Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

[Mayneway]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan
Who is subsidising the extended 330? And is there a chance that if and when the subsidy finishes Stagecoach might decide to pull the extension all together ?

[33109]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan
The noisy buggers were out in force today! 19188/19221 & 19405 gave picc gardens an earful!!!

Also I've had president 18290 on a 104 service too. Beautiful bus, immaculate interior & hasn't been knocked about too much or had any kurb scrapes it's a real credit to stagecoach.

Man 22096 was in picc gardens as well along with alx400 bodied trident 18111, unusual as it's still got the dot matrix displays. Plodding along without complaint though, apart from 18290 I don't think there's many presidents left which is a shame as their the comfiest buses around & rarely breakdown.

[djb]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

(25/09/2016 19:08)Dentonian Wrote:  Certainly not from 31st October. This was my first thought when I saw the 330 registration, especially the Sunday timetable. However, once I learnt that the Airport Interchange to World Freight section was subsidised and that the shifts there apparently dictate timings*, I wondered if MAplc's Ground Transport department approached High Peak first. Given the inherent punctuality problems on the 199 - the 1020 weekdays from Stockport to the Airport STILL runs very late, despite the working getting increased running time right back to start of the day - and the fact only one extra bus would be required, this would have made much more sense. Its only about 8 minutes each way to WFC, so the extra time would allow for recovery for late inbounds. The only questions then would be whether the Sunday service interworks at the Buxton end, and if High Peak would be willing to retime Sundays to suit shift times.
Extending another existing service all the way from Stockport seems strange now that Metrolink is seen as the prime form of public transport for Airport workers (as witnessed by the withdrawal of 19 & 369 from the same date). Frankly, if there was a justification for more buses on the route (with a haphazard timetable), then it should have been done a decade or more ago. And that goes for both MAplc as a srategy, or Stagecoach as a commercial decision. TBH, it would have been better as a completely stand alone service, which would not get caught up in delays further along the route, and could be properly timed. Otherwise, MAplc should have put more weight behind the "KickStart" plans to re-introduce a quasi 400 service back in 2010/1, before the now Chancellor scrapped the scheme without consultation, and presumably without compensating the various parties who had spent nearly £1 million that year.

Pure speculation, but I would think High Peak will keep a close eye on the 199 loadings and 330 punctuality before making a decision, but as the two run virtually together from Stockport to the Airport on Sundays/PHs, I would suspect that's where the biggest threat will be.

*The 330 times in/out of WFC vary throughout the day and week, so I'm sceptical about this reasoning.

Out of interest are any of the October change timetables in the public domain yet? Specifically the 143, 19, 368

[Mayneway]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

(26/09/2016 14:57)33109 Wrote:  The noisy buggers were out in force today! 19188/19221 & 19405 gave picc gardens an earful!!!

Also I've had president 18290 on a 104 service too. Beautiful bus, immaculate interior & hasn't been knocked about too much or had any kurb scrapes it's a real credit to stagecoach.

Man 22096 was in picc gardens as well along with alx400 bodied trident 18111, unusual as it's still got the dot matrix displays. Plodding along without complaint though, apart from 18290 I don't think there's many presidents left which is a shame as their the comfiest buses around & rarely breakdown.

There should be 2 Presidents knocking about 18290/91 both ex Maynes. They are nice buses but a lot I the drivers hate them as they have very annoying indicator alarms that go off when the driver is indicating so if your sat at traffic lights waiting to turn it can be very annoying.

[acocker96]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan
A very angry manager was telling drivers over the radio not to do 'stupid things', I think he said a few drivers had taken out the wrong buses at the start of the morning shift.

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan
If a Driver can't read a Fleetnumber probably I would love to know how they past their eye exam..

[NorthernCounties]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

(26/09/2016 16:47)Mayneway Wrote:  There should be 2 Presidents knocking about 18290/91 both ex Maynes. They are nice buses but a lot I the drivers hate them as they have very annoying indicator alarms that go off when the driver is indicating so if your sat at traffic lights waiting to turn it can be very annoying.

There's still one ex jpt president left too. I think the other ex jpt is still sat in Middleton depot with its roof sat on the seats covered with a tarpaulin

[33109]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan
Cheers for that northerncounties. IIRC most of the ex jpt stuff has been scrapped or sold.

Although that said a few are still about. Until yesterday never realised the enviro 400s could be quite so loud! Seems with a few years behind them & now worn in properly does it, 19221 is a real noisy fecker though!!!

[33109]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan
With presidents the loud indicator beeping is just how they were made for some reason. But still nice seeing them hanging on, dunno what the seats are but their really quite comfy.

[Mayneway]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan

(26/09/2016 23:45)NorthernCounties Wrote:  There's still one ex jpt president left too. I think the other ex jpt is still sat in Middleton depot with its roof sat on the seats covered with a tarpaulin

I didn't mention the JPT President as it falls very short of being in the condition the Maynes examples are in. Plus it's always rumoured to be withdrawn or In reserve. It's worse than a cat with 9 lives lol.

On a side note I find it hard to believe that they have been quick to dispose/cascade much of Trideht stock, yet this shed continues to be flogged in service. I know some of the Tridents were passed their best but some of the ex London stuff wasn't too bad.