Warrington's Own Buses

[Metroline1511]

RE: WBT Network Warrington
Several services are losing at least 1 bus an hour at least off-peak. Could this lead to an increase in off-peak use of double-deckers incuding even Saturdays?

[Valandil]

RE: WBT Network Warrington
I'm guessing that the 19 will be fully DD along with half of the 24's, and that the 25 and 23(a) will also be fully DD, during MF daytime.

We may also see the Eclipses on other routes more, as the 16(a), 20 and 21 will all require fewer vehicles.

I'm glad that the 3 and 4a have been co-ordinated so there is effectively a service every 15 minutes.
I can't believe they're still keeping it as the 4a though, instead of renumbering it the 4!

[Metroline1511]

RE: WBT Network Warrington
I went to Warrington on Monday. With regards to spare Eclipses, some worked route 25. I saw a few Cadets on routes 20, 21 and one on route 29. There was even a Solo on route 3 in the early evening.

The Network Warrington buses I rode were:

Cadet 66
Eclipse 91
Versa 95
Versa Hybrid 102
ALX400 155
Gemini 190 (with London United 2004 moquette)
Gemini 192 (refurbished for Warrington)
Solo 205

[M60lad]

RE: WBT Network Warrington
Just thought I'd post the following in case anyone is planning on using Network Warrington in the next couple of weeks:

BUS drivers at Network Warrington have announced plans for a series of one-day walk outs in a dispute over pay.

Members of the Unite union which includes drivers and other staff had already been involved in industrial action by refusing to work overtime and a work to rule from last Saturday.

But they have issued bosses at the bus company with a notice to end that action and in its place plan to take part in seven days of strikes over seven weeks.

The first day of action is next Friday, September 13 followed by Saturday, September 21; Sunday, September 29; Monday, October 7; Tuesday, October 15; Wednesday, October 23 and Thursday, October 31.

The executive directors along with the chairman of Network Warrington, are holding a closed mass meeting with the staff and union on Tuesday to discuss pay issues and the way forward.

The Network Warrington website will be updated regularly to notify customers of any service cancellations and the company asks customers visit networkwarrington.co.uk before travelling.

[Valandil]

RE: WBT Network Warrington
It's strange how they've done it, but Solos have been working onto an early evening 3 for a while now.
I'm not sure exactly what happens since the recent timetable changes, but it used to be the case that a Solo would come off the Penkeths around half 5 and then do an 18a and a 14, while another would come off the Penkeths around quarter to 6 and go onto a 3 (I think it was the 31 at 1701 which works onto the 3 at 1753).

Then the last 32 would work onto the first 21a of the evening, the last 31 onto the first 7 of the evening and the last 29 onto the first 1 at 7pm -- all Solo vehicles.
These vehicles would then keep working through the long sequence which defines the evening boards, running through most services in operation at that time.
I imagine that all of this is still the case, as the Penkeths and evening times weren't touched in the recent set of changes.

[stankevitch]

RE: WBT Network Warrington
With the Solo's only having a smaller 4-cylinder O904A Merc engine, they are cheaper to run in the fuel sense, whats why they are usually doing night and Sunday services alongside the Versa's. It means they can save a few gallons of guel.

[Valandil]

RE: WBT Network Warrington
Here's the notice about the strike action starting on Friday, which means that no normal service buses will run whatsoever on that day:
http://www.networkwarrington.co.uk/asset...912782.pdf

As regards the Solos, it makes sense in that sense.
But even at night and on Sundays they are often too small, particularly on the Orfords and Dallam runs where prams and wheelchairs exceed the available space.

As regards evening workings, it is slightly different now.
The last 32 still works onto the first 21a of the evening, but now one of the Solos goes onto the 7 ex Warrington at 1840.
I'll try and find out more if I can over the next week or so.

[anw2015]

RE: WBT Network Warrington
Such a disappointment that they have chosen to strike like this, going to cause absolute chaos on Friday.

The service changes have had a big effect on the 25. The service has lost at least 3 double deckers from its allocation (2 replaced by cadets and 1 replaced by an eclipse). A 30 minute frequency is inadequate during the daytime too. The 7.50 service from Warrington is now a eclipse which is ridiculous as this service easily filled a double decker (with standing loads sometimes too). Timekeeping has gone out of the window since the changes too. Fairbrothers take note!

The deckers seemed to have moved to the 19. There is also a extra 19 in the morning which does a short to Culcheth, leaving Warrington at about 7.40 with a 19 to Leigh timetabled literally a couple of minutes after it. Both are booked deckers which seems a bit silly. One of these would be far better utilized on the 7.50 25.

[Valandil]

RE: WBT Network Warrington

(11/09/2013 18:49)anw2015 Wrote:  Such a disappointment that they have chosen to strike like this, going to cause absolute chaos on Friday.

The service changes have had a big effect on the 25. The service has lost at least 3 double deckers from its allocation (2 replaced by cadets and 1 replaced by an eclipse). A 30 minute frequency is inadequate during the daytime too. The 7.50 service from Warrington is now a eclipse which is ridiculous as this service easily filled a double decker (with standing loads sometimes too). Timekeeping has gone out of the window since the changes too. Fairbrothers take note!

The deckers seemed to have moved to the 19. There is also a extra 19 in the morning which does a short to Culcheth, leaving Warrington at about 7.40 with a 19 to Leigh timetabled literally a couple of minutes after it. Both are booked deckers which seems a bit silly. One of these would be far better utilized on the 7.50 25.

I agree, especially about timekeeping.
A grandmother I was waiting at a bus stop for the 23 with, going to pick up her grandchildren from a school near Manchester Road, said she can no longer guarantee to be able to pick them up and was absolutely furious when the 23 that particular day was so late (or omitted) that she felt she had to catch the 25 which came nearly 20 minutes after her expected bus was due, and then desperately try to walk with her walking stick to the school from the Lidl stop in the town centre as fast as she could.
Of course, that is an isolated incident, but I have been taking note of other things and see a generally worse performance.

I can't find the short 19 to Culcheth you mention.
Is it just a duplicate maybe?
I also can't see what it would work onto, unless it just runs dead back to Warrington?!

Time seems to be lost on the 3 but regained on the 4a, which seems to have quite a bit of slack at the Woolston end.
It's good to see Eclipses tottering around the small roads there

It seems that the 28 interworks with half of the 24's, with the other half of the 24's interworking with the 19 as before.
I guess this is the only way it can work with things as they stand, but there is now a tremendous amount of slack and stand time in the 28's timetable.

[M60lad]

RE: WBT Network Warrington
Interesting working saw one of Network Warringtons Geminis working round Manchester on a Private Hire or Football Duty yesterday afternoon with Private Hire SFS on the front, I'm guessing it was on Match Bus duties for Man Utd but could be wrong