Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

[P450 SWX]

RE: First Chester & Wirral
I thought the D-FYM where ECW bodywork sorry if there not and if not what are they?

[Raawwwrrr!]

RE: First Chester & Wirral

(24/11/2012 00:37)R874 ERE Wrote:  That may be a possibility andy, but lets not forget the sightseeing isnt really their main priority so theyll put the money in on improving profitable service routes rather than special routes id imagine for now.

You call a route that has a £9 day ticket for an hours tour operating every 20 minutes "unprofitable" ? o.O compared to a route like the 53 which takes about 5 OAP passes?

[Penny Return]

RE: First Chester & Wirral

(24/11/2012 00:37)R874 ERE Wrote:  That may be a possibility andy, but lets not forget the sightseeing isnt really their main priority so theyll put the money in on improving profitable service routes rather than special routes id imagine for now.

66701 on the 2s today probably that you saw in Bromborough neoplanN4009, and i think youre right, chesters looking a tad cramped at the moment- it is common to see the chester olympians parked in RF over the winter months!

66703 was also on the 1 late afternoon

[R879 HRF]

RE: First Chester & Wirral

(24/11/2012 08:21)Raawwwrrr! Wrote:  You call a route that has a £9 day ticket for an hours tour operating every 20 minutes "unprofitable" ? o.O compared to a route like the 53 which takes about 5 OAP passes?

Its not unprofitable, but im sure they'd rather work on the proper full round years routes first rather than worry about a seasonal sightseeing service which doesnt exactly get mass amounts of passengers - except on sunny days!

It makes sense to work on making the routes which always have a demand more profitable rather than a route which is only profitable during the summer months if you see where im coming from. No doubt they will invent in it eventually i just wouldnt imagine it to be top of the to do list!

[wirralbus]

RE: First Chester & Wirral
The open top service is marketed under the city sightseeing banner so the publicity of the route is dealt by them , Stagecoach will see renewal of that contract im sure .

[Garsty]

RE: First Chester & Wirral
What follows I have heard this evening and so I cannot stress how inaccurate it might be!

Apparently an agency has been sending out information in regards to 25 bus driver jobs being created in Wrexham by Stagecoach and would be based a new site on Wrexham Industrial Estate. They are looking for drivers with local knowledge to speed the process along, with interviews starting in late Jan, early Feb.

I cannot myself find anything to confirm this so I would take it with a pinch of salt.

[Metroline1511]

RE: First Chester & Wirral
I wonder how long the Dart-Marshall batch at Chester will be safe? Stagecoach soon redeployed the ex-MTL Marshalls from Glenvale to Preston but then withdrew them.

Even after this divestment, Cheshire will not be a First-free zone. Route 20 will still run from Crewe to Hanley and route 100 from Warrington to Manchester.

[gilesbus1]

RE: First Chester & Wirral

(24/11/2012 21:38)Metroline1511 Wrote:  I wonder how long the Dart-Marshall batch at Chester will be safe? Stagecoach soon redeployed the ex-MTL Marshalls from Glenvale to Preston but then withdrew them.

Even after this divestment, Cheshire will not be a First-free zone. Route 20 will still run from Crewe to Hanley and route 100 from Warrington to Manchester.

I would say that the buses with the least secure future there are the batch of B7TL's as they where originally only temporary pending the sourcing of newer deckers after teh Olympic games, First was to have sent MX58 Gemini's from Manchester but obviously that willn not now happen so more than likely some standard Stagecoach Enviro Enviro400's with either E40D or Scania N230UD chassis will no doubt make their way here perhaps from diverted orders and the B7TL's go elsewhere perhaps to another fleet where they are needed or be used to displace Olympians here.

Gilesbus1

[P450 SWX]

RE: First Chester & Wirral
I can see some new buses coming for the 1/2 and 471/2 tbh as I can ee Enviro200/300 coming for 1/2's replacing the solar and eclipses for other routes and same on 471/2 I can see Enviro400 coming for these and the gemini replacing olympians on the 38

[R879 HRF]

RE: First Chester & Wirral
yes Andy that is pretty much stating the obvious- once they take over theyll slowly scrap the scanias and replace as required - thats certain already.

Plus first havnt finished moving buses around yet - I was told on work experience that the gemini B7TLs are on lease from Yorkshire anyway and should have been heading to pastures new as other replacements arrived from Manchester so they might not stay yet - its likely first may dump all the scrappers in Rock Ferry / Chester and take the newer stuff, exactly what Arriva did with Gillmoss- Only way to find out is stop guessing and wait and see

Luke