Stagecoach MCSL - Chester & Wirral Depots

[R879 HRF]

RE: Stagecoach Chester & Wirral
Currently a late night number 1 takes 1 hour 25 minutes from Liverpool - Chester (Dep Liverpool at 22.35, and arrives in Chester at 23.57). Its already too tight between Cheshire Oaks and the Wheatsheaf, but a bit too slack between Eastham and Cheshire Oaks. So assuming they can move a couple of minutes around to give it enough time from Cheshire Oaks to Chester, and knock a few minutes from the eastham - oaks section, they could cut maybe 5 minutes off the running. Which leaves us with a journey time of 1 hour 20 minutes to Chester. (Traffic is not a factor, its already dead traffic wise around 10pm on this route once out of Birkenhead). Lets then say for arguments sake it takes 25-30 minutes to run dead from Chester back to Liverpool that leaves us with a round trip of 1 hour 50 minutes- meaning whichever bus runs the 0005 trip cannot run the 0135 trip.

Say it ran back in service, it would take 2 hours 40 minutes to do a round trip, giving the driver 10 minutes either end, makes up to 3 hours for a round trip. If this was the case, then whichever bus ran the 0005 would run the 0305, with a 2nd bus performing the 0135 trip.

Its is not feasible to say the full route 1 could be done in under 1 hour 15 minutes at a push- with the useless traffic lights on the route, and the route already being foot down at night for the best part, not much more could be knocked off. Which makes me think if they only wanted to use the 1 vehicle, then perhaps its not the full route 1 being ran. Either a detoured version, maybe even the X8 or similar, OR, of course its not running the full journey through to Chester. If it where to run to Ellesmere Port or similar rather than full route, 1 bus could be used.

Really quite looking forward to seeing the timetable for this one.