him to continue to do so until he retired.

Macclesfield's too confusing for me to comment on in detail. I recall Starline Travel had the 27 route, then it became a North Western route as soon as Starline were taken over (some routes were still shown as Starline in the first instance). Then it became a Stevensons route. I don't know if it was ever an Arriva route, as Bakerbus won the contract tendering in around 1997, at that point it became hourly with 27A journeys, funded by Zeneca. I do recall Stevensons had the 130 route, which presumably meant Arriva Midlands had Manchester in their operating area. I also recall them using deckers on the 130.

[MTL0201]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot
Winsford was never part of Midland Red North [could the timetable book be a misprint?], it was North Western, Crewe & Macc would have been better suited to North Western.

Macclesfield was C-Line, then became Stevensons/Midland Red North, the Cheshire timetable book shows it Midland Red North, but i do know Macc was Stevensons, but timetable book shows Midland Red North for Macc routes.

[knutstransport]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot
D&G have confirmed they'll be providing the following services in response to Arriva closing Winsford and Macclesfield:

1 hourly. Interworked with the 82 to provide a half-hourly frequency between Rudheath and Greenbank.
10 half-hourly
12 Additional early journeys to Leighton added to existing timetable. Talks with council ongoing regarding evening services.
31 hourly
37 hourly
38 Additional early journeys added and timings revised. Talks with council ongoing regarding evening services.
84 details to be confirmed.